Canon creates compact cameras and camcorders with cordless connectivity

We may have gone mad with alliteration in this story, but Canon has our attention at CES, connecting its camera with enough connectivity to make the modern smartphone owner feel cool.

One of the things you might have missed from the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Canon is talking about some new cameras that Australians will see before the colder season hits our coast.

While Canon has been talking about a few devices, there are two specifically that have our attention, with one small camcorder and one small compact camera, each being announced for a different type of camera owner.

Camcorders may not be used as much as they used to, what with how many phones can shoot video, not to mention the cameras out there, but the Legria Mini X by Canon still has us curious.

Designed to be small and featuring its own flip out stand, the Mini X is a tiny video camera that can shoot 1080p Full HD video, 12 megapixel stills, and let you control it using a touchscreen LCD that can be aimed at you while you’re recording.

In a way, we’re minded of a small media player, except there’s a lens at the top, capable of shooting wide and recording yourself or someone else for playback later, with Canon Australia saying it’s ideal for lots of types of recording.

“The Legria Mini X merges Canon’s signature video quality with advanced sound and a highly flexible design, making it ideal for everyday story-tellers and almost any kind of video capture,” said Rebecca Pearson, Canon Australia’s Assistant Product Manager for Consumer Capture Devices, adding that it should work “from on-the-scene reporting, documentaries and self-recording, to capturing live music or theatrical performances.”

There’s a setting for uncompressed audio recording in the Mini X, plus support for an external microphone, and sharing as well as controlling from WiFi devices such as phones and tablets.

Basically, we’re just keen to see how it feels as a camcorder, especially since most of the video shooters we’ve seen generally didn’t look as slim or compact as what Canon has designed in the Mini X.

Of course, we could always just use a compact camera, and if we’re going to do that, why not see one that can record not just what we want, but also us while we’re doing it.

For that, Canon is showing off the PowerShot N100, the company’s first compact to support both front and rear cameras, similar to how a phone has both.

Unlike a phone, though, the N100 can record both you through the rear camera and the scene through the main camera, merging the information at the end.

“The PowerShot N100 records your expression as you shoot, either as a movie or still image, and combines it with the scene you’ve captured,” said Pearson.

“This new feature is ideal for when your reaction is just as important as the moment itself, such as watching a child’s first steps.”

The camera supports WiFi just like the Mini X, though the N100 can connect through NFC (Near-Field Communication) on devices that support it, taking photos from the 12.1 megapixel sensor and sending them to devices, which is especially useful if you want to send them straight to a social network using a phone or tablet with internet connectivity.

Both of these devices will be available later in the year, and while Canon won’t give us a price, it says the Mini X should hit stores from March, while the PowerShot N100 will see the light of day in May.