Tip: It is interesting that so many have repeated by manufacturers who have jumped on the moving train GoPro, the same mistake, particularly because it is so easy to avoid this error. I've tinkered me an essay of transparent plastic in order to resolve the issue. For this I have the piece of plastic (you can for example, a piece of a CD case take) cut into a round shape to mount it over the lens. In order to fix it and prevent the ingress of water, I used some plastic wrap and a rubber band. This simple solution works surprisingly well and gave me immediately a much sharper picture underwater.
*** The battery life-and a solution PROBLEM ***
Other reviewers have complained a short battery life, but I was able to continuously on a single battery charge for about 2 1/2 hours (10 minutes shorter when the W-LAN). I think that's not too bad, but the battery is installed, so that you can not replace it if it is empty. This means that if you want to use the camera for a live streaming over the Internet, must hope that the coup d'etat, the one live observed, is handled as quickly as possible. Thankfully, there are also a solution for this problem, that you have had no 2-3 hours until the device is charged in order to stream back to.
Hint: The solution is to power the camera via USB instead of the internal batteries. This gives you the potential for unlimited recording times, but to pay attention to something: if you plug the camera into the USB drive of a PC and turn on, it will automatically make a data connection and blocks the absorption function. However, if you plugging the camera into a USB power pack, which provides only power, but no data connection starts, the recording function is not blocked, and you can continue recording.
*** Two-piece design and a handy tip for FIXING ***
The HX-A100 looks more like an endoscope like a camera, but a record button in a separate area, away from the camera, makes it much easier when the latter is attached to the head.
Tip: The cylindrical shape of the camera makes it difficult to attach anything other than to use the holders of Panasonic. However, I have a microphone clamp with spring clip, which fits perfectly to the camera and which can be connected via an adapter with a standard tripod mount. This allows many new possibilities of fixing.
*** WI-FI ***
The HX-A100 does not have a display, but you can see a live video transmission of the camera by connecting them wirelessly to a compatible smartphone or tablet. Even for basic functions such as entering the date or formatting the SD card you have to connect the camera to a mobile device. Place the camera so only buy if you have a compatible mobile device.
*** Slow & Quick Motion ***
The HX-A100 can record high frame rates for slow motion video, incl. 50p at Full HD resolution (1920x1080), 100p at HD resolution (1280x720) and 200p at standard resolution (848x480).
The camera can also record time-lapse photos at intervals of 3, 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds, but these can be stored as individual JPEGs (with a resolution of 5 MP), which you then have to assemble themselves into a video.
*** IMAGE QUALITY ***
Do not expect fine detail in Full HD resolution. For an action camera, the image quality is quite good, but the pictures look much compressed from. It is quite possible that a lower resolution would look better with less compression, but the marketing is probably easier if a camera has a Full HD specification.
*** SUMMARY ***
I like the two-part design of the HX-A100 very, after I got used to it. The camera has definitely some significant limitations on, but it has ultimately left a generally positive impression on me, certainly, because I enjoyed the challenge of finding ways to get around the restrictions.
