CES 2009

Most interesting camcorders of CES 2009

All things considered, this year's CES had a surprising amount of innovative--or at least interesting--tech for cameras and camcorders, beyond the usual bigger/faster/cheaper we've come to expect from the show.

Though each manufacturer took a different approach to pumping up its HD camcorder lines, they all took a split-the-market attitude: new models based on last year's technology designed to reach lower, entry-level prices on one side and beefing up sensors, optics, and controls for more expensive products to appeal to video enthusiasts. For instance, Sony's new XV500 series features a new back-illuminated sensor and geotagging capability, while Panasonic more widely rolled out its 3MOS three-chip system. Canon took the most typical route, going with a higher-resolution sensor and better lens.

Photos: Crazy-long zooms

Casio delivered the most novel entries, with sleek ultracompact cameras that integrate the high-speed shooting capabilities of its clunky EX-F1 and EX-FH20 megazoom models. Some of Casio's 2009 models also introduce a neat new feature dubbed "Dynamic Photo," which lets you cut out and overlay a still or movie over another--sort of an in-camera chromakeying.

Both Sony and Eye-Fi attacked the problem of wireless photo and video transmission. Eye-Fi expands the capabilities of its Wi-Fi SD card to support video uploads, and Sony takes a stab and solving the myriad issues that have plagued Wi-Fi-capable cameras by building a browser into the DSC-G3.

Clever touches in cameras and camcorders

Even "the usual" threw a couple of curve balls at us. Zoom lenses on standard definition camcorders have simply gotten out of control, with Panasonic hitting 70x and Sony close behind at 60x. On still cameras, Olympus leaped the competition to hit 26x, with Kodak lagging--hah!--at a mere 24x. The scariest moment of the week wasn't the turbulence flying into New York, but when a Kodak representative told me that he thinks "zoom lenses will replace megapixels" in the specsmanship derby.

Finally, we saw signs of the cycle of death and rebirth in media formats. Only Canon announced a new MiniDV model, and not a single manufacturer has a DVD model in its HD lineup; DVD is still going moderately strong for standard definition. Both may be attributed to the relatively slow adoption of HD players. Into that mix the SD Card Association throws the SDXC format, a follow up to SDHC that promises higher capacity and faster speeds. However, don't expect to see products incorporating it for more than a year, the implementation requires a new controller architecture. Maybe for CES 2010.

Photos: Panasonic camcorders

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Before the world went high-def, Panasonic made a point of upgrading many of its camcorders to 3-chip models; now it's happening again, as Panasonic rolls out its 3MOS chipsets in its prosumer 2009 AVCHD camcorders. And at 2 megapixels per chip, they're each reasonably high-resolution, as well. However, you won't see the likes of popular, older, budget 3-chip models such as the PV-GS320, at least not in the first half of the year. In fact, you won't see any tape- or DVD-based models at all from Panasonic, according to the company. Ever.

For its standard-definition clients, Panasonic now zooms out to 70X. On one hand, these stalker zoom lenses can be quite useful for recording wildlife--and Panasonic even showed footage of the moon for astronomy buffs--but is that really a mass market? And no matter how good its image stabilization is, you're going to have to shoot using a tripod at lengths like that.

Sony camcorder photos at CES 2009

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While Panasonic and Canon look like they're delivering a solid, if somewhat uninspiring, line of camcorders for the first half of the year, Sony emerged from CES with the most newsworthy set of models--newsworthy for what the product line doesn't include, as well as what it does.

What's missing? MiniDV camcorders, for one. While last year's DCR-HC52 and HC62 remain on the market, Sony didn't announce anything relevant to MiniDV--no consolidation of the existing models, as Canon did, or outright declaration of dropping models, as with Panasonic (if not publicly, then at least in conversation). Nor are there any DVD-based AVCHD camcorders for 2009. Those seem to have quietly slipped away from Canon and Panasonic as well.

In my opinion, the highlight of Sony's spring line is the HDR-XR500 series, the top of the prosumer HD line. These models include a first-to-market implementation of the rather misleadingly named back-illuminated CMOS technology, which promises much better low-light recording quality, as well as geotagging capability. One of the lower-end models, the XR200V, includes geotagging but not the new sensor, and a straightforward replacement for the low-end hard disk-based model. The geotagging has potential, but lacks the metadata support to do anything useful with the tags outside the camcorder.

