I am NOT very good with electronics or trouble shooting. Just your typical 30 year old consumer.
br /
br /Like you, I research products until I'm nauseous before I buy them; for camcorders, I looked at customer reviews (and official reviews) on: camcorderinfo.com, Amazon.com, CNET, circuitcity.com, to name a few. Camcorderinfo.com, by far, has the best professional reviews. CNET is best for providing general guidance (which format, HD or Standard def, etc), but comparing to camcorderinfo.com, their reviewers clearly know less than they should.
br /
br /After purchasing this camcorder and having trouble editing the footage, I researched the same websties for comments on video-editing software, and was disappointed at how little info there was. I want to share my limited experience as a non-technical person. (I'm not going to review the camcorder itself; suffice to say I'm satisfied.)
br /
br /The included software, ImagePixeler, didn't work; the Core Duo PC computer I have is fine, it's the software's fault (or my fault). Editing with it was very slow, and edited footage was severely degraded in quality. I wasn't able to burn what I edited, got some error message, and I'm not saavy enough to de-bug it or diagnose the problem.
br /
br /I tried Windows Movie Maker - had other problems, wasn't able to edit it.
br /
br /I downloaded Sony Vegas - it didn't recognize either the .mod nor .mpg file extensions.
br /
br /I acknowledge that my inability to use these programs may be due to my ignorance and lack of know-how with de-bugging/diagnosing problems.
br /
br /I downloaded Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD - and it worked GREAT. Kicked as5! I quickly cut out parts from my footage, did slow-motion, applied transitions, made basic titles, added MP3 music, edited the music and music volume, etc. I picked a DVD menu, edited the menu text, and picked out the background image for the DVD menu. I burned the DVD, and it worked! (hard to describe how happy I was)
br /
br /From downloading the free trial version of Womble MPEG Video Wizard to burning the DVD, I spent a total of maybe one hour.
br /
br /I later found several websites saying that this program is among the top 3 MPEG editors (if you search for editing software for this camcorder, google "MPEG editor", NOT "video-editing software", which will yield high power programs not specifically for MPEGs such as Adobe, Ulead, Sony Vegas, Ulead, Pinnacle etc). The other top programs for editing MPEG are TMPGEnc MPEG Editor, and VideoReDo MPEG Editor.
br /
br /Here are some useful links:
br /http://www.videohelp.com/tools/TMPGEnc_Xpress
br /http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MPEG_Video_Wizard_DVD
br /www.VideoReDo.com
br /
br /Standard video editing software "re-encodes" your finished product after editing, and this process results in some degradation in quality. The best MPEG video editors do NOT re-encode any footage that has not been edited. From what I understand, the above products do not re-encode unnecessarily.
br /
br /Always try the free trial version before purchasing any software.
br /
br /If you are not very saavy with video-editing software or trouble shooting error messages, and have had trouble with editing/burning your footage on the Panasonic SDR-H200, here's what I have to offer (my idiot's guide):
br /
br /1. download SDCOPY, which converts .mod files to .mpg files:
br /http://zyvid.com/smf/index.php?acti...ic=280.0;id=153
br /
br /2. download Womble MPEG Video Editor DVD:
br /http://www.womble.com/products/dvd.html
br /
br /3. ensure that you have a program on your computer that can burn a "data disc" to DVD-R or DVD+R. Nero or Roxio or Sonic should all work.
br /
br /4. copy your footage from your SDR-H200 hard drive onto your desktop by dragging the appropriate files (extension will be .mod) onto your desktop into a designated folder
br /
br /5. Use SDCOPY to convert the .mod files to .mpg
br /
br /6. Use the Womble MPEG Video Editor DVD to make some basic edits; this make take a while to figure out. Do something basic for practice. Then you click DVD to burn to DVD. Take note of the name of the file folder where the DVD-video files are saved. (this program does NOT burn to DVD, but it makes the files that go straight to the DVD)
br /
br /7. Use your disc-burning software to burn the contents of that file folder containing the DVD-video data onto a DVD disc. There was no "video DVD" function on the program I was using, so I picked "create Data disc".
br /
br /It should work when you pop it into your DVD player.
br /
br /Good luck.
br /
br /Last thing: I started looking into external motion stabilizers. Try:
br /http://www.levelcam.com/media/levelcam%20features.htm
br /http://littlegreatideas.com/steadycam/
br /
br /these cost $40-50, shipping not included.
br /

