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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Auto / Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons / Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Auto / Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons / Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery

Performance

The Panasonic VDR-D310 is equipped with three 1/6" CCDs, each with a gross resolution of 800,000 pixels (540,00 effective pixels in 16:9; 640,000 pixels in 4:3). The specs are identical to last year’s VDR-D300. Once again, it is the only consumer 3-chip DVD camcorder. Other manufacturers opt for a single, larger chip, which tend to yield better results in low light. In bright light, the performances can be fairly close. Panasonic’s 3-chip camcorders tend to have great looking color, and developments in the last few years have produced lower noticeable noise levels.

At 3000 lux, the color balance does indeed look great. It’s essentially the same image as last year’s VDR-D300. The green channel read a little higher than the red and blue channels in areas where they should have been even (and this was after a manual white balance). The fine detail retention is pretty good, but we’ve seen sharper from large, single-chip camcorders.

The Canon DC50 produced a more saturated image and exposed darker, creating a much bolder color. While not necessarily more accurate, this is the image that most people are going to prefer. It has the benefit of appearing sharper, as well, really tipping the scales in its favor. The JVC GZ-MG555, which records in the same MPEG-2 compression, but to a hard disk drive (HDD) instead of a DVD, produced a very similar image to the VDR-D310. The color performance, in particular, was nearly identical (less saturated reds, but everything else was the same). The Panasonic staved off noise much better, however, and looked smoother when in motion.

Video Resolution* (4.88)*

In order to determine video resolution, we shoot a DSC Labs video resolution chart and watch the playback footage on an HD monitor. This test measures not the resolution of the imaging chip, which is the advertised resolution, but the resolution of the output as seen to the eye, generally much lower. At best, the Panasonic VDR-D310 produced a horizontal resolution of 325 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and a vertical resolution of.300 lw/ph.

Low Light Performance* (1.49)*

The three small CCDs did not serve the Panasonic VDR-D310 well in low light. The camcorder actually did slightly worse than the MiniDV sister model, the PV-GS320. While the image didn’t lose much fine detail, the picture dulled considerably when compared to bright light. The colors lost all of their vivacity, and the camcorder could not exposure properly. However, we must applaud Panasonic for staving off noise and leaving what noise there is to a fine grain, black speckle.

All Panasonic camcorders offer the ability to manually control the gain once the aperture has been opened all the way. But a manual gain boost is only useful if the camcorder hasn’t already exhausted the option automatically, which is exactly what happened here. The gain range extends up to 18dB, and the auto control had already pushed it up to that max. There was nowhere to go from here.

Last year’s Panasonic VDR-D300 produced the same results, more or less. The Canon DC50 looked much better. Its single 1/2.7" CCD had much more light-capturing ability. The colors are stronger and the image is brighter overall, with better contrast – that counts for a lot in low light. Noise levels were about the same as the Panasonics. Finally, the JVC GZ-MG555, an MPEG-2 HDD camcorder, produced the brightest image overall. The MG555 at 60 lux did not look all that different from the MG555 in bright light.

At 15 lux, the Panasonic VDR-D310 lost nearly all of its detail and color information. This is not unusual. 15 lux is the widow-maker test in which only the strongest survive. The VDR-D310 did not survive, sadly. The Canon DC50 did fair reasonably well at 15 lux, which is a big achievement. The JVC-GZMG555 faired poorly.

In order to test sensitivity, we monitor IRE levels and lower the light until the camcorder can produce a peak signal of 50IRE. At best, the Panasonic VDR-D310 produced 50 IRE at 27 lux. This was a poor showing. Even the Panasonic PV-GS320, a MiniDV camcorder with the same chip set, managed to scrape down to 23 lux. Most camcorder can go as low as the teens or better. We then raised the light level to 60 lux to test color accuracy, noise, and saturation to create a composite low light performance score. At 60 lux, the VDR-D310 produce a color error of 17.4, with a noise level 0.87% (very good), and a saturation level of 51.26%.

Stabilization* (9.41)*

The VDR-D310 was tested using our custom-built shake emulator constructed exclusively for Camcorderinfo.com. The camcorder was set to manual mode and measured at two speeds. Speed one is the equivalent to operating the camcorder while nonchalantly walking down the sidewalk. Speed two pumps up the gyration factor by simulating the operation of the camcorder during a light jog or bumpy car ride.

