The top-selling technology gadget for Christmas this year, experts say, will be digital cameras as prices fall and the range of cameras widen to include super light, hip models that pass as fashion accessories.
Many of the new, light and almost nauseatingly cute candy-coloured digital cameras on the market compromise on quality in order to fit into a tight, sleek chassis.
At first glance, one could easily dismiss the Panasonic SV-AV30 as just another good-looker that is thin on features. However, it turned out to have a few surprising goodies.
First, the AV30 is very compact, though it would not fit in a man's shirt pocket. It has an SD slot and is capable of taking both still images and video. The AV30 puts out MPEG4 movies at 15 frames per second and 320x240 pixels and has a 2x digital zoom. Admittedly, these are not impressive specifications for real shooters but then, it is not aimed at pros.
The anorexic, pastel-coloured AV30 is aimed mostly at women as an entry-level, hassle-free, point-and-shoot camera that you can operate with one hand. It weighs 122 grams and comes in silver, blue, white or yellow finishes.
There is 90 minutes of recording time with the included battery and it comes with an AV cradle to stick the thing in for a recharge, which also hooks up to a TV.