Shed bulk

The age of the bulky high-definition camcorder has finally ended with the recent launch of the HDR-HC1 Handycam, which Sony claims as the industry's smallest HD video camcorder. This model weighs 680 grams without the tape and battery, and measures 71x94x188mm. Designed for experienced camcorder users, the HDR-HC1 comes with a high-precision Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens. This provides an advanced optical multi-layer coating for clearer images. It is also equipped with a 3-megapixel CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) Sensor for high-quality image recording. The new Handycam's 10x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom allows users to get closer to their subject. Users also have the choice of shooting in the master tape standard of HDV1080i (16:9 aspect ratio) or the Standard DV format (16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio). Pre-ordering runs until Monday at www.sonystyle.com.hk.