a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R38SNLXAY9A0BC"Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R38SNLXAY9A0BC/a I like nature and I like this camcorder! Great zoom with stabilization. Battery lasts a couple of hours and longer if you take many 5 or 10 minute shots. The battery is small and cheap , so having 2 might be nice, but I don't have the need for it at this point.
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br /I took a 119 meg shot and condensed it to around 10 meg , just to show the zoom feature with stabilization and also to show these files can be changed to any format, I condensed it to WMA format for uploading to here.
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br /AT around 40 SECONDS into the clip I zoom all the way out and in again to show what I was seeing with my eyes and what the camcorder picked up. I was sitting in gazebo and there were children playing a few feet from me and ducks and birds interacting with these children, they were sliding one of the tables on the concrete as I was filming this ... so sound is a little distracting in clip. The people on lake are least a 1/3 to 1/2 mile away.
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br /Also take into consideration that any time you take a 119 meg clip and reduce it to only 10 megs you take out the detail, so the actual clip is very clear compared to utube like wma file I made.
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br /I made clips 1 hour after sun went down a few days ago and I could see everything very clearly and it seemed like it was just a rainy day , the only way you could tell it was nighttime was if you saw the street lights and house lights on. I had stopped filming because I couldn't see anything, but when I went home and reviewed the tape, I was amazed, I could have still filmed more. Of course the Colors weren't vibrate but the camcorder saw a lot more and in more color then I was seeing! :)
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br /In house shots in darkness are probably not that good, most camcorders are not that good at indoor night shots without good lighting according to Consumer Reports Nov 07 issue, CR rated this camcorder a Best Buy in Hard Drive models in that issue.
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br /I also made a DVD using software that comes with camcorder and it was easy and looked good on my HDTV.
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Overall this camera is a great value.
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br /It is lightweight, easy to use and creates high quality video images. If you have large pockets you can carry it in your pocket. It will make a bit of lump, but it's doable. I have done it.
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br /SELECTABLE VIDEO QUALITY
br /This camcorder let's you choose the video quality. At the highest video quality it still can capture 7 hours of video. I can't imagine needing that much. I don't think there's anybody on the planet that would appreciate watching a 7 hour video, let alone one that's over 20 hours long in lower resolution mode.
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br /STANDARD AND WIDESCREEN FORMATS
br /Multiple formats are user selectable. You can select a standard aspect ratio or widescreen format. I prefer widescreen because that's how my TV's are formatted. The only downside of selecting widescreen is that it will only playback in widescreen format on the camera's monitor or directly connected to a TV, and through the free software Panasonic provides. However, the widescreen format won't auto upload to Adobe Premiere Elements video editing software without first loading the footage and then using an obscure "interpret footage" command to force it back to widescreen. Once you know how to the use the interpret footage command to the uploaded scenes it literally takes a second to make the conversion back to widescreen. Windows moviemaker has the same problem and if there is interpretation function I am not aware of it. Finding the command in Adobe Premiere Elments is the hard part. It took calls to Panasonice and Adobe to solve the problem. Adobe support solved the problem. This is simply a camera sofware output issue that Pansonic should probably fix in future releases of the firmware / software.
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br /VIDEO FORMAT AND HARD DISK SPACE
br /Video files are a proprietary mpeg format that takes a while to read, load and render in Adobe Premiere Elements. And, of course, be prepared for using up a lot of hard drive space to load and store all of the files. However, this is true of any digital camera output. I use a 320 gb external hard drive to store work in progress video files. When finished editing I transcode and burn to DVD and delete the files from my hard drive.
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br /For the average person who only wants to take videos and directly view on their TV this camera is very easy to use.
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br /The display adjusts to a full range of brightness which means it can be used on a bright sunny day. The adjustment is a separate button, not some command buried in the software.
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br /Overall, it is a great value. The provided software works, but you can do much better with an upgraded video editing software or even Windows Moviemaker. Although with Windows Moviemaker it can't read the widescreen format. It's compressed to a standard aspect ratio so everybody looks skinny.
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br /I first bought another brand of video camera but it's output couldn't be read by anything but the bundled software. That camcorder was returned in favor of this unit.
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br /Optical image stabilization is on by default (you can turn it off). The OIS is good although it won't over come full zoom hand held video quality. At full zoom you'd do best to have a tripod.
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br /Low light level is good, but it isn't a night vision camera.
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br /There is a slot for a removable flash card. I popped in a 2 gig card. The last one I bought was only $12. You can record video or stills using this media. This is handy if you want to take stills (see below). I seldom use this feature because I have a Canon SLR with Canon L series lens and I don't shoot in automatic mode with the Canon camera.
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br /STILL CAMERA CAPABILITY
br /Single camera jpegs can be taken in a 640x480 format (complete with a shudder release sound effect). Still picture quality is acceptable but it isn't a SLR digital camera. Quality is much, much better than a cell phone. Quality is on par with what you had 5-6 years ago with your typical digital still cameras. You don't buy this camera for taking stills although I have even used this at work to capture closeups of quality issues and then switch back to video mode to tell a story surrounding the defect. Let's put it this way, it's a better video camera than a still camera, but for the majority of people who buy point and shoot cameras this works just as well unless you are taking photos you plan on blowing up to poster size.
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br /EDIT: UPDATE 11-30-07
br /After twice, sometimes three times a week use, I can still say the camcorder works great. I used it for the fall volleyball season for my daughter's high school team. I recorded every game and gave it to the coach for her to review (her request). Using the camcorder reaffirms my purchase decision. Processing a couple of hours of video to minimally edit and transcode to a DVD takes hours. That's a function of the software. Quality was high for a very dimly lit gyms.
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br /I also produced a 36 minute end of season banquet video using mainly still shots interspersed with some video from this camera. This camera's output was easily integrated into the final video production.
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br /SMOOTH TRANSITIONS
br /One nice characteristic I noticed was the transition between scenes was smooth. I was able to pause the camera during playing sequences and there was jumpiness (is there such a word?) when I paused and restarted the recorder. This may not seem like a big deal but I have had cameras where the camera would shake or move when you function the pause or record button. Obviously, this is a pretty well engineered camcorder to pay attention to such details.
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br /LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE UPDATE
br /Low light performance is better than I described earlier in this review. For example, I mounted the camcorder on a tripod and recorded the sports banquet speeches and presentations. The banquet room was dimly lit. The video came out just fine. It is very similar to the colors you see with the human eye. Things tend to become grey at low light levels. However, like I said earlier, you can't expect to go out at night in the country and shoot videos by moonlight. It's not a night vision camera.
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br /LETTING YOUR DAUGHTER USE IT -- A CASE STUDY FOR EASY TO USE
br /I let my daughter use it for a high school video project. She's no videophile or technical whiz. With me providing a simple 30 second tutorial on how to use the camera she was able to record usable scenes for her class project. She did it for her team and another team. I think that's testimony for how easy the camera is to use. The only problem she had was finding the volume control function for playback.
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br /ONE LAST COMMENT
br /This camcorder does not have a standard viewfinder. It only has the display on the flip open door. I have had no problems without a viewfinder except on sunny days when the sun is directly shining on the LCD screen. Then, and only then, is viewing the image somewhat difficult.
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br /Again, this camcorder is a great value for the money. Truly, it is a best buy.

