Performance

The Panasonic VDR-D100 ships with a measly 1/6" 680K (340K). This is probably the lowest quality, least-advanced CCD you’re going to get on a DVD camcorder this year, from this or any other manufacturer. The good news is the VDR-D100 is one of the cheaper DVD camcorders from a major manufacturer this year as well. Its MSRP is around $500. The Sony DCR-DVD105 also sells for $500. The Hitachi DZ-BX35 retails for just $400.

This is the same imager as last year’s VDR-M53, and the good news for the VDR-D100 is that the VDR-M53 featured surprisingly good colors and video quality in bright light. There was a different story as far as low light was concerned, but no cam bats a thousand. Stay tuned for our test results.

Low Light Performance

With such a small CCD, the VDR-D100 probably won’t have the best low light capabilities. But what are you expecting from such a cheap camcorder, and a DVD camcorder at that? A camcorder with a comparable imager, last year’s VDR-M53, did pretty disappointingly in low light, so we’re not expecting much. If you’re buying this camcorder for its low light abilities in the first place, back off. You took a very wrong turn somewhere.

Format

Compression

The Panasonic VDR-D100 uses MPEG-2 video compression, as all of Panasonic’s DVD camcorders used last year.

Media

One of the main upgrades to all Panasonic DVD camcorders this year was their ability to record onto DVD-RW discs as well as the DVD-R and DVD-RAM discs they’ve always been able to record to previously. This gives them a one-up on Sony camcorders, which can only record on DVD-R/-RW/+R. Originally, Sonys were the only DVD camcorders to record onto DVD-RW, and now Panasonic can too.

Editing

Editing on the VDR-D100, as on any DVD camcorder, isn’t the easiest thing in the world. The camcorder will most likely ship with some proprietary, rudimentary editing software, which won’t offer much. The industry is still waiting for a worthy system for these camcorders. This Panasonic doesn’t offer any nifty feature to export footage directly to DVD or anything like that, as on some Sony camcorders.

Tour

**The Front
**The front of the VDR-D100 features the camcorder’s lens towards the top. Below this is the camcorder’s built-in stereo microphone. This is the only microphone you’ll get to capture audio, as there is no audio input. Below the microphone is a video light, which seems like an odd inclusion on such a stripped-down camcorder. I would gladly trade this out for a microphone jack. On the bottom of the front is a port cover revealing the camcorder’s A/V output ports and USB port.

**The Right Side **

The right side of the camcorder contains its DVD loading mechanism. To its left is the slider to open the DVD compartment. The camcorder’s strap runs along the bottom of this side.

**The Back **

In addition to the viewfinder and battery, the back of the VDR-D100 contains the main control center for the camcorder. It is largely the same design as last year’s re-designed Panasonics. The main inclusion there was the joystick navigational control that offered the new Panasonics excellent menu navigation, allowing for easy one-handed operation. Next to this joystick is a record button that is just the right size, and in a perfect location related to the joystick control: both can be operated by the user’s thumb. Below the record button is the camcorder’s menu button, allowing access to the camcorder’s menu system.

**The Left Side **

The left side of the VDR-D100 most prominently features the camcorder’s LCD panel. This is only a 2.5" LCD screen, unlike the widescreen panels found on many of the other new camcorders this year. Underneath the panel is a small speaker as well as the switch that controls the manual and auto modes on the camcorder and the manual focus as well. This is a common switch on Panasonic camcorders.

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The top of the VDR-D100 features nothing except the camcorder’s zoom toggle and photo capture button towards the back of the camcorder.

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control

*Automatic Control *

Automatic controls on Panasonics are always somewhat mediocre, and this camcorder is no exception. There is an automatic mode, which locks everything that can be controlled manually (shutter speed, white balance, aperture, gain, and focus) and makes automatic adjustments itself. This mode can be turned on using the switch underneath the camcorder’s LCD screen. While such a cheap camcorder might scream "use my auto mode!" to some, you might actually miss out by not using manual mode. After all, you should be able to learn from your camcorder, and this is a great entry-level teacher.

Program AE presets for specific environments are found in the camcorder’s menu system. They include Sports, Portrait, Night, Spotlight, and Snow & Surf. These are standard options.

*Overall Manual Control *

Panasonics have famously offered tons of manual control even on their lowest-end models, and the VDR-D100 is a case in point. The camcorder offers manual control over focus, aperture, shutter speed, gain, and white balance, and even offers a pretty easy way to access them. However, on such a cheap, visually uninteresting camcorder, these manual options may go to waste depending on who buys such a machine.

Zoom

One of the best things about this model is that Panasonic has incorporated the enormous optical zooms of last year’s MiniDV Panasonics on this year’s DVD camcorders. The VDR-D100 features a whopping 30x optical zoom, which is certainly something, and perhaps the main selling point for such a cheap camcorder. The bad thing is zoom control - still the traditional Panasonic zoom toggle, and is frankly not my favorite as far as zoom controls go. The design is a sliding switch that shifts left and right, rather than a raised knob. Look at the new toggles on Panasonic’s MiniDV models for an example of the company putting their R&D money to good use.

