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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Tour

  • Auto/Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio/Playback/Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons/Conclusion

  • Specs/Ratings

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Tour
  • Auto/Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio/Playback/Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons/Conclusion
  • Specs/Ratings

Performance

The Panasonic SDR-S150 comes equipped with three 1/6" CCDs, each with 800K gross pixels (640K effective pixels in 4:3, and 540K effective pixels in 16:9). In a three-chip configuration, the incoming light is split into three primary colors – red, green, and blue – and assigned to each chip. The result is improved color performance. That was certainly the case with the SDR-S150. Like last year’s SDR-S100, the picture had exceptionally good color balance. Unlike most consumer camcorders, the colors were balanced without oversaturation. Pitch perfect color, we couldn’t be happier. One thing that set the SDR-S150 apart from most of the Panasonic camcorder this year is the lack of noise. It was a great image all around.

However, the SDR-S150 did seem to have some issues with smooth motion. If you play back the footage through a digital connection, like the USB cable, the interlace fields become readily visible, and gives a jagged appearance to moving objects. We found that if footage was played back through an analog connection, like the AV cable, or if the footage was imported into Motion SD Studio (the included software) and outputted in any form, the lines disappeared. This is likely a result of a smoothing over of the heavy MPEG-2 compression. Losing a little detail, in this case, makes for an overall improvement in video quality. Also, as a USB connection is the least likely way people will watch their final video, we don’t see it as too big a detriment.

Last year’s SDR-S100 had essentially the same image. Color performance, resolution, and noise were all at similar levels. We also looked at the VDR-D300, Panasonic’s top-end 3-CCD DVD camcorder. While people interested in the SD-card recording of the SDR-S150, and not a DVD camcorder, they are the same price, from the same manufacturer, and the same MSRP, making it a persuasive competitor. The VDR-D300 produced exactly the same color performance. In fact, everything looks exactly the same, which is really no surprise. The imaging specs are the same as the SDR-S150.

The JVC GZ-MG77, a hard disk drive (HDD) which runs about $200 less than the SDR-S150, was not much competition. The image was overexposed and not as sharp. It was able to match the noise suppression of the Panasonic, but overall, the SDR-S150 was much better.

The DCR-SR100, Sony’s first HDD camcorder, running slightly under the SDR-S150 in street prices, produced an image that looked nearly as good. The color balance was just as good here, but leaned a little more towards the red. To the eye, the SDR-S150 looks a little sharper. But overall, these are evenly matched in video performance.

{column='Video Performance' models='Panasonic SDR-S150,Panasonic SDR-S100,Panasonic VDR-D300,JVC GZ-MG77,Sony DCR-SR100'}

**Video Resolution ***(16.2)*

The Panasonic SDR-S150’s video was tested for its resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. We looked at both the 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. In 4:3, the SDR-S150 produced 520.9 lines of horizontal resolution and 310.9 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 161947.81. In 16:9, the camcorder produced 508.2 lines of horizontal resolution and 298.0 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate total of 151443.6.

These scores on right on par with the VDR-D300 and SDR-S100 (perhaps a little higher than the latter). All of these camcorders use imaging systems with similar specs, so there are really no surprises there.

{column='Video Resolution' models='Panasonic SDR-S150,Panasonic SDR-S100,Panasonic VDR-D300,JVC GZ-MG77,Sony DCR-SR100'}

**Low Light Performance ***(3.5)*

The Panasonic SDR-S150 was tested for its low light performance, like all our camcorders, by looking at them in two light levels, 60 lux and 15 lux. At 60 lux, the SDR-S150 was disappointing. While three CCDs can make a big difference in performance under good light conditions, in low light, it’s size that counts – that’s the size of the chips and the size of the individual sensors on the chips. 1/6 of an inch is pretty small – as small as you’ll find on a consumer camcorder – and fitting 800,000 little sensors on a chip that size is no mean feat. It also doesn’t leave much space for light gathering.

The 60 lux image lost a lot of color information. It also looked very dark – as dark as you’ll see on some 15 lux images from camcorders with larger imagers. Noise picked up a fair amount as well. The noise did not interfere with fine detail too bad.

As in bright light, last year’s SDR-S100 looked exactly the same as the SDR-S150. Sadly, the VDR-D300 did as well. I’m not sure why that seems more disappointing, perhaps because it’s a top of the line model, while the SDR-S150 is a standalone product.

The JVC GZ-MG77 produced a very bright image, though not in a pleasing way. The camcorder seemed to automatically boost the gain to an extreme end, overexposing the image and washing out the colors. Noise increased, including some splotchy noise blue-grey noise.

The Sony DCR-SR100, with a large 1/3" CCD, far outclassed every camcorder in this category. The image is bright and bold. While there is some oversaturation, it’s much preferable to the SDR-S150’s darkness.

Like all Panasonics, the SDR-S150 offers manual gain control in 3dB increments from 0dB to 18dB. Gain is a digital signal boost that helps brighten dark images. But like an signal increase, there is a corresponding increase in noise. We tested the gain at 60 lux to see how it could help. In auto mode, the camcorder chose to place the gain at around 16-17dB. A manual setting of 12dB produced a darker image few benefits regarding noise reduction. 15dB was pretty much the same as auto mode. 18dB was arguably preferable to the auto setting, as the enhanced brightness and color performance (albeit minor) exceeded the increase in noise.

