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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

Video Performance***(6.25)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 produced an unexceptional image at 3000 lux under our standardized conditions. It’s what you’d expect from a camcorder of this caliber. Inside, the D100 has a 1/6" CCD producing 680K gross (340K effective) pixels. What it yields is a balanced but rather flat looking picture. Unlike last year’s Panasonic VDR-M53, the D100 doesn’t tip over into too much blue. The spectrum is even. It does seem to be an exceptionally noisy picture compared to last year, and doesn’t come close to matching the sharpness or vivacity of this year’s top-end VDR-D300.

We compared the Panasonic VDR-D100 to a number of camcorders to evaluate its video performance. The D300 showed much stronger colors overall, evident most in the greens, which are washed out in the D100. The VDR-M53 also had stronger colors, though the D100 produced better whiter whites and blacker blacks. The DC10, Canon’s current low-end (until the DC100 is released in April 2006), yielded a remarkably similar picture, similar in color tones so much that I actually though this might have been a Canon for a moment. The DC10, however, did not have nearly so much noise. Finally, the Sony DVD92 is the only camcorder in this group to have equivalent levels of noise. The color tones are similar, with the overall "cleaner" picture going to the D100.

Video Resolution* (11.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100’s video was tested for resolution by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running the results through Imatest. In 4:3 aspect ratio, the D100 produced 338.9 lines of horizontal resolution and 313.3 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 106177.37. In 16:9 aspect ratio, the D100 produced 381.3 lines of horizontal resolution and 332.9 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 126934.77. Though this number of higher, we use the 4:3 aspect ratio resolution to score as a means of standardization. This is a score on par with other camcorders in its class.

Low Light Performance*(3.25)*

At 60 lux, the Panasonic VDR-D100 shows a dramatic increase in noise. As the picture was fairly noisy to begin with, we could have seen this coming, but it doesn’t make it any more acceptable. The colors are still very strong, and nearly as bright as the 3000 lux image, which seems to indicate a good automatic gain control. The heavy amount of noise of the price you pay.

By comparison, the VDR-M53 had a much darker picture with less noise. The noise that did appear, though, had a blue-greyish tint. The D100’s noise, thankfully, is within a few degrees of the dominant color around it. The VDR-D300 also had a darker image, surprisingly, but the noise was kept under wraps. The whites were also brighter in the D300. The Canon DC10 had similar noise issues, but the noise was darker and more detrimental to the overall picture quality. All in all, this camcorder tied with the D100. The Sony DVD92 had the worst picture of all at 60 lux, producing a dark, noisy mess.

At 15 lux, the VDR-D100 lost a good deal of color information, and noise invades the picture like the Napoleonic armies. We would consider this an unusable picture. By comparison, the D300 had an even darker picture, but with far less noise. The VDR-M53 was worst of all, with a picture virtually absent of information. Even the Sony DVD92 had the M53 beat, with a picture that somehow went the other route, pushing up its auto gain so high that the shapes could be made out easily, but nearly all color was removed. The DC10 had one of the best 15 lux performances, maintaining good brightness and some color information, though there was plenty of noise.


Wide Angle* (9.4)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 does provide users with a 4:3 or 16:9 option when shooting with this camera although some clarification is needed as to whether this 16:9 Cinema mode is a true widescreen or a mere digital effect. When tested the VDR-D100 displayed an identical width when tested in both 4:3 and 16:9 formats – 47 degrees. The 16:9 format for this camera is achieved by cropping the top and bottom edges of the frame to produce a subtractive 16:9 format that reduces the amount of visual information presented.


Format

Compression* (5.0)*

The compression on the Panasonic VDR-D100 produces MPEG-2 video files that can be recorded on three different DVD formats. There are also three recording modes and transfer rates which provide varying video qualities and recording times. When recording video in XP, users will have a transfer rate of 9 Mbps (rounded up from an actual true rate of 8.5 Mbps) which is the highest quality possible, while SP records at 5 Mbps and LP records at 2.5 Mbps.

