so a month after buying this camcorder i had a chance to record my grandson's football( soccer) game in barrington il. seeing that it was my first time using it, it took me a few minutes to get used to steadying the camera. after that it was easy. the mic worked good with the audience noise( chanting) and the finger and thumb controls are comfortable enough for my big hand.
br /after i got home i had to install the software and transfer the movie to my computer. easy enough. the problem was that i shot in 16:9 and my movie came out on 4:3. now i had to resort to another programme to transfer it to 16:9. not good. you should be able to transfer from the camera to the pc in the same mode and screen type.
br /thats my only problem with this camcorder, the transfer.
br /the pictures(movie) were very good quality in my opinion.
br /
br /one more thing. as of today, april 22, 2008. the batteries are very expensive and hard to get.

I'd been contemplating a camcorder for several months, and when the funds became available, after careful thought, I bought this one. Why:
br /
br /1) The built-in 40 Gig hard drive is a huge blessing. More than adequate for my needs
br /2) Small size and ease of use and learning for a first timer like me
br /3) A lot of good features for the price
br /4) Better optical zoom than many in this price range (42X optical, 2000X digital)
br /5) More than acceptable sound quality
br /
br /I was also aware of some of the limitations of such a unit. For lighting, I did purchase a small LCD movie light that definitely helps in dim situations, (I may een get an infra-red light for night shots). Other thing to keep in mind is that there is NO external audio input, just the built-in condenser mic which is actually pretty decent.
br /
br /Ah, the infamous enclosed software question. Simple, I DON'T USE IT!
br /
br /Instead, I just simply copy the video files onto my 500 Gig external HD when the unit is hooked up to my PC. Then, I edit them in different software altogether (in my case, uLead/Corel Video Studio 11, which works way better than the enclosed Panasonic software by far and offers much more functionality and features, not to mention ease of use).
br /
br /No, it's not going to produce a cinematic epic (you'd need at least a $40,000 broadcast quality unit to do that with) but it'll not only capture your life's moments but it can be utilized to produce a pretty cool low-budget film if you're so inclined, heck I've produced some comedy videos with footage from this thing in part and was very pleased.
br /
br /My only real MAJOR gripe is the battery, I just wish it could last more than one hour! Are there batteries compatible with this unit that will go 2, maybe 3 hours? At least they were kind enough to include a charger/power supply.
br /
br /Looking for a good place to start camcordering, this is a good one!

The Panasonic SDR-H40 is a nice little camera with decent image quality, but getting the video off from the camera to your computer is big pain!
br /
br /I bought the HDD camera just so I could download video to my computer and share it easily. First, you cannot download the video unless the AC adapter is hooked to the camera. Which means, transferring video when you are on the road is out of the question. Second, the video files are viewable only from the Panasonic software. You cannot open the files directly in Media Player etc. Third, the panasonic software is terrible to use. After you aquire the video, you have cut it down and 'export' it to your hard disk. Now you think you can see the video file in Media player. BUT NO!! Most likely you are missing a MPEG-2 Codec. And I find that after the codec is instllaed the image quality is not so great.
br /
br /So after all that you finally have a manageable file (and file size) that you want to be able to edit in lets say Windows Movie Maker. Nothing further from the truth. There is some encoding in the 'exported' files which will crash movie maker.
br /
br /I am so frustrated by this camera and its software, I wish I had not bought it. Please consider this camera only if you plan to invest in some other video editing software!

I absolutely love this camera. We had a mini-dv camcorder before
br /and it was very difficult to transfer video to my computer. This
br /camcorder is a snap - just connect and download.
br /
br /Don't try to use the included editing software. Ulead VideoStudio 11
br /and Serif MoviePlus X3 work great. Easy to learn - inexpensive.
br /
br /The battery recharges in about an hour and a half, and takes
br /about an hour of video on a charge. Easy.
br /
br /The video stabilization is marvelous. No shake. Smooth zoom.
br /
br /I was put-off by the several negative reviews, but purchased
br /anyway. Don't believe the nay-sayers. This is a great camera.
br /
br /The 40 gig hard drive will take about 9 hours of video at the
br /best setting. That's enough to bore the pants off all of
br /your family and friends. Wide screen and crisp on our 37"
br /flat screen LCD-TV.
br /
br /It's a winner in my book.

