Canon Vixia HF S10
 There is a seemingly omnipotent force behind Canon imaging, and the most recent introduction of the company's top tier high-definition Vixia HF S10 has triggered a tumultuous earthquake within the camcorder world. It's quite difficult to mess with a camcorder that rocks a 9-megapixel 1/2.6" CMOS chip with the capability of capturing native 8-megapixel still images.
We got a chance to view sample video taken with the Canon Vixia HF S10 in New York last month and it was difficult to re-hinge our jaws afterward. Here at CES, we took the Canon Vixia HF S10 for a little test drive at maximum quality 60i and snagged some highly exclusive video clips. These rare frame grabs from Canon's top HD monster demonstrate the Canon Vixia HF S10's stellar low light capability and crisp detail:
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To be fair, our official review is right around the corner, so sit tight for our in-depth test results.
The Canon Vixia HF S10 oozes with prosumer party favors like a 58mm lens filter diameter, manual Gain, and a Control dial. We loved the bounty of inputs, solid handling and sexy style. Shooters can choose between 32GB of internal flash memory, or use SD/SDHC cards for additional storage. The Vixia HF S10 is a formidable opponent to any competing HD cam in the Big Leagues. Release: February 2009.
Sony HDR-XR520V
 When we tested the HDR-SR12 last year, we thought we were driving Puff Daddy's Cadillac. For 2009, Sony retained that level of architectural splendor, yet managed to lop a few ounces off of its newest HD incarnation. Here at CES, the Sony HDR-XR520V slipped onto our hands like a gilded glove and never once caused discomfort. Sony went big on storage, though, and the Sony HDR-XR520V struts with a 240GB HDD, in addition to its ability to record to Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. You know, for when nearly 30 hours of HD video in the highest quality is not enough.
The Sony HDR-XR520V has a new back-illuminated 1/3.2" ClearVid CMOS sensor, which will supposedly come to the rescue in low light conditions. We got a chance to see night video comparisons between the Sony HDR-SR12 and Sony HDR-XR520V, and it looked to be about a 50% improvement in brightness and exposure.
Sony also tossed in GPS functionality so shooters can track down exactly where they recorded a particular video clip, to the global coordinates. The Sony HDR-XR520V was able to geo-tag our location at the press event with ease. We'll see how it fares when we take it up to Maine. Other goodies include a nice, big 3.2" LCD, Cam Control dial and a decent set of manual controls. Price: $1500. Release: March 2009.
Panasonic HDC-HS300
 While other manufacturers are dabbling with smallness or crazy storage capacities, Panasonic is hell-bent on implementing semi-professional features within its camcorders. The new Panasonic HDC-HS300 is the only camcorder in its class to feature a lens ring, which is an external control we highly value. We loved the responsiveness of the ring, and the fact that we could assign additional manual controls like Aperture and Shutter Speed. Like most Panasonics, the HDC-HS300 is a Manual Control animal.
Panasonic stuffed an imaging power plant inside the HDC-HS300. Three 1/4.1" CMOS sensors join forces to create a 9-megapixel gross pixel count. In addition, Panasonic juiced up the HDC-HS300's maximum bitrate to 24Mbps, matching the Canon HF S10's. But that wasn't enough. Panasonic went after Sony by tacking on a touch-screen LCD with an advanced menu system. We were floored with this camcorder, particularly because we felt like we were shooting with a scaled-down prosumer model.
For storage, shooters get a massive 120GB HDD and an SD/SDHC card slot. More stocking stuffers include a 12x optical zoom, Intelligent Auto mode and an Advanced Optical Image Stabilization system that self-corrects the image 4,000 times per second. The Panasonic HDC-HS300 also has Face Detection, Time-Lapse recording and can capture native 10-megapixel stills, which is the highest of any camcorder on the market. Price: $1400. Release: April 2009.
JVC Everio GZ-HD320
 So far we've seen "semi-professional" Goliaths this year at CES, but JVC has taken a different approach. Rather than jack their new HD lineup on prosumer steroids, JVC has chosen to focus on smallness and digital archiving ability. The JVC GZ-HD320 is preposterously small for a flagship HD model, yet it manages to cram in a 20x optical zoom, which is the highest in consumer HD. We couldn't fathom the minute dimensions and feathery weight of the JVC GZ-HD320.
The JVC GZ-HD320 has a 3-megapixel 1/4.1" CMOS chip, which is on the smaller scale compared to the above beasts. We were quite intrigued by JVC's vertical LCD track pad, which now enables shooters to zoom via the top portion of the tracking. The JVC GZ-HD320 also supports one-touch YouTube uploading and we got a chance to play with the included software, which allowed us to view individual video clips on a calendar and upload in batches. Very cool indeed.
JVC's top HD dog has a 120GB HDD and a slot for tossing in a MicroSD card for additional storage. There's no denying the fact that the new JVC lineup is unabashedly sexy, so fashion-conscious consumers and stylish moms will be all over the JVC GZ-HD320. Price: $800. Release: February 2009.
Samsung HMX-H106
 We've seen the same freaking camcorder design from Samsung for quite some time now, yet it never ceases to amuse us. The new HMX-H106 inherited Samsung's classic swivel grip, which allowed us to shift the camcorder up into positions that made us wonder what we'd use them for. New this year is, brace yourselves, a Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lens, which promises a sharper picture. The Samsung HMX-H106 was flashy to the max, glistening and gleaming for us under the CES lights. This is another style and/or mom cam.
The Samsung HMX-H106 has a 2-megapixel 1/4.5" CMOS sensor, which is the smallest we've seen out of this rowdy lot. With sensors smacking into the 9-megapixel ceiling, we're a trifle speculative on how the Samsung HMX-H106 will ante up in the video quality department. The big news here is the Samsung HMX-H106's 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD). No camcorder has achieved such a capacious SSD, and Samsung promises speed, durability and enhanced performance with their new technology.
With a 10x optical zoom, new Time Lapse feature and a fully touch-screen LCD, we're eager to get our hands on the Samsung HMX-H106. Release: April 2009.
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