Sydney, 10 February 2010 - Panasonic Australia today added to its 2010 range with two new Full High Definitionⁱ (FHD) camcorders - the HDC-HS700 with an impressive 240GB Hard Disk recording capability and the HDC-SD700 - both featuring an advanced, high-sensitivity 3MOS system designed to give the video enthusiast outstanding results.

 

Panasonic's latest 3MOS sensor technology - similar to that used in professional camcorders - processes red, green and blue independently for vivid colour, detail and gradation. Combined with the large-diameter F1.5 Leica lens and newly-developed Crystal Engine Pro, this ensures more efficient light gathering, increased sensitivity and lower noise for excellent recording results even in low lighting.

 

Both the HDC-HS700 and HDC-SD700 record in 1080/50p (Full-HD, 1920 x 1080, 50 frames per second progressive recording) for breathtaking video. This renders crisp, smooth, detailed images and ensures impressive viewing when played back on a big-screen TV.

 

Both the HDC-HS700 and HDC-SD700 feature a F.1.5 Leica lens.  This 35mm wide angle lens provides superb imaging, and combined with an impressive 12x optical zoom, is ideal for recording landscapes or self-portraits and group photos indoors. It makes it possible to shoot at a close distance from the subject while fitting both the subject and the surrounding area into the frame.

 

"This introduction of these two new models in our Camcorder range highlights our dedication to the Camcorder market in Australia. The 3MOS sensor system allows the amateur videographer to produce crystal clear, superior quality videos that have a professional look," said Aurelie Hayon, Product Marketing Manager Camcorder/Media/Accessories, Panasonic Australia.

New to the 2010 range of HD camcorders, POWER (Optical Image Stabiliser) O.I.S. represents an enhancement of approximately five times the corrective power of previous versions and helps suppress blurring from low-frequency vibration, such as slow swaying movements.  Active mode is a new addition across both models and minimises blurring so that users can shoot while moving or walking.

Panasonic's intuitive iA (Intelligent Auto) function, features in both the HDC-HS700 and HDC-SD700. A new addition to the iA mode is Face Recognitionⁱⁱ which lets the user register up to six faces which the camcorder will automatically recognise, and prioritise both focus and exposure, to ensure your favourite people are always captured perfectly. In addition, the focus continues to track the subject as the person moves anywhere within the LCD frame, making it easy to focus on a specified person in a group.

 

Both these models also have a manual ring that gives greater shooting control to skilled amateur photographers who do not want to rely on automatic settings alone. The large ring enables intuitive control of the zoom, focus, aperture, shutter speed and white balance. EVF and microphone terminals allow for even more personal control.

 

The 3MOS Models employ Intelligent Resolution Technology and are equipped with Crystal Engine Pro, which helps to record extremely clear, crisp motion images. It eliminates the colour smear that tends to occur at subject edges and renders sharp, beautiful images. The Intelligent Zoom function enables 18x zooming in these models.

 

Pricing and Availability

HDC- SD700   SD Card memory       $1699 RRP                Available April, 2010

Available in Black

 

HDC- HS700   240GB HDD                $2499 RRP                 Available April, 2010

Available in Black

 

Key Features

SD/HDD Hybrid Recording - HS700

The HDC-HS700 is a hybrid camcorder with a 240-GB HDD for around 102 hours of recording (in HE mode). When used with a 64-GB SDXC Memory Card (optional), the camcorder provides an additional recording time of up to 27.5 hours. The camcorder can transfer recorded video from the SDXC/SDHC/SD Memory Card to the hard disk, or vice versa, with one-touch operation.

 

SD Memory Card Recording - SD700

The HDC-SD700 is highly resistant to knocks and bumps because it records onto SDXC, SDHC or SD Memory Card and so has no drive mechanism. This high level of durability, combined with the compact size and lightweight body (weighing only 375g) makes the HDC-SD700 ideal for travel or simply shooting on the go.

New wide-angle Leica Dicomar Lens

The Leica Dicomar Lens on these models is manufactured using measuring instruments and quality assurance systems certified by Leica and based on the company's quality standards. This lens not only suppresses ghosting and flare, but also minimises the distortion and degradation that tends to occur at the lens periphery. This new lens has a large, bright F1.5 aperture and large 46-mm diameter to offer improved optical performance over previous lenses. In addition, its 35mm wide-angle capability makes it ideal for many different shooting situations, such as self-portraits and group photos indoors, and landscape shots outdoors.

