The Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera will bring either an EF or PL mount (I say “either” here because you’ll get an EF mount with one version and a PL mount with a second version), as well as full 1080p video capture capability, slots for two CF cards, and HD-SDI output. The CMOS sensor in this thing can shoot greens in 1920 x 2160, and reds and blues alike in 1920 x 1080, and combines to form a pixel size that is “larger than that for conventional professional camcorders”, and this from the CEO of Canon, reportedly.

But that’s just where it starts, as you’ll also get a variety of different lenses involved with this one based on your needs at the time. You’ll have two lenses in 14.5-60mm, two in 30-300mm, and three EF prime lenses. The end result of all this is that you’ll not only get accurate color correction, but you’ll also get top notch skin tone replication. Considering most of your subjects will probably have human skin, this is a valuable tool.

And valuable it is, as the C300 Digital Cinema Camera will set you back a whopping $20,000 when it hits stores. But don’t worry–you’ll have plenty of time to save up for it as it’s not actually going to hit until 2012.

So what do you guys think on this one? Does the C300 Digital Cinema Camera look like something you’d want to get your hands on if you had that kind of money to spare? Or can you think of a whole lot of better uses for that kind of cash than to drop it on a camera? Either way, we want to hear from you, and the comments section below is a great place to do it!

It’s been a good while since we last heard much of anything out of DXG, and the DXG-5F9V should prove worth the wait. It’s got 3D capabilities, for when you want to shoot in full-bore 3D. Though if you’d rather keep Thanksgiving dinner strictly a 2D affair, you’ll have that option, and in super-sharp 1080p, to boot.  Plus, you’ll also get a three inch autostereoscopic LCD display for watching that 3D video, 128 megs of onboard memory (with support for 32 gig flash cards, which you’re almost certainly going to need), five megapixel still shooting capability, a variety of shooting modes and an HDMI output so you can put what you shoot directly up onto a larger screen.

The whole setup looks at least passable, and things only get better when you consider that the price tag on a DXG-5F9V is a relatively small $299. They’re available right now out at DXG’s online store, so if you’re looking for a new camcorder you may want to have a look here.

Of course, the value of a 3D camcorder is, at best, subjective, so even at a reasonably solid price like $299, you still may not have a whole lot of interest in it. But still, there will no doubt be plenty of amateur filmmakers dying to get in on the 3D video experience for a price that fits into most peoples’ budgets.

What do you guys think here? Figure the DXG-5F9V is a camcorder worth getting to know better? Or do you figure that the 3D video experience is a gimmick whose time grows shorter with each passing day? Either way, the comments section is waiting for you, so head on down and tell us what you think!

The Camileo X200, shown above, kicks things off by being the most relatively kind to your wallet. It gives you a 12x optical zoom as well as a time lapse mode and a set of different shooting modes like black and white shooting. It also boasts a three inch LCD touch screen, video shooting in 1080p, in-camera video trimming, HDMI cable and port, the Camileo uploader software for easy transfer to YouTube and the like, and the traditional Toshiba “barrel” design, all of which it shares with the other two models.

And the other two models, the Camileo X400 and the Camileo X416, will share plenty of features in common too. Not only does it have that same three inch LCD touch screen and other features of the Camileo X200, they’ll both offer up 23x optical zoom, electronic image stabilization systems, and external attachments for microphones. As for what separates the X400 from the X416, while both will handle normal size SD cards (and look identical, at last report), the X416 tacks on some extra onboard storage, and you may have guessed it already, 16 gigs worth of onboard storage.

As for the prices, the Camileo X200 will indeed be wallet-friendly, as it only asks $229 to let you walk away with one. The Camileo X400 will represent just a small bump to $279, and tacking on that extra onboard storage for the X416 will set you back $319. And the best part is, if any of these look good to you, you’ll be able to pick them up right now out at Toshiba’s direct sales website, toshibadirect.com.

So what do you guys think here? Anyone heading out to pick one of these up? Or do you have a better idea when it comes to camcorders and recording all those great family events? Either way, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The HDC-Z10000 camcorder is a dual-lens camcorder, which means you’ll be shooting your home videos in 3D with this monster., as well as straight 1080p video in 2D. It handles stills at 13.1 megapixel with its dual CMOS sensors, and offers up a glassesless LCD display measuring a very solid 3.5 inches. And for those of you who like the 3D macros, this one will shoot them as close as 17.8 inches, which is, at last report, a record for this sort of thing as far as twin-lens camcorders go.

But that wasn’t all the folks at Panasonic were looking to drop, no sir (or ma’am as the case may be), they were also talking about a new “concept” camera. Details were thin on the ground about this new camera, but that’s not surprising since the IFA show is only getting started in earnest. The camera in question is a twin-lens model, much like the HDC-Z10000 camcorder, and can also shoot 3D video but also 3D still photos. It’s built around a set of dual 4x lenses, so while zoom will likely be short (as is often the case with digital cameras), it will still shoot in 3D, which is impressive enough in its own right.

There aren’t any details yet on pricing or release dates for either of these, but you might figure that the HDC-Z10000 will at least make it to stores in time for the holiday shopping panics.

But what do you guys think? Like Panasonic’s new move to embrace 3D photography in both still and video? Or do you think that the HDC-Z10000 and its ilk will likely be overpriced and under-utilized? No matter how you feel about it we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

Joining the trend of what had previously appeared to be doomed tiny camcorders, the Vivitar DVR 690HD is a small camcorder (you can see just how small above) that offers up a 4x digital zoom, a two inch LCD display, records footage in AVI and works with SD cards to store them (it only works up to 32 gig, though, but that’s really not that bad all things considered), and shoots in up to 720p resolution. It even comes with anti-shake technology, a still photo mode, and a TV-out system that lets you put your video up on a larger screen when needed.

Not bad by itself, especially for a small camcorder, but where this thing really shines is its external casing. That casing is actually waterproof (completely, too, not just water-resistant at last report) to a depth of ten feet.

Sounds even better, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the absolute kicker: you can get one of these right now for a whopping $60, at last report.

