The balance of features in this camera is very nice, better than the low cost HD pocket cam alternatives to date. I'm using these cameras in research, which requires a few key features:+External mic input - essential for getting understandable voices in many environments. I use the Olympus ME52 voice mic and a mono-stereo adapter and it works very well, slighly emphasizing the spoken word and de-emphasizing background noise. A good cheap mic that also works well is the jWIN stereo computer mic.+Range of video resolutions including 1080p, 720p, and, importantly, a wide SD mode (WVGA). I shoot mostly WVGA as this balances quality of the video with manageable file sizes. Much of our research and video work is fast cycle, so the speed and ease with which we can manipulate and edit the long WVGA video files is a big plus. Editing MOV files is also easier than some of the other encoding alternatives chosen by other camera manufacturers, for example, AVCHD with high bit rates.+Wide angle lens option - essential for many indoor shots. Using the Kodak Zi8 0.45x Wide Angle With Macro (Modification Style) Magnetic Lens + Cronies Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloth which fits perfectly and does the job at .45x magnification.+Records to SD cards vs. internal memory - essential for managing multiple days of research back to back. To enhance speed of download and just to ensure smoothest possible recording, I'm using the SanDisk 16gb Extreme 30MB/s Edition SDHC High Performance Card.+Removable battery - again, needed for shooting long research hours over multiple days. Nice that this battery is also the Fuji NP50, making for broader availability and more charger options. I'm getting 100+ minutes of recording on a full charge and fresh battery.+VERY easy to use! Menus, controls, ports, all easy to find, intuitive to figure out and use. Essential when introducing new folks to the camera under the pressure of field research.What I wish for in the next version:-USB/webcam live video out - would make capturing live video directly to computer much easier.-Model with Optical image stabilization - Electronic helps, but there is really no comparison to OIS.-Model with Optical zoom, say 27 (wide) to 100 mm (35 mm equivalent).-Separate start/stop button from the zoom controller/joystick. Too easy to accidentally start or stop a recording when you don't mean to.-Option to disable the red tally light - distracting-Model with Bluetooth audio in/AV out - take in a BlueTooth mic like the Sony ECM-AW3 for even better audio, monitor live audio via bluetooth headphones or headsets, and stream AV to a computer.-Small clip on external battery to extend run time (without making any ports or the tripod connector unusable).-Less finicky about which SD cards work for extended recording.-Headphone jack to monitor audio if the BT bandwidth is taken up with input.I'd pony up another 50% increase in the price for these improvements!Additional key accessories besides those above:+Kodak 1047398 Pocket Video Case - very compact, but fits camera, extra batteries, the external mic and the wide angle lens.+Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery/KLIC 7004 10x Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery/KLIC 7004 or Fuji NP50 and a good, compact travel charger.+TrekTech TrekPod mono/tri pod - most versatile pod there is, and carrying it with your camera mounted stabilizes shots to a remarkable degree, sort of like a poor person's steadycamBut all in all, a great product for the price, with critically important (to me) features that set it apart. Nicely done! Now lets see the Zi8 *Pro* added to the product line with all the above :-)