This is a great camera and while my budget wasn't my primary concern, getting the right product was. Before ever knowing what the price was I had read a review of this camera on CNet.com. The review gave this camera high praise from its editors and put it on the short list of good quality cameras on the market today. So once I read this article I went looking for a few more opinions and the consensus was that this camera would get the job done. So when I went pricing and found out that it was only $400 I thought I was either going to get a great camera at a great price or there was some big conspiracy on the internet and this thing is really a piece of crap. It's not a piece of crap and it is a great camera at a great price.
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br /If you are a gadget person and you are looking for a camera that has a feature set that you may never learn how to use, but are happy that they are available, then this camera is not for you.
br /
br /There is no view finder for example. However, we don't use view finders any more and if you are like me, I point and laugh at people that look through view finders when they have a perfectly functional 2.5" inch color display in front of them.
br /
br /Also, this camera doesn't have a light. Now this could be important, especially if it's your intention to shoot in low light situations like a darker room. The picture quality won't be great in low light but if you are like me and like to shoot things in the daytime or in rooms where electricity is present, then this shouldn't be much of a problem for you.
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br /The camera is simply functional and its buttons and switches are designed to provide the user with function that they will most likely use. There is a zoom button, volume button, burn to DVD direct button, record button, menu button, delete button, etc, you get the idea. The view finder is used to view what you are recording and it doesn't double as a touch screen display, which is perfect for me as I have oven mitts for hands. The multi switch is actually a little joystick like you would find on a video game (although it's much smaller) and your thumb can operate all of the onscreen menus with a flick of this joystick. This camera comes with an optical zoom level of 32x. Optical zoom is what the lens creates and in my opinion is the only zoom you should use anyways. However, if you need to view beyond 32x, the camera has a digital zoom of 1000x. The digital zoom is simply the brain inside the camera creating what it thinks is the image based on zoom levels. You would need a very high powered and expensive lens to get to 1000x zoom but who needs that? At 32x you are very close to your subject and the best part of this camera is that if you shake like an Epileptic in an Arcade like I do, the image stabilizer system is second to none. It realizes what you are focused on and then reduces and sometimes illuminates the shake that often times ruins a video. This feature and the zoom are by far the best features a camera can have and Panasonic has hit it out of the park by putting so much focus on it.
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br /Most importantly is the format of the camera, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), like you find in your computer. MiniDV is the standard technology but it is a dead technology. If you want the best of video output then stick with this technology but be warned that the day of the tape is going away. DVD camcorders aren't really DVD's like the ones we rent from the video store. They are 2" discs that record about an hour of footage in a quality setting, which simply isn't enough. The HDD camcorder you are looking at has a 30GB drive which is equivalent to 22 mini DVD's. Moreover, there is an expansion slot on the camera for external memory cards. This slot may not mean much today but we are at the beginning of the HD SD card revolution and soon the general public will be able to buy a 30 GB SD card which five years ago was unheard of. So in essence this $400 camera could double its recording capability without the need to upgrade to another model. This is a big deal.
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br /Here is the procedure that you will use with this camera. You will record little Jimmy getting mauled by the family dog. You will then plug the camera into the computer and upload all the videos to your video file. You will use the software that came with the camera or some other commercially available product and you will edit the video to your hearts content. You will then use your onboard DVD burner ($40 at buydig.com) and burn a copy of the video onto a full size dual layer DVD that can store up to 8 GB of video footage. Then you can give the video to your local law enforcement to show them why it's a bad idea to own a Pit Bull.
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br /This camera is cost effective, it's memory will expand as far as technology will go, you won't be buying 2" DVD's and miniDV cartridges, you won't be storing them either, you will buy full size DVDs that you can burn and play on standard DVD players, and most importantly you will have a good camera that won't break the bank. Now get buying.
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My current camcorder is over [..], and I found that I just wasn't using it much anymore. Two reasons: It was a little big to carry around, and it recorded to tape, so deleting 'bad' scenes was not practical until it got to the PC. All the new camcorders are plenty small enough to carry around.
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br /I like the workflow of digital cameras in that you can easily delete the garbage shots after taking them. I wanted the same for a camcorder, which meant DVD or HDD was my choice, despite the possible reduction in end quality as compared to tape (HDD/DVD compress the image, tape doesn't). DVD was out for me since its capacity is very limited, and I just don't trust writing to DVD (I've had too many fail while closing the session on my PC). So it's HDD, even though I compromise image quality over tape.
br /
br /I also wanted a long zoom lens. With a long zoom lens you have to sacrifice the larger CCD's, and larger CCD's allow for better image quality. Another compromise.
br /
br /This left me with three final candidates in my price range: Sony DCR-SR42, JVC Everio GZMG155 and Panasonic SDR-H18. The Sony specs list 40x zoom, but the number that counts is the focal range (1.9 to 76), which actually gives you about the same true zoom as the other two (they advertise 32x). So they are equal there.
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br /The final difference came down to price and the image stabilization. Only the Panasonic had optical image stabilization, which generally does a better job than electronic. This is especially important for these long zoom cameras. So the SDR-H18 won, and it was the least expensive also.
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br /Considering the 'compromises' I had to make to go HDD and long zoom, I'm very happy with the image quality when played back on a standard def TV (haven't tried HD TV yet). It's at least as good as my old Digital-8 Sony image. The image stabilization is better than I expected - I had no problem holding the shot steady free handed at 32x.
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br /BTW - No need to install the included CD. Windows XP recognized the camera and mounted it as a hard drive. Just copy the movies to your system like normal works. You may want to rename them to MPG files though, and set the widescreen flag in the file since the camera doesn't. Search for sdcopy.exe for a free simple utility to copy, rename and set the flag for you.
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br /The only downsides I noticed so far:
br /Very low light feature on camera is useless as compared to Sony's IR mode. The Pana just makes the exposure time huge, which means you can only record still scenes in very low light. Not a problem for me though as I don't find the need to record in the dark much! Normal indoor light is OK, but not great.
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br /The supplied battery won't last very long on a charge. Amazon has a battery CGA-DU21 which will 3 to 4 times as long for a very low price.
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br /
br /Update on experience with it: I have had the chance to try the video on a 42" LCD HD TV using the S-Video connector. It's not HD for sure, but the quality was acutally pretty good. I expected it to magnify the compressions issues to the point of being distracting. Others in the room actually commented how clean the video looked (the sample was from video taped outdoors in bright light).
br /One additional negative to add is that you can't delete a shot until you are in playback mode. I'd like to be able to delete it as soon as I've finished shooting it from the record mode thus saving a couple steps. Overall, no regrets.