A waterproof camcorder with some decent options, easy portability, and ringing in at under $100? That’s pretty good, I’d say, especially for those of you who do a lot of filming outdoors, be you vacationers or those just trying to make the next Blair Witch Project knockoff.

But what do you guys think here? Is $60 too much to ask for a relatively small camcorder that doesn’t pack in a whole lot of extras but has loads of anti-water protections? Or are you getting a pretty good value out of the Vivitar DVR 690HD? Either way, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

You’ll remember just last week when we told you that NASA sent up a couple of heavily modified iPhones for use on the International Space Station. Well, the gadget loadout only goes up from there, as the folks at Panasonic also sent up a load to boot. They sent up one of their fully 3D camcorders, the AG-3DA1, to film the last flight in full 3D. But though the camcorder went into space, that wasn’t all Panasonic sent along. They also sent out a BT-3DL2550 25.5 inch 3D LCD display, as well as one of their super-tough Toughbook laptops. Sadly, neither of those last slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and that’s a shame as I would’ve loved to hear how a Toughbook fared against gravity.

The camcorder, meanwhile, was not only used to film the advance preparations for the flight, but also to film the flight itself as well as some experiments going on on the International Space Station in 3D.

And Samsung, as you’ve already heard, joined in by sending up a Nexus S smartphone (there’s no word on whether or not the Nexus S needed the extensive modifications that the iPhone 4 did) for use on tiny satellites the astronauts call “SPHERES”.

It’s good to see all these tech firms getting involved in NASA’s historic final shuttle launch, and hopefully this won’t be the end of America’s run through space. After all, we’ve still got Mars and a host of moons needing checked out, and it’s about time we got going out of the solar system to boot.

So what do you guys think here? Like the involvement of the other tech companies? Think NASA should have other ventures on its plate? Head on down to the comments section and fill us in!

Before April, Hirai had been just Group CEO and President at Sony Computer Entertainment. Just weeks before the PSN outage, Hirai was promoted to Deputy President of all of Sony, as well as President of the Consumer Products division – in addition to staying in the top role at SCEI. The move was seen as a vote of confidence in Hirai, and the common school of thought amongst Sony watchers was that the 50-year-old Kaz Hirai was being groomed to replace Welsh-born Sir Howard Stringer as the next Chairman/CEO/President of the entire Sony empire.

Now, after the PlayStation Network outage, which was right in Hiari’s wheelhouse as it directly affected his division, is being shuffled around. He’ll step down from his role as President of the Consumer Products division, but he will become Chairman of the Sony Computer Entertainment Division. So, he won’t oversee all of Sony’s consumer products (TVs, Camcorders, etc.), but, he’ll have a greater role in the video game division.

Although it may look like Sony is trying to shunt Kaz Hirai into the video game business and keeping him away from Sony proper, financial analysts still say that Hirai is well liked by the Sony board of directors and say that he’s still the #2 man to replace Sir Howard when he retires.

Replacing Kaz as President of the Consumer Products division is Andrew House. House was previously the head of Sony Computer Entertainment’s European division.

I think it just shows how big of a role the PlayStation is in Sony, considering that all these up and coming executives are coming from the company’s gaming division.

I know Kaz Hirai has many fans in the gaming community who like his soft-spoken approach. Have no worries, he’s still expected to become the Chairman of the entire Sony Corporation after Stringer leaves.

Based on Sanyo’s Xacti lineup of camcorders (which is doubly fitting as Sanyo was bought out by Panasonic not so long ago), the new Panasonics have a variety of features and a pretty wide price range.

First,  there’s the Panasonic HX-DC1, a 14 megapixel camcorder that offers a three inch LCD display, support for the large SDXC card slot, an HDMI output and a USB port. Clearly the entry-level model, you’ll be able to get your hands on one of these for $425.

Next, we’ve got the Panasonic HX-WA10,which is a step up in some senses and a step down in others. It’s a 16 megapixel camcorder that offers a 2.6 inch LCD display, support for the large storage afforded by SDXC cards, a USB port, an HDMI port, and even better, it’s waterproof to a depth of three meters (roughly nine feet for those who favor the imperial measure). You’ll be able to pick one of these up for $550.

And finally, we’ve got the Panasonic HX-DC15, which will top out the stats at 16 megapixel, and offer up not only a three inch LCD display, but also 16 gigs of onboard storage to boot as well as an SDXC card slot. You’ll also get the HDMI and USB ports, and this one will set you back $610.

I find myself somewhat skeptical, looking at these new offerings–they’re substantially pricier than a lot of hardware currently out there and, while they’re not specifically bad offerings in their own right, they certainly don’t match up with a lot of what I’ve seen on shelves. Sure, portability is a valuable thing, but is it sufficiently valuable to make these worthwhile? That’s a personal call if ever there was one, but for me, I’d think you can do better elsewhere.

What about you folks? You like the new Panasonic cameras, or do these look like something you’d walk right on past in a Best Buy? The comments section is waiting, so tell us what you think!

The Olympus LS-20M offers up 1080p video recording capability, along with a Linear PCM (Pulse-Code Modulation) recorder system providing recording in 24 bit / 96 kHz sound. You’ll also get a voice activation mode (no more recording before you’re ready and wasting space on dead air), a self-timer mode to start after a certain amount of time, a two inch LCD screen to display video as it’s being shot, along with a 1.46 inch LCD screen to display vitals about the camera itself, including time, battery life and more. It offers a compression format immediately compatible with a variety of web sites, including the biggest names like Facebook, YouTube and iTunes, a 4x digital zoom, a 4.1 mm autofocus lens, and low light shooting capability.

It measures just 5.3 inches long, and only weighs 5.4 ounces, making this an extremely pocket-friendly camera that will go just about anywhere and record video in significantly better resolution than most smartphone cameras will handle the job in.

Like I said, I keep wondering why the Flip got out of the market when it seems like so many others are just getting in. Did Cisco truly know something we don’t here? Or is it that everybody else is taking their chances on higher resolution? Flip’s big concern was taking on smartphones that record in 720p–things like the Olympus LS-2oM can handle 1080p. Will that be enough? It remains to be seen.

