A new year means a fresh new crop of camcorders for us to lavish our attention on (they do grow up so fast). 2012's lineup isn't revolutionary, but there were still some significant technology trends we discerned at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. Check them out here.

Panasonic's 2012 camcorder lineup looks to be slimmer and trimmer - there will be fewer models than last year and we're looking at all flash-memory, so they're light weight as well. But Panasonic didn't scrimp on the features, improving their image sensor to boost low-light performance and updating their waterproof camcorder for the adventurous among us. Check out all the models they introduced at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show right here.

(Image courtesy Panasonic)

Wi-Fi connectivity has been something of a rare bird in the camcorder world - until now. At the Consumer Electronics show several manufacturers, including Sony and Samsung, threw their weight behind Wi-Fi camcorders. It's the clearest sign yet that camcorder makers are paying more attention to the rise in smartphone video. Wi-Fi transfers can make moving video around the home easier, but HD video is a very cumbersome beast. It will be interesting to see if camcorder manufacturers can make it work. Stay tuned.

Canon pulled back the curtain on its 2012 camcorder lineup. Notable among the introductions is the use of Wi-Fi in select models for wirelessly transferring video and the use of the MPEG-4 format (alongside AVCHD recording) to give consumers the option of a more "computer-friendly" video file.

Canon's high-end R-series gets a 20 percent size reduction, making them more portable. Like last year's models, Canon will stick with flash memory or memory card recording and offer automatic scene modes, face detection and touch-screen displays (on many, but not all models). Find out more here.

(Image via Canon)