Summer brings outdoor activities, travel, road trips and parties, so you'll want to have a camcorder to catch all those great moments. We've researched the current crop of camcorders and come up with a list of our favorite picks for under $500. Tired of trying to make sense of weird model numbers and odd acronyms? We'll help you out and guide you through the ins and outs of Mini-DV, flash memory,
DVD and HDD.
The Rugged, Go-Anywhere Camcorder:
Panasonic SDR-SW20
Panasonic's SDR-SW20 has no moving parts and it's waterproof up to five feet. It doesn't use a disk drive or tape, but instead uses SD or high capacity SD cards (HCSD: a bigger version of what you use in your digital camera) to record video.
What We Like
The pocket-sized camcorder fit comfortably in our hands, and the use of removable flash-based media (the same kind of storage used in digital cameras) means that the SDR-SW20 is nearly shockproof because it has no moving parts. The exterior design looks and feels like it can take some abuse from the elements.
The camcorder's software interface is intuitive and easy to use -- menus and options are clearly marked and well-organized. We had no trouble changing settings between shots or replaying video on the go. The LCD screen is crisp and bright for playback, and it's easy to hook up a TV or computer. Fortunately, the video file formats are readable by both Macs and PCs, so we were able to open them up in standard software like iMovie, QuickTime, and Windows Media Player.
What We Don't
Battery life is an issue with the SDR-SW20 -- we were only able to get about an hour and a half of continuous recording with the model, which means you'll need to stock up on batteries or keep your charger close by. The 10x zoom is on the small side, but the smaller zoom isn't a huge concession considering the size, ruggedness, and water-tight case of the model. The lack of hand strap on the side feels weird at first -- most camcorders have a hand strap built onto the side of the body -- but we quickly got used to the wrist strap, which lets the camcorder hang safely from your wrist.
Last Word
Of Panasonic's sub-$500 offerings, we were most impressed with this model. It might not have the storage capacity of the HDD-based (hard disk drive) camcorders or the zoom capabilities of larger camcorders, but it's fun, compact, and easy to pick up and start recording instantly. Granted, the SDR-SW20's battery life isn't great, but the rugged waterproof case and solid-state memory make this camcorder a great choice for anyone who is active and likes to shoot outdoors without having to worry about Mini-DV tapes, physical shocks, or the elements.
Price
$400
For more, check out our video review of the SDR-SW20
here.
@eng
