JVC Everio X: Hands on with the X-cam 
CamcordersThe first of the series of prequels to the X-Men films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, hit cinemas this week, so what better time to don fitted leather bodysuits and get hands-on with the JVC Everio X, a camcorder with super-powers?
The X shoots full high-definition 1,920x1,080-pixel video. It's recorded in AVCHD format at 24Mbps up to 50 frames per second with a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor. Just as Professor X does all the thinking for the X-Men, the brainwork is handled by a Gigabrid Premium II image processing engine. This powers features such as face detection, which will find up to 16 faces in the frame, rather like how Cerebro finds mutants. Continue reading...
Twenty20 ContourHD: Hi-def camcorder on your helmet
CamcordersYou could, in theory, strap the Flip Video MinoHD to your ski helmet, hit record and see what happens. But a couple of companies are making extreme YouTube-friendly camcorders, and Twenty20's second-generation ContourHD model is billed as 'the first HD wearable camcorder'.
Twenty20 says it has maintained the simplicity of its earlier standard-definition camcorder, but 'seriously improved' the video quality, field of view, memory capacity and audio experience with the ContourHD. The camcorder is powered by a removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It has a slot for a microSD card (it accepts cards of up to 16GB for 8 hours of recording time), a wideangle lens (135°), and a laser-guided alignment system. Continue reading...
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Panasonic SDR-SW21: Dead 'ard hands-on
CamcordersLike Daniel Craig emerging from the waves in Casino Royale, the Panasonic SDR-SW21 is a camcorder that takes the knocks on water or on land, although probably doesn't make ladies come over all previous to quite the same extent.
It's a standard-definition, SD card-based shooter that can be used underwater, as well as being sturdy enough to repel dust and withstand being dropped. Previously the domain of Sanyo, the tough-camcorder market is under attack from Panasonic, as is the tough-camera market previously ruled by Olympus. Continue reading...
Panasonic AG-HMC40: Enterprising pro AVCHD camcorder
CamcordersPanasonic has added the AG-HMC40 to its SD-card-based AVCCAM series -- not to be confused with its P2-card-based and seriously more expensive P2 HD series. You can tell the difference because the AG-HMC40 looks like the Enterprise. The AG-HMC40 joins the AG-HMC150 and shoulder-mounted AG-HMC70 in the ranks of Panasonic's pro AVCHD camcorders.
Smaller and lighter than either of its line mates, and with a much simpler design, the AG-HMC40 is also the first in the line to include a trio of 'Full HD', 1080p-resolution 1/4.1-inch 3MOS sensors, rather than CCDs. It incorporates a 12x zoom lens of as-yet-unknown focal-length range and can shoot 10.6-megapixel stills (obviously interpolated, since none of the sensors are that high resolution). Continue reading...
Sony Handycam HDR-XR520VE: GPS camcorder tells you where to stick it
CamcordersIt's a little-known fact that even the most the bleary-eyed and pasty-faced Craver scrubs up all right when the mood strikes us. And so it was last week, when Crave got suited and booted to rub shoulders with the great and the good of the camera world at the Sony World Photography Awards. Our gadget-sense was soon tingling, and among the stunning snaps on show in Cannes we also got our hands on a raft of Sony products, including the GPS-enabled HDR-XR520VE camcorder.
The XR520 shoots 1080i video at 16Mbps. Once you've filmed, inbuilt GPS automatically geotags your clips, baking location information into the file. This means you can later add your clips to maps, handy if you're taking it away on your 'olidays. Continue reading...
Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE: GPS for roving all over
CamcordersWhere in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Where's Wally? These are questions that can be answered by the Sony Handycam HDR-TG7VE. It's the most compact and consumer-friendly camcorder yet to boast GPS, allowing you to geotag your video clips. The ability to place your footage on a map is perfect for the traveller, and you can do it all in crisp high definition as well.
The TG7VE packs 16GB of on-board memory, holding up to 6 hours of 1,920x1,080-pixel AVCHD HD video and stereo sound. Whack in a 32GB Memory Stick and you add another 12 hours.
The build quality of the HDR-TG3E, the TG7VE's precursor, was one of its most impressive features. The TG7VE also packs a titanium body, with a flip-out 69mm (2.7-inch) LCD touchscreen.
Inside this sturdy frame there's a 2.3-megapixel, 1/5-inch Exmor CMOS sensor. Features include intelligent face detection and smile shutter, which works in both video and still mode. All this is topped off by a 10x optical zoom.
