Panasonic SDRS100 review

The zoom dial is cleverly designed, in that it has treads on each side. If your hand is smaller, you can rest your thumb on the closer side (the right if you're right-handed, the left if you're a lefty) and move it up and down to turn the dial, whereas people with larger hands can use the far tread for a more comfortable hand position. That said, the dial feels a little too high to accommodate a comfortable grip on the camera while zooming. Because your fingers are wrapped around the front of the camera, raising your thumb to reach the dial can be a strain. However, your comfort in operating this camera will probably vary with your hand size and dexterity, so try this one out to see if it's a good fit before you buy it.

LCD menu and delete buttons are at the rear of the camera, above a switch that lets you select automatic or manual mode as well as manual focus. The door to the left covers the three ports on the camera: power, USB and a multiconnector for A/V, S-video and headphones

This camcorder is clearly aimed at videographers who usually shoot on auto, but it does put some useful manual adjustments within easy reach so that you don't have to stop and hunt around in the LCD menus for them. In automatic mode, you can press the centre button of the four-way controller for quick access to Soft Skin, Backlight Compensation and Tele-Macro modes. In manual mode, the same button in conjunction with the controller keys also lets you adjust exposure, change the shutter speed, the iris or the white balance and boost the gain. You'll find other scene modes and adjustments in the menus, which are easy to understand and navigate once you've familiarised yourself with all the icons.

The simple mode dial on the right side of the camera lets you select video, photo,and playback modes, as well as a PC option for downloading and videoconferencing

There are a few drawbacks to the compactness of this camera's design. The SDRS100's battery is housed in an internal compartment that's covered by a door, which means that you can't snap a larger, higher-capacity cell on as you can with a camcorder that has an external battery well. You'll have to carry a spare to extend your shooting time. The battery charges in the camera instead of via a separate charger, so you can't charge one cell while using another.

There's no accessory shoe for a video light or an external microphone and there isn't even a jack for connecting those accessories. The SD slot is on the bottom of the camera near the tripod mount, so if you set the camera on a tripod to record an event that's longer than your memory card's capacity, you'll lose a few minutes of the action while dismounting the camera to change cards.