Our heads are still spinning from all the major camera and camcorder announcements at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show. Despite the hubbub, you can’t actually buy the majority of those just-announced products yet.
Fortunately, that gives you a bit of time to start saving up, and thanks to the list below, you’ll know how much money you’ll need to stow away by a certain deadline. Here are the release dates for the major cameras and camcorders we saw at this year’s show, along with the pricing information announced by each company; keep in mind, both pricing and release dates are subject to change.
Available Immediately
What Is It? Wi-Fi-enabled digital camera with 4GB of internal storage.
Scouting Report One of the more exciting camera announcements at this year’s show, the Wi-Fi-connected DSC-G3 offers one-click uploads to photo-sharing sites from its huge touch screen.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 ($130)
What Is It? Beefed-up low-end Cyber-shot
Scouting Report This nicely priced but ho-hum Sony cam offers 10 megapixels, a 4X optical zoom, and digital image stabilization.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 ($200)
What Is It? Not-quite-wide-angle Cyber-shot.
Scouting Report The entry-level addition to Sony’s W series has a 30mm lens on the wide end, but some nifty in-camera features may make up for that.
Sony MHS-CM1 Webbie HD ($200)
What Is It? Sony’s first pocket camcorder.
Scouting Report With a mini-camcorder form factor and a 5X optical zoom, Sony’s high-def answer to the Flip Mino HD is available in eye-catching colors.
Available in January 2009
Canon FS22 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Standard-definition camcorder with 32GB flash drive.
Scouting Report The light and compact FS22 records standard-definition video to both an internal 32GB flash drive and an SD/SDHC card slot.
Canon FS21 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Standard-definition camcorder with 16GB flash drive.
Scouting Report The little sibling to the Canon FS22, the standard-definition FS21 has the same specs, but with a smaller (16GB) flash drive.
Canon FS200 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Standard-definition camcorder with SDHC recording.
Scouting Report The Canon FS200 ditches the flash drive found on the FS22 and FS21 and records directly to SDHC, but with one plus: it’s available in red, blue, and silver.
Olympus FE-5010 ($190)
What Is It? Pocketable entry-level fashion camera.
Scouting Report The 12-megapixel FE-5010 looks great, and offers dual optical/digital stabilization, but we wish its 5X optical zoom were a bit wider than 36mm.
What Is It? Pocketable entry-level fashion camera.
Scouting Report The 10-megapixel FE-3010 looks great, but its feature set (digital image stabilization only, 3X optical zoom) looks light.
Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 ($300)
What Is It? Rugged, weather-resistant camera.
Scouting Report The snowboarder-friendly Tough-6000 is dustproof, drop-proof to 5 feet, and waterproof up to 10 feet, and you can operate it by tapping its top and sides.
Samsung HZ10W ($300)
What Is It? Wide-angle compact camera.
Scouting Report With a 10X optical zoom that starts at 24mm on the wide-angle end, the 10-megapixel HZ10W may set the bar for dramatic nature shots.
Available in February 2009
Canon Vixia HF S10 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? High-end, high-def flash/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report With a 24-megabits-per-second bit rate that maxes out AVCHD’s potential, an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, and Canon’s new Digic DV III image processor, the Vixia HF S10 records to both its internal 32GB flash drive and SDHC cards.
What Is It? High-end, high-def SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report It has the same basic specs as the equally intriguing Vixia HF S10, but the HF S100 records to SDHC cards only.
Canon Vixia HF20 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? High-definition flash/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report The HF20 records to a 32GB flash drive and an SDHC card slot at 24 mbps, but uses a 3.89-megapixel CMOS sensor instead of the 8-megapixel still resolution of the HF S10 and HF S100.
Canon Vixia HF200 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? High-definition SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report It has the same basic specs as the Vixia HF20, but the HF200 records to SDHC cards only.
Olympus Stylus-9000 ($350)
What Is It? Stylish pocket camera with 10X optical zoom.
Scouting Report Olympus’s 12-megapixel pocket megazoom has a 10X optical zoom (28mm to 280mm), dual image stabilization, and some seriously slick looks.
Olympus Stylus-7000 ($300)
What Is It? Stylish pocket camera with 7X optical zoom.
Scouting Report The little sibling to the Stylus-9000, the Stylus-7000 has a 7X optical zoom that has lesser wide-angle chops (37mm to 260mm), but a larger, 3-inch LCD screen.
Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 ($400)
What Is It? Extremely rugged weather-resistant camera.
Scouting Report This 12-megapixel beast is built like a tank: crushproof up to 220 pounds, waterproof down to 33 feet, drop-proof up to 6.6 feet, and can be operated by slapping its top and sides.
What Is It? Bargain camera packed with features.
Scouting Report For just $200, the slim and fashionable Optio P70 offers a 28mm wide-angle lens, 720p HD video, a smile-triggered shutter, low-light image correction via Pixel Track Shake, and a 12-megapixel sensor.
Pentax Optio E70 ($140)
What Is It? Sub-$150, AA-battery camera.