And if you like the thought of bucking the system and getting hands on a tiny camera that will handle most of your video needs, you’ll be able to get these starting in June, and for right around $300, at last report.

The Toshiba Camileo BW10 offers up a rubberized coating for added durability (reports peg this one as being completely submersible to just over six feet) as well as five megapixel still photo capability, video shooting in 1080p, an SD card slot, a USB port, and an HDMI port. Sadly, there’s no HDMI cable included with this, which is something of a low-class move on Toshiba’s part, but they’ll make up for it with the pricing.

You’ll be able to lay hands on one of these in your choice of yellow or silver (there’s an old myth in the camera community that says if you can get it in a choice of colors, it’s not a good camera, something I’ve personally found nowhere near universal enough to get that kind of mythic status), and they’ll run you $150, though a $20 rebate also swings in out at the Toshiba web site should you buy from there.

Considering this, the Samsung W200 and the Casio Tryx, I’m really starting to wonder exactly what I suggested others should in the opening paragraph–did Cisco kill off the Flip too soon? It seems that no one else is particularly worried about the rise of smartphones with 720p cameras, but then again, I don’t see too many smartphones able to withstand immersion to six feet and offering protection against dust and shock either. Maybe there’s a market for the more rugged camcorder; only time will tell if these camcorders will join the Flip on the funeral pyre, or the two can coexist in the market.

Of course, by “multi-proof” they are simply saying that you should be able to do just about anything with the W200 and not worry all that much. But to be a bit more specific, the Samsung W200 comes as shock-proof, dust-proof and perhaps the nicest — water-proof.

In terms of the features of the camera, the W200 will be capable of shooting full HD video and featuring a 5 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and F2.2 Bright Lens. In addition, there is also a 2.3 inch QVGA display, microSD/SDHC memory card slot, HDMI out and a 1300 mAh battery that is said to be able to provide up to 2 hours of run time.

As for the camera itself, the W200 measures in at 60 x 113 x 19.7 and weighs in at 130 grams. And touching on the shock and water proof marks, the W200 is shock-proof from 2 meters and water-proof to 3 meters.

Other perks of the W200 include goodies such as a aqua mode setting for supposed “clear underwater recording” and a Record Pause feature. The Record Pause will allow you to “briefly” pause during a recording and then resume from the same moment. Samsung describes this as;

“When filming is complete, footage will all be in the same file, removing the need to merge them and making uploading and sharing hassle-free.”

Lastly, Samsung has told us that the W200 will sell for $159 and make its debut sometime in May. All said and done, the W200 seems like a viable option for those on the go. Not to mention the rugged design and “multi-proof” features should make it a camera that comes with less worry in terms of wear and tear.

Casio’s Tryx will offer up a fairly lackluster production, really; the camcorder itself offers a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, a 1x optical zoom, 35 megs of storage space (yes, megs, sadly–not gigs) and a MicroSD card slot to back it up. You’ll also get a 240 frame per second capture mode and the ability to edit your images in the camcorder itself.

Part of me is convinced this isn’t a half bad idea–swoop in and get hands on all that business Cisco passed on by pulling its Flip lineup out of stores–but at the same time, I can’t help but remember why the Flip died in the first place. If you’ll remember, earlier reports said that the Flip was pulled because there were too many smartphones with built-in camcorders already on the market, thus not leaving a whole lot of room for the Flip. Moreover, the smartphones could upload their video from the device itself, making them even more convenient than the pocket camcorders. Plus, people already had them with them anyway–most people have a phone on them at all times now–so why would anyone want to also carry a camera when the phone does both functions and does them both at least fairly well?

But if you like the thought of a Casio Tryx, you’ll be able to get one yourself for $250 out at Best Buy stores. I call it a bad idea, myself, but there just might be a market in there.

But then, when we find out that a FlipLive product was just about to become official a day after Cisco announced Flip line termination plans it all becomes puzzlingly interesting. David Pogue, the famous geek on call at the New York Times shared a few interesting bits of information about the would-be future of the Flip.

It looks like a new product, the FlipLive, was supposed to be launched yesterday, and would have brought us an important feature of the Flip camcorder, live broadcasting over Wi-Fi to your friends and anyone else interested in watching you live at any event. That’s certainly an interesting feature for any device capable of recording HD video content and I’m sure plenty of users out there would have loved using this new feature. Unfortunately Cisco decided to cancel the Flip project, for no good reason, as some would say.

Well yeah, the fact that smartphones are catching up when it comes to video-recording capabilities, and that most point-and-shoot cameras are even better at capturing videos, are good enough reasons to terminate this product line. But the Flip had, or better said, still has, its own market share and mind share. Chances are that Cisco won’t change its mind on the future of the Flip, but that doesn’t mean current Flip owners will stop using the camcorder that pretty much changed the way we look at instant video recording.

Anyone looking to buy a Flip camera now that we know it’s basically a dead product?

Cisco announced the shuttering of the Flip line as part of a larger overhaul of its consumer products division, which in turn has seen better days. And while some thought that the iPod Nano and its rear-facing camera was going to put the last stake in Flip‘s heart, it was the smartphone that did it instead.

And with good reason: while camcorders would always be something of a necessity, especially among home video enthusiasts and those who want their video laden with bells and whistles (not to mention amateur filmmakers), the smartphone market just became too much. After all, most video–judging by the contents of YouTube–is largely limited to the basics. Charlie bit me, look what my kitten did, isn’t that puppy adorable, and hey ya’ll watch this was the bulk of video shooting for a lot of people, and filming that sort of thing in 720p was perfectly acceptable. And since most people had smartphones–some of them are downright cheap even without a plan–why would they need a separate camcorder when the phone already had one built in? And then there’s the ease of sharing issue: many smartphones could upload video directly from anywhere, or at the very least via wi-fi connection, something Flip just couldn’t do.

This also bodes ill for any of a number of other devices, including portable game players (though they’ll always have something of an audience–it’s not like you can download Sony games on Android Market…well….not anymore, anyway), compact digital cameras, and of course, standalone GPS systems.

