Canon today unveiled two new dual-function camcorders, the Optura 300 and the Optura Xi - capture vibrant video or still images, which can then be directly printed on any PictBridge-enabled photo printer. Canon's mini DV Camcorders offer a 10x or 11x optical zoom and a 200x and 220x digital zoom, respectively as well as a 2.0 megapixel CCD.

The features a 2.5" LCD viewscreen in a smaller, more compact package.




Both support the high-resolution, Mini-DV format and offer a choice of either 4:3 aspect ratio or an advanced 16:9 widescreen mode. The camcorders also incorporate an RGB Primary Color Filter to provide more accurate color reproduction and feature Color Night and Super Color Night modes. Both units feature 12- and 16-bit PCM digital sound, manual audio level control, a virtual tool box of digital effects, both USB and FireWire connectivity, and SD memory card slots for storing still images and short MPEG-4 movie clips.



The new Canon DV camcorders are the first in the marketplace to incorporate PictBridge, the new industry-standard in direct photo printing that enables consumers to connect their digital camera or camcorder directly to a PictBridge-enabled printer via a USB cable. The Canon Optura Xi camcorder will be available in August for $1,500 and the Optura 300 camcorder will be available in September for $1,300.

by MacNN Staff