Toshiba announces H20 and P30 pocket DV cameras

Two new HD additions to the Camileo range

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28 January 2009 10:54 GMT / By Verity Burns

Toshiba has announced two new additions to it Camileo Pocket DV camera range.

The Camileo H20 and P30 models both offer 1080p HD recording, 5x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom (2x at 1080p) in pocket-friendly bodies. They feature HDMI output to allow a direct link to any HD ready TV and have the ability to expand their memory to 32GB, which should allow for around 8 hours of HD recording.

The two DV cams also offer a 5-megapixel sensor for still snaps and video stabilisation to take the wobble out of your moving images.

If you're looking for differences between the two, you'll find them in the design. The H20 features a barrel-style design similar to conventional video cameras, while the P30 has an upright design, popular with the pocket DV cam market.

The H20 also features a 3-inch TFT LCD screen, while the P30 is half an inch down at 2.5-inches.

As for improvements on the predecessors (they replace the H10 and Pro HD Camileo models), the H20 and P30 boast new features such as "Night Mode", which enhances image quality in low light, and a new special effects feature that allows users to shoot in black & white, normal, classic or negative mode.

The DV cameras will come bundled with software that allows for direct upload to YouTube, and helps users to edit movies to cut out unwanted scenes.

Both DV cams will be out in February. The H20 will have a price tag of £179.99, while the P30 will be just slightly cheaper at £149.99.