Panasonic SDRS100 review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Aimee Baldridge

Reviewed on: 28 September 2005

Tags: Panasonic, Panasonic SDRS100, tripod, brightness, image stabilisation

We like:

Extremely compact; three-chip colour quality; attractive, thoughtful design

We don't like:

Some may find grip uncomfortable for extended shooting; subpar optical image stabilisation; poor low-light performance; no external microphone or video light support; not Mac-friendly

You might also need:

An extra battery; a hard drive or other storage device for archiving video

CNET UK judgement:

The smallest three-chip camcorder yet, the MPEG-2-recording Panasonic SDRS100 is at the forefront of solid-state consumer camcorder technology, but that doesn't mean its video quality is above average

Full review:

If you like to stay one step ahead of the crowd, the Panasonic SDRS100 is a camcorder that will keep pace with you. Panasonic is blazing the trail towards solid-state video capture with this diminutive, three-chip camcorder. Ever since the company introduced its professional P2 system, which captures broadcast-quality video on SD cards encased in sturdy pro-style cartridges, the writing has been on the wall for the consumer market. JVC beat Panasonic to the punch with its Everio line of ultracompact camcorders that record to Microdrives as well as flash-memory cards, and this first MPEG-2 solid-state consumer model from Panasonic is set to go head-to-head with them, along with future models we can expect to see from these and other manufacturers. Continue Reading...