Panasonic's standard-def camcorders get bigger hard drives, extreme zooms
(Credit:
Panasonic)
Featuring a "world's first" optical zoom of 70x, the Panasonic SDR-H80 and SDR-H90 should be a prime choice for sports fans, wildlife lovers, and stalkers alike. Good thing they use Panasonic's advanced O.I.S. system (optical image stabilization) to reduce hand-shake by way of lens-shifting gyrosensors.
The camcorders also boast large storage capacities; the H80 has a built-in 60G hard drive and in the H90, an 80GB (that holds up to 72 hours of video in LP mode). Plus it's a hybrid, letting you store video to SD/SDHC cards, too.
Other key features include a fast quick-start option for recording in less than a second and the company's iA technology that does face detection and automatic scene recognition.
The H80 will run $449.95 and be available in silver, blue, red, and black. The H90 is in black only for $499.95. Both show up in April 2009.
Josh Goldman is a senior editor for CNET Reviews, covering digital cameras, camcorders, and related bits and pieces, along with writing the occasional laptop or software review. He doesn't have a podcast, newsletter, or CNET TV show, but you can follow him on Twitter if that's something you do. E-mail Josh.
