When I need to take a camera or a video camera with me, I am a big fan of compact devices that work well. I have a large DSLR but it is a pain to carry around all day when I need a camera. Sanyo has unveiled a new Xacti VPC-CS1 camera that shoots video and still shots in one package.

The camera is set to go on sale in February 2010 for $299.99 and will come in silver only. The device can record full 1080p HD video using MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. Sanyo says that this is the thinnest Xacti yet at only 27mm thick and weighing 142g.

The camera features Sound Zoom to increase the clarity of the recorded audio and it can shoot 8MP still shots. The optical zoom is 10x and the camera is compatible with Eye-fi SD cards. A mini HDMI out terminal is integrated for sending the HD video directly to a TV.

Sanyo