At 15 lux, the Panasonic SDR-S150 produced a virtually useless image. It was far too dark to make out fine detail, and was overwrought with noise. This is simply not a heavy hitter in the low light category. Last year’s SDR-S100 and this year’s top-end DVD camcorder, the VDR-D300 were identical in their performances.

The JVC GZ-MG77 was about the same, as was the Sony DCR-SR100. 15 lux is the performance wall for most camcorders, and it takes a true performer to overcome it.

The manual gain settings did nothing to improve the performance of the SDR-S150, as the auto gain had already been maxed out at 18dB.

{column='Low Light Performance' models='Panasonic SDR-S150,Panasonic SDR-S100,Panasonic VDR-D300,JVC GZ-MG77,Sony DCR-SR100'}

Wide Angle* (8.8)*

The SDR-S150’s widest angle was measured in both 4:3 and 16:9 mode. In 4:3 mode the camcorder had a measurement of 44 degrees, and an identical wide angle measurement of 44 degrees in 16:9 mode. This indicates that this camcorder uses a crop and zoom technique to achieve wide angle video, with a loss of total screen resolution in 16:9 mode.

Format

Compression* (7.0)*

The Panasonic SDR-S150 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.

Tour

**The Front ***(9.0)*

The first thing that strikes you about this camcorder is that it’s genuinely small – in fact pocket-sized. The second is that little has changed with regard to design since last year’s SDR-S100 other than some cosmetic tweaks here and there. Viewed from the front, the most prominent feature of the SDR-S150 is the Leica Dicomar lens, which looks big on this camcorder given the 37mm filter diameter. Shading the lens is a small built-in matte box, which should provide better than average glare protection. An automatic lens cover is built into the matte box, and retracts when the LCD is opened. The lens hood (into which the matte box is integrated) can be removed to accommodate filters and conversion lenses. Just below the lens is a remote sensor, inset into a grey rubberized area that provides a solid grip for hand-held shooting.

**The Right Side ***(3.0)*

The right side of the SDR-S150 is where you see some of the modifications Panasonic has made to their interface to adapt to this camcorder’s exceptionally small profile. As with the SDR-S100, there is no hand strap because of the upright design. Instead, a loop-style strap can be affixed to a small loop on the camcorder’s underside.

Panasonic’s familiar mode dial appears on the top half of the right side near the back of the camcorder. While this iteration of the mode dial resembles those found on larger consumer camcorders from Panasonic, it has been miniaturized on the SDR-S150, and placed flat against the right face. The mode dial usually appears on the camcorder’s back facing the user, allowing for true one-handed operation. Above the mode dial is a small black sensor used for white balance calibration, which strikes us as an odd placement since it points right rather than forward. In front of the white balance sensor is a switch that pops open the onboard flash, and a playback speaker that consists of three tiny holes in the camcorder’s exterior.

The lower half of the right side is taken up by the battery compartment which is protected by a cover that blends seamlessly with the camcorder body. If you are someone who makes use of optional long-life batteries, the mention of a battery compartment cover is already setting off alarm bells. As with last year’s SDR-S100, the SDR-S150 does not accommodate longer life batteries meaning if you want to shoot for a long period of time, you’ll need to buy additional fixed-size batteries. While it’s certainly possible to extend the length of your shoot by purchasing any number of CGA-S303 battery packs for this camcorder, we are strongly in favor of designs that provide users with the option of upgrading to longer life batteries. Clearly the closed-battery design of the SDR-S150 has to do with this being a small camcorder and Panasonic has miniaturized wherever possible. However, even a closed battery compartment can be built with a little extra space. We would prefer to see a few extra millimeters in girth on this svelte camcorder to allow for a long-life battery option.

**The Back ***(6.0)*

The back side of the SDR-S150 faces the user during hand-held use, and most of the user interface is located here. On top is the On/Off switch, and just to its right is a small red indicator lamp that is illuminated when power is turned on. Below this is the record button nested inside a circular zoom toggle. This control is another place where Panasonic has consolidated controls (by combining the record button and zoom toggle) to save space, and it comes at a cost to usability. The zoom toggle is operated by applying pressure to either side, and while it is functional, a traditional zoom lever or slider offers better control. As on other Panasonic consumer camcorders, the zoom toggle also controls volume during playback.

Below this is the menu navigation controller, a four-way touch pad with a selection button at its center. The touch pad offers the same functionality as the four-way joystick on larger Panasonics, and it’s nearly as user-friendly. Below the touchpad on the right half of the body is the menu access button, and below that is a file delete button, identified by a trash can icon. The delete button is a feature found on non-tape-based camcorders and is reminiscent of digital still cameras. Below the delete button is the Auto/Manual Mode toggle switch, which is also used to engage manual focus control.

To the left of the buttons, aligned vertically, is a rubberized port cover that conceals all of the SDR-S150’s ports: a USB, combination AV/S-Video/headphone jack, and the DC-power in. The placement of these ports presents some obvious problems for hand-held shooting, since your hand blocks all of these ports when gripping the camcorder. While it’s relatively unlikely that you’ll be shooting hand-held when the DC or USB ports are plugged in, however, you might want to monitor audio with headphones – but you’ll need to adopt a modified grip to accomplish that feat with the SDR-S100.

