Visitors of Panasonic’s booth at CES 2013 were undoubtedly so amazed of the company’s 20-inch 4K Windows 8 tablet that they most likely forgot about the smaller wonders, such as this wearable waterproof HD camcorder.
Even though your life may not really be blockbuster-script material, Panasonic HX-A100 intends to make you a star and it offers you the chance to take center stage. In other words, the Japanese corporation came up with a device that suits perfectly the ones who simply cannot enjoy an event unless they share it later on social networks. You thought that people taking pictures of their food are obnoxious? Wait till such gadgets will offer the kinkiest tiniest of details. Good thing these camcorders do not stream the captured images directly on the Web and the wearer is still allowed to edit the things he or she filmed. Oh, wait! Panasonic has already thought of that and it included Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can stream directly to UStream or other similar services, in glorious 1080p.
By all means, I’m not saying that such a device is not great. Just the opposite! The only problem is that there are so many people with a great appetite for shocking things, that it’s nearly impossible for them not to overdo the recordings if they had such a camcorder. The best purpose the Panasonic HX-A100 could ever serve is for recording live action shots, pretty much in the same vein as the GoPro Hero camcorders.
One feature that supports my previous statement is the automatic correction of tilted images, a technology that was righteously titled Level Shot. As far as the supported resolutions go, this Panasonic camcorder is able to capture video in 1080p at 60 fps, 720p at 120 fps and 640×480 at 240 fps. The F2.5 lens that this camcorder packs ensures a great image quality, even when the light is not that great.
When not wearing a helmet, the camcorder can be worn on a ear hook like the one pictured above. The integrated rechargeable battery pack ensures an autonomy of 140 minutes on a full charge. As far as its waterproofness goes, Panasonic HX-A100 should survive up to 30 minutes at a depth of 5 feet.
The Panasonic HX-A100 is not yet available, but it can be pre-ordered on the manufacturer’s website for $299.99. For $46.99 more, people will get a 2-year protection plan plus spills and drops coverage, while $62.99 will extend that period to 3 years.
If you liked this post, please check the Mag Pix 1080p HD mini camcorder and this solar camcorder.
