Reviews for Panasonic SDR-S150 Digital Camcorder - 2.8" LCD - CCD

SDR-S150

Strengths: 3CCDs, SIZE, SIZE & SIZE (all three dims), SDHC card recording

Weakness: Weak included software

This camera has SDHC capability. Just download the video and burn it to a CD or DVD to archive it (very easy)
The video footage is great (outdoors at least). Indoors with normal lights the video is good (compared to canon GL2). Pictures are weak...
The size is the camera's best strength. Pocket size with excellent video quality (forget all other "small" video cameras, this is the best).
The included software is average. Use the program called "sdcopy.exe" (google it is FREE). Then use TMPGEnc (trial version) to demux .m2v (video) and .mp2 (audio) files. Mux them in your DVD software and you are ready to burn.

Best purchase I’ve ever made after my GL2

BTW a 4GB SDHC card by Kingston class 4 is $39.99 at the egg.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Very Nice Camcorder

Strengths: Using SD card, very portable

Weakness: Too small to fit in large hands

I have watched the Panasonic Camcorder SDR series for about two years since the model S100. I like its 3CCD and the usage of SD card. No background noise will be recorded because no rotatary motor is required for the media like DVDs, Harddisk, or tape. I got this S150 from B&H when it was on-sale with a bonus 4G Kingston SD card. The disadvantage for SD card is the time that it can record. For 4G, it can record about 1hr using the highest HDTV resolution. I like to use camcorder for skiing and visiting museum or zoo. I just need to shoot short movies not for recording conference or long event. For lower resolution or normal TV, it can record more than 4hr on the 4G SDHC card. The camcorder came with a 2G card. I can totally shoot 6hr normal movies. I got the camcorder very quickly after I ordered it on-line. However, my first product has defects (a purple 3mm line) on the LCD screen. I returned it and got it exchanged. My second one is OK for the screen. I began to play it and I like it very much. The auto-focusing, the optical image stabilizer and the video quality all satisfied me. The 10X optical zoom is a little smaller comparing to other camcorder. I think this is related to its lens size. The LCD screen is big and very easy to use. However, I still hear very tiny motor sound which I found was the motor for auto-focusing. I guess you cannot avoid that totally. It cannot record very sharp movies with low light condition and it does not have IR recording mode. However, it is not very critical for me. I don't need to shoot movie at night. The still image is not as bad as some people reviewed. Of course, the still image will not match those high end digital camera. But this is a camcorder not a camera. I will put more emphasis on the motion movies. It saves the recorded movies on the SD card as MPEG2 files (DVD format). After installing the drivers for the bundled software (MotionSD Studio), you don't need to start the software to import the movie. After connecting the cable between the PC and the camcorder, you can see the SD card as a removable disk and just copy the files. I just realized that I got a "big" 4G memory stick that I can also use to transfer files. The vertical design of the camera and its size make it not very comfortable for big hands. I will imagine that people with bigger hands than me and left-handed will have problem of manipulate those small buttons. That might be the reason why this camcorder came with a small cylinder to attach to the screw place for the tripod and to let your little finger to have a place to hold. The small menu button and delete button are also very hard to reach using single hand. The traditional horizontal design like those SDR-H series might be better for people who have bigger hands. This camcorder can also be used as a webcam for the PC. However, I found it seems to have hardware conflict with other webcam and will crash the machine from time to time if you use it as a webcam. By far, I am quite satisfied with this camcorder and will bring it with me for my next skiing trip. I have bought additional insurance for this camcorder from B&H which cost about $50 for two years. I think it is worth the money if I want to bring it for skiing trips.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

SDR-S150

Strengths: 3CCD, small size, 10x optical zoom with image stabilizer, recording to SD card in MPEG-2 format.

Weakness: average still images quality

SDR-S150 (and it's predecessor SDR-S100) is the only small size 3CCD camcorder with recording to SD (SDHC) card in MPEG-2 format. It has no analogs! This small thing is really well-made. It has a perfect Leica optics with 10x optical zoom and image stabilizer. Outdoor footage is excellent, indoor is good. And the best thing - you don't have to capture avi files from the camera and encode them in MPEG-2. Just copy MPEG-2 files from SD card and make your DVD.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Worth every penny

Strengths: video and still picture quality; size; manual features

Weakness: Not many; maybe no mic input?