This is a great little camera for the price. I have no doubt about that. However, I've been having too many problems with the editing process. The software that comes with the cam doesn't make things easy. What's more, I can't seem to get the videos to display well in Windows Movie Maker or Media Player. The quality is grainy in these programs and the 16:9 size is squished to 4:3, rather than displaying the black bars on the top and bottom. I've changed the settings in Windows Media Player and it still doesn't work.
br /
br /The quality of the video is great. The zoom is simply amazing and the OIS is downright impressive. I just wish they made putting these things on your computer a little easier. It should either come with better software or a recommendation for a program to buy that natively understands the hardware. I would buy after-market software if I knew it would work with this camera.

not a bad camera. outdoor video very good, indoor grainy. i guess that what you get unless you want to spend 1000 for a camcorder, which is insane. happy with camera, good product so far (1 week).
br /software is bad. archaic and unfriendly. im scared to even try video editing with it.
br /what is up with the 100 dollar battery replacements? beware of this!! SHAME on you panasonic!! i know several sites, including amazon show a cheaper replacement battery, but they are not for this camera. be careful.
br /

I purchased this camcorder after reading lot of positive reviews but returned it back after three days. I took lot of videos on a sunny day. When I looked at those video on my computer, the videos appeared as if they were taken in less light. There was not enough background light in the video.
br /
br /Pros:
br /- Easy to operate
br /- Great picture stabilization
br /- Light weight
br /
br /Cons:
br /- less background light in the video
br /
br /

After doing my research online I had originally decided to go with the Canon FS100. However, after hands on testing with different camcorders at the local megastore, I decided on the Panasonic SDR-H40. The optical image stabilization was much better on the SDR than on the Canon and even the fancy HD Sonys I played with. I also liked how I could access the menu and select things all with one hand. The other camcorders require two hands to make changes, one to hold the camcorder and the other to press buttons on the side of the lcd. The SDR has a little joystick-like control that makes it easy to do everything with the same hand holding the camera.
br /
br /Getting my Mac to import the camcorder's file required me to upgrade my version of iMovie to the very latest. I had iMovie 06, and Apple has added support for camcorders that record to hard drives in iMovie 08. Once I upgraded to iLife 08 (which includes iMovie 08), I started up iMovie, plugged in my camcorder into the Mac's USB, set it to Play, and selected PC Connect. iMovie recognized the camcorder and popped open a dialog to import the movies on the camcorder. I selected my movies and next I was using the slick iMovie interface to edit my video.

Recently I order combo deal of the camcorder and
br / Lenmar LIP07 Lithium-ion Camcorder Battery Equivelent to the Panasonic CGA-DU07 Battery.
br /
br /Yesterday I got the product and realized that the battery is not compatible with the camcorder. NExt week I am going on a trip and thought the spare battery would help me. Now in this situation, I have to settle with sinle battery .
br /
br /Also, it is too early to comment, but few observations are
br /
br / Pros:
br /--Small and fits very nicely in the palm.
br /
br /Cons:
br /-- No view finder. My old canon cam corder has one, and was very helpful in the situation where it is very sunny.
br /-- No light at the front, which would help to take reasonably good video even at nights, even if there is no power supply. No I need to carry something else, for that lighting purposes.
br /
br /I wil update once back from the next week's trip.