 

New 12x optical zoom / 18x Intelligent Zoom

Despite the compact size of these camcorders, the lens covers a wide shooting range from 35mm wide angle to 12x optical zoom. In addition, the Intelligent Zoom, which is made possible by Intelligent Resolution Technology, provides a super-powerful 18x zooming capability. It achieves stunningly clear FHD images even at high zoom levels.

New POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabiliser)

The O.I.S. - which uses gyrosensors to detect hand-shake and moves a corrective lens to adjust the optical axis and eliminate blurring - has further evolved. When a camcorder is handheld, it moves slowly at low frequency due to the breathing or other movement of the operator, no matter how hard the person tries to hold the camcorder steady. While the conventional O.I.S. system could not sufficiently eliminate this low-frequency hand-shake, the new POWER O.I.S. is able to correct it about five times more effectively. The new O.I.S. also features an Active mode to ensure steady images across the entire range from wide angle to telephoto. As it is an optical system, there is no image degradation.

 

The next evolution of iA (Intelligent Auto) with Face Recognition

The correct settings are automatically and intuitively selected by Panasonic's popular iA mode, ensuring great results in video recording every time. In iA mode the camera does all the hard work, leaving the user free to capture key moments. Just point and shoot.

 

Once you enter iA mode, these functions activate simultaneously with other powerful shooting-assist functions - AF/AE Tracking, Intelligent Scene Selector, Intelligent Contrast Control and POWER O.I.S.

 

New Wind Noise Cancelling feature

A new feature in 2010, Wind Noise Canceller automatically isolates and suppresses wind noise only, so natural ambient sounds and voices are still recorded. This is ideal for recording in locations such as a beach, and in a wider variety of weather conditions.

 

New Crystal  Engine Pro

The new Crystal Engine Pro at the heart of Panasonic's FHD camcorders instantly processes the huge amount of FHD image data, and produces clear, crisp motion images. It produces smooth, high-resolution zoom shots when 18x zoom is used. Crystal Engine Pro clearly delineates even the tiniest details of your subject, with true-to-life beauty. New Noise Reduction (NR) Technology minimises noise when recording in low lighting conditions, while Intelligent Resolution Technology ensures sharp, bright, vividly coloured motion images.

 

Advances in the new imaging engine also provide Full-HD 1920 x 1080/50p recording in all recording modes, including HE mode.

5.1-Channel Surround Sound System

Panasonic's 5.1-channel sound system uses five microphones. When voices recorded from the front, right, left and back are played on a 5.1-channel home cinema system, viewers are surrounded by clear, detailed sound that makes them feel as if they are right in the middle of the action.

1.0-secⁱⁱⁱQuick Power-On for sudden shooting opportunities

Switch the power on and the SD700/HS700 is in recording standby and ready to shoot in just 1.0 seconds. When combined with Quick Start mode, the camcorder can start up in just 0.6 second^iv. In addition, with Eco Mode, the power automatically turns off when the camcorder is not operated for five minutes, reducing energy wastage and conserving battery power.

Touch-Screen Operation

Touch-screen icons displayed on the LCD let the user operate a variety of functions intuitively without taking their eyes off of the subject they are recording.

 

Highlight Playback

With Highlight Playback, the camcorder automatically selects and displays the most exciting scenes.  It determines the level of importance of each scene based on zooming and panning and whether there are faces in the recording. This provides a convenient way of viewing all the highlights together.  With 'Face Highlight Playback', you can detect faces registered using Face Recognition and play back only scenes containing those faces.

 

Auto Power LCD 

The Auto Power LCD automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD screen according to the shooting environment. In dark places, the screen brightness is automatically reduced to 1/3 the normal level. In bright outdoor places, the screen brightness is double the normal level, to make the screen easier to see.

 

Time Lapse

This feature plays a recorded scene such as a sunset or blooming flower at an accelerated speed - so by setting the recording interval to 1 sec, 10 sec, 30 sec, 1 min or 2 min, the user can view an otherwise long recording in a reduced time period, making a slow change in a subject appear if it was taking place in a very short time.

 

60 Frames/Sec High Speed Burst Shooting

This function is designed for capturing fast motion and allows the camcorder to snap up to 60 consecutive 2.1-megapixel still images per second for a total of 180 continuous images in about three seconds.

By Press Release

If you see this as an author, it is because we have received a press release that we decided to publish verbatim as we consider it is of interest. We make no promises as to its accuracy in any way.

Please login to post your comments.