Reviews

On paper Nokia’s N73 looks certainly looks the goods. The headline specification has to be its pairing of Carl Zeiss optics with a 3.2 megapixel imager (2048 x 1536 pixels), but there are other attractive photographic options rolled into the package such as the 15 fps video capture mode and the built-in flash. The phone is equipped with a miniSD card slot and, wonder of wonders, there was a usefully capacious 128MB card packaged with the test unit.

An attractive high-definition camcorder for family video shooters who also want to produce snapshot photos.Canon is targeting video shooters who own High Definition TV sets with its new HV20 camcorder, which will also appeal to many digital photographers. This compact camcorder shares many of the features of the DC51 model we reviewed in Issue 32 and even has the same sized sensor. However, on the HV20, CMOS technology is used for HD recording at 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and still images are captured at 3.1-megapixel resolution.

The third model in Canon’s consumer HD camcorder line-up, the HR10 records high-definition video on mini DVD disks.Canon’s new HR10 high-definition video camcorder has many features in common with the HG10 and HV20 models we have already reviewed. All three have the same optically-stabilised 10x optical zoom lens and 1920 x 1080 True Progressive HD CMOS sensor. But instead of recording to tape or hard disk drive, the HR10 uses 8cm mini DVD disks as its recording media.

A compact digital camcorder that records AVCHD format high-definition video direct to a 40GB internal hard disk drive.In Canon’s new HG10 digital video camera we see many of the components of the HV20 camcorder, which we reviewed in May. Both models use the same high definition camera system, which combines a 1920 x 1080 True Progressive HD CMOS sensor with an optically-stabilised 10x optical zoom lens. Instead of recording to tape, however, the HG10 has a 40GB internal hard disk drive (HDD) and offers AVCHD format, direct-to-HDD recording.

An ultra-compact high-definition camcorder that records to SDHC memory cards and features a 12x optical zoom lens.Weighing less than 500 grams and small enough to slip into a jacket pocket, Canon’s HF10 is the first HD camcorder from the company that records video on removable flash memory. Previous models have been based on MiniDV, hard disk and DVD media. Significantly smaller and lighter than its ‘cousins’, the HF10 comes with 16GB of internal memory that can store up to six hours of video recorded at the highest quality setting. So purchasers can start recording video clips without having to buy a memory card.

A compact camcorder that combines high still picture resolution with widescreen DVD video recording.We’ve not yet reviewed many video camcorders but Canon’s DC51 has a 5-megapixel imager and offers some handy features for photographers. The new model is an upgrade to the DC40, with the same 6.1-61mm lens and still picture storage to Mini SD cards. Like its predecessor, it records video to 8cm DVDs, although the new model can use both single- and dual-layer disks, while the DC40 was single-layer only. It also includes optical image stabilisation, whereas the DC40 has electronic.