Best HD Digital Camera for Safari?

Hi all, I wanted a technical answer here with regards to buying a HD digital camera that also takes clear video footage. I am going on a safari and will only be buying a digital camera and not a camcorder so that is already ruled out. What I need is a great HD DIGITAL camera that has a high zoom and good close up still shots as well as video and works extremely well in the dark or night mode. I know most cameras have your standard night mode but there are more technical spec's that can help taking night shots and video on your camera at night.

Another consideration is light weight and smaller the better as I am travelling for 4 months so need to keep weight down as much as possible.

Any suggestions would be MOST helpful and very welcome!

Thanks everyone!

Freebirdnz

Since HD digital has been used to describe video cameras, finding a P&S camera that supports low resolution, HD images seems contadictory (HD video is defined as "High Definition 1080i:) , The video on P&S cameras are really just a marketing tool and used to produce low quality YouTube type videos. If I was investing in cameras to a once in a lifetime Safari, I would go armed with a DSLR and at least three lenses (super-wide, good extended range general zoom and at least a 300mm telephoto) and for lowlight, HD videos, a Sony mini-DV camera with a LUX rating of 0 (zero) AND one with IR capability.

NO P&S video feature shoots well in low light.

Who ruled out the video camera? What was that dicision based upon?

One of the least expensive HD video cameras: http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Son... You can use the specs on this camera to compare it to the video specifications on any P&S camera you investigate.

Sanyo makes a strange little P&S with HD video on it ... LINK:
http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-HD1000-Defin...

The closest P&S camera to what you want is this camera, but again, the video is only VGA quality (".Movie Mode: Movie mode with sound at 30 frames per second in VGA quality, and zoom capable with manual zoom ring while in movie mode")

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/080124...

I go along with fhotoace on this issue. You would be 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' by buying anything that doesn't fulfil your needs, which is to take stunning safari shots. Don't even try it!!!