Digital Trends

Traditional camcorders have a basic style that hasn’t really changed since the ‘80s. Oh, you’ll see a few attempts at a vertical shape now and then, or some fun with body materials, like the new Samsung models that use the Touch of Color finish first seen on Samsung HDTVs. But JVC has taken a completely radical approach with its Everio X, a high-def video maker that looks like a chic clutch held by a Louis Vuitton model scampering down a catwalk. This is by no means all beauty and no brains, either. The AVCHD camcorder has a 10.3MP CMOS sensor and records at 24 Mbps, the best compression rate possible for the format. It even takes 9-megapixel stills, the current camcorder peak for native resolution. Like a legit Vuitton bag, you’ll certainly pay for the style, since it’s close to a grand for the package. Let’s see if this camcorder is as much an object of desire as it appears to be on the surface.