**The Left Side ***(9.0)*

The left side of the SDR-S150 is dominated by the 2.8" widescreen LCD screen, which puts the size of this camcorder in perspective. The exterior surface of the LCD is bare other than some branding text, and it hinges from the top. Inside the LCD cavity are a few features: the Power LCD button turns on the LCD backlight, and a release switch near the bottom edge of the camcorder opens the adjacent SD card slot. It should be noted that the SD slot does open at the camcorder’s base which means you’ll need to remove the camcorder from a tripod to change SD cards. We prefer commonly accessed features like card slots to be placed more conveniently – but at least Panasonic can play up the ultra-compact card. Too many manufacturers place card slots on the base even when they aren’t so space-limited – a cop out in our book.

The Top* (7.0)*

The top of the SDR-S150 has only a few features to speak of. Just ahead of the on/off switch is the onboard stereo microphone, recessed slightly from the top surface. Closer to the lens is a pop-up flash that is opened via a small switch on the right side of the camcorder. There is no accessory shoe – and really no space for one anyway – but a microphone jack would have been a valuable addition, especially since Panasonic has provided a headphone adaptor for the AV multiport.

 

 

Auto/Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (5.0)

In auto mode, the SDR-S150 performs very well, in line with other Panasonic camcorders. There is no Easy Mode per se, as Sony and Canon include on their consumer camcorders, but a switch in the back allows you to select Auto or manual control modes. An Easy Mode option is most useful for true novices, in that it truncates the number of options displayed on the menu screen to create an accessible and foolproof (though I prefer idiot-proof) user interface. Panasonic’s Auto mode engages automatic control over exposure, focus, white balance, gain, and other image quality settings. In terms of camcorder function, it’s equivalent to Sony/Canon Easy Modes.

Automatic adjustments on the SDR-S150 are quick and accurate. Exposure and focus shift adeptly from one framing to another, even from bright light to low light situations in telephoto. The one area this camcorder struggled in was focusing in low-contrast situations, such as low light or a flat wall. In these cases, the SDR-S150 tended to pump in and out searching for correct focus. The white balance can take a long time to color correct, but once it does, the picture looks gorgeous. In comparison to the Sony DCR-SR100, the Panasonic was slightly slower in its auto adjustments with the exception of low-contrast situations and telephoto shots. While Sony camcorders tend to excel in Easy/Auto mode, the SR100 had a notably tougher time focusing in the most challenging framing situations.

*The sparse button layout on the SDR-S150. The toggle near the bottom switches

between Auto and Manual Modes, as well as engaging manual focus. *

The camcorder’s Scene Modes (called "Program AE" on some camcorders) are options that enable you to tailor automatic control to more closely match a given shooting situation. To engage Scene Modes, the SDR-S150 must be set to Manual shooting mode as Auto mode deactivates them in the menu. The Scene Modes available on the SDR-S150 include Sports, for high speed subjects, Portrait, for interview-style shots, Low Light, Spotlight, for subjects that are brightly lit relative to the background, and Surf & Snow, for subjects that are dimly lit relative to the background. The Scene Modes can be helpful as long as the environment you are shooting in consistently calls for the appropriate Scene Mode. If the lighting changes, however, you should be prepared to abandon scene mode for Auto or Manual. For example, if you’re shooting a performance in Spotlight and the whole stage is suddenly lit, your subject may no longer be exposed appropriately. For this reason, we recommend becoming comfortable with Manual controls as they offer precise image control at all times.

Overall Manual Control (7.0)

The SDR-S150 is an exceptional camcorder in that it combines potent features in a pint-sized body. While we are big fans of Panasonic’s commitment to providing consumer camcorder users with high-quality manual controls, it’s still impressive to see this approach transferred to a camcorder as small as this one. Some corners have been cut in the design process, but the SDR-S150 retains most of what there is to like about Panasonic’s manual control feature set.

The administrative menu of the Panasonic SDR-S150.

The SDR-S150 provides more manual controls than other ultra-compact camcorders, not to mention much larger HDD camcorders like Sony’s DCR-SR100. The JVC Everio line offers a similar manual control feature set, but like the Sony, they are not nearly as compact. And uniquely, the SDR-S150 records MPEG-2 video to SD memory cards, making direct comparisons to other HDD and DVD models that also use the MPEG-2 format impossible.

The main manual control and menu navigation tool is a four-way touch pad on the back of the camcorder body. This touch pad offers the same functionality as the joysticks found on other Panasonic camcorders, a design that JVC has added to this year’s Everio line with similar success. While I generally prefer joysticks over touchpads, I found the SDR-S150 control to be well-implemented and easy to use. Given that the touch pad is another manifestation of the compact interface, users with large hands may find it challenging.

During shooting in either Auto or Manual modes, pressing the button in the center of the touch pad brings image control options up as a disc-shaped menu in the lower right corner of the LCD screen. In Auto mode, you are restricted to a few presets: TeleMacro (indicated by a flower icon), Soft Skin (indicated by a girl’s face), and Backlight Compensation (indicated by an icon of the sun). I don’t find these icons (or other Panasonic icons) to be particularly intuitive or helpful, so if you plan on using them, you will just need to memorize the features they are attached to.

If you’re working in Manual mode, the options that appear when you press the center button are the same but the on-screen disc is marked with the label 1/2, meaning page one of two. Pressing the button a second time brings up page two, labeled 2/2. By pressing down on the touch pad from this page, you’ll gain access to manual control over white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and gain control.