We found that the VDR-D310’s OIS performed extraordinarily with a 93.75% shake reduction at speed 1 and a 95% shake reduction at speed 2. These results almost mirror outcome of the Panasonic PV-GS320, but in reverse. The PV-GS320 produced a 95% shake reduction at speed 1 and a 91.7% shake reduction at speed 2. The derivation of nearly opposite scores from each camcorder could be attributed to their contrasting weight distributions—the VDR-D310 is tall and thin while the PV-GS320 is short and wide.

Wide Angle* (8.6)*

We tested the VDR-D310’s maximum field of view by placing the camcorder on a tripod with OIS turned off and the zoom pulled back to a full wide angle. The right and left angles were then measured using a vertical laser. The difference between angle measurements gave us the maximum field of view, which on the VDR-D310 proved to be 43 degrees—a narrow scope compared to other camcorders within its price range.

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (4.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D310 compresses video in the MPEG-2 format, which all standard definition DVD and hard disk drive (HDD) camcorders use. There are small variances between manufacturers that make it more or less difficult to import into your computer for playback. Panasonic’s file structures are as good as Sony’s, for example (more on that below in Editing).

The VDR-D310 offers three quality settings for video capture, each of which corresponds to a bit rate. XP records at 10Mbps, SP at 5Mbps, and LP at 2.5Mbps. All bit rates are variable, meaning that static shots record at a lower data rate, then go faster if the motion in the shot increases. While recording at lower quality settings is never recommended, it can maximize the recording times on a disc. In XP mode, a single sided DVD-RAM disc can hold only 18 minutes. In SP, it can hold 37 minutes, and in LP it can hold 75 minutes.

Media* (5.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D310 records video to standard 8cm miniDVD discs. Compatible formats include DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-R DL (dual layer). Panasonic is one of only two manufactures that supports DVD-RAM a reusable disc format that does not require finalizing before it can be played back. While convenient, DVD-RAM has less universal support on playback devices than DVD-R and DVD-RW. DVD-R DL, while not reusable, offers the longest recording times on a single disc, and may be the right choice for vacationers who don’t want to lug around a lot of blank disc.

Editing* (5.0)*

Editing the MPEG-2 files from the Panasonic VDR-D310 proved to be the same un-enjoyable experience that we have with nearly all DVD camcorders. The problem lies in the file structures that Panasonic employs when writing the DVD directory. It’s generally not a problem to import clips into an NLE, but you cannot play footage back in your media player (Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, etc.) without first running them through an intermediary software that converts them to single, unified files like .mpg or .avi. It’s easy to find work-around solutions for almost any playback problem if you search around on user forums. But for time simple reason, DVD camcorders often cause unexpected trouble for beginners that want to edit.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)

The Panasonic VDR-D310 has excellent automatic responses to changes in focus, exposure, and white balance. This, combined with its excellent manual control set, may be reason enough to buy it. Of course, it has its hang-ups, but they seem to be few and far between.

The automatic control is engaged via the auto/manual/focus switch in LCD cavity. The auto mode in Panasonics is not quite as idiot-proof as Easy mode on Sony camcorders, but it’s not bad. Absolute beginners can have a hard time navigating the menu, but the intuitive design reveals itself soon enough. A full report of the menu can be read in the Menu section later in the review.

The automatic focus is works very well, which is good, because like the PV-GS320, the VDR-D310 does not have a very good manual focus control. One feature in particular that we appreciated was that the focus never showed signs of breathing – that steady in and out of focus that can happen sometimes. The VDR-D310 can either find the focus or it can’t.

The auto exposure is good, but the VDR-D310 proved itself to be weak in low light, and after a certain point, you just lose detail in the shadows. The auto white balance is excellent. Transitions from one temperature to another are very gradual, taking as long as 7-10 seconds, but they almost always look great.

In the administrative menu (hit the Menu button to get there) you’ll find a number of Scene modes (sometimes called AE or Program AE settings). They include: Sports, Portrait, Low Light, Spotlight, and Surf & Snow. For some reason, scene modes is one of the few options that cannot be accessed while in Auto mode. For that, you have to flip the switch to manual.

