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As the follow-up to the SDR-S100, the Panasonic SDR-S150 builds on the success of its predecessor. Not only can you record MPEG2 video straight to an SD card (2GB card included), but the 3CCD image sensor and optical image stabilization work to ensure that your images look their best. The S150 also uses Panasonic's proprietary Quad-Density Pixel Distribution technology to convert the image signal. Providing four times the pixel density when recording still pictures, this lets the S150 capture 3.1-megapixel (2048 x 1512) still pictures. Plus, 1.5-second quick start and a wide, 2.8-inch LCD monitor make it easy to operate. SDR-S150 Highlights Leica Dicomar lens
The Leica Dicomar lens was developed jointly by world renowned Leica Camera AG and Panasonic to clear stringent quality standards as an ideal lens system for digital video cameras. Multi-coated lenses
The multicoated lens is able to suppress diffused reflection. The S150's lens system has 12 elements in 8 groups, with 14 multicoated surfaces. Low-dispersion glasses
It minimizes chromatic aberration caused by focal deviations in the light after it enters the lens. This suppresses both colour bleeding and false colour. O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) The O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) cancels the hand-shake effect by stabilizing the image that reaches the CCD. Unlike the electrical stabilization system, the optical stabilization system accompanies almost no deterioration and unnatural touchup, This also works for the still picture as MEGA O.I.S. and assure sharp, clear motion pictures and still pictures. 3CCD camera system The 3CCD camera system is used in most professional broadcast equipment. Each of the three primary colours is processed just the way it is. That means there is almost no light loss and the colour information is accurate. Panasonic Original Engine (Crystal Engine plus MPEG2 Engine) The Crystal Engine renders highly precise, life-like colours by processing each of the R, G and B signals from the three CCDS, while new noise shaping filters further improve processing precision. And the new Panasonic MPEG2 Engine achieves a level of recording quality in LP mode that approaches SP mode. Crystal Engine
The three primary colours that are separated by the 3CCD system are processed individually. Noise is then optimally removed to produce images as beautiful as they appear in nature. MPEG2 Engine
Panasonic has developed its own new MPEG2 Engine with Wide-Range Motion Search Tecnology and Variable Bit Rate System. It renders fast-moving subjects with outstanding precision. It also reproduces MPEG2 images in LP mode with the same level of resolution as images in SP mode. With the SD/SDHC memory card, shooting video is easier and more convenient Compact size, super-fast startup
The SD/SDHC Memory Card is just 24 x 32 x 2.1 mm (W x H x T) and weighs only 2 g (approx.). Startup time is very short too, so you can record on a moment's notice. Use it almost anywhere
The tough little SD/SDHC Memory Card is highly resistant to heat, light, impact and dew condensation, so you can take it just about anywhere and use it in a wide range of conditions. Quick, easy uploading to a PC
You don't have to run a finalising process when transferring data to a PC. With the SD Memory Card's quick, easy data transfer via the SD Memory Card slot, it's easy to use the video clips and still images you shoot.
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 Great if you want a tiny, tapeless video camera |
| Review Date: November 14, 2006 |
| Reviewer: S. Myers, Palo Alto, CA United States |
I have been using this camera for several weeks in lots of different conditions: indoors, outdoors, action, stills, etc. Overall, it is a great camera if you are looking for good video performance, acceptable still performance for a video camera, no tapes, and an incredibly small size which truly does fit in your pocket.
I have not had any of the dark video issues mentioned above.
I have owned many previous miniDV cameras including a JVC, Canon Elura, Panasonic 3CCD, and Sony DCR-PC1000. To my eye, the video this camera produces video as good as the others in terms of sharpness and color accuracy. I tested it side-by-side with the Sony (the most recent model of those shown), and it performed about the same to my eye as the Sony with video, although color was a little more accurate on the Panasonic, and the still images were noticeably better. I was concerned about getting an MPEG2 camera thinking the compression would cause artifacts and have trouble with action video. I have had no problems with either.
The real reason I tried this camera is that all of the above cameras have broken after a couple years of use due to a broken tape handling mechanism, and I was thrilled about the idea of a tapeless camera! The battery lasts much longer due to not having to drive a tape, and the startup time is great since it doesn't have to get the tape across the recording heads after you switch it on. I also prefer no hard drive for durability and battery life issues, and none of the hard drive cameras are even close to this in size.
Now the trade-offs you make with this camera. At first I thought it didn't go very wide-angle which was disapponting (44mm 35mm equivalent, I think?), but I tested it side-by-side with the Sony and it was nearly identical, and I never noticed lack of wide angle on the Sony. Also, the MPEG2 format is a bit of a pain. I use Final Cut Express and iMovie on a Mac, and neither reads MPEG2 directly. That said, there is a free utility which seems to be very good called Streamclip, or you can buy a $20 add-on for your QT player to play and convert MPEG2, but it's still an extra step in the process. I believe that Premiere does not support it either. Just be aware that it's not as compatible with as many editing apps as ubiquitous miniDV and a conversion step is required.
The only other camera I seriously considered (after ruling out tapes and hard drives) was the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1A, which is also an SD-based camera. Despite having a 5MP still image resolution, most video reviews for it were extremely negative. Some surmised that this is really a still camera at the core, marketed as a video camera. Furthermore it does not have optical image stabilization, which I consider a near-must for such small cameras if you want smooth video. It does indeed record in HD, but at least one review said the video quality was poor enough that it didn't really matter. It does indeed record in MPEG4, though, which is natively read by iMovie.
So if you don't mind a significantly larger camera and tapes, there may be more compelling options like the Sony HDR-HC3 which records in HD, or perhaps one the hard-drive models. But if you're looking for a tapeless video camera, and especially an SD-based one which takes truly high quality video, this appears to be the only real choice out there at the moment (Nov 2006). |
Excellent camera for parents and everyday life
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| Review Date: December 24, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Lev Selector, New York, NY USA |
Panasonic SDR-S150 is a wonderful camera.