XP footage will record approximately 18 minutes of footage, SP records 37 minutes and LP records 75. While LP provides the longest recording times, it also results in terrible image quality. All modes are accessed within the administration menu in the basic submenu. Any of the compression settings found with this DVD camcorder will result in sub-par image compared to the slight image compression which occurs in any MiniDV camcorder. If image quality is essential, consider sticking with tape for at least a few more years.

The VDR-D100’s audio is compressed using Dolby Digital AC3 16 bit compression.

Media* (5.0)*

There are three DVD formats compatible with the Panasonic VDR-D100, so users can select specific formats tailored to editing platforms and playback demands. The VDR-D100 allows 3-inch DVD-RAM (Ver. 2.1), 3-inch DVD-RW (Ver. 1.1/2X-SPEED (2X-1X)), and 3 inch DVD-R (for General Ver. 2.0). The DVD-RW is a new format to Panasonic DVD camcorders this year, a smart addition that allows consumers more choices in their recording media.

While recording video wasn’t an issue, actually retrieving the footage from DVD became something of a production which led to 1) aggravation and b) perhaps a few slipped obscenities. Both this camcorder and the Panasonic VDR-D300 produced footage that was lost, corrupted, missing, inaccessible, or involved circuitous uploading practices of 10 second video clips. If ease of use was applied to the media section, the Panasonic VDR-D100 would be in trouble. And while it’s great to have DVD-RAM as an option, it isn’t all that feasible of a format since most home DVD players and many computers don’t recognize it. These issues can be easily avoided by two methods; one, not edit footage captured on a DVD camcorder, and two, purchase a MiniDV camcorder instead.

Editing* (3.0)*

The editing potential for DVD camcorders is an interesting question. The MPEG-2 format often leaves users relying upon proprietary DVD editing software, which rarely offers in-depth control compared to suites like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, or Avid. Unfortunately for consumers, the VDR-D100 doesn’t even come with any half-baked software applications, and users will find themselves struggling to compile the appropriate two or three editing steps needed to transfer footage off of DVD and onto a personal computer for further alteration.

The problem is an inherent limitation in the format; it is necessary to convert all MPEG-2 files to a different format before they can be loaded into an editing program. Oftentimes users must purchase or download a conversion software program and an editing program too. And getting quality software will cost you. If you anticipate doing any sort of editing, you should look at MiniDV machines or step up in price to the Panasonic VDR-D200.

Tour

**The Front ***(5.0)*

The Panasonic video lens is positioned at the top of the VDR-D100, with space on the right side for fingers so that the lens doesn’t accidentally become covered when shooting. The 30x optical zoom lens has a filter diameter of 30.5 mm and a focal length of 1.9 mm to 57 mm with f/1.8 – f/3.9. This camcorder has an external lens cap which can be attached to the strap on the right side of the camcorder when not in use.

Directly beneath the lens of the camcorder is the in-camera stereo microphone. The white balance sensor is placed below the right channel microphone and in a position that allows it to be obscured by the port cover when it is open. This port cover protects two ports, the A/V-out and the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed port, and is opened via a tab located on the edge between the front and base of the Panasonic VDR-D100. But this tab is blocked by a tripod plate when the camcorder is connected to one, thus blocking access to these ports. It will be necessary to remove the camcorder from the tripod and then open the cover. A second problem with this port cover comes once it has been opened. The cover is attached to the camcorder via a strap in its upper right corner, and while the rubber hinge works fine, it places the cover so that it masks the white balance sensor.

**The Right Side ***(7.5)*

The primary feature located on the right side of the Panasonic VDR-D100 is the massive DVD compartment. Slightly behind the back edge of the compartment and above a mound formed by the Mode Dial is the Disc Eject tab. To operate this, the user merely needs to slide the tab backwards to open the DVD compartment. Above and slightly to the front of the disc eject button is the access/PC light. This feature lights when the compartment is open or the camcorder is connected to personal computer.

A strap for the right hand is placed at a slight horizontal angle on the right side of the camcorder. The strap angles downward from the back to the front and feels neither sturdy nor thick enough to be successful. The camcorder had a tendency to flop back and forth in the hand when not being tightly gripped.

