Camcorder News

Clockwise starting upper-left, the new HDC-TM350, HDC-TM30, the HDC-TM10, and HDC-SD10
(View full photo gallery here.)

Across the globe, Panasonic announced four new camcorders. The U.K. can look forward to the HDC-TM10 and the HDC-SD10, touting a compact size. Japan, meanwhile, will receive the HDC-TM30 and HDC-TM350. The TM350 is a more feature-oriented model, offering 12x zoom and a three-CMOS sensor array, and a multi-function lens ring. The 'TM' series of Panasonic camcorders premiered earlier this year, and stands for twin memory – those with both internal flash memory and memory cards.

The Japanese HDC-TM30 appears similar in design to the European HDC-TM10. Both market themselves as slender, portable camcorders weighing only 227g (without battery). Both have 32GB of internal memory, a single 1/6-inch CMOS with a 1,470,000 gross pixel count, 16x optical zoom, and optical image stabilization. The European HDC-SD10 is a card-only version of the TM10 with all the same specs. The SD10 is also the only model announced for the German market.

The Japanese HDC-TM350 is a more advanced camcorder. It includes 64GB of internal flash memory, a larger 1/4.1-inch CMOS with a 3,050,000 x 3 gross pixel count, a 12x optical zoom, and also offers optical image stabilization. It weighs in at a heavier 390g without the battery.

Close-up of the Panasonic HDC-TM350

All four camcorders are expected to be available in their respective countries in June 2009. No new camcorders have been announced for the US market, though it's more than likely that some combination of these models will occur soon. In the U.K., the HDC-SD10 will sell for £499 and the HDC-TM10 for £529, according to Pocket-Lint.

This is an US announcement!