Canon previews HF11, HF21 HD camcorders

Canon gave Americans an early preview of the updated VIXIA line on Tuesday with the Japanese launch of two new versions of the HD video cameras. The HF11 is unusual among camcorders for building in a large amount of flash-based memory: it incorporates 32GB of the motionless storage and gives videographers as much as 12 hours of HD shooting in the AVCHD (H.264) format without skipping or adding the bulk of a full hard drive. Full-quality 1920x1080 nets about two hours and 55 minutes, but an SDHC card slot allows recording time to potentially double.

The HF11 also boasts a 12X optical zoom factor, HDMI video out, and a 2.7-inch preview LCD. Canon anticipates a release for Japan in late August and will price the camera at the equivalent of $1,314 in the country, though any US release is likely to be priced lower.

An identically-priced alternative comes in the form of the HG21, which swaps the flash memory for a 120GB hard drive that adds weight and size in exchange for longer recording times, capturing up to 45 hours of HD in base quality but still managing 11 hours and 5 minutes at the full 1080 resolution. Canon also says it uniquely supports HDMI-CEC automation and can be controlled by the remote from a CEC-compatible HDTV. The HG21 ships at the same time in Japan as the HF11.

Canon hasn't set US launch information but typically follows Japanese releases closely with their American equivalents. [via Impress]

Filed under: gadgets, digital imaging
Other story tags: Canon, VIXIA