But there’s a human cost with this move, sadly–the Flip line’s shuttering means 550 jobs lost, and in this economy, it’s disaster for those involved. Hopefully they can find replacement jobs soon…maybe building smartphones.

Sony’s new CineAlta F65 is carrying–and you’ll want to brace yourself for this one–a 20.4 megapixel Super 35mm CMOS sensor. You’ll also get a substantial boost in speed over earlier models, capturing 72 fps on 4K, but also getting up to 120 fps on 2K. It will offer its footage up in your choice of 16-bit RAW output, or you’ll be able to compress it down so you can use Sony’s latest SR-R4 portable 4K recorder with it. And if this already has you drooling, then you’ll be able to lay hands on this one in a couple of months; it’s set to release third quarter of this year, which means sometime between July and September, though the price tag is as yet un-filled in.

Meanwhile, you camcorder buffs will be happy to hear that the  PMW-TD300 will also be joining Sony‘s happy family later on. This one is designed to shoot in 3D, which means you’ll get a matched set of Exmor 3CMOS sensors. And what’s more you’ll also be able to catch said 3D in 1080p (and probably regular 2D video as well). The release date on this one is a little more shaky, currently defined as “autumn” of this year, so look for this one sometime in September, October or maybe even November.

Still though, you can probably count on these being high-dollar pieces of hardware that won’t go cheap even when they do emerge, but the phrase “specialist tool” might well apply as well.

Yes, you read the above right–the firmware update is only half the battle; you’ll have to physically own two of these cameras. Canon‘s firmware update includes the so-called “3D Assist” feature in which you can set up two cameras to work in tandem–the feature automatically aligns lenses and calibrates zoom settings to get the appropriate angles necessary to yield a 3D image. But you’ll get some enhancements to the scan reverse feature too, as well as a new feature that lets you turn off relay recording from one memory card to another, and allow you to simultaneously record to two different data cards, guaranteeing that, the next time you go shooting footage at Area 51 and they make you eat your camera’s memory card, you’ll still be able to escape with one that shows the whole truth.

The downside here, of course, is that the XF305 and the XF300 are horrifyingly expensive camcorders–the XF305 will run you $8000, while the XF300 will offer itself up at the comparative (only) bargain price of $6700.

I don’t mind telling you that’s a whole lot of cash to shell out to get video in 3D. Especially when I’ve seen other cameras that will shoot in 3D for quite a bit less. Once found a Panasonic–the SDT750–that shoots left and right images simultaneously. But still, if you’ve got the cash and you want to spend it, a combination of the Canon XF305 and the Canon XF300 (whether you need two of one model or one of each is as yet unclear, though) might be just what you need.

Nikon brought this one out only just a short while ago, and it’s operating as a follow-up to the Nikon D5000, which was the first DSLR to ever offer an articulating display. And this time, the D5100 is offering not only the articulating display of its predecessor, but also an increased focus on taking video, along with a backup product launch of the first-ever external microphone from Nikon, the ME-1.

The D5100 is set to offer a three inch LCD display with a contrast ratio of 1000 : 1 (comparable, interestingly enough, to an iMac display), as well as continuous autofocus while recording video, which also gives it the ability to track faces or particular subjects even while the camera is moving. You’ll be able to shoot in your choice of 720p or 1080p, in either 24 or 30 frames per second, shoot in full night vision, create high-dynamic range photos in the camera itself, and shoot your stills in 16.2 megapixel resolution.

Using the ME-1, meanwhile, will allow you to avoid capturing the lens noise that comes out of every DSLR when it uses autofocus, so keeping that unexpected machine noise out of your videos will be possible–and probably welcome for most video shooters.

Of course, you’re not going to get capability like this without paying substantially. The ME-1 by itself will set you back fully $179.95, and you’ll be able to get it starting later this month. Meanwhile, getting hands on the full D5100 will run you $799.95 for just the body, and you can tack on an extra $100 for the optional Nikon NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, also available this month.

And by very soon, we mean tomorrow. The details come by way of the online Sony Style store which is showing an “estimated” shipping date of April 6th. That said, things can always change at the last minute, so don’t come yelling if that date suddenly changes.

Needless to say, this is for the Sony Bloggie Duo HD, model number MHS-FS2, which comes sporting 4GB of internal storage which will be good for up to 2 hours of HD video recording time. In terms of pricing, expect to pay $169.99 and you will get to choose between a (almost) handful of colors including violet, pink, green and white.

In terms of features, the Sony Bloggie Duo HD will be able to shoot that 2 hours of video at 1920 x 1080 quality and in MP4 format. Other specs include a 5 megapixel camera for stills, a 2.7 inch LCD display, a secondary 2.0 inch LCD display for self-recording and HDMI out.

Remaining features include the ability to tag and share videos as well as SteadyShot, Face Detection, auto-macro, 4x digital zoom, a flip-out arm for upload/charge, built-in LED light and a built-in rechargeable battery. The Sony Bloggie Duo HD measures in at 2 1/4 x 4 3/8 x 3/4 inches and weighs in at 4.9 ounces.

With that, you can hit the source link below in order to move forward with your purchase. Of course, that is only after you decide which color option is going to best suit you. And lastly, worth noting is that the white and violet models are given the April 6th shipping date while the green and pink will take a few days longer — estimated to ship on April 10th.

The Philips ESee HD camcorder is set to offer wi-fi connectivity so you can rapidly send out your videos from anywhere within range of an open connection, as well as a 23x zoom (no word on whether that’s optical or digital, though it’s a fair bet it will be optical), an audio zoom to control the focus of the microphone, a touchscreen viewfinder (at an as yet undetermined size and resolution), an included SD card (classy move on their part, I’d say) and of course, it will shoot video in full 1080p resolution.

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard about Philips putting out anything that wasn’t home theater related, and though it’s an unusual move, it’s certainly a welcome move. Like I said, I’ve owned a Philips television for quite some time and it’s served very well over the years that I’ve had it, so seeing a new Philips camcorder is certainly a welcome development.

