Zoom While Using Video Function

Hey guys, got a question for those of you who are more knowledgable in all things photography related.  Recently while In NZ I found myself using my point and shoot for video more so than stills.  I bought a little Fujifilm XP10 waterproof jobbie because of it’s HD video capability and it’s small size and the ease of use this allows.

All in all for $220 I spent on it I’m pretty stoked with the results, it copped a bit of a hiding, dropped a fair few times, used in wet and snowy conditions etc etc and stood up to all of it with no dramas at all.  The quality of the video is way more than adequate for home movie stuff and the stills look great as well to most people.

One shortcoming I did notice is whilst recording video and attempting to zoom in or out, it’s only got one zoom speed (fast) and the subject matter is out of focus for a few seconds when doing so. 

I will basically never be on the hill in cameraman specific capacity and it’s only ever a case of I go first, you film me, then I will film you from the bottom deal so the ability to have a small unobtrusive easily carried and rugged camera is paramount.  Does anyone know of a currently available compact camera that is capable of smooth and focused zoom whilst recording video?

It might sound like a bit of an ask but I don’t want to be carrying anymore media devices while on the mountain, I like being able to use the one piece of equipment for video and stills.  I did see some flash drive style vid cameras while browsing duty free but the stills capability of those things used to be notoriously shit.

Some point and shoots let you adjust the aperture.  If that’s the case you can try having a smaller aperture so that there is a larger depth of field so more stuff is in focus. 

If you can get your hands on a Cannon, you can check out http://chdk.wikia.com which basically lets you control the camera to a much greater extent.

Otherwise good luck in the search for new gear.