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.
br /
br /I have not had any of the dark video issues mentioned above.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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).

After reading the reviews here and at [...] on this baby, I was a little cocerned about its low-light and indoor performance. Let me be the first to say that my fears were largely unfounded.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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).
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.

Panasonic SDR-S150 is a wonderful camera.
br /I am extremely happy with it - and recommend it to everyone.
br /Popular Mechanics magazine has named it the best in its class - and I completely agree.
br /
br /I bought mine in the end of September of 2006 and was using it every day for the last 10 months.
br /The sales person at JR store has recommended it to me, based on customers feedback - and I am grateful to him for good advice.
br /
br /The camera makes very decent videos.
br /Excellent optics, 3-CCD, and true image stabilization do their job.
br /The videos are bright, sound is excellent.
br /
br /But most important for me is how easy it is to work with the camera and with the video clips once you made them.
br /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.
br /
br /These clips are in true mpeg-2 format, which is the same format as
br /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.
br /
br /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).
br /
br /The camera is very easy to operate.
br /
br /The built-in battery lasts for ~ 70 min (use a spare one or use an included power supply if you need more).
br /
br /Camera also makes decent still photos.
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /Cons:
br / 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.
br /
br / 2. The compression artefacts can be visible when you making fast movements with the camera. This is rare, though.
br /
br /Camera can be mounted on a standard tripod.
br /It is very light and small.
br /Overall - I really enjoy it.
br /

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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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...
br /
br /[...]

**UPDATE MAY 2007************
br /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.
br /************************
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /In addition, I was tired of having a separate digital and video camera, and the technology has finally arrived to combine the two.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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:
br /
br /(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.
br /(2) The cost of buying additional 4GB cards is high, and I am worried about misplacing them because they are so small.
br /(3) I experienced wide swings in over- and 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.
br /(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.
br /(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.
br /(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.
br /(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.
br /(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!
br /
br /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!
br /

I purchased this camcorder just over two weeks ago and must say that I am more than pleased w/ its performance. After reading countless reviews of camcorders and handling several at local stores, I selected the SDR-S150 based on:
br /
br / - size
br / - reviewed video performance
br / - SDHC recording format
br /
br / I wanted a camcorder that was very compact so that I wouldn't mind carrying it anywhere. Being the size of an average digital camera, the SDR-S150 fits the bill nicely. Video performance is very good. Being able to pop the SD card into a card reader on my computer makes transfering videos pretty much effortless.
br /
br / This camcorder costs a bit more than others out there, but I feel the extra $$ is well spent due to it's video quality, ease of use and expected durability. Since it doesn't have tapes to jam or hard drives to crash, it should have a long life v.s. other units that do.
br /
br / One concern I had prior to purchasing this camcorder was whether it could be used indoors, as the reviewers said it suffers more than some in low light situations. My concerns were put to rest after seeing my first indoor video. It works just fine under normal indoor lighting.
br /
br / Another concern I had was whether I would have enough recording time using SD cards. Happily, I find that there is little if any difference (to my eye) between the best quality and the medium quality modes. I tend to record using the medium quality setting, giving twice the recording time over the highest quality setting. My 8 gig card = 4 hrs recording.
br /
br / I can highly recommend this camcorder if size video quality matters to you.

This really is a first class camera for its size... easy to use, good quality output.
br /Only one thing to bear in mind... the microphone is at the rear of the device... perfect for picking up "heavy breathing" - or side comments on the action.... can be a bit of an embarrassment....

