I have been using this camera for several weeks in lots of different conditions: indoors, outdoors, action, stills, etc. Overall, it is a great camera if you are looking for good video performance, acceptable still performance for a video camera, no tapes, and an incredibly small size which truly does fit in your pocket.I have not had any of the dark video issues mentioned above.
I have owned many previous miniDV cameras including a JVC, Canon Elura, Panasonic 3CCD, and Sony DCR-PC1000. To my eye, the video this camera produces video as good as the others in terms of sharpness and color accuracy. I tested it side-by-side with the Sony (the most recent model of those shown), and it performed about the same to my eye as the Sony with video, although color was a little more accurate on the Panasonic, and the still images were noticeably better. I was concerned about getting an MPEG2 camera thinking the compression would cause artifacts and have trouble with action video. I have had no problems with either.
The real reason I tried this camera is that all of the above cameras have broken after a couple years of use due to a broken tape handling mechanism, and I was thrilled about the idea of a tapeless camera! The battery lasts much longer due to not having to drive a tape, and the startup time is great since it doesn't have to get the tape across the recording heads after you switch it on. I also prefer no hard drive for durability and battery life issues, and none of the hard drive cameras are even close to this in size.
Now the trade-offs you make with this camera. At first I thought it didn't go very wide-angle which was disapponting (44mm 35mm equivalent, I think?), but I tested it side-by-side with the Sony and it was nearly identical, and I never noticed lack of wide angle on the Sony. Also, the MPEG2 format is a bit of a pain. I use Final Cut Express and iMovie on a Mac, and neither reads MPEG2 directly. That said, there is a free utility which seems to be very good called Streamclip, or you can buy a $20 add-on for your QT player to play and convert MPEG2, but it's still an extra step in the process. I believe that Premiere does not support it either. Just be aware that it's not as compatible with as many editing apps as ubiquitous miniDV and a conversion step is required.
The only other camera I seriously considered (after ruling out tapes and hard drives) was the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1A, which is also an SD-based camera. Despite having a 5MP still image resolution, most video reviews for it were extremely negative. Some surmised that this is really a still camera at the core, marketed as a video camera. Furthermore it does not have optical image stabilization, which I consider a near-must for such small cameras if you want smooth video. It does indeed record in HD, but at least one review said the video quality was poor enough that it didn't really matter. It does indeed record in MPEG4, though, which is natively read by iMovie.
So if you don't mind a significantly larger camera and tapes, there may be more compelling options like the Sony HDR-HC3 which records in HD, or perhaps one the hard-drive models. But if you're looking for a tapeless video camera, and especially an SD-based one which takes truly high quality video, this appears to be the only real choice out there at the moment (Nov 2006).
Yes, if you film in very low light, it will darken many colors. But we're talking 60 lux, which is the roughly equivalent to the light put off from the candles of a birthday cake. Just keep the lights on when your kid blows out the candles, and viola! Seriously, I have had absolutely no problems with it filming too dark indoors, outdoors, or even when I film local bands playing in dark bars.
The reason I wanted to try this camera was because it is the only flash-based camera that is receiving even mildly positive reviews. I do not want a tape mechanism that will break, nor a fragile hard drive that cannot be used in many film-worthy conditions (think snow skiing, as the drive mechanism will freeze up on you in very cold weather).
As I said, I was skeptical when I purchased it, but no more. The videos are far better than any other camcorder I've owned. My last was a Canon ZR 50 mini DV, and this camera takes VASTLY superior videos than that one.
The four stars is only because of the mpeg2 format this records to. I have a mac, so editting requires that I convert to DV with streamclip so that imovie can import the movies. Mainly, I just don't edit my home videos so that hasn't been a problem. But if would have been nice for it to be an easier option, and it could have been if they encoded to mpeg4 with h264 and mp3/aac, which appears to be the next standard.
If that concerns you, or if you want HD, you might wait until the Panasonic SD1 is available because it records in AVHDC which is a form of mpeg4. Of course, imovie doesn't yet support that either, so you may have to wait until iLife 07 to really use it.