I took the plunge and bought two of them (One for my brother). My reason for this is:
br /
br /1. the predominance of editing software available for MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, etc. as well as the ability to play on practically any regular DVD player. My Aunts, Uncles, relatives and friends do not care for, nor ever will buy a BluRay Player and a 42"+ Panny, although I do (more about that in a sec). Thus sharing compatibility is more important to me than obtaining the latest AVCHD, although I may for other reasons in the future. I know I can down convert but the extra steps, increased price, limited industry supported software (for unconverted .mt2s files), the new h.264 compression standard and the increased horsepower required for PC use are all compelling reasons to stick with SD in the home and for sharing - not only the finished product but also raw footage with others and having zero complications.
br /
br /I have a 2GB RAM, P4, 3.0 Ghz, etc. laptop but 8 out of every 10 others I know use centrino technology, 1.8 Ghz, 256-512 RAM, etc. which just isn't gonna drive h.264 footage nicely is it. Same goes for desktop setups. Try downloading and watching 720p video from the Windows Media HD Video website if your computer leans more towards the latter to see what I mean. SD footage won't encounter these snags. Once again, I am speaking from the point of view of sharing with the people I know who for the most part will never upgrade to the latest PC / Home theatre (or at least not in the next 5-10 years).
br /
br /2. USB 2.0 Hi Speed Transferring, i.e. 100 MB files transferred from card/ HDD in about 15 seconds. Editing, Rendering, Authoring is a breeze.
br /
br /3. I wanted a MEMORY MAKER, not a home movie studio. This unit fits in the palm of your hand (almost bordering on too small) and easily slips into a LowePro camera bag.
br /
br /4. I have a 32-bit PCMCIA SD/SDHC card reader (not 16) that I bought to replace my laptop 4-in-1 media reader. Standard readers that most people have today on their desk or built in to their laptop will not read the new SDHC cards available at 4GB+ capacities. More mention of this should be made in my opinion. Also, these new cards will not work in older devices that do not support SDHC. The SDR-H200 does support SDHC.
br /
br /I experimented recording to the card and then transferring footage to my laptop. The 32bit cardBus adapter is 10-16X faster than USB 2.0. It is just awesome. The reason I mention this is because of the 1 major gripe I encountered, Namely...
br /
br /...Transferring HDD footage requires disconnecting the battery from the unit and connecting a DC cable to it from the AC power adapter. Then USB 2.0 cable out to computer. Sooooooo, this means always needing to be around power instead of just turning on the camera and transferring the HDD footage randomly anywhere. It's not that big of a deal but I like having Zero restrictions ;) So using SDHC cards frees me from that restriction, hence the mention of the 32bit cardBus reader (YES they exist - interfirm - http://www.synchrotech.com/products/media-adapters_01.html)! ***If you follow suit and get this adapter make sure you download and install the correct driver from the website because there's no Windows XP/ Vista substitute that will do it for you like we're used to!!
br /
br /Another Note - if you transfer files directly from the card they show up as .mod files. Windows media player 11 recognizes them and plays. Other players don't, so you simply change them to .mpg. Sektionschef created a great program that automatically converts multiple .mod files (i.e. all of your stored clips) to the .mpg extension all at once! Very cool. It's called sdcopy197beta.zip
br /
br /5. 3CCD over single chip, this unit uses 3CCD RGB, nice. A handy F1.8 for dimly lit environments works pretty good. The 10x optical zoom is very smooth, speed contollable by the amount of pressure used on the toggle switch and there was no focus hunting in Auto mode. The O.I.S. doesn't help much when zoomed in on a subject and you're moving around so staying wider helps unless you're into using tripods. But zooming in fully on a WestJet airplane taking off produced good results.
br /
br /Another nice feature is the auto fade in and fade out when you start and stop recording. It effectively smooths over those slight but noticeable camera movements that sometimes occur when the record button is pressed non-gently, awkwardly, haphazardly or whatever. This setting can be switched on or off. I like it, but you may not want to use it if you're into utilizing post-editing software because you can't remove an already recorded fade.
br /
br /Here is a few clips I uploaded you can check out. I recommend downloading and playing the clips on your computer video player over using the website streaming player because the web player compresses the video resolution...
br /
br /Indoor, Available Light, Auto, Setting = XP (higest SD quality) - Outdoor light is completely overcast.
br /http://files.filefront.com/MOV007mp...;/fileinfo.html
br /
br /Outdoor - Auto, Zoom in on airplane, XP, Completely overcast sky
br /http://files.filefront.com/MOV009mp...;/fileinfo.html
br /
br /Low Light, Indoor, Coffee Shop, XP Mode, Auto
br /http://files.filefront.com/MOV002mp...;/fileinfo.html
br /
br /Finally, does the footage measure up? YES. There is no comparison to watching footage on the laptop as compared to a monitor, TV or Plasma. When I watched it on my laptop I was like hmmmm, oh yeah, that's pretty good. But when I ran my footage from the camera through a Yamaha RX-V2700 Receiver with 1080i/1080p upsacling to a 42" Panasonic Plasma via HDMI I was blown away! You will be extremely PLEASED if you run your footage through a home theatre HDMI setup. The same goes for a DVD disc.
br /
br /I also tried S-Video out directly to TV with included AV cables (no HDMI/ no receiver) and I would still rate the footage as GREAT. Fortunately, you can do this running on straight battery power and a remote control is included! I also ran it through my 23" Samsung LCD HDTV computer monitor and... you guessed it, great. In all cases the picture turns out to be very crisp, clean and vibrant.
br /
br /So although I love the new HiDef footage, etc. I took my chances in sticking with SD for home video purposes and am more than pleased. No regrets. The unit shoots in 16:9 or 4:3 and has no problem saturating my entire 42" screen. Even my mother who is expecting plenty of baby footage from my brother was more than impressed and could tell that it was a quality pic.
br /
br /So, if you are looking for a memory maker and anticipate bringing it along on trips or to the ball game or whatever you'll be happy to own this unit.
br /
br /The menu is simple and clean, and you can easily switch from recording to HDD/ SD/ SDHC card at the push of a button. There is plenty of manual settings you can tinker with but auto mode does the trick nicely.
br /
br /It is simple, handy and fun which is exactly what I wanted. This unit delivered that. 4 out of 5 stars for not being able to transfer HDD footage to computer without power adapter (but to its credit, the adapter is conveniently small). Since it also holds 7 hours of highest quality footage this shouldn't be too much of a bother unless you're a frequent downloader. I peronally will buy an 8GB SDHC card (110 minutes) off of eBay and leave it in the unit so that I'll have options baby :)
br /
br /The unit comes with ImageMixer editing software and is very easy to use and import your video with directly from the camera - it's a good added value piece of software.
br /
br /This is my first review here and always appreciate when others have taken the time to share their experience with new products that I'm interested in buying too. I hope my taking the plunge this time helps. Enjoy!
br /
br /One more thing... READ the manual you lazies, there are things you should and need to know.
br /
br /P.S. It takes decent one push 2MP still photographs too in a pinch (not outstanding but not too bad - it's nice knowing that it's there if necessary)! You can find a still I posted here...
br /http://www.pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=14208page=4pp=10
br /
br /Bruce
br /

