Panasonic's new HX-A1M is an ultra-compact wearable camera aimed at those into extreme sports. If you love outdoor activities, you most probably would want to document your activities. Panasonic's HX-A1M joins similar products on the market that allows you to document your activities in the form of full HD videos.
The Panasonic HX-A1M is just 8.3 centimeters long and measures about 2.6 centimeters in diameter. It also weighs a feather-light 45-grams. The overall construction of the device is in alluminium and the design and build quality of the device is very good.
Compared to its predecessor, the HX-A1M also comes with wireless capabilities. The back of the device can be unscrewed to reveal a microSD card slot which can be used for storing recorded footage. The back also includes a micro USB port for charging the device and the hard reset button.
The cylindrical body of the device comes with five LEDs for indicating various operations such as video mode, action cam mode, photo mode, the on/off button and the wireless activity. The HX-A1M is also IPX8 compliant - so you can shoot at depths of up to 1.5m in water without a protective case.
The camera also complies to the MIL-STD810F Method 516.5-Shock and hence it is shock and drop resistant to up to 1.5m. You can also shoot in dusty and sandy conditions, thanks to the device being IP6X compliant. In addition, the HX-A1M can also be operated in freezing conditions down to up to -10 degrees.
The HX-A1M allows you to record 29.97 frames per second (fps) by default in 1080p, 720p and 848x640p resolutions. Filming aspect ratio is a standard 16:9. In order to set up the device and start using it, you will need to install Panasonic's very own Image App on your Android or iOS device to connect the devices wirelessly through Wi-Fi.
The app offers live view and remote control functionality, image preview, video playback, frame-rate settings and file transfer. It's simple enough to use, and it's the only way to make changes to settings with the camera itself offering minimal input options.
The Panasonic HX-A1M allows you to film only at full HD resolution. Many action cams on the market also allow you to film at 4K resolution, but obviously they tend to cost a lot. Video footage filmed at 1920-by-1080 pixels and 30 frames per second, look very crisp. The colours are not oversaturated, but then, fine details tend to miss from the footage.
With the HX-A1M, Panasonic seems to have done a really good job. The camera comes in very compact dimensions, is lightweight and is affordable for an action cam. quality. If you are willing to ignore the short battery life, the Panasonic HX-A1M is a good buy.
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