Camcorders
”Samsung Challenges Casio with $850 Slow-Mo HMX20 HD Camcorder
As excited as we are about Casio's Exilim EX-F1 camera with slow-mo and high-def video modes, we're even more thrilled to see actual competition in this category. Samsung announced its HMX20C (or HMX20) at CES, and is now officially shipping it, at least in Korea, for a price around $850. That's about $150 less than Casio's Hiro Nakamura supercam. Here's what's similar about the two models: More »Flip + Waterproof Casing = Rugged Cam You Won't Fear Losing
You don't give a shit if you lose or destroy it. Blam's fingers turn into sprouts of butter while frolicking in the ocean, especially if they're gripping expensive, ruggedized cameras that can otherwise withstand brutal acts of man and nature. Buttons are also hard to press. The Flip only has one you need, and with this cheap underwater housing, Blam could film dolphin sex with 10 Flips Matrix-style, or simply have a small army of semi-disposables ready to die for the price of a single higher end camera. (Cheap disposable cameras are different for you and me than for even budget Hollywood flicks, after all.) [Dethroner]Creative Clones the Flip Camcorder: Why the Hell Are They Calling It Vado?
The most impressive thing about the ultra-basic Flip camcorder (to me anyway) is that it's managed to steal 13 percent of the camcorder market. Creative is hoping to bottle some of that magic with a $100 Flip clone called Vado (which sounds more like a failed Star Wars character than a cheapo camcorder). The leaked specs are barely discernible from the Flip Ultra's. (To be super duper clear, this a bad Photoshop of the Flip Ultra, not Creative's product.) More »Crank 2: High Voltage Being Shot With Cheapo Best Buy HD Cameras, Still Ridiculous
Apparently, the only thing crazier than Crank 2: High Voltage's plot (Jason Statham survives falling a thousand stories from a helicopter, thanks to his super adrenaline heart, which is stolen by a really old Chinese dude, and his mechanical replacement needs to be constantly zapped, hence the awesome title) is the cameras they're using to shoot it. They're straight from Best Buy and Circuit City: Canon's $1000 HF10 and XH A1 (now about $3500), though they're shooting with up to 12 simultaneously, and plan to destroy loads of them throughout the process. More »DXG-569V HD: HD Camcorder For $169
You probably remember DXG's insanely cheap DXG-566V HD camcorder, the $150 answer to Sanyo's Xacti line. Well, DXG maybe didn't think the 566 was enough of a copycat: The company has totally revamped the 720p/30fps camcorder with a "sexy vertical design" to look a lot more like the Xacti. The low price is retained: the all-new DXG-569V HD only costs $170, while Xactis still cost anywhere from $260 up to $700. The DXG also only comes in silver or black, a small price to pay... literally. Specs and availability after the jump. More »Flip Camcorder Stole 13% of Market, May Have Also Stolen Software
The Flip camcorder won our hearts with a stripped down, value priced approach to home video. However, a company called Advanced Video Technologies (AVT) has filed suit claiming that the company behind the Flip stole their patented Full Duplex Single Chip Video Codec compression software. Fortunately for consumers, AVT is not seeking to block sales of the Flip, but I bet they would love to get their hands on some of the gravy from that 13% share. [Reuters]Sony's New Ad Campaign Teaser: Crazy Stuff With Cameras
Sony's launching a new ad campaign on April 22, following up all those other spots we're crazy about. We got our hands on the teaser, entitled "Nothing," and it is both very cool and totally irritating at the same time, because "Nothing" is exactly what happens. Kind of. It's a bunch of smug film dudes talking with British accents about explosions and special effects, while doing increasingly crazy things with their cameras. If I was one of those cameras in the video, I'd be praying for a stunt double—look for the one that gets tossed off a bungee platform, and the other that gets rolled down a friggin' mountain. But all of this build-up is for what, Sony? WHAT ARE THEY SHOOTING!!??! [Sony]Red Scarlet 3K HD Pocket Pro Camera Under $3000
Canon Quietly Releases XL H1S and XL H1A, Lowers H1 Series Price
