Panasonic SDR-SW20 Camcorder Review

by Michael Perlman

Published on Apr 23, 2008 1:53 PM
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Comparison
Sanyo DMX-CA8
Sanyo’s latest underwater camcorder features a 1/2.5-inch CMOS chip that offers up to 8MP of effective resolution. In the highest quality, the DMX-CA8 (under $500 MSRP) can only capture video in 640 x 480 at 60fps/6Mbps, frame rate priority. What will this mean for quality? We’ll let you know when we get our hands on one later on in the year. The DMX-CA8’s MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression could help it, but we’ll see how it tangos with the processing.

The DMX-CA8 only has a 5x optical zoom, as opposed to the SDR-SW20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00)’s 10x optical zoom. Handling is another main course—the DMX-CA8 is an upright pistol grip that may suit some shooters more than others.

Both camcorders can travel down five feet into the water and feature electronic image stabilization. The DMX-CA8 pushes the envelope with Face Detection (Sanyo calls it “Face Chaser”), and an included Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0 bundle. This may be a try before you buy scenario, but that Premiere bundle sounds pretty enticing.

Pentax Optio W30
To be fair, let’s cut the Pentax Optio W30 ($299.95 MSRP) some slack. It’s a waterproof digital camera that is capable of shooting video, not a dedicated camcorder. That being said, the Optio W30 can only shoot in 4:3 aspect ratio and features a 3x optical zoom lens. The 1/2.5-inch CCD is capable of huge still image resolutions, but video can only be shot in 640 x 480 at a maximum 30fps. Video performance lacks with an inaccurate color palette and noisy low light performance, but what would you expect? With a $100 price gap, the SDR-SW20 will give you better Manual control, image quality, and handling. Still imaging goes to the Optio W30, hands down.

Olympus Stylus 1030SW
Olympus’s Stylus 1030 SW underwater still camera ($399.99 MSRP) just may give the SDR-SW20 a run for its money. This digital camera has a 1/2.35-inch CCD with 10.1 effective MP. It’s shockproof up to 6.6 feet, waterproof up to 33 feet, freezeproof up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and crushproof up to 220 pounds. The 3.5x optical zoom is heavily overshadowed by a 2.7-inch LCD screen (230,000-pixel display) and 29 shooting modes, including Behind the Glass and Underwater Snapshot. The downside? Video is recorded as Motion JPEG AVI clips at a maximum of 640 x 480 30fps in the highest quality. That’s an inefficient compression that will fill up your memory cards quickly. Yes, the Stylus 1030 SW sounds great, but you’ll have to head to Best Buy in order to put it to the test.

Panasonic SDR-S7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00)
The SDR-S7 ($299 MSRP) is the landlubber’s version of the SDR-SW20. Both camcorders feature a single 1/6-inch CCD with a gross pixel count of 560,000. The main difference between the SDR-S7 and the SDR-SW20 is size and the SDR-S7’s lack of waterproof capability. The SDR-S7 is one of the most compact camcorders out there, rivaling certain cell phones. If you could care less about taking a dip in the pool and documenting the shallow end, then save $100 and opt for an SDR-S7. It comes equipped with the same great array of manual controls.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
The Dad who wears tropical button downs and beige Panama Jacks will most likely be the prime target for the SDR-SW20. It’s compact, easy to use, and waterproof. As long as you don’t travel below 5 feet, the whole family will be able to capture what it’s like under the sea.

Budget Consumers
At $400, now we’re talking. If you don’t care about video quality and oodles of Manual controls, the SDR-SW20 will be a trusty piece of equipment at the bottom of your above-ground pool.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
640 x 480 as a maximum still resolution? Moving on…

Gadget Freaks
The underwater part is the coolest thing about this camcorder. That’s it.

Manual Control Freaks
Panasonic’s Manual Controls are fully-stocked, even on a $400 budget cam. Iris, Shutter Speed, White Balance, Gain, and Manual Focus are all part of the deal.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists
Only for their own personal movies will the SDR-SW20 suit the needs of a pro.

Conclusion
 
   
   
The Panasonic SDR-SW20 works as advertised. It shoots video. It goes underwater. It can be dropped. The fact that the camcorder doesn’t a stellar job at any of these tasks should not come as a surprise, given the relatively cheap MSRP of $399. There are lots of caveats. The video, for instance, has a very low resolution, even for its meager specs. If the footage is destined for YouTube, it will look fine. But if you’re thinking of blowing this up on your new 50-inch HDTV, be prepared for disappointment.

The stand-out features – being waterproof and shockproof – also have limits. It’s submersible to five feet, so you can’t take this in the deep end of the pool. (Be careful, too, because the camcorder sinks if you drop it.) The camcorder can definitely take a fall onto hard surfaces, but that has its limits. A five foot drop to carpet? Sure. The solid state recording means no skipping or easily damaged data. But a ten foot drop to concrete? Probably not.

Because the designers had to worry about waterproofing the body, the SDR-SW20’s handling is less than ideal. The traditional joystick has been replaced with a less effective and awkwardly placed directional pad. All of the buttons are small. The design also omits the standard hand grip, so you’ll want to tether this to your wrist to avoid dropping it.

Overall, the Panasonic SDR-SW20 is a solid performer for a specific audience. Adventure seekers, vacationers at water parks, and snorkelers will have their needs met. Point and shooters will appreciate the fast auto responses, and there are enough manual controls to keep advanced shooters satisfied.

 

 

 



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