Sony has read the collective Pocket-lint mind, as we were all just saying how the world could do with another couple of high power zoom camcorders; and what drops into the collective Pocket-lint inbox? Just that.

The two new additions are the Handycam DCR-SX15E and the Handycam DCR-SR15E, both standard def efforts, but they should make decent video quality accessible as they are reported to be "great value". 

Both offer high-power 50x optical zoom lenses, whilst SteadyShot image stabilisation keeps things crisp and clear, reducing the effects of camera shake when you’re shooting handheld. If you’re shooting portraits of friends and family, Face Detection automatically fine-tunes exposure for more natural looking faces.

Menus and settings are adjusted via a thumb-operated joystick next to the flip-out 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD, and there’s also an Auto mode that switches the video light on when natural light levels are low.

Where the two very similar offerings differ is in the memory department as the Handycam DCR-SX15E will require a Memory Stick or SD card as it doesn't get an internal memory. The Handycam DCR-SR15E on the other hand can store up to 61 hours of Standard Definition video on its 80GB built-in hard disk drive.

No word on price, but both the Handycam DCR-SX15E and the Handycam DCR-SR15E will be available from October 2010.

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