Death of the Camcorder

I didn't see this coming, but we may see the end of the camcorder in the next few years. The tiny format video cameras, like the Flip, shot on to the scene a few years ago and did for camcorders what netbooks did for laptops. Smaller, cheaper, and offering only those features that 90% of consumers actually needed, they quickly replaced many more expensive purchases.

Still, there was room for a higher-end market. People who wanted better video still needed more traditional camcorders. A Flip or a point-and-shoot camera that shoots video can't pump out HD quality. But the Nikon D90 DSLR can. Now, the Canon D500 can too - and in stunning 720p at 30 frames per second, saving the whole thing in iMovie-ready quicktime media files. Oh, and these babies are under $1000 with interchangeable lenses, etc. etc. etc. Already, people have designed rigs to permit amateur filmakers to use these cameras instead of bulkier, pricier digicams. The results are impressive.

Funny enough, we're getting technological convergence where we didn't expect it. Now to get a tablet netbook...