**The Back ***(5.5)*

The electronic color viewfinder is positioned in the upper left corner of the VDR-D100’s back side and is surrounded by an uncomfortably hard plastic eyepiece. This viewfinder is extendable and when pulled from the camcorder this feature has more than enough clearance over the battery pack located beneath. The battery pack itself may be removed by pressing a tab on the bottom of the camcorder. If users wish to switch from battery to wall power, they must interrupt recording to remove the battery so that the DC-in port can be accessed. The placement of the DC-in port in the battery cavity is unfortunate; switching power sources can interrupt shooting and result in lost footage or footage with distinct time code breaks. Between the battery pack and the viewfinder, the user will find an amusing little button with the words Push/Open printed to its right. This button must be plunged into the camcorder in a way more reminiscent a Hi8’s operation than a DVD camcorder’s. The push/open button will pop the LCD screen on the left side open and provide access to this viewing device and LCD cavity controls.

To the right of the viewfinder is an off/on switch. While small, this control is easy to use; it is activated by pressing a blue button it its center and then sliding the control to the left or right. Below the on/off switch is the camcorder’s delete button, which when pressed prompts a pop-op onscreen that asks users whether they really wish to delete the content of the DVD. Also, the control is placed in a location that isn’t going to get accidentally bumped or hit.

To the right of the delete button is the Panasonic VDR-D100’s mode dial. This mode dial is well sized, although it unclear why Panasonic wanted one--users can only switch between playback and record mode, which leaves more than 335 degrees of this control unused and pointless.

The joystick control for the D100 is located in the center of the mode dial and allows users to navigate menu structures and manual controls cleanly and concisely. The small joystick is well-designed and positioned so that users of varying hand sizes will be able to manipulate it. The kidney shaped record button is to the left of the mode dial and beneath the delete button, and it too can be reached easily. The record button while well sized does not have a label, which seems odd, although perhaps only controls with an absurdly poor design like the push/open control necessitate an explanation. To the right of the top edge of the battery pack the user will find the well labeled menu button which allows users to enter into the administrative menu structure. To access the manual control menu, the user can press the joystick, which prompts the display of a diagram in the lower left corner of the LCD screen.

**The Left Side ***(7.25)*

Users who become disgruntled with the absurd push/open button will find that, with a few days of fingernail growth, it is possible to pry open the LCD via a small sliver of a divot located between the screen and the back edge of its cavity. Once open, the 2.5" LCD screen of the Panasonic VDR-D100 is revealed with an approximate pixel count of 105,000. In the LCD cavity is the switch for auto/manual focus, located near the top, and easily altered by pressing down to reset. Speaking of reset, the reset button is set into the camcorder directly to the front of the auto/manual switch and will require a pen tip or other pointed object to reset. A finger isn’t going to be able to accidentally (or purposefully) trip this control. Beneath and slightly behind the auto/manual switch, the playback audio speaker will provide at least a rudimentary sense of audio levels of recorded footage. By not placing manual controls in the LCD cavity, Panasonic has enabled its users to control manual settings and menu structures while only using the electronic color viewfinder, a great design for when battery power is low or the light is not optimal for LCD viewing.

The Top* (6.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 has only one feature placed on the top. The zoom toggle switch is located near the back of the camcorder and works on a sliding design which doesn’t display the sensitivity or accuracy of Canon camcorders from this year. The zoom toggle is also placed in an awkward position so that slight strain is necessary for clean and concise control with the index feature. When reviewing video footage in playback mode, users will find that this toggle also doubles as the Panasonic VDR-V100’s volume control.

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (5.0)

First, a word about the menus. There are two main menus: the manual control menu and the administrative menu. The administrative menu is accessed by hitting the Menu button on the rear of the body. Here, you will find controls for most things that don’t need to be readily at hand during recording – tape speed, screen displays, aspect ratio, digital zoom on/off, and other controls. The second menu is full of the things you want during shooting, the manual controls. Push the joystick in and a small circle pops up in the lower right of the screen. "1/2" appears in the center. This means that you are on page 1 of 2 pages in the manual control menu. On the first page, you’ll find Soft Skin mode, Fade, and Backlight compensation. If the camcorder is in manual mode, there’s a page 2 as well. Here you’ll find the meaty manual controls: white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and gain. More on those in the next section.