We were looking for a basic camcorder for home videos, and this matched what we're looking for. One of our main criteria was to buy a HHD camcorder, and at the time Sony and JVC were the only other brands offering HHD camcorders, though both generally had good reviews, it was Panasonics Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) that won us over, BIG difference in video quality when compared.
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br /Pros: Hard Disk Drive (no need for extra tapes, DVDs etc), OIS (very clear and stable video, even when zooming in), light camcorder (easy for travel), intuitive user interface, good sound.
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br /Cons: Nothing as of the moment I write this, and I have been enjoying my camcorder for 2 weeks now!
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br /Note on the software: I previously saw a review commenting how bad the FREE Editing Software was, I would like to add a note that the software does the job (as good as any of these free software are when you get them for free with your electronics). I have successfully imported my videos to my computer, have been able to trim my videos... if you need to trim the middle of the video, it's a bit more work with this software as you need to first edit 1 version with only front end of video you want, then second edit with only back end of video, and finally combining them into your final 3rd version with middle part deleted. (sorry this seems obvious, but that review was complaining about not being able to trim the middle of their video with this software...so my point is, you can do it, it just might not be as efficient as using the more commercial/professional editing tools out there).
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Bought this camera looking for a better solution for family movies. You can't go wrong with this. I read some reviews that the battery was bad. I don't find that to be true at all. I've used the camera for up to 2 hours on and off recording and still had half a battery left. What I like most about it is the HD. You can jump to any segment/movie in an instant. I transfer all movies directly to my laptop and use Windows Movie Maker to tie scenes together, etc. For me this beats any "tape" camera. I was also considering buying a MiniDV camera. This camera, if you don't like what you just recorded, delete it. Takes 1 second.
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br /Video and sound quality is perfect. I honestly have no complaints. For me this was a "good deal".

