Nicknamed the "microPocket DV," the movie camera can shoot and record moving images on tape, use an encoder chip to convert video footage into MPEG-4 data, and store it on a Multimedia or SD card.

The 340-gram GR-DVP3 camera measures 43 x 115 x 80 mm, or about 10 percent lower in volume and weight compared to existing compact digital cameras.

JVC used its M-VIL eight-layer printed-circuit board in the device, which contributed to its "shirt pocket" size, a JVC spokesman said.

Images taken by the camera's 1/4-inch, 680,000-pixel CCD image sensor can be processed by the camera's high-band processor to achieve 520-line horizontal resolution. XGA and VGA still images also can be shot using a high-speed mechanical shutter.

The worldwide digital video camera market will reach 4.4 million units in the current fiscal year, which closes at the end of March, and will grow to 6 million units in the next fiscal year, according to JVC projections. JVC said it holds about a 30 percent stake in the market this year and intends to expand its share to 35 percent next year.