Canon Launches First DVD Camcorders
Company admits it is late to the market, but says it wanted to resolve size and quality issues.Paul Kallender, IDG News Service
Canon is launching four camcorders for the international market in the coming months, and the lineup includes its first models that record to DVD, the company says.
The company's first two DVD camcorders are the DC 20 and the DC 10. The DC 20 has a 2.2-megapixel CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor while the DC 10 comes with a 1.3-megapixel CCD. They both have 10X optical zooms, take still pictures, and can record to a miniSD memory card, the company says. Like other DVD camcorders, the models record to 3.2-inch discs.
DVD camcorders have been in shops for years and the company recognizes that it has been late to the market, according to Richard Berger, a Tokyo-based spokesperson for Canon.
But the company hasn't been satisfied with the image quality of DVD camcorder models on the market and designers thought many of the early models a bit bulky, so Canon wanted to wait until it got the quality and size issues sorted out, he says.
The company thinks it has got things right with the DC 20 and DC 10 though. The models are 1.9 inches by 3.4 inches by 4.8 inches and weigh 1.1 pounds with battery pack installed and DVD and memory card inserted. While they won't be quite the slimmest DVD camcorders on the market, they are a good enough start, Berger says.
Both will be in shops in Europe in late October; the DC 20 for around $1,208 and the DC 10 for $1091. The company hasn't announced pricing and availability for the U.S.
Also Available
Canon is also updating its DV camcorder lineup with the IXY DV M5 and the IXY DV S1 models, it says.
The M5 has a 4.3-megapixel CCD sensor and a 10X optical zoom. It is 2.0 inches by 4.0 inches by 4.1 inches and weighs 1.1 pounds with the battery pack inserted, lens cap on, and a 30 minute MiniDV tape and a memory card inserted, according to the company.
It will be called the Optura 600 for the U.S. market and will go on sale for $1099 in September.
The IXY DV S1 has a 2.2-megapixel CCD and a 10X optical zoom. It is 2.1 inches by 2.9 inches by 4.1 inches and weighs 1.0 pounds with the battery pack and a 30 minute MiniDV tape and a memory card inserted, the company says.
The model will also be called the S1 in the U.S. and go on sale for $799 in September.
All four models come with a 2.5-inch LCD monitor with a backlight button, which brightens the image for better viewing on sunny days, according to the company.