This is a great HDD camcorder for the same price range. The SONY and JVC cost more than the Panasonic and the Panasonic has more to offer. I have used it in few trips already and the pictures are in great quality indoor and outdoor. The Image Stabilization makes a big difference. The picture is much better than my old SONY with 20X zoom. The only draw back is the transfer time and the software they provided is very basic. It is easy to use but the functions are very limited. However, if you factor in the price, it is a 5 stars.

Bought this camera on Tuesday, Amazon got it to me on Wednesday. Wonderful fun for a camera 'idiot' like myself. Easy to use, good looking images. I had no problem using the included software to upload and edit my movies. I have an HP computer, XP windows. Love the size of the camera, how it fits in my hand, and how darn nice it is to record, upload to my computer and delete off of the camera. Imagine that! NO tapes or little dvds to worry about.

After reading many reviews of companies (Panasonic, Sony, JVC, Canon...) and recording devices (miniDVD, miniDV, Hardrive...) I finally made my decision on this camera, which I am so happy about.
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br /The hardrive is easy to use and you can store up to 27 hours of footage (this is what the manual says), but what I do is download it to my computer and delete it from the camera each time (kinda like a digital camera). Then I can choose if I want to make DVDs or send the video in another way or edit it. In order to plug in the camera to the computer you have to take out the portable battery, because the usb port and ac adapter is behind it. This hasn't been much of an issue for me because I carry everything with me in a camera bag, but there are a lot of cords to deal with (three exactly; usb, battery charger, ac adapter).
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br /I love the way the camera looks! It is very light, fits perfectly in my hand, and the buttons are easy to use. The only thing I wish it had is a headphone jack and remote control, which I think the more expensive one has.
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br /The image stabilizer for the zoom works pretty well, but I am no expert on this function. I feel like it is still a little shaky, but that could just be my nervousness of holding such an expensive item.
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br /I do highly recommend this camera for people who just want to record stuff and share with friends and family.

We've had this camera for a few weeks and are pretty happy with it.
br /
br /We wanted an HDD camera, but the prices really deterred us. At the Amazon price, it was worth a shot.
br /
br /The pros:
br /The camera is compact, and fits easily in the palm of your hand. The controls are logical and well-placed. The video quality is average to good, but okay for this type of camera.
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br /
br /The cons:
br /Come on, why would you have a lens cap?
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br /The included software is completely user un-friendly (I have 9 years of user interface design), but manageable. I would prefer a simple plug and play model... on this camera, you will need to select between the HD and SD when you connect. You will need to IMPORT the video using the software to have a usable MPEG to edit. Drag and drop would have been so nice.
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br /The biggest peeve with the camera is the location of the USB connection. Why on earth would you require the removal of the battery? This means you have to take the charger with you in order to extract video. Not to mention, the battery won't charge while the charger is powering the camera, so you can't multi-task.
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br /The image stabilization is pretty good, as long as you aren't zooming in very much.
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br /Low light video is poor to average. The only way it might be useful is with a tripod. If you want to shoot low light video, get something else. For the rest of us, turn on the lights.
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br /It sounds like a lot of negatives, but it really is a good camera for the price. If we had the money to spend, I probably would have opted for a Sony. If you want a hard drive camera and have a budget to consider, this camera will do the trick.

