The HDR-CX12 Memory Stick Handycam

Jun 19, 2008 06:12 GMT  ·  By

It would seem that the latest gimmick in consumer-level digital cameras is represented by smile-detection technology, but Sony won't settle with equipping its Cyber-shots with this feature. No, the Japanese giant has decided that it was about time that its handycams suffered a makeover as well and announced the release of the HDR-CX12 Memory Stick Handycam, a device that can shoot HD-grade videos and comes packed with both Smile Shutter and face detection technologies.

The camera can record full 1920 x 1080 HD video and 10-megapixel photos via the ClearVid CMOS sensor with Exmor-derived technology. It also sports an advanced Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 12x optical zoom lens and Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization for smooth video and clear photos. As for the storage, the HDR-CX12 comes bundled with a 4 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2) media card, which means that users will be ready to start recording almost straight out of the box.

Furthermore, the camera has also been equipped with a 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus screen and supports Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound recording via the built-in zoom microphone. Additionally, for easier operation, it has an assignable dial that can be customized to manually control focus, brightness and white balance.

As mentioned earlier, another major selling point of the new camcorder from Sony is represented by the Smile Shutter technology, which allows users to capture smiling photos and record video at the same time. This is not exactly a big novelty, but for those who don't know exactly what the deal is with all these "smiles", let's just say that, when activated, this technology will detect and automatically take a photo when the subject smiles, without having to switch to photo mode or pressing the photo button.

Additionally, the camcorder also features child and adult prioritization, so users can capture photos when the intended subject group smiles, and is also capable of detecting and capturing a smile while in standby mode.

And the best thing is that this thing isn't even that expensive. According to Sony, the HDR-CX12 camcorder will arrive in stores early in August for about $900, which is a pretty OK price to pay for shooting your whole holiday in HD.

We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is .

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

The new Sony HDR-CX12 Memory Stick Handycam - angle view
The new Sony HDR-CX12 Memory Stick Handycam - front view
Open gallery