camcorders

Panasonic announces two new, compact AVCHD camcorders

Panasonic kicked off its CES digital imaging announcements with two new high-definition camcorders. Eschewing both tapes and DVDs, the Panasonic HDC-HS9 and HDC-SD9 record 1080/24p video directly to SD/SDHC cards.

According to Panasonic, the HDC-SD9 is the smallest, slightest 3CCD 1080/24p camcorder yet, weighing in at less than 0.7 pound. It writes AVCHD video to SD and SDHC cards, storing up to 6 hours of high-def footage to a 16 GB card. With the company's newly announced 32 GB SDHC card, the space doubles to up to 12 hours.

The 3CCD HDC-HS9 can also record … Read more

CES 2008: Cameras and camcorders

Though the International Consumer Electronics Show is not a big one for camera announcements, we usually see a generous handful. Camera manufacturers tend to choose CES to announce the really cheap and the really odd models, especially those with more multitasking, multimedia tendencies. But this CES looks to be a big year for digital-photo frames: bigger and smaller, more connected, more mobile, and more versatile.

Flashback: 2007 Before we had even gotten a chance to test it, we expected big things from our Best of CES 2007 pick, the Sony Handycam HDR-HC7. Our take: "HD camcorders are the big … Read more

This week in cameras

This week includes Flickr and Canon updates, seven strange cameras from across the pond, new SLR lenses, and more.

Canon's portable DVD recorder Canon updates 1D Mark III firmware Canon updates EOS 40D firmware Coming in 2008: GPS-enabled cameras? Flickr: 10 things we love and hate Flickr launches Places, extended social networking next? Flickr's Uploadr 3.0 beta offers more control Good vibes for Nikon's 18-55mm lens Latest Nikon, Canon cameras get Vista support Lightroom SDK: Better ties with microstocks? Mini-cam concept is a spy's delight Net that fish in a flash A new hint at a Canon 5D sequel … Read more

Canon's portable DVD recorder

So you're at a wedding. You've filmed the joyous day, in all it's rain-lashed tears-specked glory, on your new camcorder. You've fended off the uncles who want to play with it, and made it home. Now you have to transfer your footage to PC, burn it to DVD and fork out for fifty padded envelopes to send to every Cousin Tom, Uncle Dick and Auntie Harry. Or you could get the Canon DW-100 DVD recorder.

The DW-100 connects directly to your camcorder, for easy transfer of camcorder footage direct to DVD. A quick bit of in-camera … Read more

This week in cameras

This week includes interesting news about Flickr and YouTube, information about several new digital imaging applications, and a big picture of a seal pup.

A treat, fix, and update for Adobe Lightroom users AVCHD video: The hardware is willing, but the software is weak Create vector images in a snap with Vector Magic DigitalGlobe's new satellite view is twice as sharp Hands-on with the Toshiba Camileo camcorder High-quality YouTube videos coming soon Jessops offers lighting studio in a bag Miro leaves beta, stability issues behind MIT wins award for its open-source Flickr application Photoshop Elements could be more basic … Read more

Hands-on with the Toshiba Camileo camcorder

The Toshiba Camileo Pro has moseyed into Crave UK on a mission to prove that 8 into 1 will go. This entry-level, lightweight digital camcorder packs in a whole heap of features. It's a video-shootin', still-snappin', webcammin', voice-recordin', MP3-playin', file-storin', eBook-readin' motion-detectin' eight-shooter.

The Camileo also features a magnificent 7-megapixel sensor, a rarity in camcorders. Could this mean that the Camileo will do away with the need for cowpokes to carry a camera in one holster and a camcorder in the other? The Toshiba Camileo Pro is available now in the U.K. for a very reasonable 135 pounds (… Read more

Sony finally adds interchangeable lens model to pro-HDV lineup

Though information (and under-glass photos) emerged from Europe in mid-September, it's now official: in February of 2008 we'll finally see interchangeable lens-supporting pro camcorders from Sony. The company today announced a couple of additions to its HDV lineup, the handheld HVR-Z7U and shoulder-mountable HVR-S270U.

Sony has let the Canon XL H1, distinguished by its interchangeable-lens capability, go for quite a while without a direct challenger: the popular HVR-Z1U incorporates a fixed lens. But the 2-year wait confers several potential advantages on the Z7U. Both camcorders use a trio of 1/3-inch, 3-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensors, a higher resolution … Read more

This week in cameras

This week includes a ton of firmware updates from Casio, info on Adobe's Photoshop advancements, and some big news from HP on its camera line.

Adobe: Online Photoshop coming this year Another pen, another camera AVCHD video: The hardware is willing, but the software is weak Brace yourself for Adobe's Photoshop overhaul Firmware Ahoy: Casio unleashes a deluge of Exilim camera updates Flickr centralizes printing abilities Hands-on with the Eye-Fi card How to stick your camera to a tree HP to stop designing own cameras Kodak enters the fashion fray Lexar's UDMA CF/SD reader ShoZu: Subscribe to friends' Flickr photos on your phone

Another pen, another camera

The pen seems to be the darling of the surveillance set. First we see one with a Bluetooth DVR, and now we hear of another with a built-in video camera.

The "ZRAD" pen camcorder apparently can't store any video but does send images and audio wirelessly to a PC or other receiver for display using "leading-edge stealth camera technology." It also captures only black-and-white images, though presumably this wasn't intended to create any Sundance or Cannes entries.

The pen-cam's $300 price would suggest that it's a serious device, but one never really … Read more