For the most part the auto mode worked consistently, but there were a few snags in the VDR-D100’s performance. When zooming from a wide angle with varying subject matter to a telephoto setting where black was the predominant tone, the camcorder usually needed to readjust levels and settings once the zoom depth was set. This made for a few seconds of tonal breathing before the camcorder settled on an appropriate setting. The zoom isn’t the quickest, which is too bad for those with faster shooting needs, but it tended to mask the focal adjustment needed following a zoom alteration.

Overall Manual Control (7.0)

In terms of manual control, the Panasonic VDR-D100 is equipped with a remarkable number of options compared to the Canon DC10 from last year or the 2006 Sony DCR-DVD105. The manual controls for the D100 allow control over zoom, aperture, focus, shutter speed, gain, and white balance - a very large amount of control for such a low priced camcorder. We of course, love manual control so we applaude Panasonic for this choice.

The manual control menu is entered by pressing the joystick twice so that a transparent screen is displayed on the left side center of the LCD. The controls for manual mode appear extensive, and once activated users will find that they provide even more opportunities than originally anticipated. For example, the gain scale has numerical settings for seven different settings. Once this scale is entered, users will find that there are intermediate steps which although not represented with a number are visually distinguishable. This same situation exists within the aperture scale, providing users with a plethora of manual settings for these two parameters. The preset shooting modes, accessible only in the Panasonic VDR-D100’s manual mode, allow the user to select between Sports, Portrait, Low light, Spotlight and Surf & Snow. These modes are located within the Basic submenu section of the administrative menu.

There are two menus provided when the joystick is pressed inward, which is a stark contrast to the six menu sections found with the 3 CCD MiniDV camcorders from Panasonic. The first menu contains information and controls over soft skin, fade, and backlight compensation. If the user presses the joystick a second time they will find themselves entered into the second menu. This second action isn’t intuitive and wasn’t something I found obvious, even after using the camcorder for extended periods of time. This is a definite drawback in terms of navigational ease of use for this camcorder.

The second menu will display +/- signs for the left and right arrows of the joystick, while hitting the down arrow prompts another menu which appears to the left of the joystick diagram. This manual control menu can only be cycled through by pushing down on the joystick. Pushing up does nothing, which some may find both irritating and surprising. Pushing down allow users to select among manual focus, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and gain. Each submenu’s selection is altered by pressing the left and right arrows on the four-way control.

The manual controls found on the VDR-D100 are not unique to this camcorder, and consumers who love manual options will find that both the MiniDV and DVD camcorder lines by Panasonic are equally resplendent and should more than satisfy the manual control user. If a user is less comfortable with manual controls, the DVD line by Sony is a wiser choice. However, users won’t be able to begin introducing manual control features into their shooting if they are using a Sony camcorder.

Zoom (7.0)

The 30x optical zoom for the VDR-D100 is controlled by a sliding zoom toggle located on the top of the camcorder. This control is not the best design seen this year on consumer camcorders, though it is sadly common to all Panasonic consumer camcorders released so far in 2006. The sliding zoom toggle made it hard to engage the camcorder in multiple variable zoom speeds and it tended to limit the range to two speeds: fast and sloth-like. The control is also placed awkwardly for many users with larger hands; my index finger had a tendency to overshoot this feature and I found myself controlling the zoom often with the second joint on the index finger rather than the fingertip. Although it is possible to get slower zoom speeds one-handed with this camcorder, it was usually easier to employ the left hand in combination with the right to acquire those rates.

Zoom Power/Ratio (30.0)

The Panasonic VDR-D100 features an impressive 30x optical zoom lens which is controlled via a sliding zoom toggle on top of the camcorder. This optical zoom will provide users with an impressive zoom range, although using the Electronic Image Stabilization will be necessary when higher zoom levels are used. The important thing to note about electronic image stabilization is the slight reduction in resolution which occurs with this process. It isn’t overly noticeable with highly compressed video like that of DVD camcorders, but if image quality and full resolution potential is essential, it would be wise to turn the stabilization off and use a tripod.