I just purchased a JVC Everio GZMG130 last week, and was so upset by the 1CCD, 1/6", 340 effective pixel, piece of crap lens and camcorder that it was. First off, the colors were awful. As a graphic designer and artist, I am trained in color theory. It's so obvious that this JVC lens wasn't producing a accurate colors. Also, the finished movie files, even at highest quality, are really really grainy. This camcorder was just awful. So anyway, I decided to upgrade. It was between this Panasonic SDR-H200 and the SONY Handycam DCR-SR200. I knew this would be a hard decision, and I had to do my research. Considering it's very hard to find reviews for this Panasonic camcorder, I hope my review will answer any of those questions you're asking yourself. First off, the SONY has a CMOS lens (CCD is slightly better quality than CMOS), but the SONY has a large lens (1/2") so it seems it'd be good for dark shots. WRONG! Panasonic has a 1 LUX rating (meaning the minimum amount of light to get a shot) while the SONY has a 11/2 LUX rating... hmmm.... wierd that the Panasonic has a smaller lens but can take in more light. If you're wondering what the deal is about a 3CCD lens, it produces much more accurate colors than a 1CCD or CMOS lens. Each of the 3 filters in the lens filters in the blue, red, and green colors. After trying both the SONY and PANASONIC outdoors and indoors, it was obvious why they say a 3CCD is used for Professional Broadcast. The colors on the Panasonic were just perfect. The auto WHITE BALANCE is great too. No shots are too bright or too dark. The SONY is a 4 mega pixel, and the Panasonic is a 3 mega pixel. The 3CCD's color quality more than just makes up for that missing mega pixel. The color is close to accurate on the SONY's Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, but just not nearly as nice as the Panasonic. Both camcorders have full manual capabilities (shutter speed, aperture, manual focus... etc.). The only difference is that the SONY can do a slower shutter speed manually, but the Panasonic makes up for that with the MagicPIX feature, which slows the shutter speed. You will want a tripod for this feature or else it will probably come out blurry. Obviously this is the same with the SONY. The Panasonic is much nicer to hold and it's only 1 pound heavy. The SONY's battery extrudes from the back and its very awkward to hold. I can't stress enough how amazing the Panasonic's OIS (optical image stabilization) system works. Even at a 10X Optical zoom, and no tripod w/ shaky hands, the OIS gets rid of the shaking very well. The SONY shakes like crazy when zoomed. Not good... The Panasonic also comes with a 512 MB SD card, which allows you to take 3 mega pixel still shots while recording video. The video will save on the 30 GB hard drive, while the photos save on the 512 MB SD card. So cool! The macro mode on the Panasonic is so much nicer than SONY's. You can get closer (by like 20-30 mm) than the SONY and the quality is so gorgeous! There is very little graininess in both camcorders. The only time you'll see it is in low light situations, and the SONY is worse off. To be honest, both camcorders are kind of a pain to connect to the computer. The Panasonic connects through USB and it has to be powered by the AC Adapter (can't use a battery because the AC Adapter and USP port are where the battery goes which is very weird). The SONY is even worse, because it has the station that it has to connect to. Why can't either just be as simple as battery powered and one USB connection? Lastly, the auto and manual focus on the Panasonic is soooo much better than the SONY. For some reason, especially when zoomed, the SONY will take many seconds to adjust focus, while the Panasonic is instantly. The Panasonic has a pretty bright light for close shots, while the SONY only has a flash for still images. You will also really notice the difference between a 3CCD versus a CMOS/1CCD when you're outdoors. The colors from plants, the sky, clouds, soil, etc. are so close to what you see with your own eyes. Like I said earlier, the SONY's colors are not as nice. The only thing I can really notice that makes the SONY better than the Panasonic, is its resolution for the finished movie. It's not better quality for say, it's just a higher resolution. Also, the SONY saves .mpegs to your computer while the Panasonic saves those annoying .mov files. To easily convert the .MOV files to AVI, DVD, or DIVX, use CyberLink PowerDirector. It is so easy to learn and does a great job. Also, it keeps the wide screen ratio. In my opinion, for the price, the Panasonic SDR-H200 is the best camcorder you can buy. I give it a 9.5/10, while the SONY DCR-SR200 lacks behind with a 8/10. Don't get me wrong, the SONY is a nice camcorder, but for the same price, you should get the 3CCD lens, because it's soooo much nicer. Hope this review helps, and enjoy your new toy!

We bought the SDR-H200 for my church to use in our multimedia program and couldn't be more pleased. The 3 CCD imaging system gives you an excellent picture--sharp and clear with vivid, true colors. Image stabilization keeps minor shakes and jitters from making it to the screen.
br /
br /The files on the camera's hard drive are easy to transfer, though the included software is nothing more than OK. It won't tempt you to give up your current editing program, whatever it is.
br /
br /We have a variety of folks using the camera. It's easy enough to operate that our amateurs can pick it up and start shooting, but has enough extra bells and whistles that some of our more proficient volunteers are happy with it, too. All in all, the SDR-H200 has been a great investment.
br /
br /My only complaints, both small, have to do with design. In order to access the USB port, you have to remove the battery and run the camera on AC power. And while the LED screen is large and bright, I'm just a relic and miss having an optical viewfinder to use.