I searched long and hard for reviews on the new SDR-H40 camcorder from Panasonic with very few results. I decided to go ahead and buy it from Amazon and just try it out. Amazon was the least expensive price by the way. This camera is exactly what I was looking for and fits my needs to film my two little boys perfectly. I was buying it to replace a 10 year old panasonic vhs-c camcorder that was well worn out. Right out of the box I could not believe how small this camera was. It literally fits in the palm of my hand. The 40 gig hard drive holds over 9 hours of video on the highest quality setting. More than enough for me I think. The sound was very crisp and clear. The video was average I thought but for the price I paid I have no complaints. I was actually between buying this camera and the Sony DCR-SR45. I opted for this Panasonic because of the price and my satisfaction in the old Panasonic vhs-c camera we owned previously. If you are looking for an entry level, low priced hard drive based camcorder, I strongly recommend the Panasonic SDR-H40. The only complaint I have so far is the included software which is no big deal.

No sure what the person was talking about when they said this camcorder does not work with a mac. I have been using this camcorder with 3 different mac models since April 08 without any problems. This is a great camcorder, very easy to use and best of all it moves video to a mac without any problems. Trick/tip use iLife 08 and you will love this camcorder and the ease of moving your video's.

This is my husband's new toy and he seems to be very pleased with it. It really is just replacing the limited video feature on our Kodak Easy Share camera. It has great zoom so you don't have to stress if you are sitting towards the back at a soccer game or ballet recital. My favorite feature is its compact size. It fits very comfortably right in your palm.
br /
br /If you're looking to take videos of the kids this camcorder should do the job for a decent price.
br /

I bought this camera after checking it out on consumer reports. It is easy to use, and the video turned out well. We watched it on the camera and plugged into our tv. The problem is that the software is incompatible with all 4 of our PCs. (I've tried each one.) We can download the videos, but then can only hear the sound--no pictures. The manual appears to suggest that it only works with Vista, but we're not planning to update to Vista. The camera is useless to me if I can't edit and make copies of our videos. A big waste of $$. Don't buy it unless you have Vista.

The camera is very easy to shoot, watch footage on a TV, and the images are great. However, the software is awful. Every time I try to start it, I get an error message. I was able to transfer the files to my computer and then open it with a free software I found online (just google the extension of the video file and it will pop up). Otherwise, it's a great camcorder for the $.

I bought this unit 3 days ago. To be fair, it is a great unit for the money at $249. I would let my teenage kids use this for their projects. The quality of the video is comparable to standard digital tape camcorders.
br /Anyone craving for higher resolution camcorders should buy the HD ones.
br /This unit claims to capture videos in mpeg-2 format but the extension of the files are in .mod (instead of mpg) which is also used by JVC camcorders.
br /This presents a slight problem for some xp computers to recognize this file when playing. In order to play, you would need to physically change the extension .mod to .mpg. Some editing softwares also won't recognize this file , like the Easy Media Creator Roxio until you change the extension.
br /
br /In order to connect to the computer via the USB, you need to connect the ac adapter to the camcorder unit which is a big annoyance eventhough the battery is fully charged. The camcorder cannot connect to the computer directly which is unlike most camcorders.
br /
br /Not that great taking low lighting videos. Everything else is fine.

I bought this about a month ago as an introductory video camera. I have played with several still cameras but I had never used a movie camera. Two features that were important to me were the HDD and the fact that it uses SD cards. (All of our computers, our printers, and our still cameras read SD cards.) Other advantages were the 42x zoom, the compact size, the long battery life and the low Amazon price. I put many of my still pictures on the Web, so the 0.3 mb resolution is fine for that purpose. Also, it puts out a fairly decent snapshot sized print if you take a little care when you compose your picture.
br /I read all the reviews before I bought the camera so I knew what to expect. It has fulfilled all my expectations and I would recommend it to any other beginner. One thing that surprised me is the sensitivity of its microphone. I have clearly recorded speeches, prayers, and instrumental and vocal songs from a long distance, both indoors and out. However, the wind noise reduction function does not reduce much wind noise. I do join those who wish that you could hook it up to the computer without attaching the ac power supply. I also now appreciate the wide angle capabilities of my still cameras. Reviewers said that this one didn't have much but was about the widest view in its genre. I would hate to have a narrower one.
br /I decided to install the provided VideoCam Suite software that everyone talked so badly about. It has not given me any trouble. I installed it on my Windows Vista Home Premium computer and on my wife's computer with Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 3. I know it isn't supposed to run under XP SP3, but it does. Just install it and answer yes when the dialog box tells you that it isn't supposed to run but do you want to install it anyway. The VideoCam ain't the greatest program on earth, but it is about as good as any program supplied by a hardware manufacturer. Also, them dreaded Panasonic files run just fine on Windows Media Player and Real Player. From what little I can tell they must go hand in hand with the HDD format. You just have to massage them a little to get a DVD disc so you can annoy your friends and relations by playing it on their TV. If you don't get anywhere with the VideoCam, just use one of the programs that Bill Gates put on your computer.
br /In conclusion, I am quite pleased with this little camera. When you compare price and function it appears to be the best in its class. I have enjoyed using it and I look forward to using it in the future. I was also lucky enough to find a new, genuine Panasonic battery at a bargain price in an auction on the internet.
br /The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that I don't believe anything is perfect.
br /

