I am looking for a robust dual camera with an emphasis on video, with an external microphone jack so that I narrate video in noisy situations like electronics stores.The Nikon p7100 is robust, has an external microphone jack (like the V1, well done Nikon). The autofocus is meant to be slow according to reviewers on a different video, but it seems adequate for shooting video. It has an automatic lens cap too. The problem for me is that the exposure is jumpy in video mode. Normally still cameras are let down by a jumpy autofocus in video mode, but this camera is let down by the jumpy auto-exposure. See the way in which 'the lightness and darkness' changes in a jump fashion in this video. This alone makes the camera unacceptable. The lack of a flip out screen is also a shame since 1) I can't see myself when I video myself - perhaps not such a bad thing 2) I can't turn the screen around to protect it. This is a big problem. Still cameras tend to be more robust than video cameras but video cameras at least allow one to close away the screen.The results of my tests wereCanon EOS Kiss 5: No full time autofocus in video mode so no go. Bulky of course.Canon EOS Kiss 6: Wow. But a bit too expensive and autofocus is still a little slow. Well it has to move all that glass. Amazing machine. I'll get a video enabled DSLR one day.Canon GX1: Rugged, flip around screen for self-video and screen protection but no microphone Input!!Nikon Coolpix P7100: Rugged. Microphone input. Auto lens cap. No flip around screen so difficult self-video, and no way to protect screen. Autofocus is said to be slow but seemed good enough for video but the auto-exposure was jumpy presumably because it was too slow.The Olympus PEN ELP 3: Microphone input need attachment. It has no flip around screen, the optical image stabilization leads to jellyvision in video.Nikon V1: Good but, no flip around screen for self video and screen protection. smaller sensor size, making canon lenses too long. Good camera. Looks robust. Sony NEX 5. No corded external microphone only a hot shoe one meaning I can't narrate.Sony NEX 7. Has everything, and is very cool, but rather expensive (as a EOS Kiss 6) and Sony products tend to be super compact and cool but less rugged. Japanese people are very clean. They always carry umbrellas. Panasonic's Xactis: Would be good because they are waterproof, but they have got rid of the microphone input that was there in the days of Sanyo! Sanyo Xacti HD 2000. Microphone input. Full HD 60p video. More like a video camera so not as rugged as some above but has taken quite a bashing in my experience. I like the gun form. Bricks are passe'. Stills only "okay." Does what I need. I bought another one for 30000 yen. If you can get one second hand (there are a couple on ebay uk now) then I recommend them but watch out for the lens and water.

タグ: nikoncoolpixp7100