HD Video Becoming Standard on Point & Shoots
Before you run off and buy that next point and shoot, make sure it has HD video. By HD we mean at least 720P, which the likes of Youtube and Facebook now support. Canon’s latest announcements, which also include a hybrid super point and shoot called the SX1 IS even features 1080P video recording. Not quite the Canon 5D Mark II, which is a full-on 21 megapixel full-frame DSLR that also shoots 1080P, the SX1 IS is also a fraction of the cost, at around $599.
For those on more of a point and shoot budget, Canon is offering three new flavors, based on price point. There’s the Canon SX200, Canon SD970 and lower-priced Canon SD960, which despite varying specs, like zoom power and LCD screen size, all produce 720P HD video. Like Goldilocks, we like the middle of the road Canon SD970 (pictured), with its 2.8″ LCD, 720P and pretty colors. It should be available for around $280. Sony and everyone else is headed this way, and even some cellphones are starting to offer this 720P video (Samsung Omnia), so don’t spend the dough unless the HD flows.
