This isn’t really something many gadget lovers will want (at an estimated $6000 it’s well out of our price range), but it does demonstrate Panasonic’s commitment to the M4/3 format, and not just at a consumer level. The AG-AF100 will fit with whatever lenses you see fit to buy for your EVIL Panasonic camera, and shoots pretty much every format you might want to shoot, as long as you don’t want to shoot any larger than 1080p at 30fps.
The device that springs to mind when I see this thing is the RED Scarlet, which may (if it’s ever released) actually provide more versatility and more resolution in a smaller package and at a lower price. → Read More
Sanyo announced two new “dual cameras” (camcorder and digital camera in one) for the Japanese market yesterday, the Xacti DMX-CG100 (that’s the pistol-grip model) and the Xacti DMX-GH1. Both feature an extra-compact body and the ability to record video in full HD and take 14MP pictures. → Read More
Short version: The 1080p is pretty worthless, but if I had to pick one camcorder to take on vacation, the Playsport is the easy choice. → Read More
The JVC GZ-HM550 brings a new set of standards to the table. It isn’t the 1920 x 1080 recording or 9 MP stills. Nor is it the 32GB internal flash memory with an SD/SDHC card slot playing backup or even the Konica Minolta HD lens. Nope, it’s the novel Bluetooth function that might make a full size camcorder relevant again in a smartphone world. → Read More
Look at this little guy. It’s just a $20 camcorder that promises to shoot 640×480 video at 30 frames per second. Will you get awesome looking footage out of it? Probably not. Probably absolutely not. Maybe. Probably not, though. → Read More
Short version: An excellent camcorder with few faults except one big, fat, glaring one: it only records in 1080i. What year is this again? → Read More
Ghost hunters, rejoice. Not only does this $150 LED flashlight record 640×480 video at 30 frames per second, it’s also got an eight foot nightvision range that allows it to record in complete darkness. → Read More
Short version: This camcorder is certainly small, and the swivel head can be handy, but the lack of optical zoom hurts, and the poor video quality, focus trouble, and low light performance pretty much sink this little bugger. Cute, though. → Read More
Free dating tip: If the girl you’re talking to isn’t impressed by your Playboy belt, make sure to mention that it’s got a built-in spy camera capable of recording DVD-resolution video footage. If that doesn’t work, then clearly she’ll never be impressed by anything. Time to move on. → Read More
Time to sweep up after CES. Devin tells me we have a hands-on with these cameras buried somewhere in our live video feed from the show but we’re unable to find it at the moment, so please allow me to paint a picture for you using good old fashioned words. → Read More
Sanyo officially joined the Panasonic group as of December 21st, 2009. This decision was “due to the rapid decline of the global economy,” according to Sanyo North America president Masami Murata. “This alliance will maximize and optimize Sanyo’s corporate value and will open the way for our company to realize further business development.” Sanyo will maintain its listing of common stock, the “SANYO” brand name, and its business identity. Sanyo North America has a consumer solutions division, which develops Eneloop rechargeable batteries, sound recorders, Xacti camcorders, and various other consumer electronics devices. New Xacti “Dual Cameras” Sanyo is targeting a market that sits in between conventional camcorders and pocket camcorders. It’s focusing on flash-based camcorders that shoot high definition video. Sanyo actually produced the first flash memory camcorder in 2003 and the first HD flash memory camcorder in 2006. In 2009 it released the first full HD 1080p camcorder that shoots at 60 frames per second. This year it’s announcing a pair of full HD flash memory camcorders – the VPC-CS1 and the VPC-SH1 (shown below). → Read More
CES is here, even though most of your friendly neighborhood CrunchGear writers are still in their respective home states. (We’ll be arriving in Las Vegas throughout the day today.) First up for me: new camcorders from Canon. Entry-level ones, too, so don’t feel intimidated. You’ve got the HFR11, the HFR10, and the HFR100. They’re basically souped up, HD versions of the previous FS series of entry-level cameras. Nothing wrong with HD. → Read More
Pardon me, miss? I’d just like to tell you that I think your hat is fly. Dope, even. Too bad you’ll never remember my face. Memorize it now and then lose me forever. Unless, of course, you’ve somehow got a camcorder hidden in that thing! That’s unlikely, as your hat is far too stylish to be a technology product. → Read More
“Hey guys, what’s going on? Talking about secret company stuff? Cool. Don’t mind me. Just gonna heat up these SpaghettiOs real quick. Anyone do anything illegal lately?”
For $100, now YOU can be the creepy tattle tale at your workplace. → Read More
Ho ho ho, this may be the lowest price you’ll see on a new Flip MinoHD camcorder for a while. Amazon’s got them for $120, today only, down from $160. To be honest, Cisco just bought Flip and they’re expected to unveil some new products at CES (like, perhaps, Wi-Fi enabled camcorders?) so Flip might just be blowing these things out to make room for the new stuff. Either way, today you get a somewhat reasonably-priced pocket camcorder. → Read More
Update: It’s overrr! Someone won, and he’s very excited. Thanks for playing, and keep an eye out for other giveaways. ‘Tis the season. Did you see my review of the ContourHD 1080p? Well, go check it out so you know whether or not you can make use of this sucker. It’s basically a compact HD camcorder stripped of everything but the lens, sensor, and storage, stuck inside a tiny, semi-rugged aluminum case. It’s for sticking to your helmet or bike frame and documenting all that extreme stuff you do. And we want to give one to you. → Read More
Devin recently reviewed the ContourHD 1080p, a wearable HD camcorder designed to be worn during activities that would cause other camcorders to self-destruct. One thing it couldn’t do, however, was go into the water (though it resisted some splashing). It’s not designed to be waterproof out of the box, which definitely could be a problem for divers, rafters, or other water-sport enthusiasts.
The makers were clearly aware of this shortcoming, and they’ve come out with a waterproof housing that will protect the camera to a depth of 10 meters. → Read More
The Short Version: The ContourHD 1080p is a capable, semi-rugged, conveniently-shaped HD camcorder that’s great for all kinds of sporting and active events where a full-size camera isn’t practical. The 1080p video has admirable still image quality, but skew and compression mean it’s more of an enthusiast tool than a professional one. But for $330, it’s a great little tool for documenting your rides, falls, and so on, and putting the results up on the internet. → Read More
Short version: An excellent casual HD camcorder with superior image quality to pocket cams and a flexible focus system, making it useful for bloggers like me as well. At under $200 this thing is absolutely a steal. → Read More
San Francisco, CA
