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Latest video camcorders are in sync with the new generation's demands Video camcorders - as they are commonly known - have now metamorphosed into digital movie cameras that combine both video and still image features. At Gitex 2005, several new models of various reputed brands are set to mark their debut in the region with a host of impressive and futuristic features that are in sync with the new generation's demands. According to Atsushi Hinoki, General Manager, Advertising & PR for Panasonic Middle East, "Panasonic's new 3CCD range of camcorders takes the digital video camera an evolutionary step forward by incorporating 3CCD technology in ultra compact models. "The 3CCD camera system, generally used in professional video cameras, plays a critical role in picture quality, and provides exceptional beauty to the users in three different ways - in colour, detail and gradation." Enhanced quality The NV-GS250, GS150, GS140 and GS75 from Panasonic thus brings professional level technology to the consumer, offering superior ease of use, says Hinoki. "Picture quality is also enhanced by a Leica Dicomar lens, which uses advanced optical technology to provide exquisite image rendering. "Additionally, the NV-GS250 boasts the Optical Image Stabiliser (O.I.S) system, which minimises the effect of hand-shake without losing picture quality when taking both movie and still images." Network functions of these models begin with the SD Memory Card, which makes it easy to record and transfer still images. All new 3CCD models support the widely popular USB 2.0 (HS mode) connection to a PC for easy transfer of DV data. According to Masaru Tamagawa, Managing Director of Sony Gulf FZE, "Sony is introducing a three megapixel DVD camcorder (DCR-DVD803/E) with a built-in microphone for 5.1 channel surround sound recording and playback and a high-quality wide LCD. "Capable of recording high-definition videos, the DVD handycam also takes fantastic still photos at 3.0 megapixel quality." For enthusiasts who demand realistic and dramatic sound along with their high-quality video recordings, this new Sony model allows them to record and automatically encode 5.1 channel surround sound for outstanding playback in home theatre systems, giving users a complete self-created personal home cinema experience. "Slim, elegant, and stylishly crafted, Sanyo's Xacti C5 is a digital movie camera with a difference," says a company spokesperson at Al-Futtaim Electronics, exclusive distributor of Sanyo digital cameras in the UAE, "for along with high-resolution MPEG-4 for DVD-like digital video recording, it also allows you to shoot 5.1 megapixel still images. A built-in microphone enables realistic stereo sound as well." The Xacti C5 employs a highly efficient bright 5x optical zoom lens which along with the 12x digital zoom, gives up to 60x zoom capability, he explains. "The user can also employ the scene select feature to choose the mode best suited to the subject while the various filter modes enable to create eye-pleasing effects." It also has a built-in digital image stabiliser that accurately distinguishes between unintentional camera shake and deliberate camera movement from pans or tilts, he says. "It then compensates for camera shake to give you more natural shooting results." "EX-S500, Casio's Exilim card-size movie camera for the next generation, available in fashionable designer colours and equipped with powerful movie features, is barely bigger than a credit card and just 13.7mm at its tiniest point," says S.M. Siraj, Country Manager, Abba Electronics LLC, Dubai. "It packs an advanced MPEG-4 high-quality movie recording into its compact and slim configuration. "The new Exilim card camera also has advanced features that reduce blurring caused by shaking hands or moving subjects while the auto macro and quick shutter functions ensures photos are properly focused." Other exceptional features of the EX-S500 include a five megapixel digital imaging, 3x optical zoom lens and 4x digital zoom, and a super life battery that can deliver up to approximately 200 snapshots or 80 minutes of continuous movie recording on a single charge. "It also has 33 best shot scenes that enable one to simply select a sample scene and start shooting," says Siraj. "It is also possible to record a separate snapshot while movie recording is in progress by simply pressing the shutter button. And the motion print feature enables you to print a specific frame of a movie as a snapshot." "The comprehensive features that are available in digital movie cameras today are narrowing the difference between video and still cameras," he says. New sports cam "At Samsung, we will be revamping our range of digital video cameras for Gitex this year," says Makar
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