Overall Manual Control (6.75)

The Panasonic VDR-D310 has the same great pedigree of manual controls that you’ll find on all the Panasonics: manual aperture, shutter speed, gain, focus, white balance, and a collection of one-touch controls. Not all of them are as well-implemented as they could have been, but together they make the VDR-D310 a powerful tool.

First, we want to make an important correction to the official documentation from Panasonic. Despite what the VDR-D310 product page states, this camcorder does not have a manual focus ring. We’ve informed Panasonic about this well before publication. Hopefully it gets fixed soon. The reason we want to state this so clearly is that the manual focus control on the VDR-D310 is bad. There’s nothing new or different about it; it’s just the same old bad it’s been for a while. You only have the clarity of the image on that low-res LCD to gauge focus. And we don’t know about you, but we hold Panasonic up to a higher standard than that, because they set the bar in the first place.

The joystick does most of the manual control work, and it functions quite well. The important controls you want during shooting are instantly accessible by pushing in on the joystick, bringing up the "manual control joystick menu."

Zoom (6.5)

The zoom toggle on the VDR-D310 is a raised toggle, the kind we like to see. The placement could have been better. As it is, the toggle falls under the middle finger instead of the index finger. Even so, the design beats out the flat, sliding switch found on the PV-GS320 for one primary reason – silent operation. The on-board mic will not pick up the sound of raised toggle. The internal movements of the lens are also very quiet, assuring no disturbances in the audio track.

When zooming, a progress bar appears in the upper right corner of the screen to let you know where in the zoom range you are. The camcorder also displays the numerical value of the zoom power (1x, 2x, etc…). When the digital zoom is engaged, a portion of the progress bar is given over a blue area that indicates digital territory. Think of it as a warning system. Don’t stray too far in the blue or your image quality will be lost.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)

The optical zoom on the VDR-D310 extends to 10x. The digital zoom must be activated in the admin menu. It can be capped at 25x or 700x. For best shooting practices, even 25x is a little too far. We recommend leaving it off altogether, or personally limiting it to 15x.

Focus (4.0)

The Panasonic VDR-D310 does not have a manual focus ring, despite what some official literature might say. The focus control is does have is pretty sorry. To activate it, press down on the auto/manual/focus switch located in the menu. An "MF" appears onscreen and the joystick is shifted left of right to adjust focus. That’s all you get. The focus must judged entirely on how the image appears on the small, low-resolution LCD. This is a weak control, and is best left to emergency use only.

Exposure & Aperture (5.69)

The Panasonic VDR-D310 has no exposure compensation control, which may be a little scary for newbies. Instead, you have the far more powerful (and more complex) independent aperture and shutter speed controls. The aperture, called "iris" in the menu, is accessed by pushing in on the joystick to bring up the manual control joystick menu.

The maximum aperture on the VDR-D310 is F/1.8. Settings include Open (f/1.8), f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, and f/16. In between each of these is another increment. You can clearly see the result of this increment lightening and darkening the picture, but there is no onscreen display that pinpoints what the setting is. Altogether, that is an awful lot of settings to work with. Once the aperture is opened up all the way, you can access the gain up to 18dB. The one drawback here is that the low light performance is not very good, so you’ll burn through the gain pretty quickly.

Shutter Speed (8.1)

The shutter speed controls work just like the aperture controls described above. Open up the manual control joystick menu and use the joystick to toggle through the shutter settings. They include: 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000.

White Balance (5.5)

The white balance settings are also located in the manual control joystick menu. The number of options here is slim: auto, manual, indoor, and outdoor. The auto controls, as we already mentioned, are quite good. The manual white balance adjustment also looked good, though testing under tungsten lighting at 3000 lux showed a slight skew towards green.

Gain (6.0)

The Panasonic VDR-D310 offers manual control from 0dB to 18dB in 3dB increments. Like aperture, there is a 1/2-increment between each of these settings that is not acknowledged in the onscreen display of gain value, but clearly has an effect on exposure. Gain cannot be activated until the aperture has been opened all the way (f/1.8).

