If you are looking for a very small, slip it in your small bag digital camera for photos and  HD video this may be the camera for you.

After reading several of the over 300 positive reviews on Youtube and seeing my friend Michael Hauser’s personal photos I was convinced that for a small camera this was the way to go. It’s not cheap. It list’s for about $350 US and sells for about $250 on Amazon.

First of all, it takes great photos during the day time. I was shocked at the clarity and sharpness of the lens and photos this camera takes. It has a relatively long 12x optical zoom, 25mm wide angle Leica lens and a lot of scene and or manual choices. The color looks really good as well. Outside in nature the detail is very good. Color, contrast, detail, and sharpness are very good to excellent in bright outdoor light. It also has 2 extra zoom  modes to make it even longer called intelligent and extra.

I also use a Canon 7D semi pro still camera. The Canon weighs a ton in comparison. Of course the shots do not compare with the Canon in general, but if you are traveling and want something light that will fit in a small bag this is the camera to get.

Another feature of great importance on this camera is HD video. You can shoot some nice video and the audio mics on it are OK as well. It is not going to look as good as a stand alone HD video camera, but if you need a small all in one unit  check this cameras  video footage out as it may be good enough for your needs. There are lot’s of videos using this camera on Youtube and I use it in some of my videos on Youtube as well.

You can zoom while recording video which is a feature missing from many other still cameras that have video and this is very important for many of us who are not pro shooters but want to be able to zoom in on a dancers feet or a drummers hands perhaps and then zoom out to get the whole group of people for example.

Close ups of small details such as the inside of flowers is also surprisingly good.

It has a solid metal body, a nice grip and it starts up fast. It has a metal tripod mount which is a feature you rarely see on a camera of this type. All of the buttons and switches have a nice feel to them and the LCD screen (what you watch to shoot a photo) is big and bright.

Small gripes. It is not a professional camera, so there are limited ISO choices for shooting speed but for me there are enough to get by. Mine did not come with an external  power adaptor in the box. You have to be careful not to cover the flash with your finger.

Other then that, I can not say enough good things about this camera. It is a great value for the quality you get. Please check out the other reviews or try one in a store if you have the chance.[amazon_link id=”B00395WIXA” target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]