Gadgetbox - Panasonic debuts HC-V10: Compact, HD camcorder Panasonic Panasonic HC-V10 camcorder If taking videos on your smartphone just isn't cutting it for you, Panasonic hopes that its new high-def, compact HC-V10 camcorder will sway you. Besides shooting in HD, the HC-V10 has a 63x optical zoom lens with a 70x Zoom function, so far away or way, way up close, subjects should be in sharp focus and not a ghostly buzz. The HD videos can be recorded in MP4 format, which Panasonic tells us "offers broad compatibility and high compression for small, easy-to-share files." Or, users can choose to record in iFrame format, with easier editing in mind. With iFrame, the video a user captures with their camera is in the same format used for editing, so it's fast to import and edit with compatible video editing applications. There's a lot going on with this litte guy, including: Power O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), which counters shaking hands and blurry captures. It has an "active" mode optimized to make it easy to take wide-angle and telephoto images and everything in-between. Intelligent Contrast Control prevents blown highlights and blocked shadows, allowing video to retain natural toned images with proper contrast. And, an intelligent scene selector takes the brainwork out of your tired mind if you want, automatically selecting "the best scene mode to record in based on detected light and objects." As in other digital imaging devices we're seeing at CES, face detection also figures prominently in the HC-V10 and adjust exposure accordingly. But, even though users can easily share their videos once they hook up the camcorder to a computer, the emergence of Wi-Fi camcorders (like Samsung's QF20) may be the kind of tipping point that matters. (Or maybe not? You tell us.) We did notice one feature that might come in handy for capturing YouTube viral moments: The Pre-Rec function allows users to capture three seconds of video prior to pressing the Record button. When the camcorder is aimed at a subject in advance, it will continuously record three seconds of video to an internal buffer memory; when the record button is pressed, the three seconds immediately prior are added to the beginning of the clip being recorded. Pricing and availability aren't posted yet by the company, but when it does come out, color choices will be black, silver and red. More stories from CES: