Panasonic introduces 3D camcorder for consumers

Japanese electronics maker Panasonic recently introduced the "world's first 3D consumer camcorder" that uses a 3D conversion lens to shoot video in both 2D and 3D.

Panasonic hopes the camcorder will allow "anyone to create powerful, true-to-life 3D images" using the device.

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When consumers want to record normal video, the HDC-SDT750 also supports AVHD recording in 1080p high-definition format.  The camcorder has a 12X optical zoom, 5.1-channel audio system, and uses a Leica Dicomar lens.

The 3D conversion lens can record right-eye and left-eye images at the same time through two separate lens.

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A custom video editing software package will also ship with the camcorder, giving owners the chance to easily edit their 3D recordings. All edited videos can then be saved on DVD or Blu-ray. One noticeable downside is that all videos shared on the Internet must be saved in 2D.

The Panasonic SDT750 will be released worldwide in October for $1,399.95.  The camcorder will be released even earlier in Japan, on August 20th, for a similar price as the expected international launch.

Panasonic is one of a few select companies heavily investing in 3D technology, with a variety of 3DTVs, 3D Blu-ray, and 3D camcorders/digital cameras reportedly in the pipeline. The Japanese electronics company hopes to get a jump on rivals aiming to launch 3D cameras and camcorders -- and has opened its own 3D Blu-ray authoring facility in California.

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The cost of 3D cameras and camcorders, which remain scarce despite the growing popularity of 3D, will need to drop before widespread consumer adoption.  DXG unveiled a 3D camera during Computex that offers appealing features, but it is so expensive that DXG didn't bother to announce a price.

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