Performance
For the most part, the Panasonic SDRS100 performs the way a camcorder for casual videographers should. Its automatic focus and exposure systems responded quickly to changes in scenery and lighting, and the LCD provided a sharp, bright picture that was viewable in all but very dim conditions. You can take it to its limit by increasing the brightness with the Power LCD button on the camera.
Unfortunately, the optical image stabilisation system in this camera turned in a mediocre performance. Our test footage looked jittery in spots, even when we had the OIS on and especially when we zoomed in or panned. We've seen worse, but we've seen a lot better, too.
The top-mounted internal microphone records clear audio from relatively nearby sources in all directions. There's a wind-noise-reduction setting available for improving outdoor sound.
Image quality
Panasonic may be pushing the envelope with the SD media and three-chip design of this little camcorder, but the SDRS100 isn't going to win any awards for its average image quality. It's not worse than most competing MPEG-2 camcorders, but it's not better than what you can pay half as much for in a MiniDV camera either.
Colours in our test footage did look vibrant and natural, thanks presumably to the camera's three-chip system. The automatic white balance wasn't quite up to par, though, sometimes producing blue casts in natural light and magenta ones in indoor lighting. Moreover, those three CCDs are all pretty small, and the results are mediocre image detail as well as noise in low-light shots. As the lights get very dim, you won't notice the noise as much because you won't be able to see much at all. This camera doesn't make a good night-time companion, and no amount of manual tweaking improves its low-light performance appreciably. The low-light features available will slow down the shutter enough to let adequate light in, but that's useful only when you're shooting stationary objects, which is probably not very often.
You can set the Panasonic SDRS100 to record at three different variable-bit-rate MPEG-2 compression levels, increasing your recording time as the quality level drops. At the highest level, most of the artefacts we saw were the type that make solid colours look blocky and obscure details. How noticeable these artefacts are will depend on the quality of the TV you're watching them on. Motion artefacts were kept to a minimum.
The photos we took with the Panasonic SDRS100 -- which are interpolated up to 3 megapixels from a much smaller native resolution -- were fine for emailing, posting on the Web, or making small prints to stick on the fridge. Our shots won't find their way into any frames or albums though, since they can't compete with what you'd get from a dedicated still camera that costs a quarter of this model's price.
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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