Camcorders never really went away – but like the compact camera, they are a lot less popular than they were 20 years ago. There are plenty of good camcorders on the market – but most are designed for serious or professional videomakers with prices to match.
Yashica is aiming to put that right with the launch of the Yashica Journey – a fuss-free basic palm-sized camcorder that is designed to appeal to the vlogging generation. Most importantly, it comes at a price that is considerably cheaper than current rivals from Panasonic, Sony and Canon, who have discontinued their budget models in recent years.
Unlike other camcorders, there is only a modest 3x optical zoom on board – with an effective focal length of 16-50mm. This wide-angle lens is perfectly suited to self-shooting using the 2.2in 800x480-pixel touchscreen LCD panel, which hinges outwards from the body and then rotates through a full 270°.
Article continues belowThe sensor is a 1/2.8in with an 8-megapixel resolution, which can shoot 4K at 30 or 60fps, recording to a microSD memory card.
Weighing 167g, it is powered by a removable 1250mAh lithium-ion battery, which is recharged using a USB-C socket on the camcorder body. There is also a standard 3.5mm microphone input for monitoring the sound – although there is no headphone jack.
The camcorder is being launched on Kickstarter – offering big discounts for those who back the new project before it is officially launched. Early bird backers can get the Yashica Journey, in white or black, for $188 (£140), with the eventual list price being $268 / £200.
As ever, we warn that there is always some risk in backing any crowd-funded product.
Check out the best camcorders currently on the market, and the best video camera options
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