The problem here, of course, is that we currently know neither the release date nor the price for the ESee, so we have no idea just when we can get our hands on it or how much cash we’ll have to bring along to lay hands on it. They’re not even taking preorders as far as I can see. I suppose it’s possible they could be holding this one back for an eventual release say, around holiday shopping season, but why announce it already? Seems a little premature given that we have so little total information about it. But still, this is definitely enough to catch the attention for a while–keep it here for the latest as it emerges.

Yes, that double-barreled camera, one of many, many items to get shown off at the CES show back a couple months ago, is currently hitting store shelves like, well, like little Timmy with a wiffle ball bat.

The JVC GS-TD1 was promised for availability in March, and indeed, it’s come to pass. It’s set to offer a matched pair of 3.32 megapixel CMOS sensors which record actual, glasses-required (depending on your television, of course) 3D video in 1080i. Plus, you get a 5x optical zoom (10x in regular 2D mode), 64 gigs of flash memory, an SDXC card slot to just about double that, and the best note of all, a 3.5 inch LCD that will let you see your recorded video, in 3D, without glasses.

And while the original price was set to be fully $2000, the folks out at JVC saw that the economy was still doing pretty poorly, and thus dropped a hefty chunk off the price tag, dropping about 15 percent off to sell at  $1,699.95.

That’s still quite a bit of cash for a new camcorder, but it does represent one of the first models of camcorder ever that will actually let you record your movies in 3D. That’s definitely worth a premium, but JVC may be overestimating the market as well as the number of early adopters who want to see little Timmy’s baseball antics in full 3D. Still, we’ve got to start somewhere, and this is a great start.

The JVC GC-PX1 will shoot 1080p video at 36 meg per second, and will store that video on either its onboard 32 gigs of storage space, or to your SDXC memory card. It’ll also shoot still pictures at ten megapixel, and if you don’t mind shooting in lower resolution (which still frankly is not that low, just 640 x 360 resolution), you’ll be able to shoot at a blistering 300 frames per second. Go ahead, try counting to 300 in the tick of a second hand and see if you’re not impressed.

But that’s not all–you’ll also get in a tiltable LCD screen to check on your shots (and even shoot yourself in extreme close-up if you’re so inclined), and 10x optically stabilized zoom, as well as JVC’s new FalconBrid image processor.

It certainly looks like an impressive overall picture, though we’d have to go fully hands-on with it to be sure. The spec sheet definitely suggests a beauty of a camera, but it comes with a good news / bad news sort of situation. The good news is the camera is set to be released later this month (at least in Japan, which is a shame, and hopefully will go wider soon), which frankly, is not that far away. The bad news, however, is that JVC hasn’t dropped the dime just yet on just how many dimes you’ll have to drop to get your hands on one of these–that is, we don’t know the price. However, with the camera set to release in the next couple of weeks, it really shouldn’t be long before we hear it. Though I do expect it to be a pretty high-priced model; it’s offering too much to not be.

The Hammacher Schlemmer Camcorder Projector will project video that recorder has captured at 12 lumens of light output. The camera shoots 5SP stills and video is recorded at 720P resolution. While these little devices are not the best things out there and certainly just watching video you might have shot on the television is the better choice, handheld camcorders/projectors are looking like the new wave of “it” devices. The popularity of these devices is still gaining despite the fact they are still quite pricey. The Hammacher Schlemmer version is still running at a fairly high price of $299 per unit.

[Geeky Gadgets]

The Samsung SMX-F50, F53, F54 belong to Samsung’s compact line of camcorders. The series records videos to SD or SDHC media. The SMX-F50 series can record at standard definition or at 720 x 480 60i resolutions. Features include Samsung’s Hybrid Digital image stabilization, 52x optical zoom.

The SMX-F50, F53 and F54 include a Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan lens at f/1.8, 2.7 inch LCD screen, face detection, time lapse recording, and USB charging, among other features.

The models are differentiated by internal storage. The F50 has no internal storage, and relies on SD or SDHC for recording. The F53 has 8GB internal memory, while the F54 has 16GB, which can be used as backup when you run out of storage on your SD card.

These models are already retailing in South Korea, and will be available in the US for $199, (F50), $249 (F53) and $299 (F54).

The HDC-TM25 is a small camcorder, weighing in at just 169 grams (or a little over a third of a pound if you favor the imperial) and packing in fully eight gigs of onboard flash storage capacity. It shoots in full HD (1920 x 1080i) video, and it also offers 16.8x optical zoom, a 2.7 inch LCD screen, a pair of microphones (that will reportedly work in Dolby Digital 2.1 channel), support for SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards, a mini USB connector, and an HDMI port.

You might wonder why this didn’t slip in at CES, over just two weeks now, and the reason seems to be pretty simple–this one will start showing up in Japanese stores February 25th. And that’s something of a shame, too, as this one definitely looks like the kind of camcorder that would do well in other markets. Lightweight camcorders are valuable to a lot of different subsets of the market, but then, I guess that’s why importers got started, isn’t it?

Pricing information on this one is also somewhat sparse on the ground, so putting in a call to that particular importer you deal with might well be a bit more difficult than you might anticipate.

Still though, if you’re looking for an ultra-light camcorder, you’ll probably want to spare a look at the HDC-TM25. And as an added bonus, you’ll even be able to pick these up (assuming you’re in Japan or go through an importer, of course) in your choice of two colors: red or silver.

The Samsung HMX-H300 series is a compact camcorder targeted for family use. The HMX-H300 gives the power of high-definition video recording without the complications of a higher-end camera.

The HMX-H300 features a 3-inch touchscreen, which is larger than most camcorder displays. As for optics, the camera series comes with a Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan-HD lens with 30x optical zoom and optical image stabilization, which is ideal for getting close into the scene (perfect for school plays, we think).

The HMX-H300 camera series also comes with face detection, which can see up to six faces at one time. This lets the camera automatically adjust focus so that people are kept at a sharp focus. If you want to go for still photos, the HMX-H300 can take up to 5-megapixel photos.