Other Manual Controls (1.0)
*Guidelines - *In the admin menu, under the Basic tab, you’ll find a Guidelines option. When activated, this creates three evenly spaced horizontal lines across the LCD to help you frame your picture to the rule of thirds.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (6.75)*

The VDR-D310 records JPEG images to an SD card in the following sizes: 2048 x 1512, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480 (VGA) in 4:3 aspect ratio. When shooting in 16:9, images can be captured only in 1920 x 1080. Two quality settings are available—high and normal—and the same basic menu is carried over from video mode to photo mode, including scene modes. The VDR-D310 is devoid of a flash and video light. It also lacks an exposure compensation tool, so you’ll have to play with the shutter speed and aperture in order to let some light in. This can be intimidating for beginners, but you’ll find that the benefits of a more dynamic aperture/shutter control outweigh the loss of an easy exposure comp tool. But seen as a whole, the still features are definitely lacking. You won’t find histograms or extensive image information other than the date and time. You can print directly from the camcorder via DPOF settings, and the only other feature to speak of is a shutter effect, which is really just a digital camera snap sound effect. All in all, the VDR-D310 offers a meager assortment of still features.

The SD card slot, located on the left side under the LCD cavity

Still Performance* (7.75)*

We tested the still photo quality of the Panasonic VDR-D310 by shooting an industry-standard Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. All stills were shot in the maximum size of 2048 x 1512.

According to Imatest, the VDR-D310 produced a color error of 7.74, with an average noise level of 1.3775%, and a saturation of 99.2%. In order to get this best score, we had to manually lower the exposure by a small degree. Because the VDR-D310 does not have an exposure compensation tool, we adjusted the aperture directly. In auto mode, the camcorder had adjusted to the 3000 lux lighting with a f/2.4 aperture and a 1/60th shutter speed. We closed the aperture down two notches to f/2.8. The strange thing with aperture adjustment on Panasonics is that there is an undisclosed increment between each stop. In this instance, we closed the aperture to f/2.8, then pushed it closed one more increment. The picture got darker, but the display still said f/2.8.

This color error was within the range of similar camcorders, including its MiniDV counterpart, the Panasonic PV-GS320. While we wouldn’t consider these to be outstanding scores, it is some comfort to know that the accuracy scores were also within the range of the Canon TX1, a hybrid camera/HD camcorder that produces much higher resolution stills, has far more still features, and is marketed as a "great" still camera. Except for the occasional outlier, don’t expect to see terribly accurate photos coming from any camcorder.

Still Resolution* (26.09)*

The still resolution was measured by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder was able to produce a horizontal resolution of 1388 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) – with a 1.55% clipping and 68.1% oversharpening – and a vertical resolution of 678.5 lw/ph – with a no clipping and a 0.89% undersharpening. These scores are right on target for stills of this size. Though we tested under a variety of exposure setting, the auto mode proved to yield the best exposure. The aperture was set to f/2.8 and the shutter to 1/100th.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (6.0)*

Sony has its Easy mode and touch screen panel and Canon has its user-friendly menu interface. Panasonic does not excel in ease of use – that was never their market strength. They make camcorders with excellent manual controls and features, and their three-chip models, like the VDR-D310, compete on video performance, as well. This was all fine and well for upper-end MiniDV camcorders, but the audience for DVD camcorders demands ease of use as a primary factor. Panasonic appears to have responded by simplifying the menu and adding instructions where they could.

The administrative menu is cleanly laid out and very brief. There are not many options located here. The manual control joystick menu, which has been in use for several years by Panasonic, received a major upgrade last year. In the past, the joystick menu was little more than a series of confusing icons. If you weren’t already familiar with Panasonic or with camcorders, the menu was completely opaque. Now the menus have some text thrown in under some icons. The menu also has an Info feature. When engaged, you can toggle around through the options and get an explanation as to what each control does.

As a strictly point-and-shoot camcorder, one that you never do anything but turn on and off, the VDR-D310 will do you just fine. The picture quality in bright light is excellent, and the automatic controls are very good. Just be careful in low light, as the picture will simply poop out.