A GPS receiver plots your location as you travel, then adds pins to the Map Index software. Without a metadata standard for video, the geographical information may tie you to Sony's bundled Picture Motion software. Continue reading...
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Cisco buys Flip Video maker for $590m
CamcordersCisco, the world's largest maker of switches and routers that power the Internet, has taken another step towards becoming a major player in the consumer electronics market. On Thursday the company announced it has acquired Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of the popular Flip Video camcorders.
Cisco will pay about $590m in stock for the company and will also provide about $15m in 'retention-based equity' as incentives to Pure Digital employees, the company said in a statement. Continue reading...
Toshiba Camileo H20: A proper camcorder, but cheaper
CamcordersThe Toshiba Camileo H20 is a full high-definition camcorder that'll set you back less than £200 quid. That's fighting talk where we come from.
The H20 shoots 1080p video at 30 frames per second. It will also shoot 848x480 pixels at 60fps and 320x240 pixels for easy sharing. There's also a 5x zoom. With its large screen and proper camcorder features, there's none of the compromises forced by the size of your Flip Minos or Creative Vados. Continue reading...
Panasonic HDC-HS20, HDC-TM20 and HDC-SD20: 20-20 visions
CamcordersYou know, some manufacturers really don't make it easy on the naming front. Such is the case with the Panasonic HDC-HS20, HDC-TM20 and HDC-SD20, a trio of high-definition camcorders now available in the UK.
All three models shoot 1080i video and sport a 69mm (2.7-inch) LCD screen and a 16x optical zoom. They feature autofocus tracking and highlight playback, which allows you to skip to highlights of your footage. That is, as long as you consider zooming, panning, increases and decreases in sound level, and other tomfoolery as 'highlights'. Continue reading...
Sony HDR-CX105: Hands-on accidentally stalking a tech celebrity
CamcordersIt wasnt just cameras at the Focus on Imaging show this week: Sony also showed off its camcorder line-up. The model that caught our eye was the Sony HDR-CX105, a slender flash model. We know the face detection works, because it helped us spot a certain tech celebrity...
The CX105 shoots 1,920x1,080i high-definition video, recorded in the AVCHD format. The 8GB onboard memory holds 3 hours of HD, with extra storage offered on Memory Stick. Continue reading...
Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000: Let's all meet up in HD2000
CamcordersThe number 2000 will always suggest the future for those of us born back in the 20th century. So there's something undeniably futuristic-sounding about the camcorder at the top of Sanyo's new Xacti line-up, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000.
It's the first consumer model to shoot 1,920x1,080-pixel high-definition video at 60 frames per second, which is quite futuristic-sounding. Not exactly a hoverboard, but still. It comes in a chunky pistol-grip configuration that looks rather like those L-shaped torches GIs carry in World War II films. Continue reading...
Toshiba Camileo H20 and P30: HD happy
CamcordersToshiba is one of the bigger names in the budget reaches of the camcorder market, and is continuing to blur the gap between the no-frills ilk of the Flip Video Mino and proper high-definition models. Two new models, the Toshiba Camileo H20 and P30, shoot 1080p in small packages.
New features include night mode, which boosts image quality when you're wandering around in the dark. Both models include an HDMI connection and YouTube uploading. The design of the cameras has also been spruced up, as you'll see from our photos: they sport a blue gloss finish and red Camileo tag, scrubbing up much better than last year's workmanlike Toshiba Camileo Pro. Continue reading...
JVC Everio range for 2009: Just add iTunes
CamcordersCrave took a whistle-stop tour of JVC's planned products for 2009 at the company's annual key dealer meeting in Prague recently, getting hands-on with the new Everio camcorder line-up. The GZ-MS120, GZ-MG630, GZ-MG645 and GZ-MG680 shoot in standard definition, while the GZ-HM200 and GZ-HM300 shoot in 1080p high definition. In an interesting new step in the video-sharing wars, each model is compatible not only with YouTube, but also with iTunes.
YouTube upload is simple, with a direct upload button on the side of each model. iTunes is less straightforward, with the video exported as a file that can be converted and then imported by the program, rather than directly uploaded. Once it's in iTunes, your video can be synced to your iPod or iPhone to watch on the go. Continue reading...
Sanyo unveils spring Xacti range
CamcordersSanyo steered clear of the madness that was CES 2009 and instead opted to announce its spring 2009 lineup of Xacti camcorders on Wednesday.
