Olympus' LS-20M boasts dual mics and 1080p recording, split personality

Cisco may have washed its hands of pocket camcorders, but Olympus is ready to dive into the market with gusto. The company, best known for its cameras and voice recorders, just brought those two worlds together by announcing the LS-20M, a handheld whose relatively high-end audio specs should help it go toe-to-toe with Zoom. In addition to 1080p video, the LS-20M records 24 bit / 96 mHz Linear PCM audio using a pair of condenser mics. Alas, at $300 it has a small 2-inch screen and no optical zoom, but at least Olympus borrowed four of the visual effects that make its PEN cameras so fun to use. Look for it in June, and in the meantime, hit the PR for more details.