Handling* (0.0)*

The VDR-D310 is similar to Panasonic’s high definition HDC-DX1 in shape, but its size is a bit more compact. When you slide your hand into the VDR-D310 you’ll notice that the top ridge of the DVD disc hatch doubles as a grip for your fingers. The hand strap is strung higher in the back, significantly reducing camcorder flop. All in all, the VDR-D310 feels solid and stable around the hand, better than their MiniDV camcorders. Since most of your camcorder operation is going to be executed with one hand, Panasonic has arranged most of the VDR-D310’s controls on the right side of the back and around the mode dial. There is no way to access the menu button with the right thumb unless you’re Gumby. You must use your left hand to slide the camcorder upward in order to bring the menu button beneath your thumb. The on/off switch is difficult to access with one hand as well, but how many times are you actually going to use it?

We applaud Panasonic for throwing an extendable viewfinder on the VDR-D310, but effort is worth far less than execution in the camcorder world. The viewfinder is not rubberized and does not pivot up toward the eye, forcing you to crane your neck while shooting with the viewfinder engaged. In addition, who likes hard plastic ridges lining their eye socket? Check out higher end Sonys for a glimpse of what a viewfinder should be.

The VDR-D310 escaped a particular flaw found on Panasonic’s unfortunate top end MiniDV model, the PV-GS320, but it still managed to catch a small dose of its stupidity. The PV-GS320 featured a battery chamber cluttered with essential ports such as FireWire, USB, and DC in. This prevented the camcorder from becoming a serious field work contender because you couldn’t capture footage using the battery. Luckily, the VDR-D310 uses DVD discs, eliminating the need to connect the camcorder to a computer for capture. The USB port is located on the left side, as well, supporting a battery-powered connection. However, that DC input remained in the battery chamber. This means you can’t charge the battery while the camcorder is connected to the external power source. You have to disconnect the DC cable from the AC adapter and charge the battery separately. What a pain! Also, if you’re in the middle of a long shoot, like a school play, and the battery starts running low, there’s no way to plug in the power without turning the camcorder off and removing the battery. JVC utilizes an all-in-one AC adapter that goes from wall to camcorder without any extra cables or having to remove the battery. Take notes, Panasonic.

Menu* (6.5)*

The VDR-D310 menu layout is straightforward and easy to navigate through, thanks to the rear-mounted joystick. Since the mode dial offers four different modes: video record, video playback, still image record, and still image playback, you don’t have to flounder in a sea of options.

In video record mode, pressing the center of the rear-mounted joystick cues a small, circular "joystick menu." When the camcorder is set to manual mode, a series of three pages can be accessed including the following: fade control, backlight compensation, user guide, soft skin mode, MagicPix, tele macro, iris, white balance, and shutter speed. To access manual focus, hold the auto/manual switch down and a fourth page appears with a manual focus control.

Pressing the Menu button (also located on the rear of the camcorder) brings you to the administrative screen containing Basic, Advanced, Disc setup, Setup, and Language settings. In basic, you can access scene modes, guidelines, record mode settings, aspect ratio, and clock settings. Advanced is comprised of digital zoom, optical image stabilization, fade color, wind cut, and zoom mic settings. In Disc setup, you can format a disc and obtain disc information. Setup is home to display, date/time, date format, power save, AGS, beep sound, LCD set, EVF set, initial set, and demo mode settings. Language changes the language of the menu.

Portability* (4.0)*

Tipping the scale at 510g without battery, disc, and lens cap, the VDR-D310 is not a light eater. Its dimensions are 66.7mm x 91.1mm x 142.7mm (2.62" x 3.59" x 5.62"), so forget about pocketing the VDR-D310. You’ll need a medium-sized camcorder bag with plenty of spare DVD-R or DVD-RW discs. Also, a backup battery is a must if you qualify for Tourist of the Year. Remember to securely fasten the lens cap, port covers, disc hatch, and battery during transport. The VDR-D310 is built tough, but don’t take its size and bulk for granted.

