Hitachi announces world's first Blu-ray camcorders

Hitachi has announced details of its Blu-ray camcorders – a world first for the company.

Hitachi is releasing two models the DZ-BD7H and the DZ-BD70.

The DZ-BD7H is a hybrid model which is able to record to either an integrated 30GB hard drive or Blu-ray discs. It provides up to fours hours of Full HD (1920×1080) video, or eight hours of 1440×1080 high-definition video.

Copies can be transferred from the hard drive to disc without any external devices. The DZ-BD7H is the heavier of the two models at 630g.

Hitachi’s second model – the DZ-BD70 – is a Blu-ray single drive model that can record around one hour of Full HD video or two hours of 1440×1080 video using a 8cm disc. It weighs 575g.

Both models feature a full high-definition lens, 5.3 Megapixel progressive CMOS image sensor which delivers the equivalent of 2.07 megapixels for video and 4.32 megapixels for still shots.

Both models will be available in Japan from 30 August and will be released globally in October. The DZ-BD70 is priced at around £666, while the DZ-BD7H is more expensive at £792.