All Camcorders Feeds

Vado Pocket Video Cam: does what it says on the tin

Marc Chacksfield — 1210696920

Creative has announced the release of a new video camcorder that’s aimed at on-the-go videomakers.

The Vado Pocket Video Cam is just that, a video cam that’s small enough to fit in your pocket or purse. The reason it’s so small is because Creative has done away with removable recording media. In its place is 2GB of built-in memory which will record up to two hours of video footage at 640x480 VGA resolution.

Don’t expect any manual controls on the Vado, as all you get is an on/off button. It is slim and lightweight, though, weighing in at a feather-like 90 grams.

Quick YouTube access

The cam also comes with its own pre-loaded software that allows easy updates to YouTube and Photobucket and is powered by a recharchable and removable battery. Getting footage on to your PC is simple too, just plug the cam in like a USB drive and away you go.

Mark Grover, European Brand Manager with Creative, had this to say about the diminutive shooter: “When people are having a really great time the Vado is always there, ready to capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments that just happen when you least expect them.”

The Vado Pocket Video Cam is available in both silver and hot pink, and is out now to buy in the US for $99. It will be available in the UK through computer stockist PC World soon.

Hands on: Casio Exilim EX-F1

James Rivington — 1210346338

We were visited by a well-known highstreet Camera retailer today, which came down to show off all the brand new cameras it’ll be selling this summer.

Among the cameras they brought with them were compact models including the Canon 82 IS, the Panasonic DMC-TZ5, the Sony Cyber-shot W170 and the Olympus Mju 850.

But what we were most pleased to see was the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1.

While not a DSLR, it’s still one of the most astounding digital cameras we’ve ever laid our hands on.

High res shooting

Because while this aims to be a top-notch 6MP (that’s a max resolution of 2,816 x 2,112) digital camera, it’s also masquerading as a semi-professional video camera – and doing a damn good job of it, too.

It can shoot video at up to 1,200 frames per second, which frankly, is astonishing. At that speed though, the images produced are severely compromised in terms of resolution, but even at 300fps (still very quick) the videos look fantastic.

The Exilim EX-F1’s high speed CMOS sensor is capable of snapping full-resolution photos at a rate of 60 every second. That means it’s almost impossible to not get a perfect snap of your baby’s first smile or your kitten jumping in the air.

Never miss a shot

The pre-record setting is handy for this also. We tried it out and when this feature is turned on, it will capture a burst of still photos before you’ve even pressed the shutter button. And that means that even if you’re slightly late hitting the button, you’ll still get that perfect pic.

We did a few test shots and found these two modes absolutely idiot proof. It’s very hard to not get the shot you want, which is both reassuring and immensely satisfying at the same time.

The EX-F1 also has a 12x optical zoom which is great for getting in nice and tight. Plus it’s got all the latest must-have camera features like face recognition, and a 2.8-inch LCD view screen.

Everyone on the TechRadar team thought it was a fantastic camera. But it’s not without its drawbacks.

Very heavy and bulky

For a start, it’s one of the biggest, most chunky digital cameras we’ve seen in recent years. It weighs nearly 700g and we measured it at 128x80x130mm. Anyone with particularly small hands will struggle to weird this shooter with any real skill.

So while we’d all love a brilliant digital camera like this one, that can also record video at full HD resolution, its back-breaking weight and awkward dimensions make it a bit of a dilemma. The price of over £500 only makes it an even tougher call.

Stay tuned for a full review soon.

Canon predicts flashy 'freecording' future

James Morris — 1209381767

Alongside last week's launch of the HF10 camcorder, Canon is planning a marketing campaign revolving around the concept of ‘freecording’ - using a camcorder to record and share video for websites such as YouTube and Google Video.

At the HF10 event in Marrakesh, Morocco, TechRadar asked a top Canon executive to tell us more about freecording and what Canon has planned for camcorders in 2008.

"The camcorder market has been stagnated for years", explains Yuichiro Asano, Canon’s deputy group executive for Video Products.

"Annual sales have been around 15 million units for the last decade. We predict only modest growth to 17 million units in 2008, and 18 million by 2010. Compare that to the digital camera market, which has reached 125 million and is still growing fast."