Actually using the controls takes some practice if you’re not familiar with Panasonic’s quirky manual interface. You can adjust each control element independently, but they are ordered in a sequence that you may find rigid. Here’s how it works: pressing down on the touch pad from page two enters manual control over white balance, which appears as an icon on the left side of the LCD. To cycle through white balance options, you press left or right on the touch pad. To skip to the next control, shutter speed, you push down and once again cycle through options by pressing left or right. Pressing down again moves you to iris and gain control, which are linked on a continuum from closed shutter with 0dB gain to open shutter with 18dB gain. In other words, as soon as you brighten the image exposure by pressing the right side of the touch pad, you’ll eventually reach open with 0dB gain. Pressing right again engages the camcorder’s electronic gain control meaning you cannot pump up the gain if the iris is not fully open. This means iris and gain are not completely independent, but you’ll still have more control over exposure than any other consumer camcorder maker offers.

Zoom (4.0)

The zoom toggle is the manual control that took the biggest hit in the miniaturization of the SDR-SR150. The control itself is pretty poorly designed. Instead of a conventional lever or slider, this one is a rotating disc that is most easily adjusted by applying pressure to the outside edge with your thumb. While it seems capable of delivering fine control over zoom speed, I found manipulating the control to be an awkward and somewhat treacherous exercise. The issue for me is the toggle’s location combined with the camcorder’s lack of a hand strap resulted in a contorted and unsustainable grip. As a result, I couldn’t operate the zoom toggle one-handed. In its favor, the zoom is accompanied by a handy on-screen display that shows your zoom level between 1x and 10x. You also have the option of using digital zoom, which can be capped at 25x or 700x. in order to avoid a pixilated image, we recommend turning digital zoom off, at least capping it at 25x.

Zoom Power/Ratio (10.0)

The SDR-S150 has a 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. The digital zoom can be set to off, capped at 25x, or allowed to top out at the full 100x. Digital zooms should be used sparingly because they magnify pixels digitally rather than optically and result in a loss of image quality, especially at high levels.

The10x optical zoom is modest, but we suspect it is a result  of the very compact camcorder body because optical zoom power is a function of the space available for the lens mechanism. Another interesting choice on the part of Panasonic was equipping this camcorder with a digital zoom of only 100x, since digital zoom is boosted through electronic processing. We are vocal critics of high digital zooms because of how steeply they degrade the quality of a recorded image and it’s possible that Panasonic assumes anyone willing to shell out nearly $1000 for a camcorder is savvy enough to know this.

Focus (5.0)

Manual focus on the SDR-S150 is serviceable, and better than most manual focus adjustments on consumer camcorders, but it’s not great. When shooting in Manual Mode, engaging the manual focus control is easier and faster than any other manual control: you simply depress the Auto/Manual/Manual Focus switch on the lower back side of the camcorder, bringing up the MF icon on the LCD and -/+ indicators at the lower right corner. As with other manual controls, pressing left and right on the touch pad makes adjustments.

Unfortunately, Panasonic does not provide an on-screen numerical means of tracking your point of focus, so rack focus moves can’t be rehearsed accurately. There is not even a sliding scale to give you a rough idea of where you are in the focal scale – something that only Samsung offers on its consumer camcorders. Another drawback to manual focus on the SDR-S150 is that the adjustment moves so quickly that I inevitably overshot my mark. I literally couldn’t release the touch pad quickly enough to stop at the right focal point. You can work around this by tapping the pad repeatedly when you are close to your focal point, but it’s time-consuming. It’s an easily accessed control, but it’s far from perfect.

Exposure (Aperture) (6.0)

The exposure or iris control is located below white balance and shutter speed in the display of manual control options on the left side of the LCD. To reach this setting, you must press down twice on the touch pad from page 2/2 of the picture control menu. The SDR-S150 offers a wide range of iris settings, measured in f-stops that appear on-screen. Pressing left or right on the touch pad cycles through the settings, which range include Open, F2.0, F2.4, F2.8, F3.4, F4.0, F4.8, F5.6, F6.8, F8.0, F9.6, F11, F14, and F16. In between each marked stop is an intermediate step for a total of 25 possible iris settings - an enormous range on a consumer camcorder that is in keeping with Panasonic’s high degree of manual control. Moving through all these settings required tapping the navigation pad repeatedly, so moving from one end of the scale to the other can be tedious. While most consumer camcorders don’t even offer such a high degree of iris control, be prepared to spend some time adjusting your picture in Manual Mode.

Some camcorders like the Canon DC40 provide an Aperture Priority mode that allows you to select a given iris setting (such as F4.8) while the camcorder automatically adjusts other picture settings like gain and shutter speed to maintain that exposure. It’s not as precise as true iris control, but it is a user-friendly approach to exposure. Sony’s DCR-SR100 does have a manual exposure setting that brightens and darkens the picture but there is no numeric measure of exposure, only a sliding bar on the LCD screen.

*Shutter Speed (7.0) *

The SDR-S150’s shutter speed options offer a degree of flexibility that matches exposure with manual settings of: 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000 of a second. It’s an unusually good range of shutter speed options. Adjustments are made using the touch pad which can be tedious as you cycle through the numerous shutter speeds offered.

The JVC GZ-MG77 does the Panasonic one better, offering manual shutter speed options below 1/60 while the DC40 offers a shutter priority mode (See a description of Priority modes in the section above.) The DCR-SR100 offers no manual shutter speed controls.

