Sony Japan Announces DCR-IP220K, Another MicroMV Camcorder

The DCR-IP220K has a 10x optical zoom, and get this, it's controlled by a zoom ring!!! You don't understand how crazy I'm going here!!! We constantly whine and complain about Sony not including a zoom ring on the Digial8 camcorders or on the consumer MiniDV camcorders (other than the VX2000 which already has one) and what do they do, they but it on an IP camcorder. Most people, including myself consider the IP camcorders gadget like and not for the serious videographer, especially one who's going to appreciate a zoom ring! I can't totally judge the camcorder until I have it in my hands and I'm not juding all IP owners out there , but it's a real slap in the face that Sony puts a zoom ring on a MicroMV camcorder before they put one on a consumer MiniDV or even a Digital8. Who deserves a zoom ring more, a TRV950 owner or a IP220K owner? I'm so close to writing a letter to Sony about this.

The IP220K has a 2.5 in. touch panel LCD screen. The camcorder has only one CCD, capable of taking 1600 x 1200 pixel images. The stills can be saved to Memory Sticks, and the camcorder includes one 8MB Memory Stick. The IP220 K is really really tiny, the press photos show it being held in one hand. The LCD screen is located in the back of the camcorder and the camcorder also has a viewfinder.

The camcorder also includes Bluetooth and the Network functions included on the PC120BT and the IP7BT. The camcorder also includes USB streaming. The IP220K is 98 x 75.5 x 136 mm thats 3.85 x 2.97 x 5.35 in. The camcorder weighs 520 g.

Although the camcorder will be introduced in Japan in September, it's known if we'll see the camcorder in the US. The first two MicroMV camcorder, the IP5 and IP7BT were introduced here, however that was a long time ago, and since then Sony has announced the DCR-IP55. The IP55 was never introduced into the US, possibly indicating that Sony doesn't have plans to introduce the IP220K in the US, or any MicroMV camcorder. So what's the possible explination? I read in an article once, that the difference between Japanaese and US consumers is their embracement of small and gadgety versus bargain. In Japan, consumers will be the latest, hotest and greatest piece of electronics, loaded with features that they'll never use. A Japanese consumer is much more likely to go up to a friend and show off all the neat features of their new camcorder, where a US consumer is much more likely to talk about the great bargain they got. Because of the crowded nature of Japan (have you ever seen those closet sized hotel rooms?) the Japanese also value small much more than US consumers. I can't remember where I read this anecdote but it really does seem true. Since the IP camcorders are quite small, but they don't produce the best image and aren't that practicle, it's questionable whether or not Sony will bring them to the US.