In parting, I will also mention that the size of this unit is absolutely fabulous. I no longer dread lugging around even my smallish mini DV camera. This thing literally fits in my jacket pocket, so I end up filming a lot more than I did with previous cameras. If you're looking for small, flash-based, and good quality video, get this camera, you'll love it.
Buy Panasonic SDR-S150 3.1MP 3CCD MPEG2 Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (2GB Card Included) Now
Panasonic SDR-S150 is a wonderful camera.I am extremely happy with it and recommend it to everyone.
Popular Mechanics magazine has named it the best in its class and I completely agree.
I bought mine in the end of September of 2006 and was using it every day for the last 10 months.
The sales person at J&R store has recommended it to me, based on customers feedback and I am grateful to him for good advice.
The camera makes very decent videos.
Excellent optics, 3-CCD, and true image stabilization do their job.
The videos are bright, sound is excellent.
But most important for me is how easy it is to work with the camera and with the video clips once you made them.
One can use the cable and software provided with the camera, but I like things simple. I take the SD card out, insert it into a $10 USB card reader and copy the files onto my computer with the mouse. Then I rename the clips I change extension MOD into MPG.
These clips are in true mpeg-2 format, which is the same format as
in regular DVDs. So many DVD players will natively play those clips without any editing or converting. Also on most computers you can simply double-click on the clip to make it play. If not you can dowload one of the many free or low-cost software players. I like the VLC player (just google for vlc player) it is available for both Window and Mac and it is free.
I made our grandmothers very happy. I burn a collection of video clips of our baby on a regular CD (yes, CD, not a DVD) and mail to them. They can play those video clips on a computer or on a DVD player (portable Phillips is a good choice).
The camera is very easy to operate.
The built-in battery lasts for ~ 70 min (use a spare one or use an included power supply if you need more).
Camera also makes decent still photos.
I have many more expensive cameras at home (photo and video), but I found that once I bought this camera I use it almost exclusively. Partly becase of ease and convenience.
With this camera I don't need huge disks, powefull CPUs, lots of RAM, or hours of video editing. It makes your video production very easy and fun.
Camera comes with its own editing software. But I prefer to use Adobe Premier Elements ($99). There is also some good software for Macs. So I can easily make videos with titles and menus, or make mp4 or flash videos for iPod or web.
Cons:
1. No input for external microphone. But the built-in stereo microphone is very good I tested it by making a recording of a concert violin and then extracting the audio and analyzing it using Adobe Audition software. The recording is very clean, because there are no motors in the camera.
2. The compression artefacts can be visible when you making fast movements with the camera. This is rare, though.
Camera can be mounted on a standard tripod.
It is very light and small.
Overall I really enjoy it.After opening the box and charging the battery, I had it shooting without cracking the user manual. Easy to use and confidence-inspiring. The menu system is mostly self explanatory, the only changes I made were to put it in XP (highest) quality mode, 4:3 instead of widescreen aspect ratio, disable digital zoom. Most of the options you'd want are there.
This is a tiny device, about the size of my 4-yr old 3x zoom digital still point and shoot. As such, the screen size is a little small, particularly if you are shooting 4x3 instead of widescreen. The case is mostly plastic but feels solid nonetheless. Be sure to attach the included grip extender to the tripod socket. This is crucial for one-handed operation of the zoom.
I like the use of thumbnails to identify each clip. So you can delete unwanted clips in the same way you would delete photos from a still camera.
I was pleased with the image quality. I tested it indoors in daylight and with bulbs and fluorescent lights. I didn't see the low-light problems some people have mentioned, but I wasn't shooting in candlelight... I've heard good things about the still image shooting so having a still camera with 10x optical zoom is a nice bonus.
I had no problem with the Mac connection, just download Mpeg Streamclip and Apple's $20 mpeg2 plugin, and you can convert to DV format for iMovie. Though some users may find this difficult or annoying.
UPDATE May 2007. Just a quick update on my earlier review, I wrote up instructions for transferring video from this camera to iMovie on a Mac. Once I'd written them out I realized it's more involved than I had thought, but hopefully these step by step instructions will help someone. Also hopefully Apple will make this easier in the future...
Want Panasonic SDR-S150 3.1MP 3CCD MPEG2 Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (2GB Card Included) Discount?
