JVC Offers New Rugged Camcorders as Alternative to 'Fragile' Smartphones

JVC’s new Everio rugged camcorders are water-, dust-, shock- and freeze-proof -- and they float, said a Tuesday news release. The company is pitching the outdoor camcorders for situations where “use of a fragile smartphone is just too risky.” The lineup uses Konica Minolta HD lenses with a 40x optical zoom and 60x dynamic zoom. Features include time counters for recording and playback, self-check that repeats recording and playback at set intervals, slow-motion playback, time-lapse recording and zoom position memory, said JVC. The top-line GZ-R550B ($499) has 32 GB memory, and the $399 GZ-R440 models ($399) offer 4 GB memory, it said.