Panasonic brings three-chip design to DVD camcorders
More interesting are Panasonic's two new three-chip DVD camcorders. If you find shooting directly to DVD convenient and can afford a pricier model, these promise to bring you the improved color rendition and sharper picture that a three-CCD camera is designed to achieve. Available in May 2006, the $900 VDR-D250 gives you wide-screen capture and a corresponding 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD, 2.3-megapixel still image output, and a 10X optical zoom. Shell out another $100, and you can step up to the VDR-D300 to get a Leica lens, optical image stabilization, and a built-in flash for illuminating the 3.1-megapixel stills that the camera outputs. The VDR-D300 will be available in March 2006.