Rise of the YouTube generation

Despite the camcorder sales stagnation, there has been an explosion of video sharing, mostly thanks to online sites.

YouTube, for example, has consistently placed in the top five most popular websites over the last couple of years. But whereas camcorders have traditionally been aimed at preserving family memories – weddings, holidays, parties and the like – this is not the lion’s share of content online.

Instead, YouTube is filled to the brim with the most eye-catching moments of everyday life – comic antics, pranks, courageous moves in extreme sports, and skits which tap into the zeitgeist of popular events.

"This is what freecording is meant to represent," says Asano. "It’s all about fun, and sharing experiences."

Flash will win the format war

Canon sees Flash memory as a key enabling technology for this new kind of camcorder usage because it allows camcorders to be both smaller and more durable.

With capacities now approaching those of mobile hard disks, Flash is emerging as the potential winner of the current camcorder format wars. Canon predicts 36 per cent of the market to be Flash memory-based models by 2010, and 35 per cent overall to be High Definition.

Witness the introduction of the Canon HF10, which successfully taps into both trends.

But is the HF10 the right model to lead this revolution? Aren’t mobile phones, with improved video capabilities, the more likely YouTube freecording device of choice? And what about digital cameras? Why buy a camcorder at all?

According to Canon’s Yuichiro Asano, "the HF10 is just the flagship model. Our standard definition FS series also uses Flash memory, and will be part of the freecording marketing campaign. We expect digital cameras and camcorders to merge in the future, but that’s still a few years off."

Why face recognition is just a gimmick

Aside from Flash memory, Canon is also hoping greater ease of use will help it achieve its target of 40 per cent of the global camcorder market by 2010.

The first steps towards this goal are the Easy mode found on the HF10, and Instant Auto-Focus. The latter calls upon a secondary range-finding sensor beside the lens. This provides faster response than the traditional system operating through the main lens, although isn’t quite so accurate.

However, Canon remains unconvinced by the friendly features currently being added by its competitors – particularly face recognition.

"It’s terrible!" Asano argues. "Face recognition is great when your subjects don’t move, in photography… But [it] is very unreliable when people keep moving their heads, which is exactly what happens with video."

Camcorders will embrace wireless technologies

Canon does plan more consumer-oriented features in the future, including wireless technology, but refused to comment on precisely what form this would take.

Canon also hinted that Flash memory was destined to arrive in its professional products in the near future, too.

Again there was no comment about when this would occur or what form it would take. But it will not involve the AVCHD recording format, unlike Panasonic’s recent launches at the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas. It’s only a matter of time before Flash memory takes over the full range of the camcorder market.

Canon has clearly placed a huge bet on Flash memory as the camcorder format of the future. At the same time, Sony and Panasonic are sitting on the fence and JVC is sticking with hard disks.

Whether or not you buy into the freecording concept, camcorders are getting smaller and lighter, and without sacrificing features or image quality. Flash memory is the main reason for this. But the question still remains if that will have more of us picking one up to capture our everyday experiences on video.

Digital Cowboy's candid camera spy pen

J Mark Lytle — 1209022782

There may be plenty of nerdy spy gadgets around that allow the socially challenged to eavesdrop on their nearest and dearest, but few are as elegant as the latest Japanese video pen from Digital Cowboy.

Unlike similar gadgets that cost much more, the dully named DVR-BP will set you back just ¥17,800 (£87) – a mere snip for the opportunity to alienate and enrage all and sundry.

Hours of furtive filming

The 30g pen does its thing through a 1mm hole just above the pocket clip and a microphone secreted just beneath it. A generous 2GB of onboard memory should be enough for several hours of 352 x 288-pixel 15fps video compressed in the AVI format.

Power comes courtesy of a lithium-ion battery that charges by USB, giving two hours of runtime from a similar period attached to a PC. Naturally, the DVR-BP operates as a mass-storage device when connected and – best of all – it even works as a real pen.

Hands on: Canon HF10 camcorder

James Morris — 1208945975

We managed to get our eager hands upon Canon’s new all-singing Flash memory camcorder, the HF10. Canon has been showing it off at a launch event in Marrakech, Morocco. Here are our first impressions.