LCD and Viewfinder* (5.5)*

The VDR-D310 is furnished with a 2.7" wide LCD screen with a 123,000 pixel resolution. The screen flips open 90 degrees from the body and swivels vertically up to 270 degrees. The LCD’s picture quality is sharp and defined, however, the slightest viewing angle will display a great deal of solarization. There are no zoom, playback, or other controls embedded within the LCD panel. Most other manufacturers offer at least zoom and record start/stop buttons, but not Panasonic. Their top of the line MiniDV model, the PV-GS320, is subject to a deserted LCD panel as well.

The VDR-D310 features an extendable electronic viewfinder with a 113,000 pixel resolution. The viewfinder is not rubberized and does not pivot upward for a more ergonomic viewing experience. It does, however, extend outward a full inch, clearing the battery with ease. Like the LCD screen, the viewfinder displays a sharp image, but the screen is only displayed when the shaft is fully extended. The dioptric adjuster is located on the top of the viewfinder shaft.

**

Battery Life*** (11.2)*

We tested the life of the VDR-D310’s CGA-DU12 rechargeable battery pack by setting the camcorder to manual mode, turning on OIS, and recording continuously with the LCD flipped open. When the testing disc reached maximum capacity, the external power supply was immediately plugged in and the disc was reformatted. The battery was then reinserted—this process was executed until the battery was sucked dry. The VDR-D310’s battery lasted 112 minutes and 20 seconds (1 hour 52 minutes and 20 seconds).

One thing to take into consideration regarding Panasonic’s battery configuration is that the DC terminal lies within the battery chamber. This means you can’t charge the battery while it is connected to the camcorder. You must remove the battery and place it in the supplied AC adapter, but make sure the DC cable is not connected because the battery will not charge. We wish Panasonic would take notes on JVC’s one-shot wall-to-camcorder external power adapter.

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (7.0)*

The VDR-D310 is equipped with a built-in stereo zoom microphone mounted to the front beneath the lens barrel. When the Zoom Mic feature is activated (via the administrative menu), audio levels are automatically raised or lowered in conjunction with the zoom power. When recording a subject from a medium or long shot, this feature allows for audio to remain more consistent with that of a close-up.

Another bit of good news is that the VDR-D310 has an external mic jack. This is a feature we love to see, particularly because it was absent in Panasonic’s top MiniDV camcorder this year. There is also a cold accessory shoe for mounting the mic, but you'll have to run a cord down to the mic jack. A headphone jack and hot shoe would have been optimal, but for a DVD camcorder, the VDR-D310 will exceed the needs of most consumers. A wind cut feature is also available, however most harsh sounds will surpass its effectiveness and the recorded audio will just sound softer, rather than cleaner.

Playback* (4.25)*

Playback on the VDR-D310 oozes simplicity. In order to engage video playback, shift the mode dial to the green playback icon above the video record icon. A series of up to eight icons will be displayed on the screen, representing individual recorded video clips. In order to play a clip, press the center of the joystick. The video will automatically fill the LCD or viewfinder screen (whichever is in use) and clips will play continuously. The joystick controls play/pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, and slow play. Clip volume can be adjusted via the zoom lever, which beats foraging through an extensive menu to locate the audio controls. A horizontal slide bar appears on the left side of the screen and allows for up to 32 steps of decibel control.

The playback page with clip thumbnails

The administrative playback menu can be accessed only from the main icon page. Here you are presented with the following options: play setup, edit scene, disc setup, setup, and language. Play setup is comprised of play mode and resume play settings. Edit scene allows you to divide, combine, and delete scenes. Disc setup includes finalize, un-finalize, disc protect, format disc, and information settings. In setup, you have control over the display, date/time, date format, power save, beep sound, LCD set, EVF set, and TV aspect settings.

In photo mode, icons are arranged identically to that of video mode. The joystick controls start/pause slideshow, stop, and next/previous photo controls. The photo playback menu is significantly truncated, including picture setup, setup, and language options. In picture setup, you have control over lock, DPOF, and delete settings. Setup is comprised of display, date/time, date format, format card, power save, beep sound, LCD set, EVF set, and TV aspect settings.

Connectivity* (7.0)*

The VDR-D310 contains ports on two sides of its body. In back, the DC jack is located within the battery chamber. On bottom of the left side, you’ll find the mic jack, AV out jack, and USB terminal. An SD card slot sits directly to the right of the three ports.