I received this camcorder on August 21st. I used it the same evening. It was extremely easy to use. Within 15 minutes of having it out of the box I had it plugged into the wall and was filming. I have only used it indoors so far, the room was well lit and the picture quality was very good. The image stabilization works excellent. I was amazed at how steady the picture was and I filmed entirely by simply holding the camcorder in one hand. I am sure that there are probably better camcorders on the market. But in my opinion Panasonic has delivered an excellent product for the price. Most hard drive camcorders sell for over $500 and I got mine from Amazon for under $400. In my opinion that's a DEAL! I would highly recommend this camcorder to anyone.

Very light, nice picture quality, affordable, long record times. Perfect for everyday use. It's not HD, but defaults to 16:9 aspect ratio. My only gripe - does not work with iMovie '06 (MPEG-2 encoding)! Not sure about iMovie '08.
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I read a lot of reviews on this camera and on the JVC Everio HZ-MG335 and too my JVC back to Walmart and bought the Panasonic from an e-store. Well, the video quality on both cameras in the daylight is the same. But in low-light or dark conditions the JVC outperforms the Panasonic hands-down. The JVC has a very useful and effective built-in light to illuminate the subject. The Panasonic offers a program mode called MagicPix and it is as effective driving a car using a penlight. While using MagicPix, I get so frustrated that I want to smash the camera. Your only solution in low light conditions is to find a flashlight. Every day I use my Panasonic I mourn my decision to buy this camcorder. But the e-store wants to charge me a 20% restocking fee.
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br /And the JVC is smaller and easier to hold and stick in one's pocket. The only good thing about the Panasonic is that you can upload videos to Youtube without having to convert the file.
br /
br /The JVC equivalent costs hundreds less and offers more. And unlike the Panasonic, the JVC's USB port is conveniently located and doesn't require removing the battery to connect it to a PC.

I use this for two reasons:
br /
br /1) My daughter's volleyball games - it does a great job thanks to its functionality and portability, and I can easily load the videos onto my PC for storage.
br /2) My golf swing - thanks to a high shutter speed, I'm able to get immediate feedback on the camcorder's viewing screen, or later when I load it onto my PC.
br /
br /I recommend it highly!

* My short take on this camera is that it does "ok", but the simple fact is that the image quality isn't as good as a VHS camcorder I used 20 years ago (and still have tapes to view compare with). Indoor movies will need a fair amount of light or a fair amount of digital noise (graininess) will result when you try to brighten them up a bit. Even the sound is a bit lower in quality than that old VHS camcorder. I expected a bit better...
br /
br /* Having said that, this unit having a hard drive makes up for some of it's shortcomings. Being able to download movies to the computer fairly fast is nice. The software is a bit clunky so all I use it for is downloading from the camera and converting movies to mpegs. I use "ShowBiz DVD 2" to edit and produce movies to DVD's, or for emailing, so it's not an issue for me.
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br /* This is a non-issue for me but may be an issue for some: This little camcorder is "ok" for movies but takes pretty bad still photos. Most camera phones can do equally as well, or even better than this can. I have a very nice Nikon DSLR that I use for this purpose so I don't care really, but if you are thinking to use this feature be warned. Very low resolution stills from this baby.
br /
br /* Lastly, I have a hard time holding this camera "up". When my hand is in the strap and positioned as the camera dictates, my wrist is cocked quite a bit to the point that I often tend to "droop" the camera downward. That may be due to my arthritis, or maybe not. I almost wish it had a pistol type grip like the old Super 8's had.
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br /* Everything I haven't mentioned like the zoom, battery life, other features, all work well. Overall a 3, maybe 3-1/2 stars out of 5.

