paddling with a camera

• Waterproof digital camcorder
• Shoot 640 x 480-pixel video clips and 6-megapixel still images simultaneously
• 5x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD screen
• Built-in image stabilization
• Up to 80 minutes recording time per 1GB memory card

Due to efficient compression Sanyo is recording up to 80 minutes of video on 1 Gb memory card. This sounds great. My Pentax Optio W10 can record about 15 minutes per 1 Gb of memory.

The vertical design may be good for a handhold camcorder. I am not sure how easy it would be to mount it on a kayak deck or as a helmet cam.

At $500 it is expensive in comparison with waterproof digital cameras like Pentax Optio or Olympus Stylus SW series.

Do you prefer a digital still image camera with some video capabilities or a digital camcorder with a capability to shoot still pictures? Can we have both in one package?