Had the camera for two months now. As some others have said it is relatively cheap. However, its basic functionality is easy to grasp. Buy it, charge it, use it.
br /
br /Had no problem loading the software on my hated Vista PC. The software is somewhat less than intuitive but in the end I've have gotten the hang of it. I might try and see if I can get my eMac to work with the camera but right now I don't have time. I didn't try XP either again if I ever get time I'll try.
br /
br /If I was making a feature film - guess what? I wouldn't buy this camera and I'd certainly want a more full featured software package. But I'm just doing home movies this camera is fine.
br /

My previous camcorders, VHS and 8 mm format, created crisper images than this one. That was very disappointing. Recording in poorly lit rooms produced poor images. There is no light source in this unit. Joystick operation is tricky, if your thumb is slightly larger. There are so many limitations, and "operations not guaranteed" warnings listed through out the manual, making you to wonder what good this camera is.

The Video Cam suite editing software that comes with the unit is not easy to use. You have to read a 100 page manual on the computer (no hard copy provided) for using this software. This is in addition to the 128-page product manual.

If you don't have a late model computer, editing is excruciatingly slow and I gave up. If you are a casual video shooter, you will be better off with a camcorder that directly records on DVD, and it is cheaper than this unit. Forget about editing, it is rather time consuming, more likely you will never do it after an initial, failed attempt.

This is a great camera for the price. Right out of the box it is ready to go and the video is easy to shoot, view and edit on the camera. Playback is easily done using a modern TV. The picture and sound are of good quality and there is not anything to really pick on with the camera itself. One of the best features is the stability button which makes for an extremely stable picture especially for those far away zoom shots.
br /
br /The problem that I encountered was with the software. I would recommend downloading the update directly from the Panasonic site and bypass the disc (it helped me resolve an issue). The video is downloaded using the software and then can be played on the Windows Media Player. The other issue that I had was that the camera catalogs the scenes by date and there is no obvious way to let scenes stand on their own as a seperate file. To fix this I used the playlist feature on the camera to make a playlist of one scene and then when I open the file using the software I view playlist instead of video and then just import the individual scene to the harddrive. Using the camera, you can only make four or five playlists at a time. I also found a program to then convert those clips to MPEG4 so that I could imput the video into Itunes and then onto the Ipod Touch. I filmed my kids playing sports and loaded their Ipods and the playback is great. What I would love to find is a one stop program that recognizes and edits the video from the Panasonic format and then converts it to MPEG4.
br /
br /I have yet to use the DVD burner feature, but from what I have heard it is a lot easier than the software. The still camera is decent, but I prefer a regular camera for a much finer picture.
br /

Despite its low price, this Panasonic camcorder seems to do everything we need it to do with reasonable quality. We are using it to conduct interviews and general classroom events. We use a lapel microphone hooked to an amplifier to capture full sound quality (an audio input is only available on Canon but the picture quality is not as good as the Panasonic). So far, it seems to be a good value if you don't need high definition or special effects. The harddrive is useful. It is so nice not to have to play with tapes, sd cards, and discs.

i did my research and this [at the time] is the best deal for the camera. the best part about it is that i ordered this two days ago and it came in the mail in less than 48 hours, i only had standard shipping! the panasonic h40 is the best in its class for low price good quality hard drive camcorders, I highly recommend it. FIVE STARS, trustworthy seller and great product.

pro: great zoom and anti-shake. controls are convenietly located.
br /
br /cons: my regular digital camera takes better video inside.

