Panasonic SDR-H18, Optical Image Stabilization

Panasonic SDR-H18 – GarageHP.com previously wrote an article about Fujifilm FinePix S2950. Now we are talking about Panasonic SDR-H18, Optical Image Stabilization. Combining the simplicity of SD recording, a roomy 30GB hard drive, a long zoom, and pleasing image quality, the SDR-H18 is a good choice for a standard-definition, hard-drive camcorder.

Panasonic SDR-H18 Hard-drive camcorders have been slower to catch on than I would’ve thought. Sure, they cost a bit more than their DVD- or tape-based equivalents, but the convenience of having such a large storage capacity–and not having to deal with tape–make them appealing. However, some buyers can’t get past the idea of not having removable storage, which is why Panasonic is so keen to point out that their new Panasonic SDR-H18 can record to either its built-in 30GB drive or to a SD/SDHC flash memory card, without any difference in quality. Of course, Panasonic SDR-H18 also helps that the company is part of the SD Card Association, and has been on a big push to champion SD memory cards as the next big storage medium for consumer video.

Panasonic SDR-H18 Review

Unlike the awkward body designs we’ve seen with some recent SD-based camcorders, the Panasonic SDR-H18 is very comfortable to hold. Part of the reason is that Panasonic SDR-H18 designers had to find a place to put the camcorder’s hard drive, which finds its home in the right side of the body–creating an iPod-sized block that is just the right shape for a hand to wrap around. Almost all the camcorder’s controls are also on the right-hand side; most of them can easily be reached with either a forefinger or thumb. While I had a hard time reaching and pressing the menu button with my right thumb, you still can access the most frequently used controls–such as backlight compensation, white balance, and shutter and iris controls–by pressing the joystick, so this isn’t much of a problem. It would’ve been nice for Panasonic to put the Panasonic SDR-H18 menu button somewhere more convenient, however.

At its heart, the Panasonic SDR-H18 sports a single 1/6-inch, 680,000-pixel CCD sensor. When Panasonic SDR-H18 recording in 16:9 mode, it uses 460,000 pixels to capture video or still images. That drops to 340,000 pixels when capturing 4:3 video or 350,000 when Panasonic SDR-H18 capturing 4:3 stills. Panasonic SDR-H18′s online specs are a bit misleading, in that they hint that this model has three CCDs when it doesn’t. Since the Panasonic SDR-H18 has the same instruction manual as the higher-end H200, it’s a simple error, but one that happens way too often on the company’s Web site.

Playing along with the über-zoom craze, the Panasonic SDR-H18 includes a 32X optical zoom lens, which sports a maximum aperture range of f/1.8-3.7. The Panasonic SDR-H18 variable zoom lever atop the camera is easy to get used to and gives a nice range of zoom speeds. As usual, the Panasonic SDR-H18 image stabilization doesn’t effectively cover the entire zoom range, but does a good job out to approximately 75 or 80 percent of the zoom. That’s pretty impressive, when you consider that you end up with a stabilized zoom range of about 24X, which is more Panasonic SDR-H18 total zoom than you could’ve expected in a similar-level camcorder just a few years ago (though it wouldn’t have been a hard-drive or SD camcorder). If you like to shoot very close to your subject, you should note that the H18 doesn’t include a macro mode. You’ll have to step up to the H200 for this option.

Panasonic SDR-H18 Image quality impressed us, considering that this Panasonic SDR-H18 camcorder uses a lone, sub-megapixel imager. We saw ample detail given this restraint, even at the far end of the zoom, and colors look generally accurate, though a bit washed out. While not perfect, the Panasonic SDR-H18′s automatic white balance does a very good job of neutralizing colors across different light sources. We did notice that fluorescent lighting yields a minor, but noticeable, greenish cast–so you’re probably better off setting the manual white balance in this shooting situation. If you like to use white balance presets instead of auto, you’ll be pleased to know that you can change the white balance while recording. This means that you can move from a room with fluorescent lighting into a room with incandescent lighting and seamlessly switch from one white balance preset to the other without interrupting your footage. Not all camcorders let you do this. Autofocus reacts quickly and does a nice job of maintaining focus while zooming. Of course, everything isn’t tack sharp as you zoom, but once you stop, the camera locks in very quickly.

Panasonic SDR-H18 Camcorder

If you tend to shoot in Panasonic SDR-H18 auto-mode, or only occasionally use more advanced functions, you’ll most likely be pleased with Panasonic SDR-H18. The footage isn’t overly marred by compression artifacts that so often ruin video you get from lower-priced camcorders, and yields better footage from a sub-megapixel sensor than I’ve seen in a while. Add to that the benefits of hard-drive recording and the option of using removable SD media, and you’ve got a solid camcorder that should appeal to a wide range of users. It’s not without its quirks, but none of those take away too much from the usability of this model.

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