Sony has announced its latest Handycam high definition camcorder range featuring Exmor R CMOS sensor, Sony G lens and BIONZ processor.
The top-of-the-range HDR-XR520VE and HDR-XR500VE Handycams feature a super-sensitive Exmor R CMOS sensor, developed by Sony, which has a back illuminated cell structure that allows for maximum illumination of the photo-sensitive areas. Sony claims this gives around two times the sensitivity of conventional models which use a fine metal wire grid over the sensor, blocking some of the light.
Other features include direct analogue to digital conversion, minimising the noise often introduced in analogue data as it is transferred through a device, plus Sony's premium G lens that has an advanced optical design and low-dispersion aspheric glass elements.
The BIONZ image processor ensures that the high definition data coming from the sensor is efficiently handled.
The HDR-XR520VE comes with a huge 240GB hard drive, for around 101 hours of AVCHD high definition footage.
"Active Mode" is a form of image stabilisation that reduces camera shake, with an 10x improvement over previous generation Handycams.
The camcorders can start up and be ready to shoot in under a second, consuming minimal power in their standby mode.
Other filming features include auto backlight correction, exposure and D-range optimisation, a dual record mode for capturing video and photos at the same time, and face recognition.
There's even GPS built in so that videos and still images can be geo-tagged.
Also available with a slimmed down set of features is the HDR-XR200VE, HDR-XR105E, and HDR-CX105E.
Available from February, pricing to be confirmed.
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