Panasonic SDR-S150 Camcorder Review

Compression (7.0)
The Panasonic SDR-S150 (Review, Specs, $699.95) records video using MPEG-2 video compression, but what sets this camcorder apart from the masses is its SD memory card recording format. Far more than other camcorder manufacturers, Panasonic has invested heavily in developing memory card technology for camcorders. At the high end, their P2 cards are used in the high definition AG-HVX200 prosumer camcorder, but at present the SDR-S150 is the only SD card only camcorder on the market. The advantages of memory card recording are many, including silent running and a paucity of moving parts to break down or malfunction.

Like most MPEG-2-based camcorders, the SDR-S150 offers several quality options that relate to the level of video compression. SP mode (slow play) and LP mode (long play) are lower quality recording modes with higher levels of MPEG-2 compression. XP is the highest quality recording mode, and you’ll find that XP footage quickly fills up a card. The included 2GB card can only hold 25 minutes of XP footage while a new 4GB SDHC card holds 50 minutes of XP footage. SP mode extends the capacity of the 2GB card to to 50 minutes, and LP to 100 minutes.

Media (5.5)
A High Speed 2GB SD card ships with the SDR-S150, but Panasonic recently announced larger the release of larger 4GB SDHC memory cards, doubling the maximum recording time available. The SDR-S150 can record to any SD card with a Speed Class rating of 2 or higher. In terms of convenience and portability, it’s hard to beat SD cards. They are much smaller then MiniDV tapes or compact DVD’s, and they are relatively impervious to moisture, heat, dust, and other elemental factors. In addition, they allow the SDR-S150 to run virtually silently meaning much less camera whir on your soundtrack.

In still mode, the 2GB card can hold up to 1,280 photos and in Fine Mode at its highest resolution, 2048 x 1512. With all their advantages, we are happy to see one company forging ahead in the SD camcorder arena. At the same time, acquiring enough SD cards to pull off an extended shoot may be expensive, with street prices for 2GB cards ranging up from $25 after rebate to well over $50. You should expect Panasonic’s new 4GB cards to be significantly more expensive.

Editing (4.0)
SDR-S150 ships with MotionSD Studio, a basic editing system that is compatible with the MPEG-2 files created by this camcorder. When importing clips using a Windows-based computer, the file extension .MOV is not a valid file format for importing most non-linear editing programs such as Premier. We have found a simple solution to this problem, which is to manually change the .MOV extension to .MPG.

MotionSD is better than many editing programs that we have seen packaged with a camcorder. It is good at converting clips into MPEG4 for email and outputting clips directly onto a DVD. As an added bonus, if you like cheesy video effects and clip art animations, MotionSD has lots to offer. File transfer can be done via USB from the camcorder, or by simply inserting the SD card into a media slot.

Mac users will need to find an application that can convert the MPEG-2 files into a format compatible with your editor. MPEG Streamclip is an excellent shareware program that can convert a plethora of video files including .MOD into more usable formats. I used MPEG Streamclip to work with files from the SDR-S150 on my Powerbook.