Today Canon has announced updates to their XL H1 1080i Pro HD camcorder, splitting the line into two offerings: the XL H1S and XL H1A, a more simplistic XL H1A will be offered at a retail price of just $5,999 this July—several thousand less that we saw the original XL H1 priced for. And the H1 classic XL H1S, available this June, will run $8,999. More »Panasonic SDR-S7 Lightweight Camcorder Is 5 Oz, Japan-Only
Those of you into teeny-tiny gadgets might like Panasonic's latest SD camcorder aimed at the Japanese market. The SDR-S7 weighs in at just 160 grams—that's 5.6 ounces—and shoots MPEG-2 format in 640 x 480 resolution, storing on either SD or SDHC cards. More specs below. More »Toshiba IK-HD1 is World's Smallest HDTV Camera
With vital measurements of 1-6-inches cubed and 2.3-ounces in weight, Toshiba's IK-HD1 waltzes in to easily steal the "Smallest HDTV Camera, Ever" title. Packed to the miniature eyeballs with three CCD chips, the 1K-HD1 can capture video at broadcast-quality at 1080i, but it won't be making its way to your camcorder anytime soon. The tiny marvel is actually intended for professional broadcasting, and needs to be hooked up to a rather sizable control unit, which can be placed up to 90-feet away. It appears Mr Professional Broadcasting wins again. Dammit. [DVice]
Sony HDR-TG1 Handycam Is World's Smallest "Full HD" Camcorder
Meant more for geeky vacationers than pros, Sony's calling its HDR-TG1 Handycam the world's smallest "full HD" camcorder, packing 10 ounces into a 1.3 x 4.7 x 2.5-inch titanium frame. Sony is all about face-detecting as of late, which comes standard here on both video and still shooting. It can identify up to eight mugs, and supposedly adds extra "encoding bits" to faces for the best possible rendering of your subjects. Unfortunately, Sony's still forcing the Memory Stick standard upon the world, this time, a choice between PRO Duo or PRO Duo Mark2. (How many more MS flavors can we stand, Sony??) It'll be $900 in May, though you can pre-order tomorrow online. Full press release below. [SonyStyle] More »Sony HDR-SR12 Gets Reviewed (Verdict: It's a Winner)
According to Camcorder Info, Sony's HDR-SR12 is continuing to push the AVCHD format forward as a viable successor to HDV. It is, by far, the best Sony HDD camcorder on the market—and with 120GB under the hood, it is unmatched in the AVCHD category in terms of capacity. As far as performance is concerned, the SR12 held its own against even the intimidating Canon VIxza HF10, with only a slight inferiority in picture sharpness. They also noted that Sony's Exmor CMOS sensor and Bionz processor has improved in leaps and bounds over their top HDV camcorder, the HDR-HD9. More »Vivitar SD-Card Camcorder Plays Back at 1080i, Probably Won't Cost the Earth
Vivitar is responsible for dirt cheap video cameras and the like. Their latest offering, which hasn't received a detailed specification list, doesn't look too bad at all; the DVR565HD will be a SD-card camcorder that will support recording in H.264/MPEG4 high definition at 720p, with a 30fps frame rate. Additionally, the video camera will be able to play back at 1080i, and with an HDMI cable included in the asking price for HD TV connectivity, this looks like a fun shooter for peeps looking for a decent, low-cost camcorder. Though the price hasn't been announced, Vivitar are known for their wallet-friendly marketing, so be assured, it shall be reasonable. If we're wrong, you can make fun of the interns. [Pocket-lint]
digital cameras
Sanyo Xacti CG9 Digital Camera Goes 9.1MP, "Chases" Faces
Sanyo's Xacti CG9 Camera/Camcorder thingy is an update to their more affordable line. It captures stills at 9.1MP, and unlike the higher end Xactis focused on HD video, this one is not much so. (They don't even specify res but the preceding CG6 is rated at "DVD quality.") More »
camcorders
Canon Vixa HF10 Camcorder Reviewed (Verdict: Best AVCHD to Date)
If you have been waiting for a camcorder that gets AVCHD right, the folks at Camcorder Info have some good news. According to their recent review, the Canon Vixia HF10 may have finally brought the format into its own. When compared to an HDV camcorder, the quality of the HF10's images (artifacts, sharpness, color, low light performance) were generally as good, and in some instances maybe even better than its tape-laden counterpart. It isn't a perfect device by any means, but it just may be the first great flash memory HD camcorder. Hit the link for the full review. [Camcorder Info and Canon]
camcorders






