Today’s batch of pocket-sized flash camcorders may all lay claim to “HD resolution,” but true videophiles know that refers to 720p footage – a watered down form of HD that comes closer to DVD quality than the jaw-dropping 1080p footage most of us are acquainted with. Fortunately, even that lofty apex of video resolution is becoming a lot easier to summit these days.
Samsung’s palm-sized HMX-R10 will be one of the smallest camcorders to shoot true 1080p video – that’s 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2.0 megapixels in the parlance of still cameras. Because the high-resolution CMOS sensor inside is capable of capturing 9 megapixels, it will also shoot stills in that size, similar to a point-and-shoot camera.
Samsung HDX-R10 Mini 1080p Camcorder
The pill-shaped camcorder features an unusual design with a lens that actually angles upward by 25 degrees when it’s resting flat, meaning users must angle their hands down shoot straight forward. Samsung claims that this design reduces fatigue, compared to holding a camera dead level with the ground. Like most other cams of its size, there’s also a swiveling 2.7-inch flip-out LCD, rather than a viewfinder.
Samsung will release the HMX-R10 in April in the UK, with a price estimated to be around $550. It will reportedly also make it to the United States, but that won’t be happening until summer. More information is available at Samsung UK.
Samsung HDX-R10 Mini 1080p Camcorder