EDIT #2: I can no longer recommend this camera. 2-stars. What first was a minor annoyance has become irritating to the point where I wish I had not bought the camera. Panasonic uses their own spin on the MPEG2 format, which means files from their cameras don't always play nice with anything other than their included software, which is BASIC. I have used Pinnacle Studio for years with good results- it can't process the audio in these files properly. Without a 3rd party utility (SDcopy) I couldn't get any programs to recognize the wide angle aspect (16:9) and still other programs, despite conversions etc, never had any sound at all. I recently moved to a Mac. It will work with iMovie ONLY if you download the files off the camera directly into iMovie. Sounds simple, but if you have other MPEG files you downloaded previously they are useless. And since you can't put them back on the camera, you're stuck with some type of conversion process which degrades the quality. It also makes archiving footage on the mac a little more painful.
br /
br /If you're not doing any PC editing, and you're only watching movies through the camera, or if you just want the basic included software, then get the camera, the quality is still good. If you want to make some polished home movies with a 3rd party program, look at a camera that uses a more standard format.
br /
br /EDIT: The only thing I couldn't test before was how the picture looked on an HD screen. I didn't go with HD because I didn't have the software or hardware to edit it anyways, and then you can't put it on a Blu-Ray or anything yet anyways. And, at the time, I didn't have an HDTV.
br /
br /Since I bought the camera, I have purchased a Samsung 50" 720p plasma. The pictures from the camera over the S-Video are amazing. They look great. Some of that depends on the TV, I know, but very happy. After processing and burning a DVD, the image quality still looks great (again, software variables as well). But the bottom line is: I have no problems viewing this video on a HD set. It looks great. Still very happy. I will say, the low light (indoors at night) is a little grainy which is from the smaller 3 CCDs- but well lit scenes and outdoor scenes are brilliant. No need in my mind to fool with an High Def camcorder until they figure out a reasonable way to put the video on a medium you can play back on your HDTV. Playing it back through the camera is cumbersome at best.
br /
br /Original review:
br /
br /I won't repeat everything said below. there are some very comprehensive reviews out there. I'll put the most important first:
br /
br /The thing that pushed me the most towards this Panasonic were:
br /1) JVC has gotten less than stellar reviews with their image quality, so they were out.
br /
br /2)Compared to other HDD cameras, this one will record full video to the SD card as well, so if you do end up with a full HDD, you can still use memory cards like "tapes" or miniDVD discs and keep going. I think a 4GB SD card will hold ~45min or so at full quality. More than the miniDVDs (1.7GB) It's not the ideal way cost wise, but at least you're not stuck. personally, I've never recorded more than 7 hours of video at one event. It sure beats carrying around 7 tapes. But with other cams, when you're full, you're done.
br /
br /3)Comparable Sony cams were $200+ more.
br /
br /This is my second camcorder, I switched from MiniDV and I'm not looking back. The image quality is great (I was initially concerned about MPEG compression) and looks stunning on a regular TV (I don't have HD). Colors are amazing and crisp. The color indoors suffers a bit if you don't have lots of light, but the grain is barely noticable and the picture is still very good. the optical image stabilization is a plus, electronic stabalization on other units looses some image quality. the zoom mic feature is pretty cool and works well out doors. Video transfer and backup to DVD are easy and fast.
br /
br /you'll need to get your own video editing software, or use windows movie maker, to do any type of real editing. the included software is pretty basic, but that's pretty much standard for any camera.
br /
br /For typical home movies with the occasional special event, you can't go wrong.

First, let me start off by saying I am VERY picky about buying certain bigger ticket items. I can literally search for something on the internet for over 100 hours before I make a decision. I want to find the perfect blend of price and quality to fit my needs. Also, I am a CHEAP PERSON. I do not like spending money at all. I live like I am below the poverty level most of the time. With that in mind, enjoy the review!
br /
br /I've been wanting to get a video camera for the last few years, but I hadn't really seen much that caught my eye. I wasn't really into tapes or those small DVDs that can't hold much. Once I discovered the hard drive cameras, I became very interested. I started searching the internet for reviews on hard drive cameras. I began at Cnet.com. They do a good job of reviewing popular items, but the leave a lot of products out. I clicked on a few cameras, but I soon discovered something I would find on nearly every other site I would look at: there would be reviews that gave very high scores and then there would reviews that equated the camera to garbage essentially.
br /
br /Eventually, I stumbled upon the H200. I went to Cnet to see how it rated there. I think there were only four reviews, but the lowest was 8 out of ten. Not bad, I thought, so I went to Amazon. WOW! There were over 15 reviews on this camera and the worst it got was 4 out of 5 stars. The reviews that were 4 out of 5 complained about something fairly small and could be easily overlooked.
br /
br /For instance, this camera does not have a viewfinder. Ok, not really a big deal to me, but to others, it might be. One thing: You can record with the LCD monitor closed. I don't know why you would do that, but whatever. Most likely, this is the type of thing that will not give this camera 5 out of 5 for some.
br /
br /Things I like about this camera:
br /-The hard drive. Holy freaking cow! This thing is huge! The 30 gb hard drive is seriously enough for a month long trip to Europe! (which I hope to do some day.)
br /-Three different recording qualities. I haven't really tried out all three yet, but I do know that a video that is just a few minutes can easily surpass 200 mb.
br /-It has a 3ccd system. Makes the video very nice. I hooked up my camera to the tv to watch some video I had recorded from earlier. It looked like the quality from a show on HGTV. I was impressed!
br /
br /Things I don't like about this camera:
br /-The video format produced makes it a little tricky to edit with Windows Movie Maker. I believe are programs that can be used to used to convert the file type. I am still working on how to figure this out.
br /
br /I would recommend readin Bruce Ktytor's review. He has one on both Cnet and Amazon. He goes into much more detail than I do. He also has a few videos online for you to look at. I will be posting some home movies and maybe just some test stuff on Youtube, so watch for it! Just search for Panasonic SDR-H200 and some videos should come up.
br /
br /Here is the video camera manual. It is for the H200, H20, and H18. I don't know much about difference except maybe the quality of video and pictures. It should definitely answer A LOT of your questions.
br /http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/SDRH200.PDF
br /If you have questions, email me at: PHOTOCHICO[at]GMAILdotCOM. I will be glad to answer as much as I can about this camera. Oh yeah, no, I do work for anyone that would benefit from this review. I'm actually in college right now, so I don't work for anyone!

This is our first camcorder and love it! The only bad thing is the video editing software - Pixela's ImageMixer that comes with the box is bad. It is not very user friendly and hangs (even after downloading the s/w patch). You may want to to invest on buying some other video editing software.
br /

Instead of writing a lot, I'll simply make two lists of pros and cons:
br /
br /Pros:
br /- Superb video quality (essentially no shake) and accurate color because of 3CCDs.
br /- Very nice design/ small body
br /- Huge hard-drive for storing a lot of footage/photos
br /- Comes with SD card (One can choose where photos and videos save)
br /- Impressive Dolby quality sound (and a zoom microphone to catch far-away sounds)
br /- On-board light and lens cap shutter
br /- Nice amount of features that are easily accessible (though one should read the owner's manual to gain some intuition about them)
br /- Good battery life
br /- Great television connectivity
br /- Excellent manual controls (white balance, shutter speed, etc.)
br /- Still photos are great quality (better than my designated 3.1 Megapixel camera)
br /
br /Cons:
br /- Bad bundled software that doesn't set the widescreen flag
br /- Light battery, but oddly shaped and protruding
br /- USB cable connects behind battery (always necessary to plug camcorder into power outlet while transferring files to computer. Though one has the benefit of never encountering corrupted transfers)
br /- Optical zoom not as large as the SDR-H18 (one step below)
br /- Easy to forget if shutter is opened or closed (if turned on with shutter closed, auto white balance is thrown off)
br /- Fade in/out recording cannot be selected permanently
br /- EXPENSIVE, BUT WORTH THE MONEY COMPARED TO COMPETING CAMCORDERS. SONY AND JVC LAG BEHIND THIS PANASONIC.
br /
br /Overall, cons are outweighed by pros. Great camera for capturing some memories and making skits.

