TOKYO, September 2, 2013—Canon Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan Inc. announced today the introduction in Japan of the iVIS mini, a digital video camcorder that offers a variety of new shooting styles and new ways to enjoy movies.

Designed for users who enjoy creative hobbies and lifestyles, the new Canon iVIS mini delivers shooting style freedom by enabling convenient hands-free place-and-shoot recording and shooting video of oneself. The camcorder’s stylish and compact body measures approximately 76 mm (w) x 22 mm (h) x 96 mm (d) and weighs approximately 160 grams (body only), making it small enough to rest comfortably in the palm of the hand and fit inside a pocket for easy carrying.

Equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens and offering operability that supports hands-free shooting, it not only makes possible the creation of impressive movies documenting indoor performances such as dance routines and musical recitals, as well as cooking, it also provides the ideal means for users to review and check the rehearsals of such performances.

The iVIS mini’s ultra-wide-angle lens realizes a 170-degree angle of view (35 mm equivalent: 15.4 mm) with an aspect ratio of 4:3 when capturing still images, and a 160-degree angle of view (35 mm equivalent: 16.8 mm) with an aspect ratio of 16:9 when recording video. As such, it enables corner-to-corner coverage when shooting in narrow indoor spaces, such as a studio or café, producing visually impressive movies with an enhanced sense of perspective.

The iVIS mini’s vari-angle LCD monitor is attached by a parallel two-axis hinge mechanism that facilitates shooting from a variety of angles. When the monitor faces the rear, it can swing up to a maximum angle of 80 degrees, and in the front-facing position, it can be raised up to 90 degrees for self-shooting. Additionally, a built-in stand allows the camcorder to be placed at shooting angles of up to 60 degrees, making hands-free shooting easier than ever.

Featuring the HS System, which combines an approximately 12.8-megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor and the high-performance DIGIC DV4 imaging platform, the iVIS mini captures high-resolution movies and still images with low noise, even when shooting in low-light settings. The technology enhances exposure by optimizing image brightness to eliminate whiteout or loss of shadow detail, even in high-contrast conditions.

Using built-in stand (black model)

In addition to wide-angle shooting, the iVIS mini offers a close-up shooting mode that provides a cropped view of the central area of the wide-angle image with minimal distortion. Users can easily switch between the Wide and Close-up modes in accordance with their shooting preferences. The Close-up mode makes full use of the camcorder’s high-pixel-count CMOS sensor to deliver Full HD images and movies. Additionally, a combined-use mechanical shutter lets users capture distortion-free moving subjects.

In addition to high-quality video, the iVIS mini achieves high-quality audio thanks to a built-in stereo microphone. Furthermore, with Audio Scene Select, users can choose from a variety of audio modes for the sound frequency response and microphone directional characteristic ideally suited to each shooting situation. Audio Scene Select ensures high-quality sound when shooting musical performances while suppressing unwanted road noise when shooting during drives.

Canon’s new iVIS mini includes a Mirror Image function that horizontally reverses the orientation of the image during recording and playback to provide users with an effective way of checking their movements for such activities as dance performances or practicing their golf swing. When the Detect Orientation feature is set to On during shooting, the HV sensor automatically detects when the camcorder is oriented upside-down, such as when holding the unit overhead for high-angle shooting, and inverts the image to ensure proper orientation during playback.

The new Canon camcorder offers a selection of imaging effects, including slow-motion and fast-motion shooting. Users can capture slow-motion video at up to 1/4 normal speed (VGA)1 to create eye-catching movies of dancers and other fast-moving subjects, and can shoot fast-motion video at a maximum of 4x-speed, which is particularly convenient for showing progress during such activities as cooking or demonstrating make-up and nail-art techniques. Furthermore, the Interval Recording mode lets users record images and video at pre-determined intervals which, when played back, are shown as a successive series of images. The mode is well suited for condensing the progression of slow-moving subjects, such as the growth of a plant, into a short amount of time.

Featuring built-in Wi-Fi, the iVIS mini also enables the uploading of recorded movies to SNS sites as well as live streaming and remote shooting using a smartphone or tablet device.

The iVIS mini (available in black and white body colors), priced at ¥29,980 (including tax), will be available in Japan exclusively through the Canon Online Shop from September 17, 2013.

Splashproof Case SP-V1
In addition to the iVIS mini, Canon today also introduced the Splashproof Case SP-V1, a dedicated case for the iVIS mini to protect the camcorder from rain and splashing when shooting outdoors in inclement weather or around water. The case is designed to allow users to record sound with the iVIS mini’s built-in stereo microphone even during use.

The Splashproof Case SP-V1 for the iVIS mini will go on sale in Japan in November priced at ¥10,290 (including tax).