Sony Corporation has announced its smallest high-definition camcorder to date: the HDR-CX7, weighing 450 grams and measuring 69 millimeters by 67mm by 129mm. The camera features a 3-megapixel image sensor, although the camera can also capture 6-megapixel still images. The camera sports a 10x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch wide-screen, touch-sensitive LCD monitor. The CX7, which is due to go on sale in June, will cost about US$1,200 in the U.S. It records 1080i high-definition video directly to a MemoryStick Pro Duo card.
Until now, Sony"s camcorders have relied on MiniDV tape, DVD discs or hard-disk drives to store video, but the memory card slot and associated electronic take up less space and mean a smaller, lighter camera. Using a memory card also means that getting video into a PC is as easy as removing the card from the camera and slotting it into a card reader. A software upgrade due mid-year will make it possible to watch video directly from high-speed Pro Duo- or Pro HG-type MemoryStick cards on both a PC and the PlayStation 3. The flash memory-based recording also helps reduce power consumption and noise. On the other hand, memory cards are quite expensive, and users will be able to store only about 30 minutes of video on a 4G-byte card in the camera"s highest quality mode.