At the other end of the spectrum, Sony jumps into the cheapo, direct-to-Web camcorder market with its so-called "Webbie HD" models. A notable move on two fronts: first, Sony becomes the first major camcorder manufacturer to produce one of these camera phone-like models; and second, Sony just entered a race swimming with cheap products--not exactly the company's usual pond.

In the middle, we've got the usual solid but unexciting standard-definition models in flash, hard disk, and mini DVD flavors. Have fun with that 60X zoom lens, folks.

(Credit: DXG)

While there have been no shortage of vertical-style mini HD camcorders at CES 2009 (see announcements from Kodak, Sony, and RCA), there haven't been any pistol-grip mini HD camcorders, mainly because the most recognized maker of them, Sanyo, didn't have any announcements at the show. But fear not, DXG has you covered with the DXG-581V.

Due in the first quarter of this year for $179.99, the DXG-581V can capture HD video up to a resolution of 1,920x1,280 and capture 8-megapixel photos. It's equipped with built-in flash memory (though DXG didn't say how much), but it also has an SDHC slot with support for cards up to 8GB.

The camcorder is less than 4 inches high and has a rotating 3-inch LCD. Controls are pretty basic, and a software suite is included to help you edit and share your video.

(Credit: DXG)

If a more classic camcorder design suits your needs, the ultraslim DXG-580V flash-based HD camcorder would be a better choice. It records at resolutions up to 1,440x1,080 at 30fps, but everything else appears to be identical to the 581V.

JVC offers two SD slots in some of its flash camcorders.

(Credit: JVC America)

JVC replaces its SD-card-based Everio GZ-MS100 with the MS120 and MS130; the MS120 has two slots, comes in black, blue, and red, and the MS130 has a single slot plus 16GB built-in memory and comes in black. They both feature a nice rollover capability that automatically overflows recording from one media to the next when necessary.

The company didn't provide any real specs on the products, so I'm going to assume they're the same as the MS100--a 1/6-inch 680,000-pixel CCD and 35X zoom lens--and give you a big ugly picture (above). They'll be available in Feburary for $299.95 (MS120) and $349.95 (MS130)

JVC's standard-def Everios have higher-resolution sensors than their predecessors.

(Credit: JVC America)

The Everio G series standard-definition models for 2009--the GZ-MG630, the MG670, and the MG680--have incorporated a higher-resolution 800,000-pixel CCD, up from the 680,000-pixel versions in previous models, but the sensor is the same 1/6-inch size. What effect that'll have on low-light quality, never one of JVC's strong suits, remains to be seen. The models also have 40x "dynamic zoom" lenses, a kind of fudgy cross between digital and optical zoom (it uses "nearly all of the CCD's effective pixels") like Canon's Advanced Zoom, that I suspect is based off the 35x lenses of the previous models.

In a somewhat interesting twist, the MG680 and MG670 can perform HD upconversion in-camera when outputting via their mini HDMI connections to an HDTV. In theory, this should deliver better quality than allowing the TV to do the conversion. Generally, showing SD video on an HDTV will look pretty bad no matter what you do, but the HDMI signal alone is better than composite. We'll have to check that out.

The GZ-MG630 (60GB; $429.95) and MG670 (80GB; $479.95) are slated to ship this month; the lower-end model will be available in silver, red, and blue. The $549.95 GZ-MG680 has a 120GB hard disk and will ship in February.

JVC delivers HD in a small, cheap package.

(Credit: JVC America)

JVC has rolled out its low-end HD camcorders, and they're looking pretty inexpensive and colorful. They all incorporate a new (for JVC) 1/4.1-inch 3-megapixel CMOS sensor and a 20x lens. The Everio GZ-HD320 uses a 120GB hard disk; the GZ-HD300 goes with 60GB. In a nice touch we haven't seen elsewhere, the SD-based GZ-HM200 offers two card slots. The HD300 and the HM200 will come in black, red, and blue, while the HD320 sticks with basic black.

