The interchangeable lens consumer-oriented HD camcorder Sony teased us with when it announced its NEX interchangeable lens digital cameras has now been unveiled. As previously revealed, the Handycam NEX-VG10 features the same Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor found in the NEX-5 and NEX-3 and will be able to share E-mount interchangeable lenses with those devices. Calling the NEX-VG10 the world’s first consumer HD camcorder with an interchangeable lens system, Sony says it enables users to capture images and videos with background defocus effects and shallow depth of field.
Interchangeability widens possibilities
The NEX-VG10 shoots Blu-ray quality 1920x1080 video at 24 megabits per second in AVCHD format and 14.2 megapixel stills with its DSLR-sized image sensor providing shallower depth of field to produce shots that help separate the subject from the background. Giving users the option of using a wide variety of lenses including fisheye, telephoto and wide-angled, the camera also seeks to unleash that inner De Milne. The camcorder comes bundled with an E-mount 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens, while additional E-mount lenses as well as an A-mount adapter that will allow the use of lenses used with Sony’s Alpha DSLR cameras will also be available at launch.Additional features include optical image stabilization with Active Mode, silent auto focus and iris control, twin accessory shoes as well as offering more advanced videographers and photographers the option to manually tweak settings such as aperture and shutter speed. The camera doesn’t have any internal storage so images are stored to Memory Stick and SD (SDHC/SDXC) cards. A 3-inch swivel Xtra Fine LCD screen that features TruBlack technology and a pivoting electronic viewfinder should makes it possible to keep an eye on your framing at both high and low angles.
Audio
On the audio front the NEX-VG10’s Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone combines signals from four separate omnidirectional capsules, which Sony says delivers clear stereo audio with a highly directional response. There is also a jack for adding an optional external mic, plus a 3.5mm input and 3.5mm headphone jack for audio monitoring. The NEX-VG10 comes equipped with an NP-FV70 battery that is good for around 155 minutes of continuous recording, while an optional NP-FV100 battery can record more than five hours of continuous video.
The announcement of the NEX-VG10 coincides with the 25th anniversary for Sony’s Handycam line this month. When it lands this September for around US$2,000 it looks like a present well worth waiting for.