White Balance (7.0)

White balance is the first item that appears when you enter the manual control menu from page 2/2. The SDR-S150 includes a slim list ot presets: Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, and Manual white balance. Although setting white balance manually is a simple process, it’s a little tricky given that I intuitively want to press the center of the touch pad since it does act as the selection button during navigation. Instead, you press the top of the touch pad and release it when the white balance icon stops flashing. Once you’ve got that kink worked out, it’s a fast and effective control.

Gain (7.0)

Manual gain control is a lamentably rare feature on consumer camcorders, and we’re glad to see it on the SDR-S150. The gain settings available are: 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB, and 18dB, and each marked setting is separated by an incremental step as well, for a total of 13 settings. As mentioned previously, you can only access manual gain settings once the aperture is set to open. Adjustments are made by the navigation pad.

The inclusion of gain control separates this camcorder from the Sony DCR-SR100, the Canon DC40 and the JVC GZ-MG77. While those camcorders do include an automatic gain control, they don’t provide the ability to control gain manually. Three cheers for Panasonic’s commitment to giving users a plethora of manual control options. Excellent manual controls are there if you need them – and if you don’t, Auto Mode will take reasonably good care of you.

Other Manual Control (0.0)

There are no other manual control features on the SDR-S150.

Still Features

Still Features* (7.5)*

The Panasonic SDR-S150 captures still at a maximum resolution of 3.1 MP, making it a relatively capable hybrid device. Stills, like video, are captured to SD card at four resolutions: 2048 x 1512, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 1920 x 1080 (Widescreen). This widescreen still option is uncommon, and could serve as a useful tool for taking snapshots of locations or setups in advance of a widescreen shoot. The Sony DCR-SR100 offers a widescreen still option with the identical resolution of 1920 x 1080, and also offers a burst mode for capturing stills in quick succession. The SDR-S150 does not offer any such "continuous shooting" modes such as burst or bracketing (capturing 3 stills at varying exposures) found on the Everio GZ-MG505. On the plus side, it does allow you to implement all of the manual control options found in video mode.

Panasonic’s SDR-S150 achieves some of its still performance using its proprietary Quad-Density Pixel Distribution technology. Pixel shifting offsets or "shifts" the 2.5 micron intervals between pixels, which results in "four times the density of previous systems." This approach does seem to yield fine results, and as you’ll see below, the pictures look terrific despite a measured resolution score that came in lower than camcorders in the same price range. This indicates to us that pixel shifting works, and appears to produce visual results that are better than what resolution alone would indicate.

Still Resolution* (6.5)*

The Panasonic SDR-S150 was tested for its still resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. We tested a few different resolutions in order to determine how the pixel shifting of the three CCDs operates.

At 1280 x 960, the camcorder produced stills at a resolution of about 614268.75. When maximum size on the SDR-S150 was increased to 2048 x 1512, a 152% increase, the resolution that Imatest measures (which is actually the information within the resolution) did not increase correspondingly – that’s not how pixel shifting works. Quad Density Pixel Shifting, Panasonic’s proprietary method, is a process by which the green CCD is offset by a half a pixel both vertically and horizontally in order to increase resolution, but not necessarily the amount of information captured. It makes a good looking picture larger, while retaining the quality. And in that capacity, it works quite well.

As far as Imatest scores go, the difference is negligible. In the 2048 x 1512 image, Imatest measured a resolution of 653846.77, an increase of only 6.5%. Theoretically there should actually be no increase is the information. This 6.5% might possibly be explained by an increase in the number of effective pixels, the method by which the information compiled in the processor, or in the methods Imatest uses to derive the number. At any rate, the stills look great, and you can read why in the next section.

The 16:9 stills, available only in 1920 x 1080, showed a significant loss of information, producing an Imatest resolution of only 251001.0.

{column='Still Resolution' models='Panasonic SDR-S150,Panasonic SDR-S100,Panasonic VDR-D300,JVC GZ-MG77,Sony DCR-SR100'}

Still Performance* (8.5)*

As a proviso for this section, we sometimes like to reiterate the fact that camcorders are not designed to take stills that could, in any way, hope to compare to dedicated still cameras. So when we compare camcorder stills in these reviews, they are judged relative to one another. Just something to keep in mind as I report that the SDR-S150 had absolutely wonderful looking stills. The color balance was not quite as good as its video (lacking somewhat in the greens), but was strongly favorable to most consumer camcorders, which can heavily skew colors in the wrong direction.

The SDR-S150 shoots in a variety of resolutions, up to 2048 x 1512, but it didn’t seem to capture any additional information after 1280 x 960. The apparent sharpness was very good, but the image had a definite grain to it. The whites are exceptionally white, but they do not blow out.

Last year’s Panasonic SDR-S150 produced essentially the same picture,  and this was also the case in both video performance sections. The story was the same with the VDR-D300, the DVD camcorder which retails for the same price.

The JVC GZ-MG77 produced dull looking stills, but certainly not the worst color balance we’ve ever seen. It suffered from blotchy noise, the same that we saw in its video performance.

Finally, the Sony DCR-SR100 had superior apparent sharpness, drawing out extremely fine detail for a camcorder still. The colors were weak compared to the SDR-S150, and really fell short of producing a decent green. It was, however, virtually noise free.

All in all, this is among the best hybrid camcorders on the market.

