We have the inside scoop on the latest camcorders announced at this years CES 2006 show. Check them out inside!
Although hard to find, there were a ton of new camcorders nestled among the overwhelming forest of flat panel televisions at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in lovely Las Vegas. (Don?t laugh, I actually like the town.)
Here are the broad strokes:
*DVD camcorders are more prevalent than ever as almost all manufacturers have jumped onto the disk-based bandwagon.
*Companies have cut back on the number of MiniDV tape models and cut prices.
*A gradual shift is occurring as non-tape formats (DVD, hard disk drive, solid state) become more common and less expensive.
*And since America has gone widescreen TV crazy, more camcorders than ever take true widescreen video rather than stretching it like the old days (three years ago).
Here are the details: Some industry types expect DVD cams to make up 40 percent of the 4.5-million camcorder market in 2006. Besides the convenience of simply popping the disk into a DVD player or PC, prices are dropping nicely with $399 marking the entry level such as the Hitachi DZ-BX35A. Sony, the dominant DVD camcorder seller, has lowered its prices too to $500 for the new DCR-DVD105. Panasonic is matching them. Their new VDR-100 due this month has a potent 30x optical zoom.
Sony DCR-DVD105 and Hitachi DZ-BX35A
Panasonic VDR-100
Expect an inexorable shift from tape-based formats to DVD, hard disk drives and flash memory throughout the year. Almost all of the top camcorder makers have cut back the number of new MiniDV tape editions and lowered prices here too. JVC unveiled the GR-D350 with a whopping 32x optical zoom for 300 bucks. Panasonic introduced the PV-GS29 for $299 and it has a 30x optical zoom. Canon?s new ZR500 is also $299; this camcorder has a 25x optical zoom. These are great deals for casual home video makers. And please note: MiniDV camcorders still deliver excellent quality and offer a wide variety of editing options. The format still has the most market share but it may be eclipsed in 2006.
JVC GR-D350 and Panasonic PV-GS29
Hard disk drive based camcorders will go slightly more mainstream in 2006 as Sony leaps into the market with the DCR-SR100 (due May, $1,100). Although pricier than the competing JVC Everios, Sony?s marketing muscle will make them a formidable contender. At CES, Sony execs said they would do to category pioneer JVC what they did to Hitachi in DVD-based models. In other words, obliterate them. Knowing the companies as I do, this was no idle boast. What sets this 30GB HDD camcorder apart from the Everios is its ability to record Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Surprisingly Sony is still the only camcorder maker to push this excellent system. With the proliferation of five- and six-speaker home theater systems, this is seems like a huge oversight by its competitors.
Sony DCR-SR100
What has spread across the entire camcorder landscape is widescreen recording and widescreen LCD screens. Other than the least expensive models, the vast majority of 2006 camcorders have these features. With them you can record widescreen 16:9 format video and frame it appropriately with the LCD (typically 2.7 inches). Since the entire width of the imaging device is used, you?re recording true widescreen video for your new HDTV. Neat.
Here are my picks for CES? most intriguing camcorders. We have to preface this by saying we have not done any hands-on tests with production models so final decisions remain on hold until then.
A Good Deal
Canon?s new Elura 100 due in February ($399) is a solid MiniDV model with a 20x optical zoom (800x digital). It has a widescreen LCD screen (2.7 inches) and an LED video light. The camcorder also takes 1MP stills and has a number of features ported over from Canon?s camera division including nine-point auto focus, auto exposure bracketing, scene modes and a motor drive mode.
Better DVD Camcorders
Panasonic is incorporating its very highly regarded three-CCD system in DVD camcorders, a first from any maker. Found in the VDR-250 ($899, May) and the VDR-300 ($999, March) the system breaks color into three components (red, green, blue) for very realistic video. The proverbial top-of-the-line VDR-300 also has Leica optics, optical image stabilization, takes 3.1MP stills and has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD. If you?re not ready for DVD, Panasonic also showed a trio of MiniDV 3-CCD camcorders starting at $599. Due in February, the PV-GS180 takes 2.3MP stills, has a 10x optical zoom (700x digital) and a 2.5-inch LCD.
Pansonic VDR-300
Superior Sound
Why Sony is the only company implementing 5.1 Dolby Digital surround in its DVD camcorders is a mystery. Sony added a new wrinkle for 2006 by offering a Bluetooth wireless mic to capture dialog for the center channel. It works up to 100 feet away. Being a sucker for the latest technology, I like the new DCR-DVD505 ($1,100, March). It has a 2MP ClearVID CMOS sensor, takes 4MP stills and has a 3.5-inch widescreen LCD.
Sony DCR-DVD505
Category Killer
When Sony treads in the camcorder arena it makes big waves. Expect the hard disk drive category to get a major boost when the DCR-S100 arrives in May ($1,100). This 30GB HDD model takes up to 7 hours of HQ MPEG2 video, has Dolby Digital 5.1 surround with support for the Bluetooth mic, takes 3MP stills, uses higher quality Carl Zeiss T* optics and a 2.7-inch widescreen touch screen LCD.
Sony DCR-SR100
The Latest Everios
Even though Sony is in the wings, JVC has been in the HDD trenches since mid-2005 with its G Series and it announced three new models at CES that will arrive in February and March with prices starting at $600. New features include widescreen LCD monitors, faster transfer speed (five minutes for 4GB of HQ video) and direct DVD burning so you can make a copy without a computer. The 30GB GZ-MG37 ($800, due February) holds seven hours of DVD-level video, has a 32x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD.
More DVD Camcorders
Although late to the party Samsung introduced four new models at CES, the SC-DC164, -DC165, -DC564 and -DC565. JVC is now the only major camcorder maker without a DVD cam or four in its line-up; they?re pushing hard disk drives instead. What sets the Samsungs apart is the fact they record on +R dual layer disks along with DVD-R/-RW/+RW and single layer +R blanks. Due in February and March, prices range from $449 to $599.
Samsung SC-DC365 and SC-DC165
CES CAMCORDER ODDS ?N ENDS
One camcorder that generated a lot of buzz was the Sanyo Xacti HD1 (due late March for $799). The HD1 records on SD memory media (21 minutes on a 1 gig card). It must be stressed this nothing like the real High Definition (HDV) Sony HDR-HC1 for almost $2K that records simply gorgeous 1080I video. Sanyo claims the MPEG-4 format delivers 720P video or 5.1MP stills. It has a 10x optical zoom and a 2.2-inch OLED screen. Before you rush out and buy this one, let us get our hands on a production unit to see how it functions in the real world. Sanyo?s quality rep is not the best?
Sanyo Xacti HD1
Where?s HDV? There was no action with this excellent format. Sony will continue with its two models as will JVC with its older edition. Canon?s $9,000 XL-H1 is the company?s only HDV camcorder and it?s clearly targeted to pros. Expect some new ones later this year.
Panasonic was showing its $6,000 AG-HVX200 that records 21 video formats including 1080I and 720P using the DVCPRO system. What?s key here?besides the quality?is the fact it uses P2 solid state memory cards. With two 8GB cards, you can record 64 minutes of video. Unfortunately two cards cost $4,000. Again this is for pros but expect solid state to trickle down to consumers in the years ahead.
Panasonic AG-HVX200