Scouting Report Another nice bargain entry from Pentax, the 10-megapixel E70 runs on AA batteries, offers Pixel Track Shake, a smile-triggered shutter, blink detection, and face detection for up to 32 faces.
Sony Handycam HDR-XR200V ($1000)
What Is It? High-def hard-drive camcorder with built-in GPS.
Scouting Report With a 120GB hard drive, this AVCHD camcorder also has GPS features that geotag footage and let you browse your clips on a map interface.
Sony Handycam DCR-SR67 ($450)
What Is It? Standard-definition camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report The Handycam DCR-SR67 holds up to 84 hours of video on its 80GB hard drive and boasts a 60X optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens.
What Is It? Standard-definition camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs as the DCR-SR67, the DCR-SR47 also has the 60X optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens, but a smaller hard drive (40GB).
Sony Handycam DCR-DVD850 ($430)
What Is It? Standard-definition mini-DVD/flash/Memory Stick camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report Can’t decide between optical or solid-state storage? This standard-def, 60X optical zoom Handycam offers a DVD burner, a 16GB flash drive, and a Memory Stick slot.
Sony Handycam DCR-DVD650 ($300)
What Is It? Standard-definition mini-DVD/Memory Stick camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report The DVD650 has the same basic specs as the DVD850, except that it records to mini-DVD and Memory Stick only. It still has that whopping 60X optical zoom, though.
Available in March 2009
Canon Vixia HV40 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? High-definition HDV camcorder.
Scouting Report Tape-based camcorders may be on their last legs, but the HV40 looks like a good one: This high-def successor to the excellent Vixia HV30 can record at a 24 frames per second for a film-like look.
Casio Exilim EX-FS1 ($350)
What Is It? Ultracompact high-speed burst mode camera.
Scouting Report One of the scene-stealers at CES, the EX-FS1 offers the popular high-speed burst mode found in Casio’s EX-F1 and EX-FH20-except at a slightly lower 30 fps and in an ultracompact frame.
Casio Exilim EX-FC100 ($400)
What Is It? Compact high-speed burst mode camera.
Scouting Report Although slightly larger than the EX-FS1m the EX-FC100 may be a better option for one good reason: that extra $50 gets you optical image stabilization with the same 30fps burst mode.
Olympus SP-590 UZ ($450)
What Is It? 26X megazoom camera.
Scouting Report With a whopping 26X optical zoom range that extends from 26mm wide-angle to 676mm telephoto, Olympus has unleashed its megazoom successor to the excellent SP-570 UZ.
Olympus FE-3010 ($150)
What Is It? Pocketable entry-level fashion camera.
Scouting Report The 10-megapixel FE-3010 has eye-catching looks and an Intelligent Auto mode, but the limited optical zoom (3X) and image stabilization (digital only) look like shortcomings.
What Is It? 32GB SSD high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report The HMX-H105’s light, silent, bullet-like frame holds a 32GB solid-state drive, and recording to MPEG4 H.264 means that footage can be edited with more apps than AVCHD.
Samsung HMX-H104 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? 16GB SSD high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs and style as the HMX-H105, the HMX-104 has a smaller 16GB solid-state drive.
Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD ($170)
What Is It? High-def pocket camcorder.
Scouting Report Sony’s entry into the high-def pocket camcorder camp offers a swiveling lens designed for filming yourself, as well as the ability to shoot 5-megapixel stills.
Sony Handycam HDR-XR520V ($1500)
What Is It? High-capacity (240GB), high-end, high-definition camcorder with built-in GPS.
Scouting Report At the top tier of Sony’s camcorder announcements, the XR520V records AVCHD-format video to its enormous 240GB hard drive, shoots 12-megapixel stills, and has a built-in GPS receiver for geotagging and sorting clips.
Sony Handycam HDR-XR500V ($1300)
What Is It? 120GB high-definition camcorder with built-in GPS.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs and GPS capabilities as the XR520V, the Handycam XR500V has a smaller—but still roomy—120GB hard drive.
Sony Handycam HDR-XR100 ($750)
What Is It? 80GB high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report The HDR-XR100 provides an 80GB hard drive, a 10X optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens, 1920-by-1080 HD video, 4-megapixel stills, and Smile Shutter and face detection, but no built-in GPS.
Sony Handycam HDR-CX100 ($600)
What Is It? Flash-drive high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report The 8GB HDR-CX100 captures more than 3 hours of HD video and offers point-and-shoot-camera features such as Smile Shutter and face recognition.
What Is It? Flash-drive standard-definition camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report The 16GB DCR-SX60 has a 60X optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens, expandable storage via Memory Stick, and a touch-screen LCD.
Sony Handycam DCR-SX41 ($330)
What Is It? Flash-drive standard-definition camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs as the DCR-SX60, the Handycam DCR-SX41 has a smaller 8GB flash drive but the same huge 60X optical zoom lens. However, there’s no optical image stabilization—a huge omission with a zoom range like this one.