**UPDATE MAY 2007************I just got back from Turkey, and really put this camera through its paces. All I can say is WOW. The convenience is absolutely an overriding factor to any flaws. Flipping back-and-forth between video and still photos is a snap. I can't prove it but there were many still photos taken while in a moving car that should not of come out...I wonder if the "stabilizing" video feature works during still shots as well. The instance (2 second) "on" feature meant I also got shots I would have missed with any other camera. The absolute best travel camera I've ever owned. If I could, I'd change my ratings to five (5) stars.
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I was looking specifically for the magic combination of an all-around video and still camera that was compact and built very solid that I can travel with easily. I have had this camera since Dec 19th, 2006.
I had very bad luck with my previous camera, a Canon Elura that used MiniDVs. When it worked, the videos were great, but the cassette mechanism kept falling out of adjustment and failing on trips or gatherings, and I lost many unrecoverable moments! I had an extended warranty and sent it back 3 times, but they were never able to fix it properly. Perhaps this was an unusual lemon, but I did not want to take the chance again! Of the many media types, I've been told the SD cards are the most durable and almost indestructable. I liked the idea of no moving parts for recording videos.
In addition, I was tired of having a separate digital and video camera, and the technology has finally arrived to combine the two.
For the non-professional camera person looking to catch candid home and travel shots and videos, I've found this is to be a great little camera. It is amazingly small, and really will fit in a coat pocket. Extremely solid, it is also a snap to use, yet still provides powerful manual override abilities. The camera turns on within a few seconds. The video colors are extremely natural and not oversaturated in any way, and the resolution very fine. The microphone works well, and of course there is no "tape hiss" since there is no tape. The still photos are of fair quality. I printed some at 8 x 10 and they looked decent: However, if very-high quality photos are what you are after this is NOT the camera for you. Again, this is definitely for the snap-and-shoot-for-memories crowd, not for people who want to win photography awards. The miniscule pop-up flash is amazingly powerful.
I also looked at the Sanyo which has a competing SD model with a higher still photo resolution ability, but it does not have any motion compensation ability. Given how small these cameras are, it is not possible to hand-hold without jiggling it a lot, so I ruled the Sanyo out.
Okay, now the negatives. There are quite a few, but for what it does I still found this to be the best camera for my purposes:
(1) The camera does not record well in low-light conditions, I'm sure due to the light required for 3CCD color processing and the small size of the lens (cost of being compact!). Filming indoors requires pretty good light to ensure decent videos. My christmas tree light pictures were disappointing, and my backlit scenes came out looking like shadow-puppet plays.
(2) The cost of buying additional 4GB cards is high, and I am worried about misplacing them because they are so small.
(3) I experienced wide swings in overand under-exposed still photos using the flash, although I was (usually) able to balance the brightness and contrast with my photo editor. I'm sure this is partly due to not being used to the camera yet, but the whole idea is not to have to worry about such things. Flash fill-in on backlit subjects works amazingly well.
(4) The LCD display on the camera is not synchronized to the same level of brightness and contrast as your TV set or your PC, which you will have to adjust upwards during playback. Thankfully, my Sony TV allows custom adjustments for each input source. Ditto when you are creating DVD's...you will need to increase the brightness and contrast to match what you see when playing back a scene through the camera's own LCD viewer.
(5) There is no still photo zoom playback on the camera (at least I have not found it yet). Frequently, I think a snapped photo comes out okay, only to realize when "zooming" the image on the pc to review the details that it is slightly blurry and I need to retake it.
(6) You will need to use the included software to view the MPEG2 videos, as MPEG2 is not an included driver in the editing tools I've reviewed.
(7) There was no still photo editing software included, only video software. I supposed Panasonic assumes everyone has their own photo editing software already, but I didn't. My Canon photo editing software works for these photos, so I am using that.
(8) Finally, the battery fits inside an enclosed compartment, so you are not able to buy an extended battery pack. Since there is no energy required for running a hard drive, DVD burner or tape, admittedly the batteries seem to last longer before recharging, but I still can't see taking a trip with less than 2-3 packs. I guess I will be spending extra on more batteries!
Even with these drawbacks, there is no doubt that this is an amazing sleek winner with really no competitor in its class that I intend to use heavily at home and on my travels!
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