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If the just released Flip Mino HD would be available in any of the local stores in the country where I’m currently residing, I would certainly not hesitate in getting this as a gift to myself.  In fact, I might even get another one for my son.  The Flip Mino may be so cool and attractive enough to get you to buy it even before you take a look at its specs.  In fac,t you don’t have to worry about the specs, as you would certainly not be short changed in this department.

The Flip Mino HD is Pure Digital’s take on HD-capable camcorder market.  And instead of clashing with the other HD-capable camcorders in coming out with their own units touting support for large-capacity storage SD cards, Pure Digital opted to use built-in 4GB flash memory only.  For some camcorder users this would be enough for a one-hour video which they can easily upload to YouTube or other video sharing sites.  Find out more after the break.

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Sanyo is updating its ultra-compact Xacti E-series camera with the release of the Xacti E2 camcorder to the North American market. This palm-sized camcorder can capture 640x480 H.264 video at up to 60fps. Perhaps the most notable feature of the Xacti E2 is of course its resistance to water even if you subject the camera at up to a five feet depth for an hour.

Other features of the Xacti E2 include live face detection and an underwater mode that adjusts the colors to prevent photos from getting tints whenever the camcorder is subjected into the water. In addition, the Xacti E2 also features a 5x zoom lens, digital image stabilization, a 2.5-inch flip-out LCD, face chaser technology, rapid-fire photo mode and support for SDHC storage of up to 8GB. The Xacti E2 also comes bundled with Adobe Premier Element software.

The Sanyo Xacti E2 will set you back $399. It’s available now online at Amazon with a list price of $391.83.

Product [Amazon] Via [CrunchGear]

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Canon is adding three new camcorders into its VIXIA high-definition line-up, the VIXIA HF11 with dual flash memory, and the HG20 and HG21 with hard drive storage. All three camcorders brag of 24Mbps bit rate recording which is the highest possible bit rate that can be achieved in the AVCHD format.

And since high-definition video recording would require lots of storage, Canon has put in 32GB of internal flash drive into the HF1 plus an SDHC card slot for even more, while the HG21 and HG20 got 120GB and 60GB hard disk drives respectively. Other features of these camcorders include an HD Video Lens, HD CMOS Image Sensor that allows full HD (1920 x 1080) image capture, DIGIC DV II Image Processor, Instant Auto Focus and SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization feature.

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Canon will soon be releasing two new AVCHD camcorders, the iVIS HF11 and iVIS HG21. Touting 3.31-megapixel CCD sensors, both cameras allow video recording in 5 different modes; MXP at 24Mbps, FXP at 17Mbps, XP+ at 12Mbps, SP at 7Mbps and LP at 5Mpbs. In addition, both cameras also come with a 2.7-inch LCD screen, SDHC media card support, DIGIC DV II technology, 12x optical zoom lens and a 1920x1080 full HD resolution.

What sets these two camcorders apart is the the inclusion of a 120GB HDD in the HG21, while only 32GB of built-in flash memory is loaded in the HF11. The HF11 is a follow-up to the Canon HF10 camcorder released earlier this year.

The iVIS HF11 and HG21 will be released in Japan sometime in August for an expected price of around $1,600.

Product [Canon] Product [Canon] Via [Akihabara News]

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JVC may have beaten Panasonic with its three AVCHD camcorders announced yesterday, but two new Panasonic camcorders have something that the JVCs don’t have - 3MOS system which according to Panasonic provides superb video image quality. These two new Panasonic camcorders are the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100. Both camcorders include manual control features for zoom, focus, iris, shutter speed and white balance. They also boast of Panasonic’s new Intelligent Auto (iA) mode which automatically activates and makes video capturing easy and seamless.

As we said, these two camcorders employ a 3MOS system which has been newly developed by Panasonic based on its 3CCD technology. In simple terms, this system provides good image quality even in low-light environment, reproduces superb color, captures more vibrant, true-to-life colors and offers richer gradation of video resolution.

In addition to the 3MOS system, these two camcorders also features Panasonic’s HD Advanced Pure Color Engine and a Leica Dicomar lens which allows for the production of images in full-HD 1920x1080 resolution. These lens also allows the camcorders to have both 12x zoom power in a compact body.

Other features of these two camcorders include HD Writer 2.6 software for Windows, iMovie 08 for Apple, support for Panasonic’s VIERA link for connecting the camcorders to a VIERA HDTV using HDMI cable. It also allows the camcorder to be operated by a TV remote control.

The Panasonic HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100 will be available sometime in September for $1,299.95 and $1,099.95 respectively.

Read [Market Wire] Via [Electronista]

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Canon has announced the XL H1S and XL H1A shoulder mount camcorders designed for video professionals and documentary film makers. Boasting of a 20x HD video lens, both camcorders feature manual focus, zoom and iris adjustment rings.

The XL H1S and XL H1A camcorders also feature various controls for customizing images, displays and operations to match the users individual needs. The camcorders use HDV tapes for recording and can deliver HD image quality. Additionally, both camcorders have interchangeable lens systems, the camcorders also connects robustly to external hardware using a durable six-pin IEEE 1394 terminal. Bearing the XL branding, the H1S and H1A come equipped with Canon’s XL lens mount that allows multiple lens mounting. For instance, users can mount Canon’s optional 6x wide-angle lens, EF photographic lenses and many more.

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AgfaPhoto has announced its newest camcorder product, the tiny DV5000Z. Measuring only 4.7 inches x 2.75 inches and weighing only about 0.44-pounds, the DV 5000Z is loaded with big features despite its small size.

The DV5000Z record videos in 16:9 format with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. The camcorder supports MPEG-4 recording with H.264 compression. It can record up to 4 hours and 20 minutes of high-definition video on an 8GB SDHC memory card. The DV5000Z also features other goodies such as 16-bit stereo sound, 3x optical zoom and 2.5-inch rotating LCD, built-in video lamp that serves as a flash, and a carry pouch. For live voice-over, the DV5000Z is compatible with external mic as well.

The Agfa DV-5000Z will be available by end of April in Russia for around $393. No word yet on a possible U.S. release though.

Via [I4U]

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I have always liked Sony products, both for their style and their functionality, although I was disappointed with recent camcorders inability to transfer content direct to a Mac so above all else I hope that Sony have fixed that with these great looking HD Camcorders.

The HDR-SR12 (120GB), HDR-SR11 (60GB) and HDR-SR10 (40GB) are all hard drive camcorders, while the HDR-UX20 and HDR-UX10 DVD models use media cards and DVD+R double-layer discs. All based on AVCHD technology and feature full 1920 x 1080 high-definition recording for outstanding clarity and detail, along with what looks like an excellent form factor.

All of them feature a new high-profile encoding system to optimize encoding efficiency. And, because they are based on the industry-standard MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video codec, they are entering the market compatible with many third-party editing suites, which means they should work OK with the Mac!

No new camcorder or digital camera release is complete without some sort of new

technology and these all have face detection technology for both video and photos which can identify up to eight faces in the camcorder’s LCD frame, and automatically adjust focus, exposure, and color control.

For those of you that like to double up your camcorder as a digital camera then the SR 12 and 11 have a massive 10.2-megapixels.

The SR12, SR11, SR10, UX20 and UX10 models will all ship in March for about $1,400, $1,200, $1,000, $1,000 and $800, respectively. The HDR-HC9 camcorder will ship in February for about $1,100.

Read [Sony]

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