Canon unveiled prior to the Consumer Electronics Show this week new high definition camcorders and standard definiton camcorders. The HD camcorders, in particular the high-end VIXIA HV40 HDV, are of note because they feature a new Canon digital image processor known as DIGIC DV III.

Canon says its DIGIC DV III image processor has a higher speed engine, offering better color reproduction, clairty and noise reduction. It is also the backbone behind some other new Canon HD camcorder features, including 8-megapixel photo capture, face detection technology and an enhanced auto exposure system.