I admit I am quite a loyal customer of Panasonic electronics. I have their HDTV, their excellent FZ50 camera and now their high end standard definition camcorder.
br /
br /I bought the H200 to replace my old miniDV Panasonic camcorder which was showing its age and the advent of big high def Tvs just made the picture quality even worse. With our first child on the way I wanted to capture every moment with good picture quality and the conveniance of a Hard drive format.
br /
br /Pros:
br /
br /- Very light and ergonomic
br /- Battery last very long
br /- Great picture quality
br /- Easy to use toggle makes operation child's play
br /- HDD means no more expensive tapes...yeah!
br /- Twist shutter is very handy IMO. Much better than dangling a cap.
br /- View screen quality is awesome
br /- Fast downloads with USB2.0
br /- Did I mention it was light!
br /
br /Cons
br /
br /- Ridiculous routine for downloading as everyone else has mentioned
br /- Battery spoils what is possibly the best looking camcorder design out there
br /
br /
br /Others have mentioned the poor software bundle. That is fair but if you are serious about editing and burning DVDs then you should really be using software from a third party. I use Premiere elements, so semi-serious and dont have any problems with the MOD file type.
br /
br /I am so pleased I bought this camcorder; we now have beautiful footage of our newborn we can cherish forever.

I bought this camera a few months ago to capture my two little girls as they grow up (soccer, dance recitals, first steps, those type of things). This camera has been great. Video quality is excellent. Sound is fair. I love the harddrive capacity. I was skeptical about going with a harddrive at first but am glad I did. The ability to pick it up, turn it on and shoot allows me to capture the moment. Within seconds it is ready to go. I don't have to worry about recording over something by accident. I can record to the harddrive or to the SD card. The 3 megapixel camera is fair for still shots. The battery lasts alot longer than I would have thought. We do a lot of turning it on and turning it off. We can go weeks just shooting things here and there around the house of the girls. I've done a little over three hours of video since I've gotton the camera plus the still shots that have been taken and I've only had to charge the battery up twice. I've not had it on for an extended period of time so that may drain the battery quicker than the on and off stuff that we have done so far.
br /
br /Menu's are easy to navigate with the joystick. It easliy connects to my tv or pc. Downloading files to the pc was quick and easy. I am also a youth pastor and I've already done a project putting a video together for a worship service. It was a very simple process. I have been impressed with this camera.

After owning the same 8mm Sharp camcorder for over 10 years, I noticed the quality was starting to suffer. My video wasn't that great. I decided it was time to move up to digital. I spent days reading reviews on all the formats out there. I decided I really wanted to go to HDD. There wasn't alot to choose from at the time. Sony, JVC and and Panasonic were really the only 3 contenders in my book. Originally I had ordered a Sony, but thanks to 5 weeks of backorder on the camera, I did even MORE research and started reading all the great reviews about the SDR H200. Amazon had it on sale for LESS than what I was going to pay for the Sony. I ordered it right away. As of this date I have shot a couple hours worth of video on it. It is a great camcorder!!! It's easy to use, has great features, and the video quality is outstanding. I have yet to download anything for editing or transfer to DVD. I may write more when I give that a try. But for now, I am extremely happy with this camcorder.

This is the 5th camcorder I have had since 1986. I really like the simplicity of its use and the fairly easy creation of DVDs from its pics. I at first thought the lack of a viewfinder would be strange but you quickly adapt to using the LCD screen. The results are sharp and rich in color. I also like the choice between using the hard drive or the SD card slot. The LCD viewer gives you all the filming info you need and the lack of miniDV use helps in the creation of finished DVDs or CDRs.The price at $699. is high but I bought mine from an Amazon seller new for $525. delivered. Shop and be patient, paying over $575. is too much. But, DO NOT GO TO THE CHEAPLY PRICED NEW YORK MYRIAD OF CAMERA SHOPS! They will 'bait and switch you' into paying more for supplies which come with the ORIGINAL box from Panasonic. Stay with Amazon and its certified sellers!!!!!!!!! DON'T GET SUCKERED !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good:
br /- Reasonable picture quality
br /- Quick USB download
br /- Small size, nice grip
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br /Bad:
br /- Files can't be downloaded directly. It requires the installation of ImageMixer to convert MOD file to MPEG2 file.
br /- MPEG2 not recognized by Windows MovieMaker. ImageMixer does not provide enough functionality. I had to purchase and install yet another video editing software.
br /- I had to power the unit off, remove the battery, plug in the power supply, and power the unit back on again before downloading files. All steps had to be reversed to put the battery back.
br /- Batter can only be charged when (1) it is taken out of the camcorder and (2) the charger is not powering the camcorder.
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br /Having that said, if given a choice, I may still consider buying it. I would have designed it differently though.
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I'm really happy with the purchase of this camera.
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br /Pros Cons (IMO):
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br /Pros: size (fits in my cargo shorts pocket), lack of viewfinder (who uses these anymore anyway), battery life seems great (can leave it on the shelf for weeks then pick up shoot) and user friendly controls (my wife can even use it which is a big plus!)
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br /Cons: Low light pictures are not good and i don't even bother using this for these conditions anymore. Low light video using the on-board light is grainy somewhat embarassing to playback on a TV.
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br /Overall: i bought this camera to capture moments of my 1yr old who is now 1.5yrs. I've used it a lot very happy with how quickly i can get it ready to go. I forgot to mention, aside from low light conditions, the quality is top notch looks like HD on my non-HD TV.

I chose this over the Sony HDD camcorders because it's an excellent deal for the price vs. the Sonys. You get 3 CCDs, OIS, ability to record video onto SD card. Only negative is I can't get the DVD copy to work if all the video doesn't fit on one DVD. It's supposed to ask you to insert another blank disc, but it comes back with a failed message after writing the first one.