I've owned this camcorder for a couple of months now. I really like it. I paid just under $400 for it. For the price, I can't imagine a better standard definition flash camcorder.
br /
br /Pro's
br /-Tons of manual controls. They're fun to play with. I'm just learning videography, and this was exactly what I wanted.
br /-The "easy" mode works well. So if you don't want to fuss with the controls, you'll still like this camera. I find most of the menus easy to navigate.
br /-Really nice image quality when viewed on my 22-inch monitor. I was surprised when I viewed my first footage -- the color was pretty much perfect (vivid but natural, not hypersaturated), no noise under decent lighting, auto focus worked perfectly. The motion was very natural looking.
br /-Works with my 16gb SDHC card. So I can store about 15 hours worth of video at one time.
br /-The still-photo mode is also fun and includes tons of manual controls. You shouldn't buy this just for the still camera, but it's a nice extra.
br /
br /Con's
br /-Some of the controls are less intuitive. In particular, the four-way macro/ backlighting control is sort of confusing (to me, not necessarily to you).
br /-Neither photos nor videos look all that great in low light. Even the special low-light video capture is not terribly effective (though still fun to play with). But I did not deduct any points here because I believe that you don't get good low-light images at this price point -- no exceptions. If you want really good low-light images from a flash-based camcorder, then you have to move up to a higher price range.
br /-The design is slightly awkward. There's really no way to maintain a comfortable, relaxed grip on the body. (Contrast w/ the body of the Samsung SC-MX10 and HMX-10, which allows the camcorder to rest more naturally in your grip). But I'm really nitpicking here because the grip's really not a problem in real-world use (just not ideal).
br /-Neither the camcorder nor the editing software are Vista-compatible out of the box. You can get them to work with Vista, but it is a bit of a pain. It involves separately downloading a series of drivers and firmware upgrades. The whole process took about 2 hours.
br /-Panasonic's US website is 99% worthless if you're looking for support for the s150. I had to Google around until I found the upgrades on the Panasonic global website.
br /-The editing software is of marginal quality.
br /
br /Conclusion
br /-I'm very happy with the camcorder itself. All the problems I mentioned are really minor and don't even come close to outweighing the camcorder's many virtues. The biggest problem I had was getting it to work with Vista. But I think it was worth the minor hassle.

First of all, there's alot to like about this Camcorder. I wont go over all the positive attributes, nearly everything they say in the sales documentation is true, but I am having one problem with it so far that's pretty close to having me send it back.
br /
br /The videos are DARK. Low light is nearly unusable, bright light comes out dark. Everything is just plain hard to see.
br /
br /Now, I've been fighting with the thing for the past week, and as of this evening I've come to be convinced of one thing. My guess is that the camera doesn't record dark video, it's something to do with the MPEG-2 format *.MOD files that the camera is using.
br /
br /Renaming these files to *.MPEG causes them to run just fine on any PC or Video Appliance. But on any of the PC's (3 different desktops, 2 laptops), a Mac, 2 Linux stations, and a DLink DSM-320, the videos are so dark they're ruined.
br /
br /If you play back the files from the camera to a TV using the composite cable, they seem to be fine.
br /
br /Panasonic has somehow made their MPEG-2 file proprietary. Why would I buy a MPEG-2 Camera just so that I can't send the videos of my wife and kids to our parents? If someone knows of how to fix this, please contact me.
br /
br /Otherwise, don't buy this camera. It's not worth the hastle, even if it can be made to work.

I needed a camera that fits in my handbag to carry around everywhere I go. This was my primary priority, second was image quality and the third was to be able to record on a memory based media. And this camera is the best you can get considering all these factors. It is not the smallest camcorder in the world but small enough to fit your coats pocket, very easy to use, just pop the lcd screen and lens cover slide open and you are ready to shoot. There is an auto everything and manual switch where you can override all or some auto functions. I rarely use manual overrides, because not only auto shooting does a decent job but also manual functions are very deep in the menu system that makes it hard to control, and this is one of my few complaints about SDR-150. I wish there was a few quick access manual adjustment buttons.
br /Image quality is surprisingly good, 3CCDs are really make a huge difference, accurate vivid color rendition, no visible compression artifacts etc. very very good. Another cool function is the Image stabilization system "OIS" works really good. It is hard not to shake this camera in your hand, it is not shoulder mounted, and your grip is even weaker then the old big DV camcorders. There is a finger grip that comes with the package that you can screw on the tripod mount, this way you can also use your ring finger instead of only index and middle finger for additional grip.
br /For the recording and editing SD cards, or any memory based recording system is the future of camcorders, long gone the days of magnetic media tapes, dv, dvd, hard drive all kind of rotating mechanisms, motors, gears, pulleys, belts etc. which makes the camcorder heavy, big, unreliable, vulnerable to dust, water, shake, vibration, heat and cold. These systems also need bigger batteries because they need lots of energy to drive the mechanisms. Another drawback of some older systems that you have to transfer your files to your editing application in real time. 1 hour video will transfer exactly in 1 hour. With this camcorder you can transfer hours of video in minutes. Editing software is altough not very advanced pretty decent, simple and easy to use. It can also output to DVD.
br /
br /After I bought this camcorder, we have been using it almost everyday, every other camcorder we had owned before was stored in a bag somewhere at home occasionally used. With this camcorder, we have recorded more than our entire collection in just a few months. Yes there are certainly better camcorders out in the market, but you just can't carry them with you all the time.
br /
br /Highly recommended !