Sony Handycam DCR-SX40 ($300)
What Is It? Flash-drive standard-definition camcorder with 60X optical zoom.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs as the DCR-SX60 and DCR-SX41, the Handycam DCR-SX40 has a smaller 4GB flash drive but the same huge 60X optical zoom lens. However, there’s no optical image stabilization—a huge omission with a zoom range like this one.
Available in April 2009
Kodak Zx1 ($150)
What Is It? Rugged, high-definition pocket camcorder.
Scouting Report It may not have the name recognition of the Flip Mino HD, but Kodak’s Zi6 is a top-notch pocket camcorder. The Zx1 is a ruggedized version of the Zi6 that records 720p high-def video and feels very solid in the hand.
Kodak Z980 ($400)
What Is It? 24X megazoom camera.
Scouting Report Out-zoomed only by the 26X optical Olympus SP-590 UZ, this Kodak camera has some nifty design tricks: a second shutter button on the side of it to help with vertical shots and a detachable vertical grip to complement its 26mm-to-624mm optical zoom range.
Samsung HMX-H106 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? 64GB SSD high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report Samsung touts the HMX-H106 as the first-ever 64GB solid-state-drive (SSD) camcorder, and its bullet-like design is sure to turn heads. It records to MPEG4 H.264, which means its footage can be edited with more apps than AVCHD.
Samsung TL100 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Ultracompact 12-megapixel camera.
Scouting Report The TL100 has stylish looks, a high megapixel count, and a slim, 0.65-inch-deep frame, but its 3X optical zoom and digital-only image stabilization are a bit on the skimpy end.
Samsung SL102 (pricing not yet available)
What Is It? Compact 10-megapixel camera.
Scouting Report An entry-level addition to Samsung’s point-and-shoot line, the SL102 is a sharp-looking camera with basic specs: a 3X optical zoom, face recognition, and digital image stabilization.
What Is It? Compact 10-megapixel camera.
Scouting Report A bit more powerful than its younger SL102 sibling, the SL420 offers a few more in-camera features: smile-trigger shutter, blink detection, MPEG-4 movie mode, and dual optical/digital image stabilization.
Panasonic HDC-HS300 ($1400)
What Is It? 120GB hard-drive high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report The top-of-the-line addition to Panasonic’s HD camcorder line offers full manual controls and a 3-CMOS sensor, which the company says captures outstanding low-light footage.
Panasonic HDC-HS250 ($1000)
What Is It? 120GB hard-drive high-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs as the HS300, the HCD-HS250 is a slimmed-down version that ditches the electronic viewfinder, full manual controls, and external mic shoe.
Panasonic HDC-TM300 ($1300)
What Is It? High-definition 32GB flash/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report Another new top-of-the-line entry to Panasonic’s consumer HD camcorders, the TM300 has the same basic specs as the HS300 and HS250, but records to flash memory and SDHC cards instead.
What Is It? High-definition 80GB hard-drive/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report One of three HD entry-level additions to Panasonic’s camcorder line, the touch-screen-controlled HS20 records AVCHD-format video to its 80GB hard drive and SDHC card slot and offers 5.1 surround-sound.
Panasonic HDC-TM20 ($650)
What Is It? High-definition 16GB flash/SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report The TM20 has the same basic specs as the HS20, but records AVCHD video to a 16GB flash drive and SDHC cards.
Panasonic HDC-SD20 ($600)
What Is It? High-definition SDHC camcorder.
Scouting Report The SD20 has the same basic specs as the HS20 and TM20, but records AVCHD video to an SD/SDHC card only.
Panasonic SDR-H90 ($500)
What Is It? 70X optical zoom standard-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report With a whopping 80GB hard drive that holds up to 72 hours of footage—as well as an SD/SDHC card slot in case you need more than that—the 70X optical zoom isn’t the only mind-boggling spec on this standard-definition camcorder.
Panasonic SDR-H80 ($450)
What Is It? 70X optical zoom standard-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report With the same basic specs as the SDR-H90, the SDR-H80 has a slightly smaller hard drive (60GB for 54 hours of video), but the same whopping 70X optical zoom.
Panasonic SDR-S26 ($330)
What Is It? 70X optical zoom standard-definition camcorder.
Scouting Report Another entry in Panasonic’s new 70X optical zoom standard-definition series, the SDR-S26 records to SD/SDHC card only.
Panasonic SDR-SW21 ($400)
What Is It? Ultracompact waterproof/drop-proof/dustproof camcorder.
Scouting Report The not-quite-pocketable SDR-SW21 is a bit larger than your normal ultracompact camcorder and only records standard-definition video, but you can bring it 6.5 feet underwater, drop it from 4 feet, and unleash its impressive 10X optical zoom.
Panasonic SDR-S15 ($300)
What Is It? Ultracompact standard-definition camcorder with 10X optical zoom.
Scouting Report Panasonic went for some powerful shooting options with the SDR-S15, so it’s a bit larger than a pocket camcorder: It has Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto mode to optimize your footage, and it packs a 10X optical zoom.