I am extremely happy with it - and recommend it to everyone.
Popular Mechanics magazine has named it the best in its class - and I completely agree.
I bought mine in the end of September of 2006 and was using it every day for the last 10 months.
The sales person at J&R store has recommended it to me, based on customers feedback - and I am grateful to him for good advice.
The camera makes very decent videos.
Excellent optics, 3-CCD, and true image stabilization do their job.
The videos are bright, sound is excellent.
But most important for me is how easy it is to work with the camera and with the video clips once you made them.
One can use the cable and software provided with the camera, but I like things simple. I take the SD card out, insert it into a $10 USB card reader - and copy the files onto my computer with the mouse. Then I rename the clips - I change extension MOD into MPG.
These clips are in true mpeg-2 format, which is the same format as
in regular DVDs. So many DVD players will natively play those clips without any editing or converting. Also on most computers you can simply double-click on the clip to make it play. If not - you can dowload one of the many free or low-cost software players. I like the VLC player (just google for vlc player) - it is available for both Window and Mac and it is free.
I made our grandmothers very happy. I burn a collection of video clips of our baby on a regular CD (yes, CD, not a DVD) - and mail to them. They can play those video clips on a computer or on a DVD player (portable Phillips is a good choice).
The camera is very easy to operate.
The built-in battery lasts for ~ 70 min (use a spare one or use an included power supply if you need more).
Camera also makes decent still photos.
I have many more expensive cameras at home (photo and video), but I found that once I bought this camera I use it almost exclusively. Partly becase of ease and convenience.
With this camera I don't need huge disks, powefull CPUs, lots of RAM, or hours of video editing. It makes your video production very easy and fun.
Camera comes with its own editing software. But I prefer to use Adobe Premier Elements ($99). There is also some good software for Macs. So I can easily make videos with titles and menus, or make mp4 or flash videos for iPod or web.
Cons:
1. No input for external microphone. But the built-in stereo microphone is very good - I tested it by making a recording of a concert violin - and then extracting the audio and analyzing it using Adobe Audition software. The recording is very clean, because there are no motors in the camera.
2. The compression artefacts can be visible when you making fast movements with the camera. This is rare, though.
Camera can be mounted on a standard tripod.
It is very light and small.
Overall - I really enjoy it.
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As good as it can be, plus Mac iMovie instructions
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| Review Date: January 21, 2007 |
| Reviewer: rgonzale, Delaware, USA |
After opening the box and charging the battery, I had it shooting without cracking the user manual. Easy to use and confidence-inspiring. The menu system is mostly self explanatory, the only changes I made were to put it in XP (highest) quality mode, 4:3 instead of widescreen aspect ratio, disable digital zoom. Most of the options you'd want are there.
This is a tiny device, about the size of my 4-yr old 3x zoom digital still point and shoot. As such, the screen size is a little small, particularly if you are shooting 4x3 instead of widescreen. The case is mostly plastic but feels solid nonetheless. Be sure to attach the included grip extender to the tripod socket. This is crucial for one-handed operation of the zoom.
I like the use of thumbnails to identify each clip. So you can delete unwanted clips in the same way you would delete photos from a still camera.
I was pleased with the image quality. I tested it indoors in daylight and with bulbs and fluorescent lights. I didn't see the low-light problems some people have mentioned, but I wasn't shooting in candlelight... I've heard good things about the still image shooting so having a still camera with 10x optical zoom is a nice bonus.
I had no problem with the Mac connection, just download Mpeg Streamclip and Apple's $20 mpeg2 plugin, and you can convert to DV format for iMovie. Though some users may find this difficult or annoying.
UPDATE May 2007. Just a quick update on my earlier review, I wrote up instructions for transferring video from this camera to iMovie on a Mac. Once I'd written them out I realized it's more involved than I had thought, but hopefully these step by step instructions will help someone. Also hopefully Apple will make this easier in the future...
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SDR-S150 user review
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| Review Date: March 12, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Ed, Florida |
I purchased this camcorder just over two weeks ago and must say that I am more than pleased w/ its performance. After reading countless reviews of camcorders and handling several at local stores, I selected the SDR-S150 based on:
- size
- reviewed video performance
- SDHC recording format
I wanted a camcorder that was very compact so that I wouldn't mind carrying it anywhere. Being the size of an average digital camera, the SDR-S150 fits the bill nicely. Video performance is very good. Being able to pop the SD card into a card reader on my computer makes transfering videos pretty much effortless.
This camcorder costs a bit more than others out there, but I feel the extra $$ is well spent due to it's video quality, ease of use and expected durability. Since it doesn't have tapes to jam or hard drives to crash, it should have a long life v.s. other units that do.
One concern I had prior to purchasing this camcorder was whether it could be used indoors, as the reviewers said it suffers more than some in low light situations. My concerns were put to rest after seeing my first indoor video. It works just fine under normal indoor lighting.
Another concern I had was whether I would have enough recording time using SD cards. Happily, I find that there is little if any difference (to my eye) between the best quality and the medium quality modes. I tend to record using the medium quality setting, giving twice the recording time over the highest quality setting. My 8 gig card = 4 hrs recording.
I can highly recommend this camcorder if size & video quality matters to you. |
first class - but beware the mike placement
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| Review Date: September 11, 2007 |
| Reviewer: David S. Dodd, Florida, USA |
This really is a first class camera for its size... easy to use, good quality output.
Only one thing to bear in mind... the microphone is at the rear of the device... perfect for picking up "heavy breathing" - or side comments on the action.... can be a bit of an embarrassment.... |
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