Sony releases rugged Sport HD version of its Bloggie camcorder

Mountain bikers, hikers and other adventurers wishing to record their outings on video now have another camcorder at their disposal – Sony’s Bloggie Sport HD. It’s a ruggedized (yes, that’s a word) version of the company’s existing Bloggie camera, and continues with the line’s smartphone-like form, which includes a 2.7-inch touchscreen display.

The Sport model records 1080p video, and can also capture 5.1-megapixel stills – even while shooting video. It has a dust-proof casing, is waterproof to 16 feet (4.9 meters), and is sufficiently shock-proof to survive drops from heights of up to five feet (1.5 m). It has 4GB of built-in memory, which allows for the storage of up to two hours of full HD footage. One of the camera’s more interesting features is its Underwater Mode. This automatically adjusts the white balance when shooting underwater, to compensate for the manner in which the red and green spectra of the sunlight are absorbed by the water. This filtering of the sunlight is what causes underwater footage to have a bluish tinge (if artificial lights aren’t used), and is traditionally addressed by attaching an amber filter to the lens. Other features include SteadyShot image stabilization, a flip-out USB connector, a built-in LED light for shooting in dark environments, and Face Detection technology. The Bloggie Sport HD camera is available now, for US$179.99.