Filed under: Digital Cameras

Comically (and accurately, might we add) described as being “about the size of a late 90’s mobile phone,” Kodak’s Zi6 was widely hailed as the first true competitor to the mighty Flip Video. As we completely expected, this bugger was found to be remarkably easy to use by critics at Gadling, though the portable nature and simplistic operations were overshadowed by lackluster image quality. The cam struggled to adjust when whizzed around and when going from dark to light areas, and we were told to just put the thing away rather than attempt to use it in low-light scenarios. Of course, this shooter is only $179, so it still may be perfect for a select group of daylight-lovin’ users. Hit the read link for the full review and a quick sample video to help you make up your mind.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

We won’t front — we weren’t, how do you say, blown away with RCA’s Small Wonder trio announced earlier this year, but we’ll give this one a fighting chance. The EZ300HD can capture clips at 720p on the 2GB of internal storage or on any spare SD card you’ve laying around. You’ll also find a 2.4-inch LCD, a low-res YouTube recording mode and a sure-to-be-awesome 4x digital zoom. Operation is supposedly dead-simple, and there’s a USB port and video output just in case you feel like blowin’ it up on the big screen. Grab it real soon for $159.99.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Surely you remember Panny’s new duo of camcorders that featured the so-called 3MOS technology. No? At any rate, Panasonic’s HDC-SD100 has just been reviewed by the cool cats over at TrustedReviews, and while we’re not sure if all that MOS was the reason for its success, critics were generally pleased with the performance (at least in good lighting). They noted that point-and-shoot fans would likely be thrilled, but the professionals in the crowd will probably wish for a few more manual controls. Still, at the end of the day, reviewers proclaimed that if you’ve been “holding out for an AVCHD camcorder with the full gamut of professional features, this could be your dream come true at last.” You hear that? Dream come true, son.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

We’ve seriously stopped trying to understand what differentiates one DXG camcorder from the next. Every release reads something like “blah, blah, 1080p,” followed by a price that’s simply too good to be true. The DXG-595V claims to capture 1080p (imagine that!) video onto your SDHC card for a mere $200, and the ability to snag stills / connect to your SDTV via composite or S-Video is thrown in for free. Thanks, DXG — can’t wait for you to slap a new model number on some leftover inventory and treat us again next month.

[Via Gearlog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

To be completely honest, we’re not so sure there’s any real difference between any of Aiptek’s crapcorders. They all seem to boast some form of HD capturing abilities, utterly worthless digital zooms and expansion slots for your SDHC card of choice. Additionally, they all produce output that’s marginally better than mediocre and cost next-to-nothing compared to “real” HD camcorders. Are we missing anything, or do you really want us to run down the official specs list of the £129.99 ($249) AHD 300?

Via The Gadgets Weblog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Far from being the first Blu-ray hybrid camcorder from Hitachi, the DZ-BD10HA ups the ante even further by tossing in a third format. Yep, this Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) camcorder can record to BD, SDHC or the 30GB hard drive. Additionally, you’ll find a 7-megapixel CMOS sensor, push-of-a-button dubbing from HDD / SDHC to Blu-ray, a host of editing functions, a transcoding feature to transfer HD videos to vanilla DVDs, face detection and optical image stabilization for good measure. The pain? $999 when it lands in North America next month.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Handhelds, HDTV, Portable Video

There’s still a great chance that this thing will completely underwhelm, but those willing to give it a shot without reading so much as a single review can now secure their place in line. For $179.95, to-be owners can pre-order Kodak’s Zi6 HD pocket video camera in either pink or black, but there’s no mention of how soon it’ll ship. Anyone taking the plunge (and willing to admit it)?

[Via Gadling]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Thanks to an early jump in Japan, we already knew that Canon’s VIXIA line was getting a refresh, but now we can rest easy knowing they’ll be coming to America. The HF11 Dual Flash camcorder (32GB in addition to an SDHC slot) and HG20 (60GB) / HG21 (120GB) HDD camcorders all boast 1,920 x 1,080 capture modes, Instant AutoFocus, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and 24Mbps recording to the AVCHD format. The whole lot is expected to ship next month for $1,199, $949 and $1,299 in order of mention, and the increasingly intriguing HF11 has already spent some quality time on Camcorder Info’s review bench. Check out the in-depth writeup below before pulling that trigger in the heat of the moment.

[Thanks, Robin]

Read - Canon VIXIA releases
Read - Canon VIXIA HF11 review

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Okay, so we won’t totally judge Chinavasion’s “High Definition Great Value” camcorder before we get to know it, but we’ll be frank, we ain’t gettin’ to know it. Those willing to give this heap a fighting chance can look forward to hope for 720p capturing at 30fps, 8-megapixel still shots, a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, 19MB (and not a byte more) of internal memory, an SD / SDHC expansion slot and an HDMI output for showing off your adventures to friends and family (who will inevitably whisper behind your back about what camcorder you chose). Nah, we’re not seriously riding this thing that hard, but do tell if you’re the first soul to lay down $157.50 for one. Anyone, anyone?

