Toshiba H30 Compact HD Camcorder Review

Toshiba H30 Compact HD Camcorder Review

CrunchGear has reviewed the new Toshiba H30 compact HD camcorder that provides a 10 megapixels sensor, a 5x optical zoom, a 10x digital zoom, an SD card storage and a touchscreen LCD display. The Toshiba H30 comes in a very compact form factor and produces a much better image quality than pocket cameras. Recorded videos are stored on flash memory, but the H30 includes just 128MB on board, of which only about 96MB is usable, so SDHC media is a necessity. The H30 takes SD/SDHC memory cards up to 32GB (not included). Each 32GB card will record up to 5-hour of 1080p video. Here is the verdict:

At $180, the H30 is easy to recommend — if you think a traditional camcorder is worth your money at all. It’s a bit larger and more complicated than your average Flip or Kodak, but it also brings marginally better image quality, optical zoom, and a few extra features many consumers will find handy. On the other hand, a PlaySport can be had for $120, and my personal favorite P&S, the EX-FC100, for $200. The most compelling feature of the H30 is really that it’s the same device we’ve been using for ages, just packed into an incredibly tiny package. We’ll all be recording video with our iPhone 4s and Droid Xs soon enough, but in the meantime it might be reassuring for a lot of people to have something like this sitting in a drawer, familiar and reliable.

You can also watch the video review of the Toshiba H30 compact HD camcorder after the jump.

Leica X1 Digital Camera Review

Leica X1 Digital Camera Review

Still remember the Leica X1 that we mentioned in September 2009? PhotographyBLOG has a short review of this 12.2-megapixel compact digital camera. As a reminder, the Leica X1 comes equipped with a 36mm fixed lens and a 2.7-inch LCD screen. The camera uses an APS-C sized (23.6mm x 15.8mm) CMOS sensor with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The image-stabilized Leica Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 lens provides a focal length of 36mm in 35mm terms. Additional features include a sensitivity range of ISO 100 - 3200, a maximum shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second, JPEG and DNG RAW file support, and a continuous shooting rate of up to 3 frames per second. Here is the conclusion:

The Leica X1 is a camera of extremes, offering a compelling blend of stunning design, fantastic handling and superlative image quality, but ultimately suffering from a pared-back feature set, sluggish responsiveness and a sky-high price-tag. The combination of a fantastic prime lens and large APS-C size sensor result in outstanding image quality that easily beats most other compacts and also most other entry-level DSLRs. Low-light images are excellent too, with the X1′s faster ISO settings delivering low-noise results. Add the ability to shoot DNG RAW files as well as JPGS, and it’s clear that the X1 is a real class-leader.

You can purchase the Leica X1 digital camera for around $1,995 each. [PhotographyBLOG]

Sanyo VPC-E1403 Affordable 14-megapixel Compact Digicam

Sanyo VPC-E1403 Affordable 14-megapixel Compact Digicam

Measuring 99mm x 56.8mm x 18.8mm, the new Sanyo VPC-E1403 is a 14-megapixel compact digital camera that can record videos at a frame rate of 30fps and a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The digicam also boasts a 3-inch TFT LCD screen, an ISO sensitivity of up to 6400, an SD or SDHC card slot, a digital image stabilizer and a 3x optical zoom. The smile and blink recognition feature are included for perfect portraits. The camera recognizes smiling faces itself and takes the snap automatically, without you having to press the release. If someone blinks when the shutter closes, the photographer is alerted by the blink recognition and can take another shot. The Sanyo VPC-E1403 is priced at €129 ($157) with a three-year warranty. [PhotographyBLOG]

Samsung NX5 APS-C-Based Camera Gets Official

Samsung NX5 APS-C-Based Camera Gets Official

Samsung’s newest APS-C-based camera ‘NX5′ is finally official and will begin shipping later this month for 699 Euro (about $853). For your info, this interchangeable lens camera sports a 14.6-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, an electronic viewfinder, a 3-inch TFT LCD display, an SD card slot, an HDMI output and 720p HD video recording. [SamsungHub]

Amadana VC-242HD Camcorder

Amadana VC-242HD Camcorder

Amadana Japan will launch a new camcorder namely the VC-242HD. It is able to record video in 1080/30p or 720/30p resolutions in MPEG-4 or AVC/H.264 formats. This portable camcorder provides a mini HDMI port and a 2-inch LCD screen. The Amadana VC-242HD will be released in brown, silver, or pink. No info on pricing so far. [Akihabara]

Olympus Releases Stylus Tough 6020 Rugged Digicam

Olympus Releases Stylus Tough 6020 Rugged Digicam

The new Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 is now available for purchase. This rugged digital camera comes equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD display with 230,000 pixels, a 14-megapixels CCD sensor, a 5X optical zoom lens (equivalent to 28mm - 140mm with f3.9-5.9) and a sensor-shift image stabilization. The Stylus Tough 6020 is waterproof up to 16 feet, shockproof from 5 feet, freezeproof to 14F and dustproof. What’s more, the Stylus Tough 6020 can record video at 1280 x 720 (30 fps) with sound using the MPEG-4 codec. Other important specs include an HDMI output, a USB port, an SD/SDHC card slot and a LI-50B lithium-ion battery (240 shots per charge). Available in black, blue, green, and pink, the new Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 is priced at $299 each. [About Digital Cameras]

Panasonic Unveils World’s Lightest Full HD Camcorder

Panasonic Unveils World’s Lightest Full HD Camcorder

Weighing only 185g, the all new HDC-TM35 from Panasonic is claimed as the world’s lightest Full HD camcorder. Coming in white, violet, classic gold and grey color options, this compact camcorder sports a 1/41 CCD of 3.32 MOS-megapixel sensor, an SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot (up to 32GB), an IA Zoom and IS, Smile Shutter and has the ability to capture both 1080p Full HD video in AVCHD mode as well as 2.9-megapixel digital still images. Pricing and release date are still unknown at the moment. [Akihabara]