The ports are located on the left side, under the LCD cavity.

Panasonic’s DC input design is awkward and cumbersome compared to most camcorders within its price range. What is the point of obscuring any port, especially the external power source input? In this case, the battery must be removed and it cannot charge while the camcorder is plugged into the wall—Panasonic’s AC adapters can’t multitask.

The trio of ports located on the left side of the VDR-D310 is housed by a burly plastic strip that should withstand the tides of time if treated with care. The SD card slot is sealed off by a hinged door that cannot be opened if the camcorder is mounted to a tripod. This is yet another inhibiting design that will vex those looking to snap a plethora of stills.

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The VDR-D310 ships with the following items:

-CGA-DU12 rechargeable battery pack

-AC adapter

-AC cable

-DC cable

-AV/S cable

-Remote Control

-Button-type battery for Remote Control

-Lens cap

-USB cable

-DVD Palmcorder CD-ROM

Panasonic’s 3-piece power supply is a bit over the top. Most camcorders just feature an AC cable that connects to an adapter with a DC cable attached to it. Even better, most JVC Everios are equipped with a single AC adapter with DC cord attached.

Other Features* (2.0)*
*Faders –*Faders are pretty much a standard on most consumer camcorders. At the start and stop of recording, video clips will fade in and out for that cinematic wonderment. Choose between black and white.

*AGS - *When the auto ground-directional standby function is selected, the VDR-D310 pauses the recording process when the camcorder is tilted upside down. This prevents the lackadaisical tourist from recording 14 minutes of jittery Epcot sidewalk.

 

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Panasonic VDR-D300
Last year’s VDR-D300 ($999 MSRP; under $400 online) was a looker. Its lustrous silver body was the perfect bait to lure in unsuspecting point-and-shooters from all corners of the suburbs. The VDR-D300 featured three 1/6" CCDs, 10x optical zoom, and cold shoe. This year, Panasonic changed the look but little else. Its new body is attractive with a protruding silver lens barrel and matte gray disc hatch, but that’s the major change for 2007. In the world of motocross, this is what’s referred to as "BNG," or "bold new graphics," when a bike manufacturer leaves the engine, frame, suspension, and exhaust system unaltered in exchange for a flashy set of new decals. The VDR-D310 is a sad victim of "BNG."

The VDR-D300 is equipped with a flash, power LCD button – both of which were lost this year – and a row of ports mounted to the front of the camcorder. The VDR-D300 and VDR-D310 performed well in bright light, but fell off the map when it came to low light. We recommend searching for both and buying whichever is cheaper.

Sony DCR-DVD408
With the playing field even, the Sony DCR-DVD408 ($700 MSRP) is prepared to battle with vigor. It features a generous 1/3" CMOS chip with 2,100,000 gross pixel count. Though we haven’t gotten a chance to run the DCR-DVD408 through our gauntlet, you can expect a crisp, color-accurate picture in bright light and an image with heightened blue noise in low light, based on the DCR-DVD505, which featured identical specs. The VDR-D310 gave a stellar bright light performance, yet petered off in the low light department with a significant loss of color information and picture detail. If pressed, we would take the noisier low light image from the Sony over the poor sensitivity of the VDR-D310.

The DCR-DVD408 offers a touch screen menu with LCD panel controls, rubberized, pivoting viewfinder, exposure control in 24 steps, AccuPower battery meter, and that awesome smooth slow record feature. It has a hot shoe and Memory Stick slot, but those are, of course, Sony proprietary features. You won’t find a mic jack on the DCR-DVD408, but the hot shoe supports a handful of Sony microphones that can be purchased online from SonyStyle.

Canon DC50
Canon made sure that their DC50 ($799 MSRP) was well equipped with a 1/2.7" CMOS ship spouting a whopping 5,390,000 gross pixel count. Though noisy in low light, the DC50 was able to salvage color information and detail in our testing room, and managed pump up the jam when it came to bright light with a vibrant image. Canon’s top DVD bad boy also features a flash, video light, and fully stocked array of automatic controls, as well as a healthy manual control set. The VDR-D310 counters with a mic jack and cold accessory shoe, along with better handling and a rear-mounted battery design rather than an LCD cavity placement. $100 more will give you that classic Canon imaging, but is it worth it? Probably.

