CES 2012: Best in Show Cameras and Camcorders

Hard to believe that CES, that behemoth of a tradeshow is over. We're bidding the Las Vegas Convention Center a fond farewell by counting down the top five trends and announcements we saw at the show.

1. Canon G1 X: Some of us thought we'd see a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera at this year's CES. Instead, we got the G1X - a souped up G12 with a large 1.5-inch sensor and a fixed 4x optical zoom lens. We're not saying that like it's a bad thing. The G12 is a proven class leader and the G1 X has some serious potential with its not-quite-APS-C sized sensor and highly capable DIGIC 5 processor. Will all of that be enough to help potential buyers overlook a steep $800 price tag? We'll see.
   
   
2. Fujifilm X-Pro1: The Fuji X-Pro1 made its official debut at a frenzied press conference the day before the show kicked off. What details we gleaned from the launch were enticing enough - a new APS-C CMOS sensor with a re-tooled pixel array, second-generation hybrid viewfinder and three new XF lenses, for starters. And who can resist all of that retro charm - the dials, the finish, the chrome accents? Not us, that's for sure.
   
   
3. WiFi? Why, Yes: There weren't an overwhelming number of new cameras with WiFi compatibility at this year's show, but something tells us this is a trend to watch through the coming year. Samsung announced no less than five WiFi models including a camcorder this year. Half of Canon's new consumer-focused VIXIA camcorders are WiFi and DLNA compatible. Even financially troubled Kodak put forth the M750, which synchs up to a new smartphone app for... well, easy sharing. WiFi might finally be here in a big way this year.
   
   
4. Nikon D4: This leaner and meaner flagship, full-frame DSLR boasts some noted improvements to video capture and accessibility. The 51-point AF system has been re-vamped and now offers access to more cross-type sensors with a greater range of lenses. A burst shooting rate of 10 fps isn't bad either. As far as specs go, the Nikon D4 is just as impressive as we'd expect from Nikon. We spent some time with it on the show floor and we're eager to get our hands on the D4 again soon.
   
   
5. Pocket Camcorders in Numbers: Plenty of pocket camcorders made a CES debut this year including the Sony Bloggie Live, Kodak PlayFull Dual and a pair from Toshiba. Many are WiFI capable, some are rugged, all of them are portable. The Sony Bloggie Live got a full review from us - and while we liked the good quality stills and images, we didn't find it as capable in creating live streaming videos. Regardless, CES is a great time of the year to introduce a slew of low-price, highly pocketable camcorders and this year was no different.
   

That's all for this year. But don't let post-CES depression set in, revisit our coverage at our CES special section, and take heart in knowing the Photokina is just on the horizon.