As the HD Camcorder battle heats up Panasonic is set to roll out new models in an effort to take market share away from Sony and Canon.
Among the new models which will be launched in Australia soon is the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100, the world’s first* AVCHD camcorders with a 3MOS system and the HDC-SD100 which records to SD Memory Card, while the hybrid HDC-HS100 records to both SD Memory Card and to its internal 60 GB* hard drive.
Both models include manual functions for the user wanting more precise control over zoom, focus, iris, shutter speed and white balance. The models also include Panasonic’s new Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, an intuitive set of technologies that automatically activate, making video shooting an easy, seamless process.
Panasonic Australia’s Director of Consumer Electronics Group, Paul Reid told ChannelNews recently that the Japanese Company was serious about taking market share away from their competitors “we will also benefit from a growing market which is being driven by consumers buying HD TV’s” said Read.
He added “During the Olympics you wil see us promoting HD camcorders as it is a growth category and Panasonic has an excellent product range”
“The camcorder market is moving swiftly to High Definition and superior image quality is now a must-have feature. Moreover, many consumers are also demanding higher-level features, and the ability to be more creative,” said Zoe Susice, Group Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “For these users, we introduce two new full-HD 3MOS models – the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100 – with manual functions that give users the power to create dramatic, artistic images. At the same time, we also have our Intelligent Auto mode, which activates several technologies automatically, so the user doesn’t need to make any adjustments, and shooting video is an easy and enjoyable experience.”
The world’s first AVCHD camcorders with a 3MOS system are newly developed by Panasonic and based on the company’s 3CCD technology, an already-established and renowned system that provides excellent color reproduction. With their expanded light-receiving areas, the MOS sensors also significantly improve image quality, even in low lighting. The three MOS sensors process the red, green, and blue components of incoming light separately, so color reproduction is superb. These sensors also have about double** the light-receiving area of CCD sensors, so image quality when shooting in low light is much higher. Compared with a conventional 1MOS, Panasonic’s new 3MOS system captures more vibrant, true-to-life colors, greater detail and richer gradation. This high-precision imaging element is first in the world*** to shoot in lighting as low as 2 lux and helps the SD100 and HS100 capture exceptionally clear, bright images.
Adding to the 3MOS sensor, Panasonic HD Advanced Pure Color Engine and a new Leica**** Dicomar lens – helps the SD100 and HS100 deliver the outstanding images in full-HD 1920 x 1080 recording*****. Full-HD recording, with its total of 2,070,000 pixels, provides exceptional image details and rich colors. The Leica Dicomer lens system used in camcorders comprise 12 lenses in 9 groups, including aspherical lenses to improve resolution and contrast and an LD (low-dispersion) lens to help prevent color bleeding. Also, a special multi-coating process is applied to all lens elements to minimize chromatic aberration, so images are crisp, clear, and free of flare and ghosting. The use of a highly-refractive lens also made it possible to have both 12x zoom power and a compact body.
