The headline feature of the Sony HDR-PJ10 camcorder and the HDR-PJ30 that was launched alongside is that each comes with a built-in LED projector. The cheaper pj10 also shoots 3.3-megapixel still photos (vs. 7.1 megapixels for the PJ30), and doesn’t have the led video light and accessory hot-shoe like its brethren. A 1080p full HD camcorder, the PJ10 uses Sony’s very own G lens, and has a focal length starting at a wide 29.8 mm (in 35 mm equivalent). If you prefer a longer reach than a wider field of view, you’d be glad to know that it can zoom all the way up to 894 mm (or to put it simply, a 30x optical zoom). The image trinity is completed with Sony’s Exmor R backlit CMOS sensor and BIONZ image processing engine.

A neat touch Sony has incorporated into its recent camcorders is the built-in USB cable, which comes in extremely handy when you want to do a quick file transfer or charge the device using a computer’s USB port. The cable is located on the same side of the grip belt; when not in use, it can be tucked into a little opening cleverly hidden along the belt. With a length of 5cm, this cable is rather short.

So for desktop computers, we recommend using a USB hub, unless you don’t mind it dangling in the air. Also, some users might find this redesigned grip belt slightly uncomfortable.

The 3-inch touch-capable LCD has a thicker-than-normal enclosure because that’s where the tiny projector is housed. Putting the projector there makes a lot of sense: to adjust the angle of the picture, just tilt the LCD. There’s a slider at the top for tweaking the focus. The projector doesn’t have a zoom lens; to get a bigger picture, simply move the camera further away from the screen. Much to our delight, light output from the projector was good (it’s rated at 10 lumens). That being said, you’d still need a fairly dimmed room to watch the image comfortably. We managed 60 inches in a near-dark room -anything beyond is really pushing it.

The LCD itself displayed good color fidelity. The stereo speakers lined along the bottom bezel can go pretty loud; and that’s good because there’s no point projecting a video if you can’t hear the action. The camcorder is equipped with 16 GB of internal flash memory, but you can increase the capacity by adding your own Memory Sticks or SD cards, including high-capacity SDXC media.

Video quality-wise, we found color accuracy and noise performance to be good. The highest avchd mode records at 24 Mbps. Switching to 50p increases the bitrate to 28 Mbps. At 50p, video was smooth with few artifacts, and images looked slightly sharper than those recorded in interlaced mode. The ‘low lux’ mode also worked well to boost low light performance. The SteadyShot with Active mode image stabilization did its job competently. The camcorder has a Smooth Slow Record (read: slow motion) mode that we had a lot of fun with, as well as a Golf Shot mode that splits the clip into a series of frames so that you can analyze your golf swing.

To summarize, the HDR-PJ10 is a very good camcorder, with an excellent set of features and a fine performance to boot. As we used its projector more and more, our only worry is its longevity.

Exemode Japan has proudly introduced their latest Full HD camcorder namely the Yashica ADV-565HD. This video recorder is able to record video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 in 1080/30p as well as 720/30p. The camcorder features a 5x optical zoom and a 128MB of internal memory, which is expandable via an SD/SDHC card slot. The Exemode Yashica ADV-565HD camcorder is priced at 17,800 Yen ($213).

Hasselblad today unveiled a limited-edition Hasselblad H4D produced in cooperation with Ferrari. Finished in a new Ferrari colour called rosso fuoco, or fire red, the Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Edition has been created in celebration of two of the most iconic European brands, both of which started their career in the 1950s. Limited to just 499 cameras worldwide, this special edition camera was unveiled this morning at the Photokina trade show, and we were there to snap a few pictures of it for you.

No price has been mentioned of course – a Hasselblad Ferrari Edition is destined to be a case of “if you have to ask, it’s not for you…”

HP has entered the high definition portable camcorder market by releasing the V5020u digital camcorder. This portable video recorder offers full 1080p HD recording with electronic image stabilization via a built-in gyroscopic sensor that prevents image blur caused by camcorder movements. The new V5020u also features a 10x digital zoom, a 2-inch LCD screen, a 5MP sensor, an SDHC slot, the ability to record H.264 videos, a motion detection feature, and an HDMI port. Each purchase comes equipped with a wrist strap, a cleaning cloth, an HDMI cable, and a carrying pouch. The HP V5020u camcorder will be launched in October 2010 for $159.

The Looxcie wearable camcorder is now available on Amazon for $199 each. This gadget allows users to capture videos at 480 x 320 pixel resolution at 15fps. The Looxcie can be placed to a user’s ear, allowing the device to see and record at eye-level. The Looxcie is able to record and store up to 4-hour of video. There is the “instant clip” button, which will take the last 30 seconds and package it into a video file. This video file can be shared via Bluetooth to the companion mobile app. The app is currently available for Android devices, but Windows Mobile, iOS, and BlackBerry versions should be available by the end of the year.