You won’t run out of juice in the middle of an important scene, as the HMX-H300 series runs up to three hours of recording time before you need a recharge.

The HMX-H300 seres comes in four variants, each with its own feature set. The HMX-H300 is priced at $400. The HMX-H303 is priced at $450. The HMX-H304 is priced at $500. The HMX-H305 is priced at $600.

No doubt southpaws everywhere just did a double take on this one–a camcorder that works left handed?–but this is the case. The Samsung HMX-Q10 camcorder offers up a five megapixel CMOS sensor, along with a relatively short 10x optical zoom (why all the pictures I’ve found related to the device have 20x zoom stamped on them, I’m not sure–must be early mockups or something). It also offers a 2.7 inch touch screen, the Record Pause feature that lets you stop a recording mid-stream and then pick it up later without having to start a new clip, and USB recharging on the battery.

The biggest feature is the Switch Grip system, which lets you flip the camcorder over and operate it either left or right handed, as there are very few direct controls other than the record and zoom, and those seem to be built into the rear of the camcorder, so they’ll be the same whether you flip it for your right hand or flip it for your left.

This is probably one of those things that’s leaving a lot of people slapping their heads. An ambidextrous camera is probably something someone should have thought of long before now, but sometimes these little “aha!” moments slip everyone’s mind until the second someone actually does get one going. And the specs are at least within expectations of a camcorder that’s competing at the price point it is.

The Samsung HMX-Q10 is set to ship this February for a decent price of $299, and there’s some word this will be showing at the CES show in just a couple days here, so get ready to see this one out and about.

Cameras are a great gift to give loved ones and even yourself. Not only do you get to give loved ones great new gadgets, but you can also save precious memories with them. You have a wide budget range, from cheap-O point and shoot cameras, to expensive digital SLRs and rangefinders for enthutiasts.

Compact / Point and Shoot Cameras

Sony Cybershot DSC-T99 – $199

When it comes to digital cameras, we’re a bit brand conscious. We go for the right mix of optics and features. For portable cameras, we’d go for the Sony Cybershot DSC-T99. Featuring an internally-sliding zoom, this camera won’t be too bulky in your bag or pocket. The T99 has a maximum resolution of 14 megapixels and 4x optical zoom. Mostr of the controls are via touchscreen (good or bad, depending on your preference). You won’t go wrong with a Sony Cybershot.

Flip Ultra HD – 4GB $149 / 8GB $199

Flip made waves in the blogging scene due to its portability and the way it lets you connect directly to the computer via USB port. Flip’s latest Ultra HD series lets you record 720p videos in a portable form factor. The 4GB model can record up to 1 hour of high-definition content, while the 8 GB model will get you 2 hours at maximum resolution. The Ultra HD also comes with image stabilization, for best recording even with shaky hands.

Midrange Cameras

Canon Powershot S95 – $369

The Powershot S series is considered a prosumer camera at a compact form factor. Smaller than its G-series counterpart, the S nonetheless has advanced controls for the photography enthusiast, but without the bulk. The S95 comes with a 10 megapixel CCD, 28-105 mm lens, and can take shots with up to 3200 ISO.

Sony Handycam DCR-SX83 – $349

Sony prides itself for its excellent optics from Carl-Zeiss, great feature set and user interface. The Handycam DCR-SX83 features direct SD or Memory Stick storage, 25x optical zoom and SteadyShot image stabilization. The camera also features an internal 16 GB storage, in which videos are dynamically saved through a hybrid system. This means you don’t have to worry about running out of space either on the internal or external media, as the camera will take care of that for you.

Enthusiast / Prosumer Cameras

Canon PowerShot G12 – $469

The Canon Powershot G12 is the camera to have, for those who want the feature set of an SLR, but without the bulk. The G12 features the latest Digic 4 processor, a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor and a 28-104mm lens. The lens itself can zoom from a wide enough angle to a useful telephoto without the need for additional lenses via adaptor. The G12 features a lens ring, which can be used for focusing or zooming, mimicing how one would handle an SLR lens. The G12 also supports add-ons, such as a speedlite through its hotshoe, lens filters and additional lenses via an adaptor.

Canon EOS 550D / Rebel T2i – $799

Canon digital SLRs are for those who want the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and accessories. The 550D is within Canon’s entry level series, but that doesn’t mean the camera scrimps on features. The EOS 550D has the same sensor and metering system found in the professional-grade EOS 7D, but at a smaller form factor and lower price. This Rebel also records high definition videos at 30 fps, with the option of full manual exposure control.

Leica X1 – $1,999

Leica is the granddaddy of enthusiast cameras. Nothing can be as precise as a finely-crafted Leica camera. While the X1 is not the most expensive, it certainly marries features and size in a small, pocketable form feature. the X1 is a true blue Leica, which comes with excellent images, great build quality and that feeling of owning and using a precision instrument. While the X1 is meant to be a rangefinder, it doens’t include a built-in optical rangefinder like its bigger M9 sibling, but you can purchase this as an additional accessory for that old-time rangefinder feel. If you’re worried about the price tag, you can probably find one below $1,000–just look for camera collectors or enthusiast shops that might have these on stock for lower prices.

Cameras are hardly cheap, especially if you want excellent images. Still, you can find a good camera or camcorder as a gift for a loved one or a friend, depending on your budget range. After all, memories are usually priceless.

All three of them are set to offer up 40x optical zoom (which is actually a pretty good range), full HD video recording capability, a 2.7 inch LCD screen and an HDMI port to put your video up on a much bigger screen when you want to, a USB port for easy transfer of your videos as well as an SD / SDHC card slot, and an automatic upload function so you can get your videos on YouTube or Facebook in rapid fashion.

A decent set of specs, no mistake, though the differences start swinging in mostly on the resolution front. The GZ-HM670 and the GZ-HM690 will both offer up an illuminated 3.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, the GZ-HM450 will only go about half that at 1.5 megapixel. This gives the 670 and 690 an edge in lower-light conditions, but still, it’s not like one version is particularly worse off. Also there will be fairly substantial differences in onboard memory totals; while the 670 will carry 32 gig of memory and the 690 will be packing fully 64 gig, the 450 will make do with a comparatively tiny eight gig. That’s still almost two whole DVDs of storage, but a good range away from its brothers.

