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Introduction
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01.Design
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02.Product Tour
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03.Performance
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04.Color Performance
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05.Low Light Performance
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06.Motion Performance
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07.Sharpness Performance
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08.Sample Videos
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09.Usability
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10.Ease of Use
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11.Handling
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12.Controls
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13.Features
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14.Recording Options
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15.Hardware
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16.Other Features
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17.Canon HF20 Comparison
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18.Sanyo VPC-HD2000 Comparison
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19.Sony MHS-CM1 Comparison
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20.Conclusion
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21.Photo Gallery
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22.Specs & Ratings
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23.Comments
Panasonic HDC-SD20
Previous: Page 16
Other FeaturesNext: Page 18
Sanyo VPC-HD2000 ComparisonCanon HF20 Comparison
The Canon HF20 is more expensive than the Panasonic HDC-SD20, so it’s no surprise that the Canon surpasses in the Panasonic in performance. Better motion, better color, and much better sharpness… the only area in which the Panasonic surpassed the Canon was in noise—a result of the former’s inferior resolution. The HF20 even outperformed the SD20 in low light, which was one of the Canon’s greatest weaknesses. If you’re looking for a budget camcorder, however, the Panasonic might be a better deal. It’s especially good for beginners, offering an exceptionally intuitive touch screen interface, easy-as-cake auto mode, and excellent Intelligent Auto technologies. The AF/AE Tracking was surprisingly fun to use.
Unfortunately, you can’t use any of these cool auto features in the camcorder’s Manual mode. Plus, making manual adjustments with the touch screen can be an imprecise chore. Add to that list of complaints no microphone input, headphone output, or accessory shoe. For serious videographers that enjoy manual image adjustments, the Canon HF20 is a better choice. For beginners, the SD20 is an easy-to-use camcorder with decent video performance.
Shop for the Panasonic HDC-SD20
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