Panasonic VDR-D300 Camcorder Review

Still Features (6.5)
The still features which come with the Panasonic VDR-D300 (Review, Specs, $534.89) provide users with options that extend beyond standard point-and-shoot capture. The D300 shoots in four resolution settings – 2048 x 1512, 1920 x 1080 (16:9), 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480 – each in two different quality settings. Captures are saved in the JPEG format to SD card. However, no card is included with the purchase of the Panasonic VDR-D300. The camcorder allows users all the controls available in video mode: shutter speed, aperture, white balance, zoom, and focus. Also provided are an in-camera flash, red-eye reduction, and a flash level adjustment feature. Unlike last year's DVD models, the D300 cannot record stills to a DVD, which might necessitate the purchase of a large SD card if you like to take a lot of photos.

This still feature set compares favorably to most DVD camcorders. The Sony DVD405 (Review, Specs, $649)’s max still resolution is slightly reduced 2016 x 1512. The DVD505 (Review, Specs, $664) offers a much larger 2304 x 1728. Both of these Sony cams offer the ability to shoot stills to a card media while recording in video mode.

Still Resolution (6.4)
We tested the VDR-D300’s resolution in still mode in both the 4:3 and 16:9 modes. The 4:3 mode will be larger, as expected, because the largest resolution size is 2048 x 1512, while the only 16:9 resolution size is 1920 x 1080.

In 4:3 mode, the D300 yielded an approximate resolution of 640332.0. In 16:9, the D300 yielded an approximate resolution of 339377.2.

Still Performance (8.5)
The Panasonic VDR-D300’s stills, like the video, did not disappoint in their sharpness. They were, in fact, nearly identical in every regard to the stills of the SD card-based Panasonic SDR-S100 (Specs, $1199): sharp and crisp, but not particularly vivid. For a one-chip camcorder, these would be considered excellent. But a 3 CCD camcorder should produce a bolder, more saturated image. When compared to the 3000 lux video, the color shows a significant fade across the board. Green and light blue take the brunt of this loss, and look positively sun-faded.

The stills from the VDR-M75 (Review, Specs, $669.99), by comparison, display the same sickly green-yellow pallor across the spectrum that plagued its video performance.