Canon updates AVCHD flagship camcorders

Canon today unveiled two new AVCHD camcorder models that will be available in Japan in September for the Japanese equivalent of about $1,300. The iVis models--the overseas version of the Vixia brand--will include an addition to the HF line of flash-based camcorders and a replacement for the HG10 hard-disk based unit.

The HF11 is a higher-end line mate for the popular HF10; it adds a higher bit-rate 24Mbps recording mode and an increase to 32GB built-in flash memory, up from 16GB. The hard-disk-based HG21 has the same innards as the HF10/11 and gets a boost to the 12x zoom lens from the HF series. It also gets a bump to a 60GB hard disk--to hold all those large 24Mbps bit-rate files--1,920x1,080 resolution, and the ability to record video to an SD card.