[Via Random Good Stuff]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Finished digging through the gallery of hands-on shots, have you? If you’ve been hankering for a review of JVC’s especially capacious GZ-HD40, Engadget HD has the goods. Head on over for the full spill.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Engadget HD managed to acquire one of JVC’s Everio HD40 camcorders — you know, that HD shooter with 120GB of onboard storage. If you’re interested in seeing it get unboxed and manhandled (along with comparison shots with Samsung’s delightful SC-HMX20C), click on over and enjoy. For those wanting some serious impressions, keep a check on this space — we’ll be forming some opinions and penning a review here shortly.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Uh oh, DXG’s creeping its way up into luxury territory. Earlier this year, we saw the outfit dish out a craptacular $149 HD camcorder, and just a few months back we were introduced to the $169 DXG-569V. Now, it’ll take another Hamilton in order to rightfully claim its newest unit, the DXG-567V. The pocket-friendly cam is available in four different hues, ships with rechargeable AA batteries and uploads directly to YouTube and other video sharing sites without much hassle at all. DXG claims that this bugger captures video at 1,280 x 720 (30fps), but even at $179, we have our doubts about the overall quality. Better watch out though, by this time next year you’ll see DXG perched up beside Sony, Panasonic and the rest of the respected gang.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

If you were even the slightest bit intrigued by our hands-on with Samsung’s SC-HMX20C HD camcorder, you may be interested in seeing what we thought about it after a good bit of shooting. That’s right, the full review is ready and waiting over at Engadget HD. So, it’s a date?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Portable Video

Check it, boys and girls. Engadget HD just got Samsung’s flagship camcorder into the labs, and there’s a whole pile of images waiting just on the other side for you to indulge in. Click on over, the water’s fine.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Believe it or not, HF11 actually wasn’t one of the many units Canon introduced at CES, but curiously enough, that moniker is showing up on the outfit’s own website. When taking a peek at the Drivers & Downloads section for the DC320 DVD camcorder, you’ll find a link for a PDF brochure of the VIXIA family that supposedly includes the HF11. Upon opening said file, however, you’ll discover nary a mention of the mysterious item. A new model waiting just around the bend? A simple typo? A devilish trick played by the suits at Canon? The world may never know.

[Thanks, Dan]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Although Panasonic’s HDC-SD9 is mighty, mighty small, reviewers over at CNET felt that it fell short in a number of key areas. For starters, Panny included a few quirky design choices; for instance, removing the battery requires the LCD cover to be open, but doing so can also turn the camera on unless you place it in a different mode. Granted, the minuscule size didn’t leave the outfit too much to work with, but if you’re easily flustered by these kinds of niggles, you can run far, far away right now. As for image quality, critics noted that still shots were marginally better than awful, but capturing full motion HD clips was something it did manage to do relatively well. Overall, no one handling this critter was enthusiastically shouting for joy when all was said and done, so do yourself a favor and eye the review down there before clicking that order button.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Though not nearly as sexy (or well-spec’d, for that matter) as Sony’s recently-unveiled HDR-TG1, AgfaPhoto’s DV-5000Z still manages to hold its own on paper. Measuring in at 4.7- x 2.75-inches (12- x 7-centimeters) and weighing just over 7-ounces (200-grams), this HD camcorder features a 5-megapixel Micron CMOS sensor, 2.5-inch flip-out LCD, 3x optical zoom and an SD / SDHC slot to store everything on. As for shooting capabilities, it’ll capture clips at 1,280 x 720 (using H.264 compression) and snag 16-bit stereo sound all the while. You’ll also find USB connectivity, a rechargeable Li-ion and video out, natch. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of this €249 ($393) device ever coming Stateside, but it’ll be ready to roll in Russia later this month.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Digital Cameras

We’ll go ahead and let those other guys battle it out for the “world’s smallest” camcorder title — meanwhile, Sony’s just cranked out the one to really pay attention to. The HDR-TG1 Handycam checks in at just 1.3- x 4.7- x 2.5-inches and weighs ten ounces, all while boasting the ability to capture those oh-so-precious vacation moments and unannounced streaking episodes in 1080p 1080i. Aside from that, it’ll snag stills at 4-megapixels and holds everything on MS Pro Duo / Pro Duo Mark2 cards, while the 2.7-inch touchscreen keeps your eyes glued to the action. Furthermore, you’ll find a 10x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar optical zoom lens, BIONZ processing engine, 5.1 Dolby Digital audio recording and a bundled 4GB Pro Duo Mark2 card for $900. Get ready — this one’s comin’ at you next month. Video of Japanese model after the break.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

Continue reading Video: Sony’s $900 HDR-TG1 — world’s smallest 1080i camcorder

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments