Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 29 October 2008 06:59
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 2
Doing his best to bring cheap Chinese prices to Australia, the founder
of Kogan Technologies, Ruslan Kogan, is bringing a 1080P HD camcorder
to Australia at $399, seriously undercutting brand name models which
generally cost well over $1000. Question is, is it any good?
Kogan Technologies is launching what it calls “Australia’s best value Full HD video camera”, sold on a direct basis through the Kogan
website for AUD $399.
Given that there can still be questions at times over cheap Chinese technology, I’d want to test the camera out myself, and read the view of a video camera expert before buying one.
That said, Kogan’s founder, Ruslan Kogan, has staked his reputation on good quality yet inexpensive Chinese technology, and thus you’d expect he’s tested it out and is personally happy enough with the quality to stick his name onto it and sell it in Australia.
According to Kogan’s press release, the camera “records in full high definition 1080p, offers 5x Optical Zoom, Optical Image Stabilisation, Still Camera mode, and Face Detection Technology.”
In the box is an 8GB SDHC card onto which the video is recorded, which is theoretically expandable to 64GB (theoretically because 64GB SDHC cards aren’t available yet, only 32GB).
It has a component and USB output, software for editing and managing videos, and a 3-inch LCD screen.
Ruslan Kogan said: “We’ve hit the sweet spot with the Kogan Full HD Video Camera, by offering a perfect combination of quality, specifications, and price.
“No consumer electronics vendor in Australia can match the value of the Kogan Full HD Video Camera.
“The success of the Kogan business and brand has allowed us to expand our range beyond LCD TVs. We now sell computer monitors, digital photo frames, GPS navigation devices, and cameras.
“Our direct business model allows us to sell consumer electronic products for far cheaper than any other company. We cut out all the middle men and pass the savings onto customers,” Kogan said.
Full specs are on page 2.