The HF10 is certainly a solid bit of kit, but not as light or small as Panasonic’s HDC-SD9. Fortunately, Canon has put the extra size to good use.

16GB internal memory

Alongside the 16GB of Flash memory built in, there’s an SDHC card slot underneath the LCD. This can be used to expand storage capacity, or you can copy footage from the built-in memory.

The HF10 uses a 1/3.2in CMOS sensor, with 3.3Mpixels. These are mostly used to enable still image recording at 2,048 x 1,536, but Canon has also at last delivered on its Full HD promise.

Previous models had the label due to their CMOS resolutions, but this is Canon’s first camcorder which really does record video at 1,920 x 1,080.

A 25PF progressive shooting mode is available, too. With a top data rate of 17Mbits/sec as well, the HF10 is starting to push the AVCHD recording format towards higher quality. Even in the top mode, the 16GB onboard storage is enough for over two hours of footage.

Shoot in full-HD

The good news is that, unlike Panasonic’s HDC-SD9, Canon hasn’t shoehorned the high-quality recording format into a model aimed entirely at the point-and-shoot user – although a new Easy mode is available. Minijacks are still included for external microphone and headphones.

There are lots of manual controls available, too – including manual audio levels. You can choose between aperture and shutter priority modes, and then use the Exposure control to fine tune the balance between the two.

There are also plenty of preset Scene modes on offer, such as Portrait and Sports.

The 12x optical zoom is powerful for a camcorder this size, and Canon’s optical image stabilisation is effective in a range of wobbly shooting conditions. The standard 890mAh battery is not encased in the camcorder body, either, so there are long-life options as well.

Smaller sensor

Canon has also now developed an intelligent system similar to Sony’s which tells you exactly how many minutes of battery life you have left at all times.

We put the HF10 through its paces in a wide range of shooting conditions. Our experiences in bright sunlight and mild shadow were very encouraging. Canon’s HV20 and HG10 have set a high benchmark for CMOS image quality, and the HF10 met or exceeded our expectations.

The higher data rate and resolution definitely count in its favour. However, the HF10 has a slightly smaller sensor than the HV20, which puts it at a mild disadvantage in reduced illumination.

There was a little bit more grain evident than the HV20 produces in similar conditions, but the detail actually looked sharper. This is the best performance we’ve seen so far from any AVCHD camcorder.

Drawbacks

But it’s not all sweetness and light. We do have a couple of niggles. First off, the accessory shoe. Canon has now followed Sony and opted for a proprietary format, in this case called the “S” Mini Advanced Shoe, instead of the standard size.

An adapter is available, but the proprietary shoe is still a bizarre decision considering the high-end market orientation of the HF10. Our second niggle is the lack of a lens ring.

The Instant AutoFocus may be fast, but using the joystick for manual focusing is too slow and cumbersome for clever in-camera effects like focus pulling (where the focus switches from foreground to background to shift the viewer’s attention).

Our final criticism is the location of the tripod screw fitting, which is near the front of the camcorder, making weight distribution unbalanced.

But no camcorder is perfect, and apart from these three flaws we have to admit to being impressed by our first day’s play with the HF10. It’s definitely the best AVCHD camcorder we’ve seen so far, with features sure to woo a few serious video makers over from HDV – and plenty of budding ‘freecorders’.

With online retailers already listing the HF10 for under £700 (inc VAT), it’s not overpriced, either.

Canon bets on Flash memory with new HD camcorder

James Morris — 1208944213

Flash memory is shaping up to be the camcorder recording medium of choice in 2008. Just two months after Panasonic furthered its dedication to the format with the release of the HDC-SD9, Canon has shipped journalists from all over Europe to Marrakech, Morocco for the launch of its new HF10.

Dubbed ‘dual memory’, the HF10 is the first high-definition camcorder to come with built-in memory – 16GB no less, enough for up to 6 hours of footage. But it also has an SD slot as well, allowing footage to be copied to SDHC cards for backup, or for greater storage.

