Sanyo HD camcorder sports ‘face chaser’ technology

Sanyo on Thursday unveiled the Xacti HD1010, a new High Definition (HD) digital camcorder capable of recording video in 1080i format. It will be released in July for $799.99.

The HD1010 — sporting the same “pistol grip” design as other Xacti camcorders — records MPEG-4 video to SD or SDHC flash memory cards (available in capacities up to 32GB). An 8GB card holds about 87 minutes of 1920 x 1080 video, according to Sanyo. The HD1010 also can record 4-megapixel digital still images. It weighs 9.9 ounces.

Features of the camera include face detection and “Face Chaser” technology that monitors the subject’s face and adjusts brightness and focus accordingly. The technology works on up to 12 faces simultaneously.

The camera also sports a “slow motion” video mode that can record video at 300 frames per second; a 7 frames-per-second sequential still shot mode; 10x optical zoom lens; image stabilization; 2.7inch flip-out LCD display and HDMI output.

The camera can operate as a webcam, and also supports PictBridge-compatible printers, which lets it print out still images without needing a Mac first.

Sanyo’s Web site had not been updated with information about the HD1010 as Macworld posted this article.