After reading the reviews here on Amazon, I bought it. Reviews for this camcorder are not available at other sites. Yes, this camcorder performed well above my expectations. I was ready to buy the Sony Camcorder but after reading three negatives comments about the LCD display, and customers having a hard time to fix it, I decided to buy the Panasonic.

And the menu button is so easy to use and the Microphone is able to capture all sound thought be careful with a little bit of wind sound.

The best thing is that I was able to record all my stuff to my Mac-G4 machine without a problem. The program is very simple but it works. Now I'm getting ready to use better software to further edit on my videos.

Wow I'm very happy with the quality of my videos and my wife and I are planning to use it when my baby is due.

This camcorder is not as good looking as the Sony Camcorders but the quality is much better and you the BEST thing about it, made in Japan. This camcorder is not made in china.

The camera gave me excellent service in normal and low light conditions. I had only 2 weeks to learn its functions but should have taken more time due to its amazing capabilities. The 10X zoom is sharp and requires a tripod or solid support. Microphone is sensitive and picks up more than you may want in the background. So many features requires an extensive learning curve, at least for me. The manual recommends not using the camera in altitudes over 9,000 ft. but Panasonic reps. assured me this is because of the lithium battery heating if run for extended periods of time. I had no problems with this on a hiking trip in Peru even when we were up to 14,000 ft. Highly recommended but take plenty of time to learn how to use all its features.

I bought the SDR-h200 due to its great features and favorable reviews. I found that the recorded video is clear, well saturated and smooth. I love that it records to a hard disk, as reviewing your recorded footage and deleting specific scenes is extremely easy. My main gripe is not with the camera but rather with my editing software. I have a Mac an bought iLife 08 basically to take advantage of the new iMovie 08. This camera model is listed in the Apple website as compatible with the new iMovie. However, I found that while the imported video looks very impressive, there is no audio in them. So Mac owners beware that this camcorder is not compatible with the new iMovie 08, despite Apple claims that it is.

I don't write reviews very often. However, this camera is great. Incredible simple to use, great picture quality, easy to read menus, and the built in light, though not great, is very helpful. I just wish it had a microphone input, oh well. The software that it ships with is okay. But go buy like pinnacle studio if you want to do anything super fancy. The burn to DVD function on the camera itself works great, once you install the drivers. Even in daylight you can see the screen fairly clearly. The fact that you have to take the battery off to access the USB is not a big issue. I like the fact that if it senses it is upside down for some time, it will shut itself off. The self index is great as well. Plus I can plug it into any machine, even without the drivers, it sees it as a drive, so I can back up to DVD that way as well. You can't move movies to the SD card, that would be nice. You cannot charge the battery at the same time. In general, it is a very simple small camera to use, with great quality, quick start up time, and not too bad bundled software.

This was a nice purchase. The video quality is good, battery life excellent and it's easy to use. I like the fact that it is very light. Good for carrying around to various sporting events for the older kids. I also used it for birth of my most recent. One thing of note, you cannot copy the videos directly from the hard drive. You must install the accompanying software (or at least I had to). It's not that bad, the software enables you to move the videos to your local PC and then you can use your choice of movie editing/creation software. The direct to DVD function works well if you don't want to create any fancy menus or add/delete material. I'm using Vista Premium and it works great with my machine.

This was a gift for a teen who wanted to begin making short films and who agreed to also film family stuff. Out of the box he was up and running. It fits comfortably in the hand. He continues to find many useful features--a la read-the-manual-later.
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br /Quality of the picture is good. Retrieval and downloads have been easy. He perfers to film in the manual mode, which is influenced by a recent film camp, where the instructor wanted the class to control all aspects of picture and sound quality.
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br /To date, he has not edited any footage he has shot with this camera. Editing software, like Filters, an extra battery, and a tripod are planned future purchases. Still he is very enthusiastic about this camera over Hitachi, JVC, and Sony cameras he has used.
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I got the SDR-H200 to take on vacation, having never used a camcorder before. I was able to learn the functions very quickly. When using the manual function to adjust the aperture and speed, you can preview how the image will look on the LCD screen before you start shooting. Very cool. The image stabilizer works well. I played the movies on my 42" LCD HDTV and I was amazed by the image quality for such a small device.
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br /The only problem I found is that the mode dial is kind of loose. I accidentally bumped it a couple of times and lost some recording opportunities.
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br /All in all, I recommend this palmcorder without reservation. You will have a lot of fun with it.

I just received this camera on Thursday Jan 3 after returning the Sony DCR-SR42 hard drive camera and the difference is very obvious. The Panny beats the Sony hands down. The video and still picture quality of this camera makes the Sony look like kid stuff. It's very crisp and clear in comparison. Even in low light this camera shows color well. I like the scene mode. We have a lot of snow on the ground so I switched it to scene mode, then I chose the surf/snow (an icon of a little guy with the sun behind him} scene from the drop down list and the video I shot outdoors was nearly professional quality. To get to the scene mode, you have to first open the lcd screen and slide the auto/manual switch down to manual then push the menu button on the back of the camera and click basic with the joy stick. The scene modes are at the top of the list. In this price range, (under 600.00) here on Amazon I believe this is the best quality hard drive camera you can buy. No other brand offers the three CCD option like Panasonic and that is why the video/picture quality stands out above the rest of the camcorders I've seen and reviewed.

The camcorder met or beat my expectration in all ways. The 3.1MP still pictures were good. The 30GB HDD is huge and is perfect for short trips. I strongly recommend this piece to anyone needing both a camera and camcorder in one without sacrificing the features of either one.

