Panasonic SDR-H18 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My current camcorder is over [..], and I found that I just wasn't using it much anymore.Two reasons:It was a little big to carry around, and it recorded to tape, so deleting 'bad' scenes was not practical until it got to the PC.All the new camcorders are plenty small enough to carry around.

I like the workflow of digital cameras in that you can easily delete the garbage shots after taking them.I wanted the same for a camcorder, which meant DVD or HDD was my choice, despite the possible reduction in end quality as compared to tape (HDD/DVD compress the image, tape doesn't).DVD was out for me since its capacity is very limited, and I just don't trust writing to DVD (I've had too many fail while closing the session on my PC).So it's HDD, even though I compromise image quality over tape.

I also wanted a long zoom lens.With a long zoom lens you have to sacrifice the larger CCD's, and larger CCD's allow for better image quality.Another compromise.

This left me with three final candidates in my price range: Sony DCR-SR42, JVC Everio GZMG155 and Panasonic SDR-H18.The Sony specs list 40x zoom, but the number that counts is the focal range (1.9 to 76), which actually gives you about the same true zoom as the other two (they advertise 32x).So they are equal there.

The final difference came down to price and the image stabilization.Only the Panasonic had optical image stabilization, which generally does a better job than electronic.This is especially important for these long zoom cameras.So the SDR-H18 won, and it was the least expensive also.

Considering the 'compromises' I had to make to go HDD and long zoom, I'm very happy with the image quality when played back on a standard def TV (haven't tried HD TV yet).It's at least as good as my old Digital-8 Sony image.The image stabilization is better than I expected - I had no problem holding the shot steady free handed at 32x.

BTW -No need to install the included CD.Windows XP recognized the camera and mounted it as a hard drive.Just copy the movies to your system like normal works.You may want to rename them to MPG files though, and set the widescreen flag in the file since the camera doesn't.Search for sdcopy.exe for a free simple utility to copy, rename and set the flag for you.

The only downsides I noticed so far:
Very low light feature on camera is useless as compared to Sony's IR mode.The Pana just makes the exposure time huge, which means you can only record still scenes in very low light.Not a problem for me though as I don't find the need to record in the dark much!Normal indoor light is OK, but not great.

The supplied battery won't last very long on a charge.Amazon has a battery CGA-DU21 which will 3 to 4 times as long for a very low price.Update on experience with it: I have had the chance to try the video on a 42" LCD HD TV using the S-Video connector. It's not HD for sure, but the quality was acutally pretty good. I expected it to magnify the compressions issues to the point of being distracting. Others in the room actually commented how clean the video looked (the sample was from video taped outdoors in bright light).
One additional negative to add is that you can't delete a shot until you are in playback mode. I'd like to be able to delete it as soon as I've finished shooting it from the record mode thus saving a couple steps. Overall, no regrets.

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Product Description:
It's hard to believe such a small camcorder is capable of doing such great things. Panasonic Palmcorder SDR-H18 Camcorder is perfect for extended trips with its internal 30GB hard drive that holds as much video data as up to 22 8cm 1.4GB DVDs. That's about 22 hours worth of high-quality video. The SDR-H18 offers a 32x extended range zoom capability. Panasonic's selectable Optical Image Stabilization system helps reduce blurred images that result from normal handheld movements. Stills and videos may also be recorded on SD or SDHC memory cards. A built-in USB port lets you transfer images recorded on the 30GB hard drive directly to your PC or Mac for extended video storage or editing. Shoot in 4:3 standard or 16:9 widescreen visual modes - fill your TV screens. It's a camcorder for all seasons and reasons.Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.)Recording Modes -XP, SP, LPMagicPix Images for 2 Lux Minimum Illumination ShootingIris -Auto Focus/Manual (Including Gain)Still Picture Recording, 640x480, 640x360 (16 - 9)MPEG2 Recording FormatWide Mode (16 - 9 Aspect Ratio)Image Sensor (Total) -1/6 CCD (680K Pixels)Image Sensor (Effective) -4 - 3 - 340K, 16 - 9 - 460K (Moving Picture)Image Sensor (Effective) -4 - 3 - 350K, 16 - 9 - 460K (Still Picture)Lens Aperture -F1.8 (Wide)/F3.7 (Telephoto)White Balance Settings -Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, Manual Backlight CompensationDate Recording -Auto Date (in Date Code)On-Screen Display Language -English, French, SpanishBuilt-In SD SDHC Card Slot PictBridge CompatibleUnit Dimensions -2.98 W x 3.27 H x 4.76 D; Weight -0.95 lbs.Panasonic USA Warranty 1 Year Parts and 90 Days Labor

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