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» Sanyo HD2 Digital Video Camera
(January 2007)

Sanyo HD2 - World's Smallest And Lightest Digital Video Camera

With the mother of all electronics show, the CES 2007 in full swing, one has seen some great gadgets over the past few days. However this is just beginning baby and the latest cool product doing the rounds at the CES is the SANYO Xacti HD2. So whats so great about it ? Well for starters it now has the coveted title of "world’s smallest and lightest high-definition digital video camera" and is also a follow up to the HD1 and HD1a series.

The SANYO HD2 is both a 720p high-definition digital camcorder and a 7.1 megapixel digital still camera which is surprising considering its small dimensions, The HD2 measures just around 3.1"W x 4.7"H x 1.4″D and weighs only 8.3 ounces. Sanyo has also integrated a new HDMI digital interface into the HD2’s multifunction docking station for digital output to HDTVs and high-definition video recorders. It can also record up to 21 minutes of high-definition video (or up to one hour of standard-definition video) per gigabyte of available memory on any standard SD or high-capacity SDHC card (memory cards sold separately). Users can also record nearly three hours of high-definition video, up to eight hours of standard-definition video or thousands of 7.1-megapixel digital still images on a single 8-gigabyte SDHC card.


The Sanyo HD2 high-definition video camera is quite a little trooper and can automatically power-up and record in 1.7 seconds! It has also been designed to respond to low-light conditions and can respond to light as low as 12.5 lux in auto mode and to light as low as 6 lux, in lamp mode. Like any self-respecting camcorder this one too has an digital image stabilization which uses original corrective algorithm developed by SANYO. The camcorder is also capable enough to record high-definition 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) videos at 30 frames per seconds, which is quite impressive.

The Sanyo HD2 draws it juice from a high-precision LSI (large-scale integration) circuitry which is a "high-definition engine” and is known to achieve high-definition 720p processing, real-time MPEG-4 compression and noise reduction. One also comes across a 10x optical zoom lens which is built from 12 elements designed in 9 groups and with a built-in neutral density filter and has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 in both wide and telephoto angles. The lens is also capable of a whopping 100x zoom and the digicam is also equipped with a 2.2-inch LCD display with 210,000 total pixels.

The SANYO Xacti HD2 can record 7.1-megapixel still images and can also capture still images while recording high-definition (1280 x 720-pixel) digital video. There is also a nifty feature called “Web-SHQ” recording mode which helps in to record video destined for video iPod and other personal media players as captured at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. No word on pricing to availability but keep watching this space for more info.

Other SANYO HD2 features include:
- 16:9 widescreen format (HD-SHQ / HD-HQ modes)
- Rapid 7.1-megapixel sequential still shooting
- High-quality 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo AAC-LC sound (MPEG-4 Audio)
- Convenient pop-up flash
- HD/Norm switch for easy video mode changes
- Talking navigation guide for first-time users
- Super Macro shooting down to 1 cm (W) / 1 m (T)
- Self timer (2 seconds / 10 seconds)
- Voice recorder function
- Red-eye reduction mode
- Multifunction compact docking/charging station with HDMI, Component, S-Video/AV output
- High-capacity SANYO rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
- Remote control included
- Exif Print and Print Image Matching III
- PictBridge-capable for PC-Free printing with PictBridge-compatible printers

SANYO Xacti HD2 optional accessories include:
- NEW Belt-clip Holster Case (VCP-HCX1) $19.99**
- 0.6x Wide-angle Lens Adapter (VCP-L06WU) $99.99**
- 1.4x Telephoto Lens Adapter (VCP-L14TU) $99.99**
- 49mm Lens Filter Adapter (VCP-AL49) $17.99**
- L40 Battery Charging Cradle (VAR-L40U) $39.99**
- Original SANYO L40 Battery (DB-L40AU) $49.99**
 

Link: Sanyo HD2 Digital Video Camera
Reference: mobilewhack