Sony unveils first swappable-lens HD camcorder
updated 07:30 am EDT, Wed July 14, 2010
Sony NEX-VG10 takes video with NEX lens options
Sony today brought out what it says is the first HD-capable camcorder to have interchangeable lenses. The Handycam NEX-VG10 uses the same E-mount lenses as the NEX-3 and NEX-5 still image cameras but in a body with a focus on video capture. It can record at 1080p at the full 24Mbps of AVCHD (H.264) and has a four-capsule microphone with both a microphone input and a headphone output for more advanced audio recording.
The camcorder has the same 14.2-megapixel CMOS sensor as either of the NEX photo cameras and supports their still image features, but its settings skew towards video with settings for gain and the iris. It has the Alpha series' hot shoe but also a universal cold shoe for a second accessory. Thanks to the enclosure and camera system, it has an unusually long 5.25-hour recording time on battery and up to four hours of storage for 1080p when using a 32GB Memory Stick Pro Duo or SDHC card; it also takes SDXC for eight hours or more.
Sony will bundle the NEX-VG10 with the 18-200mm, image stabilized lens that will be an option for the still cameras, and an adapter will take the A-mount lenses from the full-size Alpha system. The camera should ship sometime in September for $2,000 including a coupon for a free copy of Sony Vegas, with online pre-orders starting later today.