Pros: Compact and lightweight. Ergonomically convenient controls (except for one). Excellent video quality and stability.
br /Cons: Zoom control switch is a bit less convenient to reach and activate.
br /Bought this unit after considerable research into mid-priced camcorders. It is well rated by CR and CNET compared to others, even Sony.
br /
br /Had much back-and-forth self-doubt regarding whether to go with a DVD disc or hard drive configuration. Mini-DVD is fading fast for a number of reasons. Decided on hard drive. More compact. Has plenty of capacity before having to download. Eliminates the need to purchase/carry many blank DVD discs, which can be rendered unusable. Allows very convenient access to scenes for immediate review, rearrangement or deletion.
br /
br /The unit is very simple to use, right from the beginning. The design is compact and ergonomically well thought-out. As noted above, the zoom control switch could have been better situated for more convenient access, but this is not a major drawback.
br /
br /All in all, a very good product, especially at recent sale prices (around $425.00).
br /
br /Highly recommended.
br /
br /Therck
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br /

I researched and researched camcorders and this seemed like the best choice. I was wrong. The video quality was about the same as my little digital camera. The worst part was the software that came with the camcorder. I wanted to just upload video directly from the hard drive, but you have to use their software. In the end it took twice as long to get the video into a useable format than it would have to burn straight to DVD and then upload to my computer.

I've owned this for a week after returning a Sony SR5 HD camcorder that records in AVCHD format. I also own an old JVC mini DV camcorder. This camera trumps both big time.
br /
br /Easy operation - there's a nice little mode selection dial that operates 4 modes - video and camera recording and playback. In there center of the dial is a thumb joystick that controls selections. There are very few buttons to mess around with and there is no viewfinder - I'm in the camp that finds viewfinders useless on camcorders. The camera does take a few seconds to 'wake up' and access the HDD so that can be a little irritating. The included software is nothing fancy but does a good enough job of importing and burning. The editing capababilities aren't that great but it is pretty fast on a Mac.
br /
br /HDD - the HDD is awesome. At highest resolution it still holds about 7 hrs of data. The only problem is that Windows Moviemaker or the Mac software - iMovie will not recognize the format so you're stuck using the supplied software. I am sure there are better solutions that I haven't researched - if you have one, please leave a comment! Having said that the SR5 AVCHD format was a NIGHTMARE to work with - I just don't think editing software has caught up with the HD hardware. Also the lack of prevalance of HD format makes it quite daft to buy a HD camera when you are going to convert videos to a normal SD DVD to share with others.
br /
br /Image stabilization - optical stabilization is provided on this camera and believe me, it makes a huge difference. The pictures are very sharp compared even to my old miniDV camcorder - the miniDV format is supposed to be better for quality but the IS scores over a miniDV camera that doesn't stabilize.
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br /Picture quality - Sharp but undersaturated. This is the only 'real' con I can think of. Color saturation isn't that great so the pictures come out slightly undercooked (less rich). However the contrast is great and the lowlight performace is pretty good actually (compared to the Sony SR5 HD camcorder). I did identical side by side tests inside my house.
br /
br /IS + tripod - I left the IS on by mistake while recording from a tripod. In my experience this didn't cause the 'rippling' that people talk about. Dunno why that the case - you're actually supposed to turn off the IS when mounting on a tripod.
br /
br /Take home: I love this camera and I think I made a great buy. I don't have any buyers remorse. I did when I picked up the Sony SR5 and felt daft about spending $500 more for something that just did not 'do it for me'. Kudos to Panasonic for this little gem.Panasonic SDR-H18 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

It's very small - my fiancee likes that about it, she has no problems holding it one handed.
br /
br /The picture quality is really not all that good. I wasn't expecting HD but it should be at least as good as the old VHS camcorders (the really big ones that sat on your shoulder) - and it's not. Especially in low light (which seems to be anytime I'm indoors) it's very pixelated. I would be interested to compare the quality to the 3CCD version of this camera. I got this one because reviewers weren't impressed with the 3CCD.
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br /The software for editing that comes with the camera is awful (no surprise there). You'll definitely need to get better software - almost any would be better. This especially goes for the issue of widescreen.
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br /I didn't know this, but the 16:9 widescreen, which I really like, works with very few formats - DVD, Divx, a few others. Trying to make VCDs or SVCDs, it squishes it up from 16:9 to 4:3, which makes short people look tall and skinny, and tall, skinny people look really strange. If you plan on making lots of non-DVD movies, probably just stick to 4:3 format, not widescreen.
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br /Oh, and if you plan on keeping lots of high-quality videos on your hard drive, you're gonna need LOTS of disk space. The XP quality setting eats up about 4GB per hour. About the size of a DVD. I've been using the medium setting, and there's not really that much difference that I can tell.

great video cam, missing a flash light, a touch screen, and a lens shutter that is part of the camera. but the best for money value. I was so unhappy though as i purchased the camera and 5 days later i found it 50$ cheaper in circuit city. I will look more carefully next time.

