Imaging giant Canon took a ride on the space shuttle. The Tokyo optics company said its XH G1 HD video camcorder was taken into orbit aboard Discovery for use in HD acquisition tests. The tests were carried out jointly on the International Space Station by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The 1080i, lightweight, XH G1 HD camcorder has a Canon 20x HD zoom lens with a fluorite lens element and “a Super-Range Optical Image Stabilizer,” according to Canon. It also has 24p and cine gamma settings for providing the film feel.
The XH G1 was introduced in November 2006. It went into outer space on Discovery Oct. 23 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