The Japanese market will be the first one to see these, and the pricing will be pretty hefty to boot. Oddly, both the 670 and the 690 will reportedly sell for the same amount, $950.  The lower-end 450, meanwhile, will go for $540.

The pricing structure here is a little odd, considering the relatively few differences here, but if you’re looking for new camcorder and can’t wait until they hit other markets, better put a call in to your importer of choice.

The camcorder itself is pocket-sized, meaning it can go just about anywhere you care to film, and boasts a 3.5 inch touchscreen. It’s also got an OmniVision five megapixel sensor, ten different shooting modes to take advantage of a variety of pre-set settings for use in various conditions, compatibility with SD and SDHC memory cards, and reportedly can shoot in full 1080p.

The projector, meanwhile, is of the pico variety and can put up a maximum of a 50 inch screen image (though I’d figure from a package this small it likely won’t be a very bright or clear 50 inches, so I’d suggest you do your exhibition, say, in the vacuum of space or perhaps in underground rooms), and also offers up output in both HDMI and AV, which means you can patch it in through your television and show it off there.

It’s already available to get your hands on, assuming you live in Hong Kong or know a good importer who’ll work with the Chinese, and you’ll be shelling out $309 US for it–or an what sounds like a high $2399 HK.

I personally love it when devices get all Swiss Army on us and do different things all in one convenient package–it really adds to the value to know that you can not only make movies on your camcorder but also show them.

Not only does the POV HD carry an IP67 certification, it also has lens glass with fully six elements, a 1080p CMOS sensor with 142 degree field of vision (and that is, at last report, the widest you can get anywhere) that will film at 30 frames per second, an adjustable head unit that lets you dial down the resolution to 720p and the field of vision to 92 degrees, but in turn up the frame rate to 60 frames per second, valuable for those high-speed situations.

You’ll also get a separate recording unit with a Da Vinci DM368 processor from the folks at Texas Instruments, as well as real-time video pipeline that’ll store four hours and change of video and even give you a two inch LCD viewing screen. It’s even got some enhanced superstructural details to make sure it can take a bit of a beating, which considering it’s being billed as an extreme sports kind of camera would likely be a good idea.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  Like just the kind of thing you’d want on your various adventures. And you’ll pay for it, too–word is that these are taking pre-orders right now, and if you place your order between now and December 17th, they guarantee it’ll be there by December 22nd. You’ll pay $600 for one of these, though, which is no small cost even for a rugged go most anywhere, film most anything sort of camcorder.

It might even be tough enough to stand up to Christmas morning filming, which can get pretty hairy if you have young children about, or if Aunt Mildred gets into the fortified wine again.

The list of announced deals is enormous and covers fully twelve pages, so you’ll want to settle in and brace yourselves for the big rundown, which I’ll try to break up by section for your convenience and to keep your head from exploding.

First in camcorders, we have just one item: a Vivitar 720p Video Black Camcorder 810 for $69.99.

We follow that up with a cell phone deal, the Samsung Galaxy Tab for $399.99 with any plan

Now here’s where things get patently massive–there’s an enormous set of computer component deals going on here, featuring things like an Acer 20 inch widescreen LCD monitor for $79.99 (or a 23 inch version for $159.99), half off all Sony EX earbuds, a Compaq 18.5 inch widescreen LCD monitor for $89.99, a D-Link Wireless Xtreme N Router for $79.99, a Hitachi Life Studio one terabyte external hard drive for $99.99 (or an X Series from Hitachi in the same size for $50 less, same price as a 500 gig portable model) and plenty more to boot.

Meanwhile in full computers, there’s an Acer AX3910-U3012 desktop coming in at $349.99.

A full array of digital cameras start out with the Vivicam 7022 7.1 Megapixel Black Digital Camera with Free Starter Kit at $39.99 and go up from there with a whole variety of features and price ranges. There’s nearly two dozen cameras available here, folks.

For those of you who find yourself in the market for a new laptop as I do, then there’s plenty of deals to be had here too: try an Acer Aspire AS5742-7653 for $499.99, an HP laptop packing Intel Pentium T4500 dual-core processor and SuperMulti DVD drive for $369.99, or a half dozen others.

And it’s not complete without software to run it on: all computer games, Sony DVDs and CDs will be half off for Black Friday.

The plain and simple here, folks, is that if you want electronic goodies this holiday season, OfficeMax is going to be a great place to start.

First, the one you’ve heard about, the Viewsonic 3DV5, which is a pocket sized 3D camcorder that offers one-touch uploading. You can get better acquainted with this one here, but suffice it to say that it’s recently had a bit of a price drop down from its original $238 down to a new price of $179.99.

Next up we’ve got the the 3DPF8 digital photo frame, which is an eight inch digital photo frame that converts 2D photos and videos to 3D, and does so without you needing to wear glasses when you walk by. Even better, you’ll also get an alarm clock feature, calendar, and slideshows with or without music. You’ll shell out a likewise $179.99 for this one.

Here’s one that’ll really get you going, whether you like to make movies or just watch them. The DVP5 Pocket Camcorder Projector may not offer 3D functionality, but what it will do is offer you a projector in the same pocket-sized unit as the camcorder itself, so not only can you shoot video, you can play it back on the nearest wall. The DVP5 shoots in 720p, and can also handle five megapixel still photos, and then project same in a display of up to 65 inches. You can store and play from a microSD card, as well as a host of other devices like iPhones, computers, and DVD players, among others. And for this combination of content creation and exhibition tool, you’ll shell out $329.99.

Lastly, a great gift for Mom and Dad–or anyone else with heaps of old-style photos–the DPF8-CAM Digital Photo Copier. What this one does is take those old photos and lets you convert them to digital photos, which it then can display because it also serves as an eight inch digital photo frame. You’ll be able to get this one for $149.99, which is a pretty nice deal, especially if you’ve got a lot of old photos taking up space that you’ve always meant to get into albums.

