Consumer camcorder hits 3.31-megapixels

Product: Sony DCR-PC330/E MiniDV Handycam Price: $12,990 Pro: Sharper, cleaner pictures in light or dark conditions Con: Sony might have a cheaper four-, five- or six-megapixel camera available in time for Christmas, or it might not

Sony's latest camcorder, the DCR-PC330/E MiniDV Handycam, is the consumer market's first 3.31-megapixel model. It is the first camcorder to shoot still pictures at 3.31 megapixels.

Available next month, its combination of an advanced imager, lenses, and a new primary colour filter, will enable users to make better recordings.

Weighing in at 540 grams, the DCR-PC330/E is small but packs a lot more than camcorders twice its size. It features such Sony Handycam standards as the Super NightShot infrared system for shooting in the dark and the Super SteadyShot system for image stabilisation. It also delivers an interval record feature for time-lapse recording.

It comes with a 2.5-inch rotating touch panel liquid crystal display, and users can personalise the 3D menus.

For shooting in poor lighting conditions there is a pop-up flash, the Hologram AF focus system to maximise contrast and help focus in dark conditions, and the infrared-based NightFraming system, which can capture still shots in low-light conditions.