Sanyo is preparing to drop another Full HD camcorder into the market in the form of the Xacti VPC-GH4. This compact and lightweight camcorder offers a 10-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CMOS image sensor, a 10x dual range optical zoom lens (video), a 5x optical zoom lens (photo), a 2.7-inch wide LCD display, an SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot, a USB 2.0 port, a mini-HDMI port and can capture both 1920 x 1080p Full HD video at 60fps as well as 10-megapixel digital still images. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-GH4 will start shipping later this month for $200.

Rollei has unveiled two new Full HD camcorders at IFA 2010 namely the Movieline SD-23 (pictured above) and SD-15. The SD-23 boasts a 5-megapixel image sensor, a 23x optical zoom lens, a 10x digital zoom, a 3-inch touchscreen LCD display, a 128MB of internal memory, an SD/SDHC card slot (up to 64GB), an HDMI port and 1080p Full HD video recording (30fps) capabilities. Meanwhile, the SD-15 offers the same 5-megapixel image sensor, a 10x optical zoom lens, a 4x digital zoom, a 3-inch touchscreen LCD display, an SD/SDHC card slot (up to 32GB), an HDMI port and 1080p Full HD video recording (30fps) capabilities. The SD-23 and SD-15 will begin shipping from the end of October 2010 for 199.95 Euro (about $256) and 169.95 Euro (about $218), respectively.

Toshiba has announced two new Full HD pocket camcorders to its range by
launching the Camileo P20 and S30. These easy-to-use camcorders are equipped with a 5-megapixel CMOS image sensor (P20), an 8-megapixel CMOS image sensor (S30), a 10x digital zoom, a 3-inch touchscreen LCD display, an SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot, a mini-USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port and can record 1920 x 1080p Full HD video at 30fps. The Camileo P20 and S30 will become available soon for 120 GBP (about $185) and 140 GBP (about $216), respectively.

Samsung is preparing to unleash another Full HD camcorder into the market. Dubbed as the HMX-T10, this compact yet stylish camcorder boasts a 5.1-megapixel BSI (Back Side Illuminated) CMOS sensor, a 20-degree slanted lens, a 10x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD display, an SD/SDHC memory card slot and has the ability to capture both 1080p Full HD video at 60fps as well as 4.7-megapixel digital still images. The Samsung HMX-T10 will hit stores later this month for $299.

Sony is proud to present their newest pocket HD Camcorder, the Bloggie Touch. Measuring 15.2mm x 107mm x 52mm and weighing 125 grams, this ultra-compact video camera is equipped with a sensitive Exmor CMOS image sensor, a 4x digital zoom, a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen display, a 4GB/8GB of storage, a flip-out USB arm, an HDMI output and can captures both 1920 x 1080p Full HD video (30fps) as well as up to 12.8 digital still images. The Bloggie Touch will start shipping in October for $180 (4GB) and $200 (8GB), respectively.

Check out the latest Full HD camcorder from Thanko, the HDDV-506. This compact camcorder sports a 5-megapixel CMOS image sensor, a 4x digital zoom, a 2.5-inch TFT LCD display, a 32MB of internal memory, an SD/SDHC card slot (up to 32GB), a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port and has the ability to capture both 1920 x 1080p Full HD video at 30fps as well as up to 12-megapixel digital still images (interpolated mode). The Thanko HDDV-506 sells for about $175.

Sanyo comes back to the portable camcorder market by releasing the new Sanyo VPC-PD2BK. The lightweight HD video recorder is able to record 1920×1080 30p videos or capture 10 megapixel still pictures. The Sanyo VPC-PD2BK features a 3x optical zoom, a couple of microphones that record stereo sound, a USB port and a memory card slot that supports SD, SDHC or ultra-high capacity SDXC (up to 64GB) memory cards. The Sanyo VPC-PD2BK will be available for purchase in September 2010 for $169.99 each.

Priced at just $105.45, this compact camcorder sports a 5-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CMOS image sensor, a 2x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch TFT LCD display, a 128MB of internal memory, an SD card slot (2GB card included), a USB 2.0 interface and is able to capture both 720 x 480p video at 30fps as well as up to 16-megapixel digital still images (interpolated mode).

Praktica has announced a new Full HD camcorder to its line-up by introducing the Praktica DVC 10.4 HDMI. This compact camcorder sports a 10-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS image sensor, a 12x optical zoom lens, a 3.0-inch TFT touchscreen display, a 128MB of internal memory, an SD/SDHC card slot, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port and has the ability to capture both 1920 x 1080p Full HD video at 30fps as well as up to 20-megapixel digital still images (interpolated mode).