I did a bunch of research comparing the Sony, JVC and this one. The Panasonic overall seemed to get the best reviews, though a friend owns the Sony and loves it, too. Though it just arrived, I have already got it up and running and have shot several practice videos. My daughter turns one in a week and between that and the holidays, we got it just in time. The most common complaints were the short battery life ( I still haven't purchased a longer lasting one) and the awkward positioning of the USB port behind the battery. Despite those, I think that pros outweigh the cons and I am pleased with my purchase thus far.

So far, so good! Easy to use. Lightweight yet feels sturdy. I got a hard disk camcorder so that I wouldn't have to deal with tapes, disks, or anything else that might be obsolete in a few years. I wanted to be able to just put it right on my computer and then burn it to DVD or post it online or whatever.
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br /I have a Mac and it won't work with IMovie, but the software that comes with it seems okay.
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br /The only thing that is a little annoying is that the lens cap comes completely off and hangs on a string, so it kind of dangles around while you're filming. I usually tuck it in between my hand and the camera. I would prefer the kind where it's built in and you just open and close it like a shutter.
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br /Overall, for the price, I think this is a great product and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quality, affordable digital camcorder. Oh, and it was Consumer Reports' top pick for this type of camcorder!

The camera is of only average quality, The video is grainy even in the best light. However, two things make this a product to avoid; first, the software is horrible and second, customer service will dodge you, forget to call you back, and argue with you about the terrible software. Proprietary file types never work very well and this camera is no exception. To avoid endless hassles, avoid this camera.

This camcorder was purchased as a Christmas gift for my 20 year-old son. He uses some very fancy, and very high priced cameras in his film classes at college and wanted a camera of his own for personal use. I couldn't afford $1000s for a high-end camera so decided on this one. After much research online, the price at Amazon couldn't be beat.
br /The camera itself is an excellent buy for the price. Although the audio isn't the best, the other features work great and my son uses the camera almost daily. I waited this long before leaving feedback because I wanted to see how the camera held up over several months. It works as well after almost six months as the day it came out of the box.
br /In hindsight, the one thing that has really paid off is the 30GB hard drive. No need for expensive discs. The hard drive holds plenty, and my son also uses a high capacity SD card for even more storage.

Easy to use and great picture/sound quality for a low end hard drive camcorder model. Highly recommend it for shooting family videos and special events. Only complaints I have are the usb connection to the PC is kind of awkward and the stripped down version of the Imagemixer Pixela software is horrible. Just use Windows Movie Maker or something instead and the usb connection is not worth removing a star over. Look at the bright side... no more DV/8mm tapes or those silly DVD camcorders!

I bought this camer because you can take still pictures and videos and looks great on both. HD is great and it is very light

Great Reviews in Consumer Reports (November 2007) , but give me a break. Not worth $900. It can be found in the low to mid $400 range from reputable dealers. How can anyone charge $400 over list price and still have the nerve to charge almost $30 in shipping. The camera is fine, but the price is insulting to the buyer's intelligence. Always wise to comparison shop at other sites first. Have found such huge discrepancies before and it has saved me. Go to the Panasonic website to check out the list price.

I did research and was comparing this with Sony and JVC. But this one is a CLEAR winner. Love Image Stabilization feature. Picture quality is perfect even in low light. SD card features adds one more star to it. I highly recommend this product.

I bought this two weeks ago. It is really an awesome camera. This has huge zoom with optical stabilization. I can hold it steady at maximum zoom. Great!
br /The camera is very compact. Joystick make navigation easy and intuitive. This is my first ever video camera and I love it.
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excellent option for amateur, good videos, easy.
br /Para alguien que busca algo economico esta es la opcion, buena capasidad, buena imagen, facil, con menu en español, lo unico a criticar es la ausencia de una tecnologia para situaciones de oscuridad, ya sea por infrarojo o lampara de resto me parece bien

br /I just got this camcorder so I'm still learning about it but so far it is light and compact and easy to handle. THe instructions are clear and simple and easy to follow. The lighting seems to be good and the pictures clear. So far I haven't transfered the picture to a DVD so can't comment on that.

This camcoder requires ImageMixer 3 software to watch videos on PC and I did NOT get one with my purchase and trying to find help on internet to buy this software is not much encouraging either. I found like around $30 to buy IMAGEMIXER 3 SOFTWARE to make your videos work on PC. This is ridiculous. I would NOT recommend this camcoder.

