Despite the decline of the camcorder market, Sony's latest HDR-GW77V Handycam looks to make a splash in the Handycam range.
Not only is the 10x optical zoom HDR-GW77V tough enough to survive a drop from 5 feet, it's also waterproof down to 16 feet.
The 29.8mm equivalent wide-angle lens can extend through to 298mm to capture far-away subjects on the move. Optical image stabilisation is also built into the lens to help steady capture.
The Handycam offers a 28Mbit/sec data rate when capturing 1080p60 movie files, while the back-illuminated Exmor R sensor can capture JPEG stills at a whopping 20.4-megapixels. There's even Sony's Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode - as featured in most Sony Alpha and Cyber-shot stills cameras - to capture a panoramic image by moving the Handycam through a scene in real time.
There's also a 3-inch, 921k-dot touchscreen LCD that's said to work while submerged, which is mounted on a vari-angle bracket for framing from all manner of different angles.
The GW77V, which comes with 16GB of memory built in, is anticipated to launch at the end of June with a $700 (USD) asking price. Although our pictures might suggest it's a bit of a chameleon, the model will be available in black, white and blue finishes.
However, there's no word as to whether it'll see a release on UK shores as yet.
Can the GW77V make enough of a splash to make you part with your cash?