Mimicking its new line of MiniDV camcorders, Panasonic has announced three new DVD camcorders that all feature Optical Image Stabilization. This is a great benefit for anyone who is a bit shaky or zoom hungry all the time. The bottom model is the Panasonic VDR-D210, which features a 32x optical zoom, 2.7″ widescreen LCD, and support for recording still images directly to the DVD.
Step up to the Panasonic VDR-D230 and you get a built-in LED light as well as an SD card slot. A USB port is also built-in for transferring video to your computer, and PC and Mac software is also bundled with this version.
Last but definitely not least, the Panasonic VDR-D310 upgrades you to three CCDs and a Leica lens. It is also capable of taking 3.1 megapixel stills.
No word as of yet on sensor sizes or gross pixels, but you can expect to see the VDR-D210 and VDR-D230 in February and the VDR-D310 in March. Prices will be $450, $500, and $700, respectively.
