Canon’s New Tiny Video Camera Is For Filming Yourself Doing.. Whatever
The Canon’s Vixia Mini is a Wi-Fi enabled camcorder that is said to be designed to help you document your everyday life in more detail than has ever been possible.
We believe VIXIA mini will be different from any old Flip camera you’ve got tucked away in a drawer somewhere. It is said that the $300 VIXIA Mini weighs just about 158 g and is slim enough that you can tuck it away in your pocket until it’s time for action.
Canon’s idea is that you can carry the Vixia Mini around with you wherever you go and then when the moment is right, the camera will be there for you. You can pop-out the built-in legs and the 2.7-inch touchscreen and hit record. The screen tilts 170 degrees so you can look at yourself while you’re doing whatever it is that you thought important enough to record. The built-in Wi-Fi allows you to control the Vixia Mini remotely via a smartphone app, and also transfer the 1920 x 1080 mp4 videos (or 12.8 megapixel stills) to other Wi-Fi devices.
VIXIA mini gives you the power to create images with spectacular depth, detail and emotional resonance. The 12.8 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor works in concert with Canon’s DIGIC DV 4 Image Processor to create the renowned Canon HS SYSTEM. We think with the Canon HS SYSTEM, you will experience excellent tracking performance even in low light. The Canon HS SYSTEM lets you capture clearer images with reduced noise and blur in a variety of situations for incredible video and photos.
VIXIA also have Interval Recording which we believe will give you and the viewers a fascinating look at slow-moving changes. VIXIA records still images or half-second video clips at intervals you determine (5, 10 or 30 seconds; 1 or 10 minutes), with playback in flip-book style. This mode can be perfect for recording plant growth, cloud movement, tidal changes, light effects from dawn to sunset and so much more.
[toggle title=”Press Release”]The New VIXIA mini Compact Personal Camcorder Features an Ultra Wide-Angle Lens, Full HD Video, Vari-Angle LCD Monitor and Slim Ultra-Compact Body with Built-in Stand, and Allows for Convenient Hands-Free Shooting with built-in Wi-Fi
Melville, N.Y., July 31, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the new VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder. The creatively designed VIXIA mini personal camcorder allows shooters to easily record their hobbies, special interests and memorable moments hands-free, and then share those videos and images on their favorite social networking sites or their own blogs via built-in Wi-Fi or via the free Canon Movie Uploader app*.
The VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder features an ultra wide-angle Canon f/2.8 fisheye lens (160 degree movies / 170 degree photos) allowing a user to shoot from unique and creative perspectives while including their surroundings to make their videos and images more interesting. By utilizing the Wide Mode users can give the viewer a full view of their surroundings and then switch to Close-Up Mode to provide emphasis on a particular subject. While in Close-up Mode, users can record a centered 1920 x 1440 resolution image with little distortion. They can also quickly toggle from one shooting mode to the other, or switch back and forth between video and image mode, by touching the camcorder’s innovatively designed 2.7-inch capacitive-tilt touch panel LCD display. Attached to the camera by two parallel hinges, the Vari-Angle LCD monitor allows for various shooting styles, including low-angle shooting, normal and high-angle-shooting and self-shooting.
In addition, the camcorder’s 12.8 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS image sensor combined with the Canon DIGIC DV4 Image Processor creates the Canon HS SYSTEM, allowing shooters to capture and record stunning Full HD video in MP4 format as well as jpeg still images to a removable microSD card, all in the exceptional image quality standard that the Canon line of VIXIA camcorders are known for. The camcorder’s video image quality is further enhanced with the use of a Mechanical Shutter for the recording of moving subjects with little distortion. Beyond delivering high-quality video, the VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder also records high-quality audio thanks to its built-in stereo microphone. By using Audio Scene Select modes, users can choose an audio scene that matches their surroundings such as music or speech or even suppressing road noise.
“The new VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder marks the birth of an innovative video camera designed specifically for the social media savvy user,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. “This uniquely styled compact personal camcorder allows users to shoot, view and share videos and photos of themselves enjoying their hobbies or special occasions with family and friends.”
Tools to Become the Star
The Canon VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder comes with a feature set that puts the user in the driver seat, expanding their creativity, allowing them to not only be the director of their videos or images, but also the star. Mirror Image Recording/Playback lets users view the scene they are recording in real time so they can watch as they record. So whether they are shooting their latest blog post about cooking a favorite Italian culinary delight, or filming a practice golf swing to help perfect their back stroke, the VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder is a versatile and convenient tool.
New Special Scene Modes such as Food & Fashion, Sports, and Macro provide users with advanced presets to help capture impressive images even under difficult shooting conditions to prevent over/under exposure. For those looking to shoot in a fun and unique perspective, the camcorder’s Slow Motion or Fast Motion modes provide imaging effects that allow creativity in controlling space and time. Slow Motion allows shooting video at a choice of two slow motion speeds – 1/4x (VGA) and 1/2x (720p) allowing viewers to easily see and closely examine video of dancers or other fast moving subjects. Fast Motion allows shooting at two fast motion speeds – 4x and 2x – ideal for speeding up footage of cooking, makeup, nail art, etc.
The camcorder’s Smart Auto Mode allows the beginning user to capture those spontaneous moments with a touch of the screen. Smart Auto intelligently selects one of 38 predefined situations to give outstanding video and still image output.
The VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder comes with a built-in adjustable stand allowing users to tilt and elevate it up to approximately 60 degrees providing a new way to record video hands-free, and the camcorder’s tripod socket also allows for flexible positioning of the device. And an automatic lens cover helps protect against scratches and dust when the camera is not in use.
Advanced Connectivity to Help Users Share Their World
Once a user has recorded their video blog, or a day at the park with the kids, it’s time to share the video or images with friends, family and fans. The VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder comes with built-in Wi-Fi allowing users to quickly share their video and photos to social networking sites like YouTube and Facebook, or they can be sent directly to their PC. A user can also upload their video or still images taken with the VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder from virtually anywhere by downloading the free Canon Movie Uploader app onto their iOS supported device.*
The Live Streaming feature allows for users to view and record on their iOS or Android device when they download the free Canon CameraAccess2 App**.The Canon CameraAccess2 App is available for download on both iOS and Android supported smartphones and tablets. The Live Streaming feature also allows a user to control the VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder from remote locations.
Pricing & Availability
The VIXIA mini compact personal camcorder will be available in black and white and is scheduled to be available September 2013 for an estimated retail price of $299.99.1 An optional VIXIA mini carrying case and strap are scheduled to also be available September 2013 in black or white for an estimated retail price of $14.99.1 For more information, and a full list of product specifications, visit http://www.usa.canon.com/vixiamini
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $40 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2012† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2013. In 2012, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers’ Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the ninth consecutive year, and for camcorders for the past two years. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.
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† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
Availability and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice.
* This software enables you to upload images to social network sites. Before uploading images, please be aware that image files may contain privacy related information such as people and places. If necessary, please delete such information. Canon does not obtain, collect or use such images or any information included in such images through this software. Compatible with iOS version 5/6 or later for select devices.
** The Canon CameraAccess2 app is compatible with iOS version 5/6 or later or Android version 2.3/4.0 for select devices.
1 Prices are estimated retail prices and are subject to change at any time without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.[/toggle]