'Freecording'

Although a 16GB SDHC card is now as little as £50, Canon sees the ability to shoot hours of footage straight out of the box as a key attraction. But just in case buyers disagree, it has simultaneously launched the HF100, which has the same features as the HF10 apart from the built-in memory (and is silver rather than black).

To accompany the launch, Canon has also coined a new term ‘freecording’. Traditionally, camcorders have been purchased for a family to record events such as weddings, holidays and parties.

But now Canon sees a more personal, fun-oriented usage for sharing everyday activities – the kinds of uses where the robustness and compact size of Flash memory camcorders are ideal.

So will Canon’s HF10 kick start the ‘freecording’ revolution? We will be bringing you more updates on this bold new camcorder as the launch event progresses.

Reviewed: Panasonic SDR-S7 camcorder

James Rivington — 1208881141

The Panasonic SDR-S7 is one of the cutest-looking gadgets we’ve seen in a while. It looks exactly like a normal handheld camcorder, only half the size.

But don’t let its size deceive you. Hidden inside this thing is a shed load of cool technology. And that’s why it’s ideal for home users who need a competent-yet-compact camcorder.

It doesn’t shoot in HD, but then, for a camera of this size, what do you expect? It records straight to SD memory card in standard definition. And the quality of the recorders are very good, considering.

At £250, it’s also pretty modestly priced. So if you’re looking for a compact camcorder to record your summer holiday, read our full review of the Panasonic SDR-S7.

NEC packs high-def equivalent onto 2.7-inch LCD

J Mark Lytle — 1208507502

High-definition video cameras are all very well, but what about that very low-def image you see when you look at the LCD viewfinder round the back to check your focus and framing? NEC thinks it's a problem worth tackling and has just announced an elegant solution.

This summer, the Japanese company will start selling a 2.7-inch LCD screen to camcorder makers that manages such a high resolution in that tiny space that it can reproduce HD TV video.

Smells like high def

A pixel density of 413 per inch yields what NEC calls a quarter high-definition (QHD) resolution of 960 x 540 pixels and accurate colour reproduction. While it may seem like just another stats shouting contest, there are advantages in the new tech.

Being able to check focus and colour accurately means professional broadcasters no longer need to hook up an external monitor to do so. As with most such advances, us amateur cinematographers are sure to see the benefit before too long.

Sanyo's waterproof camcorder a little shallow

J Mark Lytle — 1208507130

Take a standard, low-end consumer video camera, slap a few new colours on the case and give it the ability to work underwater and what've you got? Well, unless you're heavily into gimmicks, you have a pretty disappointing new Xacti from Sanyo.

The 258g Xacti DMX-CA8 goes on sale worldwide at the end of May for, based on the Japanese price (the only one announced so far) of ¥50,000, around £250. Unfortunately for anyone excited about filming water sports on SD cards, it's yet another disappointing camera.

Underwater let-down

An 8.1-megapixel CMOS for stills is fine, as is the ability to shoot video at 60 frames per second. Sadly, that video clocks a maximum resolution of just 640 x 480 pixels, which is no great shakes at all.

Perhaps most disappointing is the underwater performance - we know this isn't intended for the Marianas Trench, but a depth limit of just 1.5m is next to no use for most people.

Still, if the IPX8-level waterproofing is enough for your needs, then the Xacti range is at least easy to use, so should please the kids on a day at the beach.

Sony fits OLED screens to pro HD cameras

Audley Jarvis — 1208262725

Sony has unveiled its first professional camera viewfinder to be based upon Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology.

The 11-inch screen is attached to Sony’s HDVF-EL100 professional TV studio HD camera and is the first non-commercial application of an OLED panel by the corporation.

Colour levels

"High-definition acquisition requires extremely precise focusing, allowing the operator to accurately see contrast and colour levels when framing a shot," said Rob Willox, director of Sony Electronics’ content creation group.

"This new viewfinder is a perfect example of our unique ability to leverage the innovation and expertise from one part of our company and apply it in another area to meet customers’ needs," he added.

The screen’s pixel resolution is measured at 960 x 540 and delivers a wide viewing angle, as well as deep blacks and a high contrast ratio.