This is an excellent camcorder, particularly given it's size. I've only had it for about a week, so I haven't had a chance to really put it through it's paces, but so far I am very impressed.

In good light the picture is excellent. Very good colors with sharp resolution. The quality suffers somehwat in low light, but since I don't shoot in the dark/at night it's not really an issue for me. I also find the audio to be suprisingly good. Part of this stems from the fact that as a SD card camera, there are no moving parts. An input for attaching an external mic would have been nice, but you can't have everything I guess.

Still photos are quite good given proper lighting. The flash is nice, but you have to be careful. It will light up the entire room. The manual feature set allows you to turn it down, however.

In terms of connectivity, it hooks up easily to my Plasma TV for viewing both video and stills. Downloading data to my PC has been just as easy with the enclosed software. I have seen other reviews that talked about interlacing issues, particulary with moving objects, but I have noticed no such problems.

Handling takes a bit of getting used to, especially trying to figure out where to put your index finger. With the grip attached to the bottom, though, I find the pistol grip with all fingers below the lens works best. Placing my left hand on the LCD while zooming helps keep the shake down.

The camera also appears to have a good assortment of manual features, certainly better than most other brands, but I haven't yet had a chance to really investigate. Menus are straightforward and easy to navigate.

Overall, for a 3CCD camera with good still features and a size that literally fits in your pocket, this is a great camera. I'm taking the family to Disney World in a few weeks and not having to lug around a camera bag will be nice.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

SDR-S150 SD Camcorder - Review

Strengths: Compact size, Portability, Excellent video, MPEG2 format

Weakness: Less than average night-shot quality.

This camcorder is what I have been waiting for so many years. I needed to have compact camcorder with ability to record excellent video and above average still-shots. This product delivers what I've been searching. I have been using this for 1 month now, and outcome of video and still-shot does not disappoint me. I recommend this camcorder to all my friends.

78% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Terrific Camcorder

Strengths: Portable design, Easy operation, Quick starting-up, Cool outlook

Weakness: still looking for

As soon as I get this camcorder, I realized that I really love it deeply. After testing it for days, it prove my intuiation is not wrong. I will bring it all the time, since it is even smaller than average camera. Certainly, the quality is awesome.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

This is a VERY excellent camcorder.

Strengths: Small size, easy to control, excellent quality, cool!

Weakness: no detected till now

I once owned Canon ZR300, elura100 and Panasonic SDRS150, but only this one well satisfy my needs for vedeo and picture quality. Price is a little expensive, but absolutely worthwhile.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Panasonic SDR-S150

THE GOOD: Very compact for a 3CCD model; optical image stabilizer. THE BAD: Mediocre video and barely usable stills; poor battery life; slow focus. THE BOTTOM LINE: While compact and convenient, Panasonics SD-based SDR-S150 camcorder doesnt make the quality cut.

Read Full Review

ReviewGist for Panasonic SDR-S150 Secure Digital Camcorder 3 1MP 10x Opt 700x Dig 2 8 LCD

Video is Average according to 10 Camcorder experts. -- "The optical image stabiliser is superb, and it uses SDHC Flash memory cards, an updated version of SD which promises sizes up to 16GB."-t3.co.uk -- "Small, simple design and high-quality video"-easycamcorders.com -- "great color"-laptopmag.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Optics, Battery, Interface, etc.

Read Full Review

Panasonic SDR-S150

Testseek.com has collected 11 expert reviews for Panasonic SDR-S150 and the average expert rating is 72 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

Read Full Review

Panasonic Sdr-s150

Panasonic Sdr-s150 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.87 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #8 Flash camcorder of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a product's...

Read Full Review

Panasonic SDR-S150

The biggest gripe about digital camcorders is the same problem users had with digital cameras just a few short years ago: getting files off the camera. With its SDR-S150 digital camcorder, Panasonic believes it has come up with a good answer: simply remove the memory card.

Read Full Review