Thing is that for average amateur person camcorders are better options. As they are also much better option for many serious things.

You also removed Sony camcorders with their gyro stabilizer from the list for unknown reasons.

Also check Panasonic HC-V700 or previous SD90 model, they are smaller and have 28mm lens.

They sure haven't come very far in the last 4 years

They use AVCHD. Period.

As for me, I do not need 24p or 25p in camcorder. All I need is proper 60p and they have it.

@Vitaliy_Kiselev

Does the Canon have 60p? I couldn't figure out if it was 1080i or 1080p @ 60 FPS.

@mpgxsvcd

Really, go and try. As all this words about "not really a match:" is just flame.

All of this camcorders are much better than m43 or even FZ200 if you need to do usual stuff.

As for Sony stab, it is not matched by anything alse.

@svart

Dream of cell phones taking over is so common :-) Sadly, won't happen.

@svart I can't say we are in a good enough age. I think the opposite actually. Not long ago, audio was king in Doc's and video was just there to look at while you listen. That has gone a full 180 degrees and Docs are becoming real productions.

Camcorders do things like auto focus that DSLR's aren't even close to. You mentioned the HF G10. I have one that I bought along with it's Prosumer Big Brother the XA10. It's the same camera with the XA's XLR inputs. It has beautiful autofocus and I use it on my Jib/Crane. I've tried DSLR's on it and it ain't pretty.

Camcorder stills suck and for the same money, a DSLR will give much better video results assuming you have time to set the shot up. Despite the fact that people use them, a DSLR is not an ENG camera and doesn't work well for it.

A cellphone is just a cellphone. Some news people like Shaky Hand Productions are using them, but they only get mediocre video. It's a device of opportunity, not choice.

We're seeing more attempts at breeding camcorder/DSLR hybrids and that may be the future...but, technology does not travel in a straight line, so who knows.

I think camcorders and DSLR's will have their places for a while yet.

Thing that I want to see is called sensors with uneven density.
So, big camera sensor will have more density in the central area (double density in 1/4 center area, and next doubling again after 1/2).
All that you need is just special ENG lenses that you could snap on m43. :-)

Big advantages of camcorders is exactly small sensor size. So stabilizers are working better. AF hunting is hardly noticeable.

as 3D has been a commercial failure...

LOL. It is not commercial failure :-)

Idea of 4K consumer camcorders coming very soon is slightly strange.

@mpgxsvcd I originally picked up a GH2 from an Australian filmmaker that had both the GH2 and then the HF-G10 and found that the latter (with a 35mm adapter) was much faster to use for what he wanted to do.

No new 3D camcorder and lenses have been announced for a while.

I think it is false, both Sony presented TD20 this year, as well as Panasonic renewed 3D option in their camcorders line (it has better 3D lens option now and recording is now 1080p frame packed instead of SBS).

3D computer displays are infrequently released now

All exact in reverse, as many new 3D displayes had been announced and available now (LG, Samsung, etc).
As I am fan of big screens, also big amount of cheap and very good LG 3D TVs are available also.

Many people watch movies in 3D here at the theaters because there are no 2D screenings

I asked personally many people, never had such answer.

In fact, I am watching home 3D films and docs now more than 2D :-)

upcoming 4K vs OLED won't make the choice any easier on consumers either, further segmenting the market.

In fact, in reverse. Natural choice is 4K 3D OLED screen using passive technology. LG showed such screens and they are amazing. Only thing that stops this is OLED production issues.

Idea of many professionals on how cool it'll be to have same shooting approach (instead of difficult adoption of 3D approach), just in 4K, could result in disaster. :-)

Depending on the model of camcorder used, you may have better control of audio levels, motorized zoom in multiple speeds, far less CMOS jello than is present on large sensor cameras, much better video image stabilization, better auto focus while shooting video, and a form factor that may be more readily usable for continuous shooting over time. And I am thinking of low end camcorders!

I've shot events with both dSLRs and camcorders - and the camcorder features and form factor almost always win. Of course dSLRs will get better too.

Are camcorders dead? No, but the market is shrinking - the consumer camcorder appealed to parents of young children. Many of those parents are shooting video using their point and shoot - or worse, smart phone - and do not seem to mind the bad results (especially jello).

4k - most people (not us photo fans!) do not notice the difference between 720p and 1080p on a typical home TV. Most people over age 45 have eyesight limitations making the resolution less noticeable on a home TV. 4k displays provide for true 2k 3D (2k each eye) versus today's half resolution 3D.

Consumer 4k? Hard to see that becoming a consumer item for a while yet - editing is a pain.

3D? I have shot mostly 3D video and stills during the past 10 months using dual Lumix GH-2s and dual Canon HF M301 consumer camcorders. While the home market for 3D TVs has not taken off as hoped, the online distribution of 3D (Youtube) is growing nicely. 3D is not yet large enough for traditional fat pipes (cable/satellite) to support much 3D content. But niche content does well online. 3D is a niche but it is growing.

Ed 3d.coldstreams.com (personal site on 3d)

@Vitaliy_Kiselev "In fact, in reverse. Natural choice is 4K 3D OLED screen using passive technology. LG showed such screens and they are amazing. Only thing that stops this is OLED production issues."

I'd love to buy a 84" 4K OLED 3D screen right now, but it still seems maybe 3 years off at anywhere near "affordable" prices ($5000 or less). The closest thing to that we have today is the Sony Personal 3D Viewer at 720p OLED/eye for $800, but it's not practical for long-term video viewing at all.

Worldwide, I don't doubt there's a sizeable audience of gamers and sports fans and die-hard movie fans that insist on 3D, but mass audience hasn't adopted 3D use into their daily lives though the options are there.

As for 3D, might check this article from last week that was published by AP

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20120928/DA1IQIGG1.html

"Sluggish demand for 3-D on TV has caused programmers to hit pause on rolling out new shows and channels. In June, DirecTV turned its 24-hour channel, n3D, into a part-time network that only shows special event programming like the Olympics, in part to avoid the heavy use of reruns caused by a lack of new material. Last year, AT&T dropped ESPN 3D from its lineup, saying the $10 per month cost to subscribers wasn't justified given low demand."

I wish it were different, but this trend has cooled off my plans for investing in developing 3D content, and instead focused on generating higher resolution content instead for the future ...