JVC GZ-MG255
Sure, the VDR-D310 is a DVD camcorder and the JVC GZ-MG255 ($699 MSRP) is an HDD camcorder, but there’s a lot of comparison here. Both capture video in MPEG-2 at around the same speed. The GZ-MG255 is a chunky little brick of 30GB HDD recording goodness. It can hold over 7 hours of footage in the highest quality and features a single 1/3.9" 2.18MP chip. The GZ-MG255’s big brother, the GZ-MG555, kicked butt in bright light and jogged across the finish line with an average low light performance. The GZ-MG255’s smaller chip will likely lose a fair amount of detail and resolution, but we’ll find out within the next couple of weeks. The GZ-MG255 has an LCD-mounted joystick and handy data battery, but it doesn’t have a viewfinder or mic or headphone jack. Portability and ease of use are prized in HDD camcorders. The GZ-MG255 has an SD card slot and ships with a docking station that contains a FireWire and S-Video port.

The VDR-D310, being a DVD camcorder, has a maximum recordable time a mere fraction of the GZ-MG255. You’ll also have to spare 5-10 minutes in order to finalize the disc so it can play on the big screen. 7 hrs. of tapeless, disc-less footage in the highest quality is beginning to sound pretty enticing now, isn’t it?

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

The VDR-D310 places 3CCD video in the hands of inept moms and dads worldwide. It also records to DVDs, which is the #1 priority in the mind of the hardcore point-and-shooter. Its watered-down menu and stripped set of features make life oh so easy for the most devoted development dweller.

Budget Consumers

There are much cheaper DVD camcorders on the market.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

You can capture stills up to 2048 x 1512 in resolution, but there’s no flash or image information. The only thing you can do is print directly from the VDR-D310 or turn the shutter snap sound effect on or off. Weak.

Gadget Freaks

Gadget freaks and DVD camcorder go together like gasoline and water.

Manual Control Freaks

You’ve got your aperture, white balance, and shutter speed right at your thumb. The manual control freak will feel naked without some sort of cam control ring or dial, exposure control, and external picture adjust buttons.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

The day a pro considers a DVD camcorder a serious contender within the professional video world is the day it rains ice cream.

Conclusion

The Panasonic VDR-D310 is identical to last year’s VDR-D300 is all key respects, and in that way is among the best standard definition DVD camcorders. In bright light, this camcorder is hard to beat. The three-chip color performance and crisp look of the video is almost enough to make us forget that its only an MPEG-2 compression. The price drop from last year ($999 to $699 MSRP) sweetens the deal. Oh, and did we mention a fantastic optical image stabilization and a mic input. This is almost all we could ask for.

Now we must mention the downsides, which are inevitable on any camcorder. For one, the low light capabilities are wanting. Yes, the VDR-D310 is good about staving off noise, but the sensitivity is just plain poor. In light where most camcorders could manage, the D310 simply falls off into shadow. The problem is the small chips. There are three, but each is only 1/6". Panasonic’s main competitor, the Sony DCR-DVD408 has a much larger 1/3" CMOS sensor. We reviewed last year’s predecessor DCR-DVD505, which had the same sensor, and the performance on that was just good enough to sail over the VDR-D300 and win our recommendation.

Sony also offered better ease of use, which is a key component for the likely DVD audience. People purchase DVD camcorders for simplicity first, and everything in the design should follow that thought. The VDR-D310 is not necessarily difficult, but lacking exposure compensation in favor of more complex controls like aperture and exposure is going to throw beginners. Fortunately, the automatic responses to exposure, white balance, and focus are quite good.

We have no problem recommending the VDR-D310, but it’s not for everyone. Those seeking absolute simplicity may want a Sony instead. Canon’s DC50 also does quite well in this regard. The VDR-D310 offers a much better manual control set than the competition, and we can’t urge people enough to take advantage of camcorders with mic inputs – an external mic will have a huge impact on the quality of your production, however simple. This is a DVD camcorder with all the fixins’.

 

 

 

Meet the tester

David Kender

David Kender

Editor in Chief

@davekender

David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.

See all of David Kender's reviews

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