The camera is excellent but that's where it ends. The software is annoying to use and the most aggravating thing is the .mpg files cannot be viewed with Windows software. You also need to buy a seperate DVD burner to burn disks.

I got this camcorder, and have messed around with it for a little over three hours now. To capture video is easy as pie, and you do not even need to be video savvy to do it. Open up the screen hit, hit record, and you're capturing memorable moments. Here however, is where it begins to go down hill. The software is atrocious and should not ever be used. What stinks is this is the only way to import video onto your computer. I have searched high and low for solutions, but have not found anything reliable yet. I am going to keep trying to get this to work, especially since Amazon hiked the price back up by $50. Till then this review will stay as a 3. If you're are computer savvy go ahead and buy this as a carry around camera to capture those spontaneous moments.

Great for a first camcorder. Takes good footage and audio, outdoors and in good lighting, not that great in a dark room. Not the best still picture quality. I was very please with the video quality, and over all satisfied with my purchase well worth the purchase price. I would recommend to first time camcorder owners, it is fairly simple to operate and very compact which was a plus for me.

As far as the camcorder is concerned it works wonders considering the price. I read the reviews and how cnet and other "Professionals" reviewed this calling it youtube quality. I've produced a couple of dvd and so far the quality is not Waner Brothers feature film but it is much better than youtube quality. I've had these dvds playing on big screen tvs and projectors and the quality is not lost. It has a nice long battery life and additional batteries are available to buy at local retailers like best buy.
br /
br /Love the O.I.S. system
br /unlike other cameras i've used that use a digital stabilization this one moves the lens. the pictures are clear as move rather than choppy like other competitors.
br /
br /all together i have only two complaints:
br /
br /1) Panasonic did not include software at allows a users to transfer files onto a Mac. For those using a mac considering this product use bootcamp if you can, i use there software on a version of xp via bootcamp. It may not have the flair of Imove or Idvd but it works for producing those family moments on dvd just the same.
br /
br /2) This camcorder does have a night mode setting on it but you find it useless. every time i turn it on the video slows down since the camcorder has to do more compensation for the low light levels. but on a positive note i was in a few dimly lit rooms and you could still see everything with out using the night mode.

Very nice camcorder for the price. Very simple to operate. Missing certain features like differnt video modes and night shot (the one it has is very choppy).

The Panasonic SDR-H40 provides excelent video and comes with free software that allows fast uploads to my PC as well as very good editing capabilities.

Great camera. I am very happy with it. Picture quality is very acceptable along with the battery life. Sound is very sensitive. Overall I am very happy with it and give it a 2 thumbs up and highly recommend it.

I bought this Panasonic SDR-H40 camcorder for $250 (even better than the Black Friday price). This is a superb product with conveience to use.

Panasonic SDR-H40 40GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
br /In spite of several negative reviews, the camera possessed all of the qualities for which I was searching: compact, lightweight, large HDD capacity and a great transfer program (on included CD). Instructions were easy to follow and software loads easily. Videos and photos are crisp with good color saturation. Works well indoors with normal lighting too.
br /For the money, it would be hard to beat.

What a great little eye to have. I had a cimilar one, but I broke it. I payed twice what I payed for this one, through Amazon. It's light, not bulky, and has great features like: lots of zoom for distance shots [of wild animals], hours of recording capability, and lets you load-up on still shots separately, on an SD card- woh!

