In what seems like a theme this year, Canon just announced at CES the refresh of their Vixia camcorder lineup which sports an improved CMOS sensor, MP4 recording, DLNA, and a WiFi module allowing shooters to share their content on DLNA televisions and social sharing sites. Their new lineup of camcorders called the M and R series record to 8 or 32GB of flash memory, has an improved sensor which allows better capture in low light, a anew new Intelligent Image Stablization system. We actually got to try Canon’s last image stablization version and we’re quite impressed with how steady they kept the image even though the camcorder was so small in a shooter’s hand. So we’re really excited to see how their new image stablization performs.

In addition, the camera allows dual codec recording, giving users the option to record in AVCHD and MP4 – something usually only found in higher end camcorders. The Vixia also sports a sensor that can see as low as 1.2 lux which is also not often seen in consumer devices.

The camera lineup will still keep many of the same features that led to its success in the past such as Canon’s Smart AUTO mode that intelligently detects and analyzes brightness, color, an distance to select the best preset for shooting. A touch panel LCD screen where you can set focus, Cinema-Look Filters that give the image a cinematic look, and relay recording between two cards for uninterrupted video recording.  The M series will include a 10X HD video lens as well as a 3.0 inch touchscreen and has a wider dynamic range than it had before giving you more bright and dark values to work with in post.

The M camcorder lineup will be available for $749.99, $649.99, and $549.99 while the R series will be available for $549.99, $449.99, and $349.99 respectively. Most of the camcorders are similar in function but have a few different features such as flash memory size that account for the difference in price.

Canon just broke the news this morning on their newest camera to grace their EOS lineup: the Canon EOS-1D X. This is their first high-end camera designed with both video and stills in mind from the start and it’s a doozy. In fact Canon is calling it a “completely revolutionized EOS-1D series model…. a high-speed multimedia juggernaut replacing both the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV models.”

To call this camera a replacement of their old models means that this new camera has a lot to live up to. However, they’ve definitely seem to have accomplished that. The new model has an 18 megapixel sensor – smaller than the 1D Mark IV which this replaces – but with one big caveat: each pixel is 1.25 microns larger. This means that the camera can not only gather more light on each pixel, it can also do so without recording as much light bleed and noise.

On the processing side, Canon also saw fit to include 3 processors instead of the usual 2. It uses a dual DIGIC 5+ processor for image processing and a single DIGIC 4 processor just to achieve accurate auto exposure and focus. The new DIGIC 5+ technology means that the sensors now have almost 17 times more processing speed than their predecessor making it possible for the camera to process functions like chromatic abberation reduction, 12 fps continuous shooting, and HDR  in real-time. Also due to the addition of the DIGIC 4 processor, the camera now includes a 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor that works together with the 1D’s new EOS intelligent tracking and face recognition to give accurate focus tracking for live event video shooting. This means it may now finally be possible to keep your hands firmly on the tripod while shooting a wedding and not on the focus ring which can lead to shake.

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As we’ve all noticed lately, the lines between the gear used in still and video shooting are becoming blurred, some still shooters are embracing video for the first time using DSLRs, and videographers are clicking away creating still images using that same camera they purchased for videography.

Now Canon, the makers of the first HDSLR that was embraced by many shooters on both side of the chasm, is sponsoring a still photo contest that video creators might find interesting. The winner of the contest gets to work with Academy Award winning director, Ron Howard, on a movie short inspired by that still image.

Canon just announced  the “Long Live Imagination” campaign with Ron Howard. People submit photos to www.youtube.com/imagination and winners will be selected to inspire a Hollywood short film directed by Ron Howard shot on a Canon DSLR  There will be eight photos selected form the collection of entries, and they will collectively be the inspiration for the movie short. The Short will be shot using Canon DSLR cameras and accessories, and there will be a Red Carpet premiere in New York where the winners will meet Ron Howard.

Entries for the contest will be accepted from May 22 to June 14th and there are eight movie themes to help you get your imagination and inspiration on: Setting, Time, Character, Mood, Relationship, Goal, Obstacle and the Unknown.

And if you want to be a better video shooter, learn from a still photographer. They have to capture a full story in just one frame – this contest allows you to practice both still and moving imaging skills.

Below is more information form Canon regarding the contest:

“I’m known as a narrative storyteller, so when Canon approached me to partner on the ‘Long Live Imagination’ campaign, I was moved by the opportunity to collaborate with the masses, tapping into consumers’ creativity and using their photos as building blocks to produce a film,” said Howard. “I hope the project stimulates people’s imaginations whether they are an amateur photographer, a world traveler or a proud parent, and I hope what we create is meaningful.”

A visually stunning television commercial that takes place within Ron Howard’s mind’s eye will begin airing May 22nd. The spot will promote the “Project Imagin8ion” contest and online community.

Throughout the promotion, Ron Howard, with the help of Canon experts with Project Imagin8ion and the community, will narrow down the submissions and select eight photos – one from each category. These eight winning photos will become the basis and inspiration for the short.

As part of the overall “Long Live Imagination” campaign, Canon will be curating the most inspiring photography out there, championing the imagination of the masses while demonstrating the infinite possibilities of Canon digital imaging. The customized Long Live Imagination brand channel on YouTube will serve as a meeting place and sharing community for Canon users and photography enthusiasts alike throughout 2011. The Imagination Gallery will be linked to other social media platforms including Flickr, Facebook and Twitter, so that users can easily share their photos, pose questions to the community and participate in real-time discussions. Though the gallery will launch as the home of Canon’s “Project Imagin8ion” initiative, the community page will live-on and continue to grow.

Compact does not describe the new Professional camcorder from Canon – it is tiny. The XA-10 does not skimp on quality by recording in HD 1080p. Inside the body is a wide angle lens with flexible zoom range and an eight blade iris for getting clean depth of field.

You should take advantage of the attachable arm shown in the video to get external XLRs and it’s still less than 10 inches in all dimensions and under two lbs, and if you are a Canon customer you may have the DSLR, EOS 60D, which is mere ounces lighter than the XA-10. Recording time will be a small issue with either 64GB internal memory for a minimum of five hours recording time or two SDXC card slots, including simultaneous recording for instant backup. You will be able to make great video with this small, professional camcorder for $2,000. We caught up with a speaker for Canon to give us some insight in this video from CES 2011:

Dan Blank shot “Whatever Lola Wants” with a shoestring budget and a Canon EOS 7D that you can pick up for under $2,000 with lens included. This video shows that you don’t need a huge budget or ridiculously expensive camera gear, just a lot of planning, some great networking skills and a vision! I’ll say it again, HDSLR’s are a real revolution in filmmaking. If you’re not into the HDSLR scene this video is still a great example of how plates are shot and some impressive green screen compositing in action. Plus, if you’re not familiar with previsualization (previz) software this is an excellent example of its role in filmmaking.

Oh yeah – That budget? It checked in just under $2,000 – I’ll credit Dan’s networking skills on that one!

The video below shows the true potential of HDSLRs; slow motion paired with stunning depth of field. Previously to capture something remotely close to the results shown in this video required one to rent an expensive high-speed Phantom camera or shoot rolls of film. However, this video was shot on the Canon 7D at 60FPS then stretched out to 1000FPS in After Effects using the plug-in Twixtor. Twixtor allows you to speed up and slow down footage by warping and interpolating frames of the original sequence with stunning results!

If you’re shooting action sports sequences and still rolling costly film to get slow motion paired with the unrivaled depth of field film captures, HDSLRs are an affordable answer at a fraction of the cost!