Canon launches widescreen and HD camcorders

Canon has launched a range of new camcorders that make the most of high-definition (HD), widescreen TV and DVD technologies.

The DC300 and MD200 ranges both record straight to DVD and in 16:9 widescreen. The HV30 model can record HD footage.

The DC300 range comes with a high-capacity battery pack, which is said to extend recording time, and an SD card for saving still-life images.

The better-equipped DC330 has a 45x advanced zoom, and a DIGIC DV II processor, which is said to give true-to-life colours. The DC301 has the same features plus a 36x zoom.

The models in the MD200 series have a quick-start feature and an LCD video light for close-up filming in poorly lit areas. The MD235 has a 45x zoom and an 'easy shooting mode' for point and shoot recording. The MD205 has a 36x zoom.

The HV30 takes advantage of HD technology and claims to let people record in the same HD resolution as full HD televisions. It has a 2.7in multi-angle LCD screen, and a 10x optical zoom with an image stabiliser to keep shaking to a minimum.

The camera can record at 25 frames per second giving a cinema-like effect to footage. It has a high-capacity battery which is said to give around four hours of continuous shooting.

Finally Canon’s HF10 and HF100 are Flash memory-based models, which means that footage continues to be stored on the device even if the battery runs out.

The HF10 has the option of recording to its internal 16GB memory or an SD card, while the HF100 stores everything directly to its Flash storage. Both have 12x optical zoom and a 3.1-megapixel resolution on still images.

Pricing was not available but all models should be available from next month.