*Focus *

Manual focus on the VDR-D100 is controlled using the switch under the camcorder’s LCD panel in conjunction with the camcorder’s joystick. This is a pretty standard adjustment for a Panasonic camcorder. First the user must pull down the switch under the LCD screen from auto (at the top) past manual (in the middle) to focus (at the bottom). At focus the switch will spring back to manual mode, and an "MF" icon will show up on the LCD screen. Now the user can use the joystick to move through the focal field, pressing either left or right. Unfortunately, all you have to gauge the focus with is your own eyes.

*Exposure (Aperture) *

Manual adjustment of exposure is done using the camcorder’s joystick as well. Pressing down on the joystick enters the camcorder’s manual control menu system, a system introduced last year. In this system, the user sees the recorded image on the LCD screen, but there is also a superimposed circle, manipulated by the joystick, with different options corresponding to different directions of joystick push. Pressing directly down on the joystick again will move to a different section of the menu. Manual exposure on the VDR-D100, as well as every manual option except for manual focus and zoom, is located on the second section of the manual control. The user presses down on the joystick and once exposure is accessed, can press left and right to move to the desired F-stop. F-stop options from f/2.0 to f/16 and Open are available.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed on the VDR-D100 is adjusted in a similar fashion as exposure: by using the camcorder’s joystick. One of the beauties of the joystick system is that you have everything you need right under your thumb, making for a centralized, organized experience. Shutter speed options exist from 1/60 to 1/8000 of a second. It would be nice to have some slower shutter speeds, but this is a stripped-down camcorder.

White Balance

White balance options are also available using the same manual control menu system and camcorder’s joystick. In fact, the system is set up so that you really end up adjusting every manual control at once, which, though sometimes cumbersome, makes organizational sense. White balance options include standard presets for indoors and outdoors, an auto mode, and a manual mode. The joystick is used to set the balance.

Gain

One of the special things about Panasonic camcorders is that nearly all of their cams offer manual gain control, even the least-advanced models like the VDR-D100. Gain options are accessible in the same manner as the exposure options and white balance. They run from 0dB to 18dB.

Still Features

Still Features

The VDR-D100 can only capture stills to DVD disc. It would be nice to have been able to capture them onto card media instead. In fact, this is one of the main upgrades between the VDR-D100 and the VDR-D200. Regardless, the VDR-D100 can capture stills at a resolution of 640 x 480 onto DVD disc. To do this, press the photo button on the top of the camcorder. There is no separate still photo mode, only playback and record.

Handling and Use

Handling

Unlike many of the other Panasonic camcorders this year, the VDR-D100 doesn’t feature much by way of design enhancements. Any aids to handling have been adopted from last year’s mode design changes, particularly in the joystick department. The good news is that those aids were major, and VDR-D100 can be operated extremely easily with one hand indeed. The bad news is that even further advancements were made to some of Panasonic’s MiniDV camcorders, making handheld use a tad more smooth and zooming easier. On the VDR-D100, the zoom toggle is still the old cumbersome Panasonic ones. Also, the camcorder’s viewfinder feels extremely cheap. Just pull it out and you’ll see what I mean.

LCD/Viewfinder

The VDR-D100, as Panasonic’s lowest-end DVD camcorder this year, was not included in the widescreen LCD upgrade enjoyed by many of their MiniDV and DVD camcorders in their 2006 line. The VDR-D200 doesn’t include a widescreen LCD either. The VR-D100 does feature a color viewfinder.

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio

The lowest-end VDR-D100 lacks an external microphone port. It does ship with a built-in stereo microphone. The VDR-D200 doesn’t ship with an external microphone port either, so the D200 is another option to look into if you need to save money on your DVD cam purchase.

VCR Mode

The playback mode of the VDR-D100 functions very similarly to the playback mode on the VDR-M53 of last year, and similar to many camcorders of last year. Footage can be reviewed on the camcorder as well as on a TV, via the camcorder’s A/V output, located on the camcorder’s front. Footage is navigated using the camcorder’s joystick, and as such, can be manipulated easily using one hand. Still images and video are all navigated together.

Ports

The VDR-D100 has a big battery port in its back end, and when the battery is taken out of the camcorder, the DC input port is revealed. Under a small port cover on the front of the camcorder are the USB and A/V output ports.

Other Features

Other Features

The VDR-D100 doesn’t offer much by way of other features, but a few amenities are available.

Wind Cut--This feature, available in the camcorder’s menu system, reduces the low end in the recorded audio track to help compensate for the popping static picked up in a windy environment’s. This might be more useful than you think if there is no microphone port on this camcorder.

Fader--This feature, available in the manual control menu, fades from the recorded image as you hit the stop button to black or white.

Comparisons / Conclusion

Conclusion

There haven’t been many improvements over last year’s single chip DVD camcorders from Panasonic, which is evidence enough that perhaps they, like Sony, are pushing money into higher and higher-end DVD and hard disc camcorders--the difference being that Sony still puts some money into their lower-end DVD camcorders. To Panasonic’s credit, they have increased the zoom of last year’s low-end DVD camcorder to 30x which is a whopping upgrade. Too bad they haven’t done similarly where the imager and the handling are concerned. Some more drawbacks: no microphone port and no card media. The upside: if you’re just looking for a cheap camcorder to record DVD video, the VDR-D100 should probably give you the same quality video as the VDR-D200, and for less money.