With 4K capability being pushed by Sony and GoPro in their top-of-the-line cameras, HD action cams like the Panasonic HX-A1 compete for budget-minded buyers. The A1 is an affordable full-HD action cam selling for $199.99, ￡179.99 or AU$299.

The Panasonic HX-A1 is a super-light and compact action cam; Out-of-the-box night-vision makes it the only action cam for shooting in total darkness; An included adapter for use with GoPro mounts gives buyers accessory options

The A1's image quality suffers due to compression artifacting; The A1 also doesn't have an underwater case for waterproofing beyond the camera's low built-in rating so underwater filming is restricted; Pedestrian battery life won't suit those shooting for long stretches of time

I use these for my cycling and mount them on my helmet with velcro. They are very light and image quality is good when there are lots of light. There is no built in stabilization so that is why I mount it on my helmet.

The video quality its ok, the unit is small and tough, the only problem is that the unit gets really hot and you have to stop using it untill it cools down, it takes a while to cool down.

The Panasonic HX-A1 is an ultra-light action cam that is ready to go anywhere with you, hands free. Tough and versatile, the camera is dustproof, waterproof, freezeproof, and shockproof.

Size and tough build make it easy to take this camera anywhere you go; Good video quality for a great POV experience; No additional housing or case needed to take it underwater (limited to 5 feet; Plenty of mounts for any activities; WiFi allows you to view; control and copy videos and still images...

Small; 2.66-Megapixel still images aren't worth capturing; Built-in battery does not allow you to swap out for a fresh one; Extended battery more than doubles the size and weight of the camera; No HDMI output for HD movies on an HDTV; Had some troubles connecting to WiFi with smartphone; Only...

We're rather fond of Panasonic's range of compact digital cameras, but the new HX-A1 is a whole new breed. It's an action cam, designed to take on the likes of GoPro, and while Panasonic's delivered some cool features, overall it's not going to compete just yet.

Dont buy this buy gopro session insted