Hmm.. I would have recommended iStopmotion. Why can't you use Dragon? If it's your OS just upgrade, Snow Leopard is said to have worked on macs over 15 years old. If it's your camera, I would keep checking the Dragon website because they are always adding compatible cameras. If not you could always buy a new camera. I recently brought a Canon 450d for £380 with a lens, so there not really overpriced, and you could make 5k quality videos. Both Cannon and Nikon compact and DSLR's are almost compatible with all Mac stop motion programs. I would recommend updating your OS, trying to get Dragon and buying a Canon or Nikon DSLR. Good luck!

When you said you can't adjust the focus does that are you adjusting it manually on the camera or with the program? Because you shouldn't have trouble with that using any program so that problem might be the camera. Buy a new camera first, and work it with the computer and see if it doesn't fix the problem. You might get away with only having to buy the camera and not upgrading your operating system like you said.

thanks again fellas! The nikon cool pix totally overheats and then you can't even turn it off, it just freezes and you have to take out the batteries, let it cool, then hope when you  put the battries back in it will return to normal. I really like I stop motion and will buy it when i  find the right camera. It's really overwhelming trying to get all these pieces of technology working together. I have to get a new computer now anyway, my bro. the computer tech says that my inverter (whatever that is) is shot and the mother board is a ticking time bomb. Got to get it all replaced before i start any big project.
All this advice really helps, i think it should all come together now.