Great Value

I was in need of something to film my 2 sons high school wrestling careers. I was using a Kodak DX6490 still camera & the video was awful, but it worked. The still photos were decent, but low light conditions were poor. I started looking for a video camera, not really wanting one, and the salesman pointed me towards the H-9. The video capabillity seemed very good for a still camera, and the "steady shot" was excellent. I have since "filmed" 7 matches in low light HS gyms, with very good results. The ability to zoom while recording was new to me and a great advantage. "No flash" photos in low light with this camera seem very good, also. These are action shots in low light, and the pics are great. The optics appear to be very good, and I've even taken some shots using a lot of the digital zoom, and was very surprised at the quality, if you can hold still enough. I've played the videos back on a 27" TV, and the picture is as good as any broadcast picture. The battery seems small, and I'm sure that for all day tournaments I will need a spare, but that's a minor thing to me. I do wish the AC power cord would have been included.