I bought the camcorder for our newborn. We did most of the shooting inside home. I was so disappointed with the video quality. Then I used my Canon SD1100IS digital still camera to take videos. That is so superior to the Panasonic videos.
br /
br /The software never worked. I could never figure out how the various items in the software work. The manual or the website just does not give enough information on how to use the software.
br /
br /I never found out the pixel dimension and other attributes of the three types of video qualities. I read every page of the manual.
br /
br /I was so disappointed with the camcorder. After a month's use, I sold it in craigslist with a loss of over $100. Still, I am happy. I got rid of a such a nasty product and my still camera gives me better ... FAR better video than this crap. If it sounds weird, compare video and audio quality of SDR-H40 with Canon digital still camera.

This is a better than average camcorder, tons of recording time, average battery life, spectacular optical zoom, and smaller than you could imagine. the only downside is the recording quality on the best XP isnt that great especially when you blow it up on a tv. I used it to go snowboarding and made a facebook video and it turned out pretty good, if your looking to archive family events to watch on a tv later, I suggest going with a higher quality SD camcorder or a HD camcorder. For the record, because I am using this for "extreme" sports I bought a SDHC Card so if it got bumped around while it was recording to the hard drive it wouldn't mess any internals up. I got a 16gb from amazon for about 40 bucks.Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card with Compact Card Reader All in all it was about what I expected it to be.

I purchased the SDR-H40 in november of 08' and the bundle pack was a great price but the battery was too small for this model, so make sure you double check with a representitive before purchasing any extra accessories. As for the camcorder and camera the quality was great for video and taking pictures with good lighting provided. The sound was great, I was recently at Greenfield Village at night outside, video and sound was good but pictures not so good there is no flash on lamp on the SDR-H40. Overall it was worth it for the money and the battery that came with the camcorder was only low by one bar after 30-45 minutes of recording video and pictures. Programing was a little involved but if you have adobe reader 9.0 all you do is load provided cd-rom and follow the steps. Taking pictures of old pictures and loading them into the PC or Mac is simple, I took 153 pictures for my mother's 7" digital frame I'm storing them on and they were clear as the real thing. No more tapes or mini dvd's to buy just put on DVD recorder PC or Mac, and enjoy and save your history.

Good entry level product, great photos, the software could have been better. Enjoy using it!

Haven't used it much because i just got it but i can tell you one of my twin Granddaughter's (not quite 5yrs old) had no trouble figuring out how to use it. Like the size of LCD too.

so far this camera has performed to expectations.
br /takes great pictures and awesome video.
br /the only thing that i don't like so far is the cheap protective cap for the cable attachments. i am afraid with extended use this cap may break off.

I purchased this camcorder for my father in late October. I went to Circuit City to check it out before I bought it. It's very small and doesn't have a lot of buttons...which is good for my dad (he's 50). It was also recommended by the guy at Circuit City. He convinced me to buy the 40gb as opposed to the 60gb because I could get a cheap 8gb memory stick and make this a 48gb camcorder...which allows for a ton of filming.
br /
br /Make sure you put the OIS on before use. It was $400 at Circuit City but I got it on Amazon for $250. I haven't seen it drop back down since then. I bought one of the camcorder bags that was a suggestion as well...it fits nicely with the camcorder and is very well built.

Let me start off with a complaint: accessories for this camera are not cheap!
br /
br /That being said, the camera is great. It doesn't shoot high-def, but it does take otherwise great pictures and the features on this product are pretty great.
br /
br /However, in hindsight and with further research (and a little more money) I would now get the upgraded version with a 60 gig and 50x optical zoom. However, this camera is great for the price I paid and I can assure you the camera has some amazing features.
br /
br /The 42x optical zoom is enhanced even more by the digital zoom, but I can assure you you can read what someone is doing at least 25 feet away on a computer screen with clarity! My dad took a shot of his license plate at 75 yards and was able to read it easily.
br /
br /The 40gig hard drive is also an excellent plus, but keep in mind that memory is getting cheaper and a 16 gig SDHC card on amazon only runs you about 30 dollars at the moment. That just means that expansion is easy and a 60 gig isn't necessary anymore--but an increase in optics isn't as easy to come by (hence the 50x/60 gig recommendation).
br /
br /Either way there isn't really anything bad worth saying about this camera. I did get the Lumix FZ-28, though... and if you're into serious photography just go ahead and get that instead of this one. If you're serious about optics with that you can always get an extra lens or two!
br /
br /Regards!