 {column='Still Performance' models='Panasonic SDR-S150,Panasonic SDR-S100,Panasonic VDR-D300,JVC GZ-MG77,Sony DCR-SR100'}

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (7.0)*

The SDR-SR150 is a remarkably easy to use camcorder, especially when it is set to Auto Mode. It’s small, which gives shooting with this camcorder a casual feel reminiscent of operating a compact digital still camera, and Panasonic has thoughtfully gone the extra mile to keep the SDR-SR150 approachable and self-contained. The built-in lens cover is one of the features that keeps this camcorder hassle-free, eliminating risk of loss, and the annoyance of a lens cap banging against your hand during a shoot. With an elegant body design and no protrusions, this is truly a camcorder that can be slipped into your pocket, adding an unusual level of convenience.

The camcorder’s manual controls are not as easy to use as some other models – arguably JVC and Samsung both offer simpler interfaces. However, no consumer camcorder manufacturer offers as many manual control features as Panasonic, so their interface is used to access a more robust and complex feature set. If you are not familiar with Panasonic’s manual controls, you’ll probably need to spend some time practicing with them. When you do, you’ll find that moving from one control to the next, and cycling through settings is an efficient process. One helpful addition we would have liked to see on this camcorder are aperture and shutter speed priority modes, as found on the JVC GZ-MG77 and Canon DC40. While not independent manual controls, priority modes would provide added picture control flexibility.

Handling* (6.0)*

Unusually, the SDR-S150 can be handled using either the right or left hand. The reason for this is two-fold. It is small enough to accommodate various one-handed grips, and it lacks a right-side hand strap. This may make the SDR-S150 attractive to lefties who are tired of being the square peg in the round hole of camcorderdom.

From my right-handed perspective, the camcorder handles very well for such a small device, and there are pros and cons associated with miniaturization. One issue is that camcorders of this size can be more difficult to hold steady than larger, heavier units. Thankfully, this camcorder has an amazingly effective OIS (optical image stabilization) system that bests most of those we’ve seen on the consumer market. The other issue I found vexing is that I couldn’t find a truly comfortable way of gripping the SDR-S150. Its small, it can be handled by either hand, but you can’t just let the camcorder roll and relax your grip. There’s no hand strap to keep it attached to your hand (just the option of a dangling wrist strap), and while I love the compact size, I found that I missed the ability to "just let go" afforded by a hand strap.

Another feature of the SDR-S150 is its quick start-up, allowing it to be ready to roll in a mere 1.5 seconds, the quickest start-up of any camcorder on the market. And let us not forget this is an SD-based camcorder, which means you won’t have to deal with (relatively) bulky media, or risk damaging an onboard HDD. Then again, you will need to devise a fool-proof way of tracking your quiver of diminutive SD cards…

Portability* (9.8)*

This camcorder is really the ultimate in pocket-sized power, weighing in at just 287g when fully loaded with battery and SD memory card. To put that in perspective, the other camcorders mentioned in this article average about twice that weight, with the JVC Everio GZ-MG505 at 544g. In addition, this camcorder lacks a docking station and has a very small power supply, making it by far the most portable "non-toy" camcorder on the market – and that is the greatest strength of the SDR-S150.

LCD/Viewfinder* (6.75)*

The SDR-S150 is well-equipped with a 2.8" widescreen LCD, a shade larger than the 2.7" screens that are widespread on today’s consumer camcorders. The larger-than average display is especially impressive given the compact size of this camcorder’s body. It is also bright, sharp, and renders colors better than most camcorder LCD’s but it’s not perfect. While Sony screens sometimes appear to have a gauzy overlay, thanks in part to their touchscreen functionality, they solarize much less than this screen when tilted at an angle to the viewer.

*The LCD and what lies beneath (not much). *

Another oddity with this LCD is that in order to flip the screen towards the subject, away from the shooter, you rotate it down and under. Most camcorders have an up and over approach, and this one repeatedly threw me for a loop. This is something you could easily get used to, but it is a departure from the norm that doesn’t seem to have a reason behind it.

As with other MPEG-2 camcorders like the Everios, the SDR-S150 lacks a viewfinder. It’s a space-saving move and won’t be missed by most casual shooters, but it represents a trend that makes us uneasy. Viewfinders are useful in very bright light, when LCD’s are difficult to read, and they also cut down on power consumption, prolonging battery life. We think they add flexibility to a camcorder, and would have liked to see one on the SDR-S150.

Battery Life* (9.5)*

The SDR-S150 was tested for battery life by continuously recording in its medium resolution mode, SP, with the LCD open and none of manual controls touched. It lasted 95 minutes and 18 seconds (just over 1.5 hours). Because the SP mode can record only 50 minutes to the 2GB SD card, we plugged the DC power in to erase the footage at the 50 minute mark, then immediately unplugged it and continued recording.

*The enclosed battery is not a favorite feature of ours. *

Audio/Playback/Connectivity

Audio* (2.0)*

This camcorder offers slim pickins in the audio department. There is an onboard mic – and that’s it. The on-board mic’s placement is a bit unusual, on top of the camcorder near the back, but it seems to work as well as a front-mounted microphone. If anything, this mic records better sound than most on-boards because the camcorder is virtually silent during video recording thanks to its lack of moving parts. Recording mechanism noise is something that both MiniDV and DVD camcorders suffer from, and the sound of a whirring motor can be loud enough to distract.

This camcorder’s silent running is a huge perk – and after watching and listening to your SDR-S150 footage, you’ll be amazed that you tolerated camcorder motor noise for years! This camcorder includes a headphone adaptor jack, enabling you to monitor your audio but that’s a feature that is made less useful by the lack of a mic jack. That addition would make this little camcorder a much hotter property by opening up a universe of high-quality sound recording options.

