This week’s Consumer Electronics Show heralded the arrival of another feature-packed series of consumer camcorders, several of which can deliver clear, crisp video at a full 1080i for a fraction of the price of their professional cousins.

But while these “prosumer” cameras sometimes compromise on durability, features and accessories, they may well have a place in TV stations as complements, if not substitutes, for the familiar $30,000 pro models.

“Definitely the consumer equipment performs so well now, that the idea of broadcast quality has gotten somewhat vague,” says NAB Chief Technologist Lynn Claudy at CES.

“And that’s really a good thing because it means that overall quality and reliability and capability are available to everybody in a homogeneous way,” he says. “We’re enthused about that.”

Even more enthused are the sales and marketing reps of leading prosumer manufacturers—Canon, Sony and Panasonic.

“Our high-definition consumer cameras, are going to be very close to broadcast quality for a couple of reasons,” says Kevin Brinkman, Sony’s senior content and training manager for digital imaging products.

“The color fidelity looks a lot more accurate because we offer a three-CCD system. And you can choose the frame rate that matches what you already do in the field.”

That includes 24 fps often used to help video imitate the look of film, although most news shooters stick with a traditional 30 fps. “Five of the six models we introduced this week have 1920-by-1080i capability,” says Brinkman.”

But, unlike the sticker shock typical of broadcast camcorders, the consumer cameras offer quality and functionality at a price that’s sure to warm the hearts of corporate comptrollers.

As the technical representative for Canon’s Pro Markets Group, Tim Smith focuses on professional users of the company’s “prosumer” cameras, all of which deliver a full, 1080i high-def image.

“Our XHA1 comes in at $4,000,”  says Smith. “Then the XAG1 runs $7,000, moving up to $9,000 for the XAH1, which accepts interchangeable lens pieces. The difference is in the feature set.”

In other words, says Smith, the picture quality is the same. “Really, you’re getting a $9,000 image at a $4,000 price point, and I would put that against images in the $30,000-$50,000 category and challenge you to see the difference.”

One of Canon’s most popular cameras among TV stations is a $1,000 consumer model—the fully high-def HV20, replaced just this week by the forthcoming HV30. “We added 30p so you’ll have 24p, 30p and 60i recording in the same camera,” says Smith.

The HV30 features one other change in direct response to comments from news shooters. “We got a lot of feedback about the [previous] silver color and they said that aesthetically it would be nicer in black. So we made it in black for them.”

That finishing touch is more than cosmetic. It acknowledges that video pros are frankly embarrassed to be seen out on the street toting “amateur” gear.

What’s more, the diminutive size of consumer cameras demands equally-petite controls. Compared to a robust thumb-sized rocker switch on a pro camera, the zoom lens control on a consumer cam may be little more than a tiny lever alongside the start/stop button.

A cottage industry of manufacturer and third party accessories attempts to resolve such shortcomings.

Examples are VariZoom’s zoom controllers or BeachTek’s audio adapters for professional microphones. These work, but only when the camera-makers include the inputs for such devices.

Panasonic’s mid-range, high-def consumer cameras can accept a LANC (local application control bus) for the zoom lens, but lack a mini-jack audio input for external microphones.

And even these clever solutions can prove problematic. BeachTek’s audio adaptors are roughly the same size as the Canon HV30—and almost as heavy. The VariZoom remote zoom control is designed to clip to a tripod handle, but is unwieldy for hand-held shooting.

All of which underscores a basic shortcoming of consumer equipment for professional production: it’s designed for the ease and convenience of consumers.

“We’ve found that the convenience frustrates the skilled shooters,” says Canon’s Smith.  “The autofocus in the HV30 is the best I’ve ever seen. It’s extremely fast, even in low light situations. It’s truly the first autofocus system you can really count on.”

Even so, many professional shooters are offended by the suggestion they can’t focus by themselves, he says. “So we kept the manual override, so you always have the choice.”

Other consumer features have fared better with the pros, according to Panasonic’s Matt Frazer. “Our high-def cameras now have special software that recognizes human faces. Every time a face comes into frame, the camera automatically ensures that the face is properly exposed. It can do this for up to four subjects.”

Frazer is equally enthused about the storage solutions in Panasonic’s new models. “Our HDCSD9 records to a [solid state] SD memory card, which is great in the field. It currently maxes out at 16 gigabytes with up to 32 gigabytes when those cards become available. For a few hundred dollars more, the HDHS9 records to a 60 gigabyte hard drive.”

Both storage methods can transfer footage to editing systems in a fraction of the time it takes a videotape to play back. Similar storage options are available from Sony (see the HDRSR12) and Canon (check out the HF10.) 

“What’s nice with our consumer hard-drive models is that we looked at the durability and how it’s going to be used in a variety of situations,” says Sony’s Brinkman.

“We actually incorporate a shock system so if the camcorder is suddenly jarred, the write head is automatically removed from the drive so it doesn’t cause damage. After a moment, the write head continues to record (from the buffer) unless the jolt was severe, in which case the unit turns itself off.”

But, in general, says NAB’s Lynn Claudy, “The professional equipment will take more of a licking and keep on ticking,” 

“Consumer cameras aren’t supposed to be as durable as a broadcast camera,” says Panasonic’s Frazer. “On the other hand, it’s safe to say that because of how compact they are, they are less likely to be dropped or mishandled. So you’re not going to worry about a lens mount snapping off from mishandling.”

“Those $90,000 cameras always seem to want to land right on the lens when you drop them,” says Canon’s Tim Smith, although he concedes that a consumer camera encased in plastic is more vulnerable than the metal shell of the pro version.(Canon's top-of-the-line XAH1 is encased in magnesium.)

“But longevity-wise, if you just treat the consumer camcorder with respect, our [tape] heads are going to stand up to that of a professional camera.”

Perhaps to ensure longevity, all three vendors offer maintenance and repair training for station personnel. Canon, says Smith, goes one step further, offering stations free membership in the Canon Professional Services Program.

“It moves you to the front of the line for repairs and gives you discounts on cleanings, equipment loaner programs and other benefits,” Smith says. “These may be consumer cameras, but we realize we’re servicing a professional market so we offer professional-quality camera repair service.”

When not in Las Vegas picking through the latest electronic gadgetry, Arthur Greenwald writes Market Share, TVNEWSDAY's Monday column that features successful sales and viewer promotions—as well as the changing market trends that affect us all. Now’s your chance to go digital. Tap your digits on your keyboard and tell Arthur about your station’s success story. Write to Arthur at greenwald@tvnewsday.com.