Sanyo XACTI HD 1010

Small, comfortable and unbelievably capable, all pale in comparison to the Xacti's greatest trick: you might actually use it.

So sublimely innocuous are the Xacti's perfect collection of attributes that, unlike every other handy camera brick that came before; you won't feel ashamed to use it in public.

Built with a gun grip, a quick flip out LCD and the kind of menu your granny could use, the full HD marvel is the best way to capture your memories. It uses SD cards, HDMI and USB for quick and painless video transfer although we would recommend a decent machine with the correct codecs for editing and even viewing.

If we could find one fault with the Xacti is that despite our wildest desires it is hardly a tool for professional film making as its pathetic size amplifies every shake and jitter. Even on a tripod it's lack of mass make fluid movements very difficult. It also uses rather harsh codec to squeeze out footage without setting fire to your memory card so don't expect Blu-ray either. It also lacks support for peripherals such as lenses which was disappointing at first but when considering what the little camera represents is hardly a train smash.

Having said all that, there is not a handy camera on the planet that could compete with the convenience and fun that is the Xacti. We loved the HD1010 and what it represents for the future.