What a great investment with so many features.
br /Well worth the money and with the option to save video or pix to SD card or HD is priceless.
br /No tape, no disk, no problem!!

This was a group gift for a friend, and even with the free shipping, it got there in only 4 bus days, right on her birthday. She hasn't used it much yet, but so far is very satisfied and finds it very easy to use, which was huge because she's pretty technically challenged. Next step is to get a DVD burner.

What to say about this camera? It's good for how I use it. However, the software VideoCam Suite is so bad it may not be worth your purchase. I don't imagine people would want to buy a product from a company that has this sort of software supporting their product. I have attempted to use the software 5 times, each time it has crashed. The software, when it isn't crashing, is so un-intuitive its borderline obnoxious. I truly wish I could recommend this product because if you want a no-frills easy to use camera it's good, but I can't recommend it because of the horrible software. Spend your money somewhere else. I wish I had.

We got the camera and tested it out by playing it directly to TV and then in Windows Media Player. So far so good. Then we tried using the software to edit video. Software wouldn't start - a runtime error occurred every time (our computer more than meets the minimum requirements). Tried uninstalling and reinstalling software, still the same error. Tried to go to the Panasonic website to find support for the software, but there is NONE. And without the included software, I can't import the video into Windows Movie Maker or any other program. So we returned it, doesn't matter how good the camera is if you can't edit the video!

There are no batteries available at affordable costs for long run. Also the batteries mentioned in catalog are not shipping. Would have not brought this make, if knew this problem. Safer to go with brands like Sony.

This is a great camera and easy to use. But the software is really BAD.

I just bought this camera. I haven't even had a chance to use it yet. But the most amazing thing is that it took less than 24 hours to ship from Amazon (and that was with free shipping). I did a lot of research on-line before choosing Panasonic. The selling points for me were the ability to record video directly to the SD card and the O.I.S. The only negative I have is that there is no viewfinder - not a big loss. I recommend buying a second battery as the one that comes with the camera only last about 1 - 1 1/2 hours (according to the manual).

I meet the problem that the video cannot appear with the software coming with it. Only the still picture can be copied out. I have tried several PCs and found the same problem. I searched on the Panasonic website as well as the internet, but cannot find any method to solve this problem. I feel regret why panasonic cannot solve the problem like this. I guess I have to return it.

I have just bought one. Like it very much! I feel it is better than Sony DCR-SR42!!! Especially the sound is very clear and there is no noise!

I purchased this camcorder to document monitoring activites in a DVD format. It is essential to me that the time and date information is included in the final video along with the picture. However, when the MOA and MOI files are converted, the time stamp information is lost! I have searched diligently on the internet and have yet to find software that will include the time information. Unless I find appropiate software for the time stamp, the camcorder is worthless for my application.
br /By the way, the Lenmar LIP07 accessory battery that Amazon recommends does not fit the SDR-H40 Camcorder.

If you own a mac DO NOT get this. If I had known that this company was still in the dark ages and was not pc and mac compatible I would not of bought this. As for the the camera in its own use it is a 3 given that is fairly easy to use but if you are looking to do more professional work I would not buy this, but even if you get an okay video of your child's soccer game it can't go onto your mac.

The advice on the box and the specs is misleading concerning compatibility with Macs. There are some awkward work-arounds available, but it is not worth the expense and trouble. Extremely disingenuous advertising by Panasonic. Stay away if you are a mac user.

This camera is NOT compatible with Macs... I also have Windows Parallels for my computer, but cannot get the software to run on that either. Well, I suppose it technically runs, but no video will show up when you try to download it from the camera. If you have a Mac, get something else!!!!!!!!

What good would this camcorder be without a viewfinder?? Lets face it you cannot not see the LCD's in bright sunlight!!!