This is our first camcorder, and so far we are loving it. Tiny size, not at all heavy, great picture quality, and easy to download to the PC. The software included is very user friendly. The only problem we are having is when we are recording we want to take a short break so we hit pause. Unfortunately, that ends that section of recording starts a new one, so instead of streaming video, we have multiple clips... There might be a solution to this (other than putting them all back together via software), we just haven't found it yet. One other tiny thing, it isn't great in dark, or low light, BUT we knew that going into it we were OK with it as most camcorders have this problem, so it's no different from others. Other than that, GREAT!

I really enjoy this little gadget. It's small enough to fit in the same bag as my digital camera and the quality of the pictures is excellent. Easy to use.

I love the camera. It does everything it was marketed to do. I wouldn't buy again from Amazon though. The seller charged me over $30.00 for a 3 day delivery and it took 10. Amazon wouldn't help and the seller never responded to any emails.

I got it to upgrade from a tape-based camera that had a difficult user interface. This camcorder has an excellent interface and is easy to shoot good videos with. What's not to like?
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br /I can't get the videos out to download to a useable computer.
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br /1. It is really hard to transfer usable files to a computer. I can transfer to an XP computer, but my computers with video editing software are a Macintosh and a Vista system.
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br /The Macintosh cannot read the files at all, even though they are imported by Panasonic's software to the Mac successfully. Quicktime and iMovie both give error messages that the file is not a video file.
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br /The Vista computer can display the video from the SDR-H18, but there is no audio. Back to silent movies.
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br /By the way, it can make a DVD on the XP computer, but the DVD is just a bunch of unedited clips transferred to DVD.
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br /2. Even on overcast days outdoor shots get "solar flare" diamond-shaped internal reflections into the picture. So it is not a decent outdoor camera.
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br /So for the purpose I had planned to use the camera, it is pretty much useless. I don't enjoy only being able to watch the video on the viewfinder.
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I have one issue with the bundles software that comes with the H18. In spite
br /the advertisement, it does not help much. When the camcorder recording, it creates one file for every time you press the play button. That means that typically it can create tens or hundreds files for one typed event. The software, Image Mixer 3 allows you to work only with a few files at a time. So if I want to add titles for different events (lets say a new city I arrived at during my trip)the software does not help. It just not capable of doing it. Otherwise, I like the camera.

This is one hot little camera for the price. I am new to digital video but this camera is very simple to use and I have already made my first DVD. I definitely recommend having USB 2.0 or you will find the waiting game quite frustrating. Battery life is excellent and the included software, albeit entry level stuff, is also quite intuitive and even made me seem like a pro. The low-light option seems to make things extremely choppy but I still have some experimenting to do before I can say for sure that there is an issue. Very light-weight and powerful piece of equipment... I strongly recommend.

Small and good quality. The battery is ok but not enough for over 20 hr recording.
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I did a ton of research before purchasing this camera. For the price, the Panasonic seemed like the best choice. I've owned it for a little over a week, and so far I'm very happy with it. The zoom is great...I was able to zoom in on surfers clearly nearly 400 yards away. The software that it comes with seems crappy, but I completely bypass it using Windows Vista. I just plug it into the USB 2.0 port and the files end up on the hard drive. I then use Windows Movie Maker which is incredibly easy to learn and mess around with.

This camera is a great value. The only drawback is filming in low light situations. Great Image Stabilizer, Powerful optical zoom, compact, and very easy to use. Overall a Great Buy!

I must have gotten a lemon, or all the reviewers here must be used to lousy picture qaulity. In "full light", it does an average job. But on "medium light", it is horrible. I tried to record a school talent show, and it came out VERY pixelated. It was also frequently out of focus. And seemed to have problems compensating for the fact that the stage was very bright, but the auditorium was very dark. I would buy a higher end unit if you want good quality keepsakes.

Just the right size for me. Easy to understand instructions with all the HD I need. This will be put to a bigger test next week on a trip to TN.

MY rating above is a bit low when it comes to the videos that my camera will take. My low rating comes from how difficult it has been to transfer the movies I take from the hard drive to either my computer hard drive or to a DVD. So far I have not been able to do that. My biggest disappointment came when I called panasonic for help. They did answer the phone quickly but all the guy wanted to do was know where I lived, my phone number, my email address and crap like that. I did not call to answer his questions, I called for him to answer mine. Finally I got a supervisor on the phone. She was very nice but knew less than the idiot that I spoke with first. All she could do was tell me that she did not know how to do what I wanted to do with their product and she would have someone call me within 24 hours. WEll DUH. I was already talking to someone without the 24 hour wait for another call. Panasonic may have good products but their customer service people are poorly trained and bordering on stupid. I think I am going to take this camera back since I am within the return period and get someone elses product that might be easier to use.