Sony unveils its smallest 1080i AVCHD Handycam

Reuben Lee | Apr 03, 2008

Sony calls its latest Handycam HDR-TG1 "the lightest and most compact AVCHD camcorder available in the market today". And it's not hard to see why. The TG1 comes in a handy 32 x 119 x 63mm, which is about the size of most compact still cameras today and weighs just 300g, thanks in part to its lightweight titanium chassis.

It's not just the tiny size of the TG1 that has captured our attention. Scroll through the specs sheet and you will find a plethora of onboard features, from 1080i video recording and 4-megapixel still image capture to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound recording. It also sports a BIONZ processing engine (that is used on the Sony Alpha dSLRs) and Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 10x optical zoom lens.

A 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD viewfinder doubles as a display for video and photo playback, though users can also connect the camcorder (via an optional HDMI cable) to a compatible Bravia panel for viewing using the TV's remote. Sony has also incorporated various technologies such as face detection and the D-Range Optimizer to help improve focus and exposure.

Like the HDR-CX7, the TG1 records video and still images into Memory Stick Duo media. It is estimated that a 16GB card can store almost 110 minutes of HD video content at 1,920 x 1,080i-resolution quality.

The TG1, which is part of Sony's new range of compact Handycams for capturing HD video and photos, will launch in Asia from May this year. Its estimated retail price (based on US pricing) is about US$900.

Filed under: Digital Cameras
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