Headed to US stores in March are six new models (three horizontal and three vertical, pistol-grip siblings), all of them capable of shooting in HD -- two of them in full 1080p. UK pricing and availability is yet to be announced.
Continue reading...
RCA Small Wonder wandering to Europe
CamcordersThere's a plethora of camcorders that are easy on the pocket, both in terms of size and cost. RCA Small Wonder camcorders haven't been available over here, but we learnt at CES 2009 that's set to change.
RCA has possibly one of the biggest ranges of budget pocket shooters going: Flip has the Ultra and Mino, Kodak the Zi6 and new Zx1, Creative the Vado, and even '14 new camcorders at a time' Sony only has two, the Webbie PM1 and C1. The Webbies show that the major players are taking this market segment seriously, and although there's nothing definite yet, the word on the street is the Webbies will make an appearance this side of the Atlantic after all. Meanwhile, RCA has confirmed that the Small Wonders are heading for Europe in 2009. Continue reading...
Panasonic's spring camcorders get three chips and long lenses
CamcordersBefore the world went high-def, Panasonic made a point of upgrading many of its camcorders to three-chip models. Now it's happening again, as Panasonic rolls out its 3MOS chipsets in its prosumer 2009 AVCHD camcorders. At 2 megapixels per chip, they're each reasonably high-resolution, as well.
You won't, however, see the likes of popular, older, budget three-chip models, such as the PV-GS320 -- at least not in the first half of the year. In fact, you won't see any tape- or DVD-based models at all from Panasonic, according to the company. Ever. Continue reading...
Photos: Sony's 2009 camcorder line-up
CamcordersWhile Panasonic and Canon look like they're delivering a solid, if somewhat uninspiring, line of camcorders for the first half of the year, Sony emerged from CES with the most newsworthy set of models -- newsworthy for what the product line doesn't include, as well as what it does.
What's missing? MiniDV camcorders, for one. While last year's DCR-HC52 and HC62 remain on the market, Sony didn't announce anything relevant to MiniDV -- no consolidation of the existing models, as Canon did, or outright declaration of dropping models, as with Panasonic (if not publicly, then at least in conversation). Nor are there any DVD-based AVCHD camcorders for 2009. Those seem to have quietly slipped away from Canon and Panasonic as well. Continue reading...
Samsung HMX-R10, SMX-FX34: SD and HD in your pocket
CamcordersSamsung has launched a brace of pocketable camcorders, the 'Full HD' digital HMX-R10 and YouTube-tastic SMX-FX34. The FX34 includes solid-state flash memory, as demonstrated above, while the R10 has a cute angled lens design.
The FX34 has a top resolution of 720x480, as well as a YouTube mode that shoots in native YouTube size and format. It features face detection for up to five subjects. Video is saved in H.264 compressed format, which allows for 8 hours of standard-definition video on the 16GB of internal flash memory. It also supports SD and SDHC cards. Continue reading...
Sony Handycam HDR-XR500: GPS camcorder
CamcordersIn what's probably the most interesting camcorder announcement of 2009, Sony proffers the Handycam HDR-XR500 and HDR-XR520, a pair of hard-disk-based AVCHD camcorders which integrate the dual firsts of built-in GPS and a new Exmor-R back-illuminated CMOS sensor.
Though the sensor isn't new, this is the first time we're seeing it in products. The technology, which flips the layers so that the photosites are above the electronics where they can get more light, may prove an effective way to improve low-light performance, the continuing weak aspect of consumer camcorders. Sony claims an 8dB increase in sensitivity, for a 50 per cent reduction in noise. Continue reading...
Sony Webbie PM1, CM1: Fun with li'l Webbie
CamcordersSony wants itself a piece of the pocket camcorder market, meeting Flip Video head-on with the launch of the Webbie range at CES 2009. Yes, Webbie. Because it's for sharing video on the Web. And it's small and cute. Webbie. It sounds like it should be having adventures with its freckled moppet of an owner: "What's that, Webbie? Bobby's fallen down the well and he can't get out? Oh no!"
Sony has hedged its bets with two models: the MHS-PM1 Webbie apes the candybar shape of other budget models, such as the Flip Video Ultra and Creative Vado, while the MHS-PM1 Webbie has the more traditional camcorder form factor, with a barrel lens and flip-out screen. Both shoot MPEG-4 high-definition video.
Continue reading...
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