By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net
CANON has recently introduced a new line of camcorders aimed at spurring video enthusiasts to go high-definition. T
Canon’s new HD camcorders are the mid-level HF100 and the higher model HF10. Both feature AVCHD (advanced video codec high definition) recording at 1920×1080 pixels (2 megapixels) and record sound in 2-channel Dolby Digital. The two also have a solid-state drive of up to 16 gigabytes, one of the first camcorders to use internal flash-based memory storage. Likewise, the to also have separate SD card or MMC card slots that could accommodate high-capacity flash cards.
Here’s a video interview I conducted with Canon Southeast Asia assistant systems manager for Consumer Imaging Mohamad Yazid Bin Ali, who gave a demo of the HF10.
Apart from the HF10 and HF100, Canon also introduced standard definition camcorders, the FS10 and FS11, which can record videos at up to 1120×630 pixels. These also have internal solid-state drives of up to 16GB and can also accommodate SD and MMC cards.
In an interview, Canon Marketing Philippines president Ramon Arteficio said HD is already on its way to becoming a video standard for both professional and amateur videos, largely due to the availability of widescreen HD TVs.
He said their main selling point is the camcorder’s dual flash memory technology, allowing the camcorder to record either to its internal memory or to an external storage device.
Arteficio also noted a decline in the use of the still-popular mini-DV drive, even more so with the mini-DVD recording media.
“SD cards are actually getting cheaper and they’re easier to use. Video stored in a flash drive can be directly edited to a computer without the need for lengthy conversions,” he said.
Arteficio, however, said the mini-DV recording media will remain a big player in the Philippines due to its lower cost, estimated to be half of HD camcorders.
