JVC has announced the GR-DA20, a uniquely designed camcorder that records in standard definition to MiniDV tape. A 1/6″ CCD with 800k effective pixels and a 34x optical zoom might make you think this is your standard, run-of-the-mill camcorder, but it is the LCD screen that makes this one stand out.

The JVC GR-DA20 features a vertical sliding LCD mounted to the back of the camcorder. JVC says this adds, “flexibility and added control when shooting…” However, I’m not really sold on this feature, especially when the 2.4″ LCD screen isn’t even 16:9 widescreen. With the menu controls located right next to the LCD, it will be interesting to see if the GR-DA20’s design allows for one-handed operation.

Other features on the JVC GR-DA20 include 16:9 mode (shouldn’t this be default by now?), 3D noise reduction, and Digital Colour NightScope, which basically uses a combination of slow-shutter speeds and signal boosting to achieve a brighter image in low-light situations. JVC says that the included battery will last for 115 minutes of continuous shooting.

Right now the JVC GR-DA20 is only available in Italy, but you can be sure it will spread out a bit from there. No word on price yet.

Product Page (Italian) [ via LetsGoDigital ]