VCR Mode* (8.0)*

The SDR-S150 offers a variety of options for playing back video and stills, like other camcorders that store data non-linearly such as HDD camcorders. When video playback is engaged, this camcorder generates thumbnails for each clip stored to the card, at sixteen to a page. The plus side of clip displays like this is that you can move non-linearly through your stored files, unlike tape-cased camcorders that require you to jog back and forth to find and playback the desired footage. The drawback to this system is access time since the processor takes a few seconds to create each page of thumbnails as you scroll through. Finding a clip in this manner can be tedious, but it’s still better than the old MiniDV-style linear method which seems to be on its way out.

From any thumbnail page, pushing the Set button at the center of the touchpad plays back the selected clip, and there are also options for slow-motion and frame-by-frame viewing. When the LCD display is rotated 180 degrees and pushed back into its cavity for monitoring from the side, the navigation pad adjusts to your new orientation; "left" is now "up," "up" is now "right," etc. This is a small but thoughtful feature, though we’d also love to see a similar re-orientation implemented for when the screen faces the lens.

Still playback also displays thumbnails 16 to a page, and when viewing stills at full-screen, it is possible to jump from photo to photo by pressing left or right on the touch pad. A slide show feature is available for still playback, and any file or files can be deleted on camcorder in playback mode. Files can also be "locked" or protected from deletion and Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) and PictBridge are available for saving and printing.

Refreshingly, no wipes or cheesy digital effects have been provided, features that are included on almost every other consumer camcorder.

Ports* (3.0)*

The sole recording medium of the SDR-S150 is an SD card, which can be removed and inserted into a computer, card reader, and even some TVs. As a result, the port selection is thin and they are all located under the port cover at the back of the camcorder. They include a USB, an AV/headphone multi, and a DC power in. The multi-port can be used for A/V or S-Video output, and headphones using the included adapter. The SDR-S150 lacks additional jacks and ports that would have added to the camcorder’s versatility, including a microphone jack, a shoe, and a control jack. The SDR-S150 also lacks a FireWire port, but that’s an omission that is expected on a flash memory MPEG-2 camcorder.

Other Features

Widescreen/16:9 Mode* (4.0)*

The SDR-S150’s widescreen LCD makes your 16:9 video look terrific – so good that you probably won’t notice that this camcorder does not support true 16:9 video. Our wide angle tests show that 4:3 and 16:9 recording modes produce an identical width of 44 degrees. Considerable picture is cropped from the top and bottom in widescreen mode to achieve a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s disappointing, but typical of most consumer camcorders to use this crop and zoom approach, indicating native support only for 4:3 video.

Scan Rates/24p* (0.0)*

There are no scan rates available on the SDR-S150 other than 60i, the norm for NTSC standard definition video.

Other Features* (4.0)*
*Closed Battery System – *The SDR-S150 uses a closed-battery system, a move that precludes you from stepping up to a longer life battery. Thankfully, even though the included battery is tiny, it provides a respectable 90 minutes-plus of recording time. If you do need to power this camcorder beyond that, you can purchase additional CGA-S303 battery packs from Panasonic.

*Quick Start – *The SDR-S150 shifts into sleep mode when the LCD is closed. From sleep mode, the Quick Start feature makes the camcorder record-ready within 1.5 seconds of opening the LCD.

*Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) – *The image stabilization system is excellent. The OIS method for stabilizing an image is superior to EIS (electronic image stabilization) found on most consumer camcorders because it retains image quality when engaged. We found the OIS system on this camcorder to be very good, and is unique to the DR-S150 among ultra-compact camcorders.

*Wind Cut – *The Wind Cut feature is a filter that reduces the buffeting sounds of wind on the microphone screen. It is an effective audio fix for breezy environments, but should be turned off when its not needed because in addition to filtering out wind noise, it will filter out any desired audio which is in the same frequency range.

*MagicPix – *MagicPix is Panasonic’s proprietary slow shutter mode. In dark environments, MagicPix automatically slows the shutter to increase light sensitivity. Like other slow shutter modes, this feature can cause blurring of the video image.

*Tele-Macro – *This is a short-hand setting for shooting close-ups of subjects within 50 cm. It is marked by the flower icon in the manual control menu.

*Soft Skin Mode – *Soft Skin mode is a feature that softens the video image to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes, wrinkles, etc.

*Backlight Compensation (BLC)–*BLC brightens the overall exposure of the video image to compensate for a very bright environment. This is a feature that is most useful in environments like the beach, where the camcorder will have a tendency to underexpose a subject due to the abundance of light.

*Zoom Mic – *Zoom Mic digitally links the audio recording level of the onboard mic to the zoom. This feature has the effect of boosting audio when you are zoomed in, and dropping it when you are wide. It’s an effect you should use with caution, as it may record audio at too high a level.

*Web Cam – *The SDR-S150 can be used as a webcam when the proper driver is installed from the CD-ROM.

Comparisons/Conclusion

Comparison
JVC GZ-MG77
With an MSRP of $900 vs. $999 for the SDR-S150, the JVC GZ-MG77 Everio has price on its side, and a few other qualities as well. It has a powerful 32x zoom, a large single imager (1/3.9") a similar manual control feature set, and an onboard HDD with a 30GB capacity. That means you’ll be able to record considerably more MPEG-2 video with the Everio. On the other hand, it’s not nearly as compact as the Panasonic and produced mediocre video despite its big CCD. With its added size, the JVC is a more full-featured camcorder than the SDR-S150, but we like the pint-sized Panasonic in this head-to-head. For a better bet, check out the JVC GZ-MG505, the step-up cousin of the GZ-MG77. It’s a much more solid, and expensive ($1300) camcorder.