These are all available now, so if you’ve got a camera buff in the family, you may want to consider a bit of shopping.

Toys R’ Us has announced in their newest ad flyer that the store will actually switch over to Black Friday deals at 10 PM on Thanksgiving night. This of course means that you can score ultra cheap iPod and MP3 players at Toys R’ Us several hours before most other stores are willing to open their doors. You can also score yourself incredibly cheap Netbooks computers or digital cameras. At the heart of the early Black Friday sale is a couple of deals that look to be underselling some of the electronic giants. Toys R’ Us is offering a $79 unnamed Netbook that has three USB ports as well as a 7 inch Sylvania Tablet PC selling for $140, about $40 less than the store’s closest competitor.

Toys R’ Us is also sporting a $19 Vivitar Pocket Camcorder.

These a veritable raft of discounted pricing offered in Office Depot’s Black Friday ad, with notable items including Office Depot exclusives on AMD and Intel CPU powered HP dual-core laptops – $329.99 and $399.99 respectively – as well as a billed exclusive deal on a Compaq Presario AMD II powered desktop bundled with a monitor and a printer for $379.99.

Other highlights include a 20” LG widescreen monitor of just shy of $100 (if you are looking specifically for a killer Black Friday deal on a new LG HDTV or LG 3D HDTV you may find this posting of great interest), a Sony Walkman MP3Plaer for $59.99, a range of iPod/iPhone docks from just $29.99, GPS units from just $89.99, a pocket HD camcorder of under $70 (saving $80) and a host of camera deals from manufactures such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Kodak and GE.

You can get acquainted with all of Office Depot’s Black Friday deals via the scan below (note: clicking on a scan will show a far larger image that’s rather easier to read).

The camcorder shoots 720p resolution and has a 2.4 inch autostereoscopic display screen. According to Viewsonic there is a one touch switch that will allow users to change between filming in 2D and 3D and once the content is recorded you can either hook the camcorder up directly to your 3DTV or watch the show directly on the camera’s screen much like the upcoming Nintendo 3DS. You can also upload the data to YouTube’s 3D Channel, though you will actually need glasses to watch it in all its glory there.

The Viewsonic 3DV 5 retails for around $238.

The GHV-DV30FHDK camcorder can record HD video at 1920×1080 H.264 format and can be rendered on large screens with optimal image quality.

The GHV-DV30FHDK features a 3″ TFT color LCD with touch panel to provide easier control when recording shots.

It has a curious Pre-Press REC button which helps set recording three seconds before actually capturing videos. However, using this feature may drain the camcorder battery faster.

The Green-House camcorder will also have 128MB of internal memory and will also come with an expandable SD/SDHC memory card.

As for connectivity, the GHV-DV30FHDK camcorder will have a miniHDMI output, AV output, USB mini B jack.

It will make use of a lithium-ion battery that is good for up to 2.5 hours of use in HD, 3 hours for HD, and 3.5 hours for VGA shoots.

There is no official word yet on pricing and availability.

The GE DV1 camcorder can record 1080p videos and take 5MP photos. It features an SD card slot, an HDMI out and a 2.5″ display together with familiar USB connectors.

The DV1 seems like a reasonable camcorder to get, especially for the ones who are into rugged activities and who would want to capture moments in high definition at any time.

Also, its rugged make allows it to withstand any potential hazard users may have along the way. The camcorder is even available in various colors like grey, orange or green.

The only thing about the GE DV1 is that there was no mention on when it would be available nor how much it would cost.

In terms of features of the mic. The freedomMIC has a high performance condenser microphone with DSP noise cancellation. In addition, as mentioned the headset is Bluetooth and operates on Bluetooth Class 1 technology, which means you will be able to get up to a 100 foot range.

The system itself is two pieces, the one that plugs into the bottom of the camcorder and the other is the microphone. And nicely, the person wearing the microphone will be able to remotely control the record and stop functions of the camcorder, which means it will be that much easier to shoot video of yourself — all by yourself.

The freedomMIC is powered by rechargeable lithium ion batteries and noted as being able to provide up to 4 hours of run time. And to further add to the ease of use, the portion that mounts on the bottom of the Flip has a pass-though tripod mount.

Lastly, the freedomMIC is not yet available. Instead it looks like those interested are going to have to wait until sometime in mid-to-late December before making a purchase. With that, once available the freedomMIC will set you back $99.99.

Personally, I have never been much of a video guy myself, but at the same time it is nice to see quality accessories coming available for the Flip lineup of devices. This means you could get a fairly decent video setup for around $250. This of course, is based on the $99 price tag of the mic and the current price of the Flip UltraHD on Amazon, which is currently $140.

The HP V5020u camcorder will feature a 10X zoom and a 2″ LCD screen.

It also boasts of a 5MP sensor, an SDHC memory card slot and allows users to record video in H.264 video format.

It can also be hooked up to an HDTV thanks mainly to the included HDMI port.

That makes quite an array of features which should give compact digital camcorder users a lot of flexibility when it comes to capturing precious moments in video.

The HP V5020u digital camcorder will come with a carrying pouch upon purchase. It will retail for about $159 and should be out in the market by October.

Modesty aside, this seems to be a promising digital camcorder that could be a great alternative to the Flip.

However, HP has not been known as a key player in the camcorder industry which may be a little risky for first-time buyers.

The Looxcie records four hours of 480×320 resolution MP4 video at any given time, which you can then upload via an Android app available on “certain” Android smartphones, or by using the USB connection included. When you record more video than the device can hold, it will immediately begin purging old video to make room for the new video, thus assuring you that whatever you just saw, you’ll always see. Just be careful to make regular infodumps, otherwise you’ll lose your video constantly.You’ll even be able to use your phone while recording–the Looxcie works both sides of the fence at once. Be forewarned, though, the device is not waterproof.

These are currently available for $199. I would’ve liked to see it useful with more than a few Android smartphones, but still, a pretty good idea.