Looking through the Argos catalogue that just came out today( 17 Jan 09) , I spotted a new HD Camcorder that doesn’t appear to have been announced anywhere.

It is the Hitachi HV565E and it looks virtually identical to the Sanyo HD700 – which also appears in the same catalogue. The Hitachi is 1080i @ £117.39 whereas the Sanyo is 720p @ £293.39. If the specs are accurate – this Hitachi looks like an absolute steal.  A 5x Optical Zoom on a pocket camera with 1080i HD  – makes this one look like an attractive option for those who need a pocket HD cam that offers  a bit more creative control than the  Vado or Mino HD alternatives.

The specs are as follows

• 5 x optical zoom.
• 4 x digital zoom.
• CMOS processor.
• 2.5in LCD screen.
• Manual focus.
• High definition recording.
• Upto 200 minutes recording time dependant on SD card.
• Recording format H.264
• Computer format USB 2.
• SD memory card slot.
• AV output.
• Accessories include strap, USB cable, software, manual, AC adaptor and case.
• Battery level indicator.
• 5m pixels camera.
• 1080i high definition.
• Premier lens.
• 32Mb built in memory.
• Rechargeable battery.
• Webcam function.
• PictBridge compatibility.
• Weight 162g.
• Size (H)12.1, (W)4.08, (D)5.85cm.

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE PRODUCT

UPDATE—- Ok mystery solved. I’ve done a bit more digging and I’ve found out it is a Sanyo. In the US it’s sold as the Sanyo VPC-HD100 and it seems to be a Walmart exclusive.

It gets some very mixed reviews on the Walmart product feedback page as well as on Steves Digicams . Judging by a number of the comments, quality control does not appear to be Sanyo’s  strong point. You can also find some  test clips on Vimeo that should be useful.

I still think that it isnt a bad camera for the money – the clips I’ve viewed  seem to outperform the Mino/Vado/Zi6 and it is the only one with an optical zoom.  It’ll be interesting to see how the Sony Webbie range compares in price and quality when/if they reach the UK.