Panasonic VDR-D300
With the same MSRP of $999, and made by the same manufacturer, the VDR-D300 makes a useful comparison for the SDR-S150 – but the two camcorders are very different in terms of what they offer. The SDR-S150 is all about convenience and portability. It uses SD cards and slips into your pocket with ease. The VDR-D300 is all about performance and features, with superb video resolution and performance for a DVD camcorder. It also offers more, with a microphone jack, viewfinder, better widescreen, an accessory shoe… The question for you is, do you want a strong performing ultra-compact or one of the best DVD camcorders on the market? In either case, Panasonic delivers with these two camcorders.

Panasonic SDR-S100

Not much about the SDR-S100 has changed with this year’s SDR-S150 – the two camcorders are nearly identical, and both use 3 x 1/6" CCD imagers. Cosmetically, the new model has seen a few changes, but they reflect only minor changes in the camcorder’s surface such as a slightly more recessed microphone on the SDR-S150. Most notably, the SDR-S150 costs less at an MSRP of $999 vs. $1200 for the SDR-S100, and it supports Panasonic’s new 4GB SD cards. Without changing much, Panasonic has "improved" this camcorder’s value, but don’t expect anything new.

Sony DCR-SR100
Sony’s DCR-S100 is another impressive MPEG-2 camcorder, but it has little in common with the SDR-S150 other than convenience. The DCR-S100 is much bigger, and is really meant to be used in Auto mode – at which Sonys excel. Instead of three CCD’s, the Sony utilizes a single large 1/3" that turned in better low light performance. The zooms of both camcorders come in at 10x optical, and both are short on higher-end features with no mic jack – but the Sony does not suffer from a closed battery, offering the option of a longer-life battery upgrade. As you’d expect, the Sony, with a touch screen interface, is also short on manual control options where the Panasonic wins hands-down. Selling for a little more than the SDR-S150 at $1100, the Sony’s 30GB HDD makes it a stronger camcorder overall, but the Panasonic wins on ounce-for-ounce power. This one is a draw with each camcorder offering a decent array of features

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters *(4.0)*

In Auto mode, the SDR-S150 performs well, giving similarly priced Sony’s a run for their money. If you want something that offers a high level of convenience in the form of SD card memory and pocket-sized portability, the SDR-S150 may be just the thing.

Budget Consumers* (2.0)*

This is not a budget camcorder, at $999, but the price has dropped $200 from last year’s SDR-S100 making the SDR-S150 a better value. If price is your prime consideration, you’ll be better off looking for a low-end MiniDV camcorder in the $300 range, like the Canon ZR500. It’s not as convenient or portable, but it delivers more bang for the buck than any MPEG-2 camcorder on the market.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid* (4.0)*

This camcorder is a decent still/video hybrid, and produces some nice looking stills. The fact that its no bigger than many still cameras is another selling point for the SDR-S150 but the JVC GZ-MG505 may be the best hybrid on the market for $300 more.

Gadget Freaks* (9.0)*

This diminutive camcorder is a pretty cool gadget. Nothing on the consumer camcorder market delivers the same video performance combined with manual control features in such a compact size.

Manual Control Freaks* (7.0)*

This isn’t a bad camcorder in terms of manual controls, though its interface is miniaturized. Full-size Panasonics make accessing manual controls easier, but no camcorder offers as much in such a small package.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists* (6.0)*

This is not a pro camcorder, but it is an interesting one given its small size. It could be useful to pros and serious hobbyists who need something durable and compact in the service of action shots that would put a camcorder with more moving parts in jeopardy. Otherwise, serious shooters won’t see much appeal in the SDR-S150 other than its very cool pocket size.

Conclusion

As we stated in the introduction, you are likely to either outright disregard a camcorder like the Panasonic SDR-S150, or you are willing to consider it as a contender for your 1000 or so hard-earned dollars. Those in the first group, probably never even read the review, despite all our hard work in writing it. And that’s okay. This camcorder cannot compete in many regards with horizontally-oriented bodies – those with viewfinders, larger bodies, and lots of exterior buttons. Panasonic is certainly not aiming for that market.

But if you’re largely a point and shooter with an interest towards some manual controls, this is a compelling buy. The video performance is absolutely beautiful for its size – exactly the same as the top-end Panasonic DVD camcorder, the VDR-D300. The fact that it’s about 1/2 the size of the VDR-D300 is a pretty persuasive feature.

The biggest liability of the SDR-S150 is the small capacity of the recording medium. The included 2GB SD card can only hold about 25 minutes of the highest quality video. If you purchase a 4GB SDHC card, you’re looking at twice that, but still less than a hour. The Sony DCR-SR100 has a 30GB hard disk drive. Consider how much video you shoot on vacation and you'll  realize what an enormous difference that makes.

In conclusion, we love this camcorder, if you can accept the handling issues inherent in an ultra-compact and the almost assured necessity of purchasing an additional SD card. It’s a tough call, but the quality just about makes it worth it.

 

 

Specs/Ratings

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Meet the tester

John Neely

John Neely

Editor

John Neely is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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