The “HDR-HC9″ handycam from Sony boasts a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 10x optical zoom lens, a 3.2 megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor, a 6.1 megapixel still-image capture, a 2.7-inch touchscreen display, and a SuperSteadyShot function. According to the company’s press release, this digital video camcorder is based on HDV format which support 1440 x 1080 HD video recording to standard mini DV tape. The recorded movie will be compatible with a wide-range of video editing suites. It will be shipped in February and retailed for about $1,100.

This model offers extensive manual controls to meet the demands of advanced videographers, including “focus to infinity;� spot meter and focus to change exposure and focus at the same point at the same time; center mark to use as a guide frame in the LCD screen or viewfinder; and peaking to facilitate better focusing by outlining objects with a color line. White balance, shutter speed and focus can also be adjusted manually.

[ Press ]