This is a great video camera. My only complaint is the uncomfortable and awkward hand positioning when "taping" or even while taking still pictures. I end up having to use two hands (luckily I have an extra one) to steady the camera, especially while using the wide angle / telephoto feature. It is even difficult to press the "record" button to stop recording without a fair amount of movement.

I took quite some time in deciding which camcorder to buy. I wanted one that was small so it would be easy to take with me. I also wanted to stay away from tapes because I think it's much easier to organize videos on the computer rather than labeling and storing tapes all the time. This camera is wonderful for general use. It takes good video and good pictures. I highly recommend it for recording personal events.
br /
br /The one thing that I did not like was the software that came with the camcorder. In my case, it does not copy the video onto my computer properly. It will not let me organize the videos so I can find what I want later. I'm irrated that such a nice camcorder comes with such terrible software. I'm currently using Windows Explorer to copy/paste the videos into folders that I'm naming based on the events.

I enjoy this camera alot.
br /Friendly and photo video even in very low light conditions.
br /High quality video is eventually going on the tv or computer.
br /I have some problems with taking out the movies using the program but it's simple to copy the movies through the micromate reader.
br /I think it's the best product I have ever bought.
br /
br /Meiri

I don't like to take video for many reasons. You end up with a lot of bad scenes in the middle of the tape, if you review the tape you have to forward to the point where you can begin taping again and it takes far to long to transfer the video to the PC if you want to burn it to DVD. This camcorder solves all those problems. Because of random access of the SD flash media, scenes where you accidently filmed your leg for 10 minutes and didn't notice it till later can be deleted on the fly. It automatically begins to record at the end of the series of scenes so there's no fast-forwarding to find the spot where you can record again. And copying the video to your PC is as easy as pulling out the SD card and plugging it into your computer. You can begin burning a DVD immediately. Now I don't hesitate to video. With 3 CCDs, quality is much better than the previous few single-CCD miniDV camcorders I've owned from JVC, Sony, and Samsung, particularily the white balance and color correctness. On a big screen TV the difference is very noticable. It is dead silent when you video something. With a 4 GB card (which only cost me $29) I get about an hour of video at the highest quality setting. This means an hour worth of high-quality taping will copy to a single current generation DVD. The video camera is very small but feels very high quality and substantial. I ordered this from J R and they did a great job getting it to me as promised and I paid a very reasonable price.

If you want quality video, if you want to edit using a program other than the minimal one that comes with the camera, if you want to video indoors under normal indoor lighting, then this is not the camera for you. But, if most of your shooting will be done outdoors and you don't plan on doing any significant amount of editing then this is an easy camera to carry around and it does a pretty good job of point and shoot. By the way, the video files on the sd card can only be viewed by the included Panasonic software.

I have one and Panasonic doesn't have driver or processing downloads for it or even respond to requests. The proprietary video format requires special handling in your PC and can leave you with a camera full of useless clips. Are they abandoning this product? Look on the Panasonic website and see for yourself.