I did a lot of research about 3CCD cameras and found this one with the internal hard drive. The memory holds more video than I thought it would, and the battery life is longer than I hoped for too! It was easy to learn all the features and I like the software it came with for making dvds. The only thing I don't like so far, is the light feature. When using it, the video delays slightly - almost looks slow motion in playback. But picture is clear and brilliant with enough natural light.

br /I did quite a bit of looking before I decided on this HDD camera. I was using a Canon Mini-DV camcorder and was tired of the capture process. With the HDD cameras, just plug into USB port and copy it over...and that's it! Also, I love the fact that each "clip" is time tagged so you know exactly when it was taken. Nothing bothered me more about my old mini-dv camcorder that it didn't have the date the video was taken once I captured it. Many have said that the quality of the HDD cameras weren't as good as the Mini-DV but I haven't noticed that. If recording in the proper light, the video looks fantastic! Low light is less than extraordinary but with the built-in light this camera has, it helps a lot. I look forward to capturing all of the family moments for years to come.

This camcorder is so cool! I love it! I searched for a while trying to find what I thought would be the perfect camera for me. I'm so happy I ordered this one!!!
br /This one one from [...] includes...
br /Battery (I'm not sure how long it lasts but it seems to last a couple of hours although I won a 7 hour Panasonic Battery on Ebay for under $20.00)
br /Battery Charger
br /DC Cables
br /Video Cables
br /Remote Control
br /512 Megabite SD Memory Card
br /CD Software
br /I am an amature at Video Camera's but I love this one.
br /I hope this review helps you make your decision!!
br /Thanks,
br /Dawn:)

I purchased this camera in December, mainly for the purpose of capturing video of the bands we love. Most are performed in low lighting, so I researched this a lot. After reading tons of reviews, it boiled down to this camcorder or no camcorder (in my budget.)
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br /It was easy to learn after reading the manual. I have no problem with the controls, or the software or charging it. I bought 2 extra batteries and they charge in a snap.
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br /Features I love - the light. It's amazingly bright.. in fact, if you are too close to the performers, it might create a little glare on their faces..so I am going to try putting a little piece of tissue paper over the light next time..but it's so nice to have it! It's really quite powerful and I would say enhances things as far as 20 feet away.
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br /The color- even in dim settings - nice bright color. The darker it gets - little - to- no graininess, no greenish, orangish hues. (Don't use the "gain" setting) for the money, it's great. Do some people expect the camcorder to make the room look even brighter than it was?
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br /The anti shake! Wow. The video I'm going to point you to (on Google Video- search for Caroline's Jazz drum solo) is a fantastic example. People in the room in this old building were stomping their feet - and the wooden floor was shaking. I had the camcorder on a tripod on a table, and I could SEE the shaking in the view finder..this was going to be the ultimate test. But you can not see it in the video... great!
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br /The sound captured is excellent. The files come off into the included software and you save them automatically as MPEG2. Then I pull up my NERO program and edit and save again as whatever I want.
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br /My side-to-side pan in that Google video is shaky, but I had the wrong type of tripod. I now ordered the SLIK Camcorder tripod from Amazon, and it's smooth as silk.
br /[...]

I purchased this camera to upgrade from using a digital camera for video clips. However, I have unhappily now learned that our little Cannon SD-400 Elph works comparatively great with indoor lighting and this camcorder doesn't. The only way to record indoors with normal indoor lighting is to use additional lighting to light up the area you would like to record. I'm unsure if another camcorder would work better (outside of a professional model) or if technology just hasn't caught up to our expectations yet. I'm sending this camcorder back for a refund and will wait a few years to see if things improve. Beyond the dismal indoor lighting performance, it appears to be a nice little camcorder. If you are only interested in recording outdoor daylight events it should suit your needs.

This was my first fully digital camcorder - an upgrade from my compact super VHS. I am very happy with the video quality on this camera. The colors are true and vibrant, both in natural and artificial lighting. Playback on television is a breeze, as is quick copying of scenes to a DVD. I was less than satisfied, however, with the bundled software. I thought I would be able to edit files from this camera using my old ULead VideoStudio 8.0, but no luck. The bundled software does not enable converting to other video formats. Bottom line: excellent camera, but expect to purchase additional software if you want to do anything other than make DVDs.

This is a fantastic product. It is very competitive in term of pricing, quality and features. There is no USB cable come along in a package. No big deal since you can share the cable with other devices like your external harddrive or MP3 player. The picture quality is good. Focusing time is good. Easy to use menu eventhough no touch screen function, again no big deal for me. In summary, you can't find the camcoder at this price with the quality competible with SONY SR82.

Very easy to use, very good video quality, plenty of manual controls.
br /Handling is pretty good, just weird to have the battery coming out so much, especially when using the larger capacity batt... but does not interfere with the controls.
br /Joystick is very precise, zoom is sensitive to your touch and will go fast or slow as needed.
br /Not so great on dimmed light, but video light will help, however with some noise in the pic.
br /Compact, light, very easy to transfer data to pc and edit or burn. Heard issues with mod. files... I use cyberlink power director and everything is smooth (the enclosed software is ok).

I love this little camcorder. I am very pleased with the size and the ease of use. Picture quality is great as long as you don't use the RCA cables. Indoor quality with marginal lighting is so-so but I can't say that I have ever seen a camcorder that works really well in low light. Once complaint that I do have is that the camera does not have a very wide field of view. Other than that, I love it.

I love this camera. It does very well with any kind of lighting. It also does well with motion, although you do have to set the device to allow it to do so. Even it's function as a digital camera is pretty solid. The software that comes with it is another story. It is not good, intuitive, or flexible. I'll be using something else.

We originally purchased the SDR-H18, but then we realized that the still photos on the H18 are very low resolution, so we traded up to the SDR-H200. Turns out that the still photos still aren't all that great in quality. Nowhere near the quality of our dedicated compact digital camera. And there is no flash for still photos. So don't get this model thinking that you'll be able to carry only this camera and get good video AND photos in one package.
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br /But the video is good quality and the camera is pretty easy to use.
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I've only used this a bit. I was able to figure out the basic record, zoom, watch, and delete very quickly without opening the manual.
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br /Quality was good in mediocre lighting. That was an important factor in choosing this model. I don't know nearly as much as other reviewers, but that was a point that was hammered home to me from them.
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br /My best advice for buying a camera is to read a couple 5 star reviews, then read all the 1 star reviews. That lead me to this and I am happy. Some 1 star reviews are silly bitter little rants, but most point out important short comings.
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br /I only held back a star because of my lack of further use of the camera. 4 stars is a solid rating, but I'll reserve my 5 star rave until I have experience to back it up.

