Canon has finally jumped on the HDD camcorder bandwagon by announcing the Canon HG10. The HG10 will record AVCHD footage to a 40GB hard drive. Many of the same features from its sibling camcorders are found as well, including the Digic DV II processor, Cine mode, and 24p capability. However, Canon has bumped up the maximum bitrate on its AVCHD camcorders so far from 12Mbps to 15Mbps on the HG10.
The Canon HG10 features a 1/2.7″, 2.96 megapixel CMOS sensor, which is also found on the other camcorders in Canon’s 2007 lineup. As opposed to “Full HD” camcorders, the HG10 records footage at 1440×1080 and interpolates that resolution up to 1920×1080.
A 10x optical zoom with OIS and 2.7″ widescreen LCD are also featured on the Canon HG10. Canon has outfitted the HG10 with a new “Navigation Control Dial” located on the LCD panel. Outputs include HDMI, Component, A/V Out (also used for headphones), and USB.
One huge difference that sets the Canon HG10 apart is the addition of a microphone jack. This is a feature missing from many camcorders today, and Canon definitely made the right move in adding it on. There is also an accessory shoe and headphone jack on the HG10.
Video can be recorded at 4 different bitrates: HXP (15Mbps), XP (9Mbps), SP (7Mbps), LP (5Mbps). The highest quality mode will net you about 5 hours and 30 minutes of recording time.
The Canon HG10 will be available in October for a MSRP of $1299. It is available for pre-order
