JVC and Canon break new ground with DV camcorders

 

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Posted on 28 Jul 2005 at 14:54

JVC and Canon have announced new video cameras that dispense with tape as a means for recording movies. Instead the JVC has a built-in hard drive while Canon's record direct to DVD.

The Everio GZ-MG70 is the flagship model in JVC's Everio G-Series of hard disk camcorders, the world's first collection of camcorders to use built-in hard disk drives as a storage media.

The silver and black camcorder 2.12 megapixel CCD sending images to a 30GB 1.8in hard drive, enough for seven hours of DVD-quality video or a maximum of thirty-seven hours of footage in extended recording mode.

Like most video cameras it can also snap stills to be viewed on its 2.5in LCD; you should be able to get quite a few on that hard drive. And like any respectable camera-maker, JVC has a smart name for its image processor, the Megabrid Imaging Engine, which separately processes video and still signals to provide optimal processing for each and, the company claims, assures high sensitivity and a high signal-to-noise ratio.

A USB 2.0 interface is included for transferring footage to a PC and other features include a motion sensor to protect the hard drive if the camera is dropped.

The Everio GZ-MG70 will go on sale in October.

The Canon DC-10 (pictured) and DC-20 are compact, lightweight camcorders that capture footage direct to a standard DVD. The DC-10 boasts a 1.3 megapixel CCD while the DC-20 has a whopping 2.2 megapixels.

Features include an RGB filter to ensure 'rich and true' colour reproduction by eliminating signal conversion, special scene modes, nine-point AiAF auto focus, a High Resolution 16:9 widescreen mode for panoramic widescreen, a 10x optical zoom, Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS) to eliminate camera shake and a 'super bright' 2.5in LCD with backlight and anti-reflective coating, perfect for the sunny British summer weather.

Like JVC's Megabrid, Canon's Digic DV processor provides true split path processing to guarantee high quality video and stills. Unlike the JVC, it is PictBridge-equipped for direct-to-printer still image printing.

The DCs will also ship in October.

Author: Simon Aughton