The product is amazing. But I did not get the Power cord (I bought it refurbished, but still a wire less is a wire less). It is necessary for transferring to PC. Need to be sure you got everything.

Have owned SDR-H200 for about 8 months.
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br /Pros: Decent price, good video quality in well-lit areas, no tape, digital recording.
br /Cons: poor low light video quality - not unusable, but noticeably grainy picture. Cannot get widescreen mode to work. Video clips are coming in as 4:3. Supplied software leaves a lot to be desired.
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br /recommended.

This is a great choice! It has good picture quality for videos and still pictures. The light assists with the indoor footage. It is easy to use. Amazon has this camera for a great price (much better than retail stores.) We are very pleased with this product!

The panasonic SDR-H200 has met exceeded all my expectations.
br /I did a lot of research, and read many reviews. In the beginning, I fully expected to go with a JVC or Sony camcorder, but found the Panasonic SDR-H200 blew them away! The SDR-H200 is the bast value hands down: Color, picture quality, features, ease of use. Panasonic uses the same 3 CCD technology in the SDR-H200 camcorder that is used in the really pricey $1,500+ camcorders.
br /I bought this camcorder ahead of a recent trip to Hawaii, and it met exceeded all my expectations. They say not to plan for good still pictures from a camcorder, but I found this panasonic camcorder takes great still pictures, in addition to awesome video. Made a great second still camera for our trip.
br /This camera has a ton of features to satisfy the video aficionado. I learn something new every time I use it.
br /I got great battery life, 3+ hours between charges, as long as you keep the view screen light level turned down to a reasonable light level. Even at the low light level the view is really good.
br /The remote works great for running the camera while taking couple shots on a tripod, or reviewing footage with a TV.
br /Thanks to the folks who provided recommendations in this forum on manipulating the files. I'm learning the best ways/software to manipulate my files.
br /I've bought a lot of books through Amazon.com, but this was the first time for electronics. Worked out great! Great price, turn around, convenience, review info.

I've had this unit 1 month can not be more pleased..It was a replacement for a pana pv-dv953 digital cam that I really liked until it decided to die on me and it was a little bit on the big.heavy side, but I was very pleased with its performance..this 3ccd hard drive cam is incredible for my uses so far..the fit/weight/ergonomics are very very good..my wife (who never touched the pv-dv953) has even shot some footage with this unit seems to have liked doing so..I didn't even have to instruct her on its use to much..I do agree with some of the reviews I've read that you need to take the time to read the owner's manual..you might be surprised @ what this beauty can do..Some reviews complained about having to remove battery and connect unit to outlet to playback on tv's or to download..I just have not found that to be a problem for me personally..Bottom line is I think anyone in the market for a hard drive/3ccd camcorder need look no further..this is the one....

Great video camera. Looks HD like on my plasma tv. Pictures are ok. But being able to take them if needed is real nice. I personally think anything under 4.1 megapixel is a little grainy. The Sd card slot is a very nice for added storage. I put in the best 8gb card I could buy. I bought a type 6. I think there is 2, 4, and 6 for transfer rate. I have had this a few months and have only used a few times, but it works great.

I have had this camcorder for about a week. The image quality is as good as I have seen without stepping up to HD. This camcorder is also very easy to use so it would be a good choice for a beginner.

Great Camera.. The only problem is that you have to detach the battery before connecting to the PC. The software that came with the camera is OK.

I had it for about three months. No problems what so ever. I just don't like the fact that I need to connect it to a power plug as opoosed to running it on battery when transferring files to the computer.

This purchase required much shopping and comparison but the result was worth the research. The unit is very easy to use (my wife didn't even need to read the instructions to get started). The very first recording was easily burdned to a DVD and played well on my 32" LCD TV. Look no further, this is the way to go.

- Amazing camera in terms of picture quality.. though not good in dark rooms.
br /- I ordered twice.. first one was getting heated up so I returned it. Tried GS320 which was is no way match to this one. Couldn't find anything better than this... so ordered it again. Heating problem is gone. Probably it was with the previous piece only.
br /- Still pics are OK ..

Camera is easy to use. I like the little joystick for navigating the menu's. Got it just before vacation, but misplaced the instructions before actually using it. It was easy enough to figure out though. Got home, downloaded manual, found out all kinds of other features. I knew about disconnecting the battery to upload via usb, but with a 30gb HDD that holds 7 hrs (in high quality xp mode), the battery will go before it is full, so you will need the charger anyways for over night trips, we usually bring a laptop with us.
br /As for the Mac connectivity, I should have understood the connections better. IMovie will only import video directly from a camera via firewire. I think iPhoto will import the stills through usb, but I haven't tried that yet. So you have to use the included software to get the video into the computer and then import to iMovie, BUT, Imagemixer 3 saves in MPEG-2 format iMovie/Quicktime can't import MPEG-2 without a $20.00 Quicktime plugin a MPEG Streamclip 1.8 freeware download. Of coarse after I imported deleted video off of camcorder, I realized I could have used my Dazzle DV Bridge and the included s-video cable to import, just like I did with my old 8mm analog camcoder VCR. I will use the bridge next time see if the quality is as good.

This is the first camcorder that we,ve owned. I read a lot of reviews on this and other brands. Setteled on this one and have been happy with it so far. It's easy to use even for a 67 year old novice. I,m happy with the picture quality. Will probably get a tripod to use with it especialy when zooming in, although I used it on a 3 hour walk through Corkscrew swamp boardwalk here in Florida and was able to get some good vidios with and without zoom and very minumum movement. Was able to view the pictures on the TV and computer. Was able to download them onto the computer, and have done some edeting etc., still learning the program.

I purchased this video camera for my husband for Christmas and he absolutely loves it. I highly recommend this camera to anyone. I spent about a month researching and almost went with another brand. Thank goodness I ready the reviews and found out it wasn't worth the money. This camera IS worth the money and small enough that you can bring it anywhere.

I returned my h18 and bought this h200. I feel no regret at all. H18 video is like vcd quality, and h200's video is like dvd quality.
br /Also the camera of h200 is usable, although still not as good as normal camera.