Beyond that, these models look pretty much like everyone else's on paper--support for a 24Mbps bit rate, x.v.Color, yadda, yadda, yadda--just cheaper. the HD300 and HD320 are expected to ship in February for $699 and $799, respectively; comparable models from other manufacturers tend to run about $100 more, though street prices may be the great equalizer. The TM300 will be $579.95 when it ships in March.

(Credit: Sony)

With specs similar to the hard-drive-based SR-series Handycams, the decision to go with Sony's new SX-series standard-definition camcorders comes down to whether you want a slightly more compact body and potentially better battery life and reliability or more storage for your money.

The top-of-the-line DCR-SX60 has 16GB of internal flash memory and will sell for about $400 come March when they hit. The spec-comparable DCR-SR67 arrives in February and has an 80GB hard drive for $450. Both have 2.7-inch touch-screen LCDs, 60x optical zooms with Steady Shot image stabilization, and storage can be expanded with Memory Sticks. And they're both available in red, blue, and silver, so color's not even an issue.

There will be two smaller-capacity SX-series models available as well--the 4GB SX40 and 8GB SX41. They'll be priced at $270 and $300, respectively.

So where do you fall? Are you all about the capacity or strictly flash? Either way, Sony's at least giving you some good options this year.

The Sony Handycam HDR-XR520V introduces the back-illuminated CMOS sensor

(Credit: Sony Electronics)

In what's probably the most interesting camcorder announcement of 2009, Sony proffers the Handycam HDR-XR500 series, a pair of hard-disk-based AVCHD camcorders which integrate the dual firsts of built-in GPS and a new Exmor-R back-illuminated CMOS sensor.

Though the sensor isn't new, this is the first time we're seeing it in products. The technology, which flips the layers so that the photosites are above the electronics where they can get more light, may prove an effective way to improve low-light performance, the continuing weak aspect of consumer camcorders. Sony claims an 8dB increase in sensitivity, for a 50 percent reduction in noise. Annoyingly, Sony continues to overstate the resolution of its sensors. This one's 6 megapixels, though you'll see the company claiming 12mp--its interpolated resolution--all over its marketing materials.

As if that weren't enough, the XR500's also incorporate a built-in GPS for geotagging video and photos, another first for consumer camcorders. While I'm a big fan of adding geotagging to imaging equipment, video isn't quite ready for geotagging; unlike photos, there's no metadata standard for storing the information with the file. As a result, Sony has to store it in a sidecar file with data that most applications won't know how to parse.

The new 15X zoom lens on the camcorder also offers increased optical stabilization coverage area for better compensation while walking, in an optional Active Mode. It's optional because the larger coverage area results in some resolution degradation around the edges of the images. It also incorporates Sony's latest Smile Shutter and face detection technologies.

The two models differ only by hard drive size, and of course, price. The HDR-XR520V has a 240GB drive and will run $1,500; the 120GB HDR-XR500V will cost $1,300. Both will be available in March.

The XR200V offers some interesting enhancements over the SR10D it replaces.

(Credit: Sony Electronics)

The annual evolutionary step from the Handycam HDR-S10 and HDR-S10D to the HDR-XR100 and HDR-XR200V is a bigger step for one than the other. While both camcorders are based on the same 1/5-inch 2.3-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensors as their predecessors and have the same 10x and 15x zoom lenses, respectively, the XR200V at least offers a couple of enhancements that might be worth the extra cost over the now-cheaper older models.

Most notably, the XR200V adds GPS for geotagging like its higher end siblings, the XR500V and XR520V. Keep in mind though that video isn't quite ready for geotagging; unlike photos, there's no metadata standard for storing the information with the file. As a result, Sony has to store it in a sidecar file with data that most applications won't know how to parse.

Both models are about 20 percent smaller than last year's models and incorporate the optical stabilizer coverage area enhancements for better compensation while walking, Active Mode, that are found in the XR500 series. It's optional because the larger coverage area results in some resolution degradation around the edges of the images. They also incorporate Sony's latest Smile Shutter and face detection technologies.

The XR200V uses the same 120GB capacity hard disk as the SR10D it replaces; it's slated to ship in February for about $1,000. The SR100 doubles the storage over the SR10 for 80GB. It'll be out in March for about $750.