Panasonic HDC-SD100 Camcorder Review

- SDHC memory card (8GB)
- VW-VBG130 Battery Pack
- AC adaptor
- AC cable
- DC cable
- AV cable
- Component cable
- USB cable
- CD-ROM (HD Writer 2.6E for HDC) - Remote Control (w/ battery)

The battery life is fairly decent, but you'll want to pick up a spare, since you can't charge and operate the camcorder at the same time. You'll also want one or two spare SD cards, since your only option for recording is onto the single 8GB card. You might also want a small camera bag and a mini-HDMI cable (if you prefer this output over Component).

Other Features (5.0)
Shooting Guide - The Shooting Guide offers prompts in instances where the camcorder thinks you could use some shooting advice. It's like the little cartoon in Microsoft Office products that will pop up unexpectedly to announce, "It looks like you're writing a letter." On a camcorder, these pop-up messages can be a little disconcerting, but they could come in handy for a beginner who is hoping to expand into using more advanced features and manual controls.

Fades - Just like on the oldest tape-based camcorders of yore, you can still bypass post-production hassles by automatically introducing and closing each clip with a fader. As on most modern camcorders, choose between black or white fade-ins and fade-outs.

Auto Ground Directional Standby (AGS) - The HDC-SD100 has a handy feature that will automatically power down the camcorder if it senses a drop from the typical upright position. This is to keep you from missing the stop button and recording 15 minutes of the ground passing by as you walk to your next destination.

Pre-Record - When in standby, the HDC-SD100 can record continuous three-second loops and store them in an internal memory cache. When you finally hit "Record," the camcorder will tack the latest loop onto the beginning of your clip. This is a great option to turn on if you're trying to capture your daughter's game-winning goal and think you might have a slow trigger-finger.