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°.
The 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