Along with optical zoom, the VDR-D100 comes with digital zoom. The relationship between higher digital zoom levels and image quality is one of inverse proportions, so the higher the zoom level, the lower the image quality. This will be visually noticeable even with fairly low levels of digital zoom. The digital zoom can be capped at three different settings: off, 50x, and 1000x levels. Of course, we recomend turning off your digital zoom and ignoring it for the life of your camcorder.

Focus (5.0)

Unlike other manual controls which demand that the user press the joystick for every shift within their respective control ranges, the manual focus on the VDR-D100 allows the user to engage a sliding scale which quickly shifts focal depth with ease. The only setback to this control is the lack of a numerical or visual symbol to designate the level of focus used by the shooter. Instead, the user will need to rely on the +/- settings on the joystick diagram, which represent left and right arrows to cue them into which focal direction they are using. But the exceptionally quick speed of the manual focus will make settling the focal depth complicated. By the time the user reacted to the proper focal depth, the camcorder had already shot past it and was instead providing a final image which was out of focus. A smooth external focal control would permit users to snap the camcorder concisely into focus while operating against enough resistance and control to avoid over-shooting the depth.

Exposure (Aperture) (6.0)

Manual control over aperture is another one of the pleasing inclusions which set Panasonic apart. The aperture settings are accessed by pressing the joystick into the camcorder. This action will then display the joystick diagram menu, and one more press allows access to the manual controls. Once into the second menu, users are able to select between white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and gain control.

When the gain is set to 0dB, users may set the aperture to the following numerically designated settings: OPEN, 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, f/16, and CLOSED. While there are these numerical listings for F-stops, users will find that individual numerical settings have a number of steps which may be visually recognized on the LCD. Between f/16 and closed, for example, the user will find that there are nine F-stops, although none are numerically displayed. Other stops show one or two degrees of separation between settings, but overall the total number of settings number far more than those found on similarly priced DVD camcorders by manufacturers like Canon.

Like the shutter speed (discussed below), the major problem with this manual control is not in the actual settings, but rather movement between them. To switch to a new F-stop, the user needs to push the joystick for each displayed and hidden F-stop level. This can necessitate pressing a joystick well over twenty times just to get from a setting in the f/16 section to a setting of f/9.6. If this was a sliding navigation like the focal control, then Panasonic would have a great overall manual control layout. As it is, the navigation of these controls impedes and hinders the otherwise great manual control set-up.

Shutter Speed (7.0)

The shutter speed can be controlled manually as well. The shutter control is located within the same manual control menu which provides control over white balance, aperture, gain, and focus and which is accessed by pressing the joystick twice. The shutter speeds for the VDR-D100 can be 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. The only problem with this manual control is that it unfortunately requires that the user press the joystick left or right each time a new shutter speed setting is selected. This means that moving from one end of the scale to the other will require the user to press the joystick thirteen times, which makes manual control over shutter speed anything but timely.

White Balance (7.0)

The white balance settings are located within the joystick menu and allow users to make adjustments to this feature when the camcorder is in manual mode. The white balance settings for the Panasonic VDR-D100 are: auto; indoor, which is suitable for incandescent and halogen lights; outdoor, which is suitable for clear skies; and finally, manual adjustment, which should make up for the shortcomings of both the preset and auto mode.

Manually setting the white balance is a hit or miss practice, relying in large part on the camcorder properly gauging a white tone in the light levels of the scene. The user manual warns that this feature may not be able to properly set the white balance if attempts are made in "lower light" conditions. But that being said, the camcorder struggled to set the white balance in a number of interior situations with fluorescent office lighting. This is a surprising disappointment. If any manual control ought to be responsive and accurate, it ought to be the white balance.

Gain (7.0)

Always charitable to the common good of camcorder owners, Panasonic has given users a manually controlled gain feature which rounds out a bevy of manual controls that outdo the competition in both the DVD and MiniDV camcorder markets at this price. The gain scale is located in the same menu as iris control and shutter speed when the camcorder is placed in manual mode. Numerically the gain scale has a range of 0 dB to 18 dB, with numerically demarcated steps of 0 dB, 3 dB, 6 dB, 9 dB, 12 dB, 15 dB, and 18 dB. There is one step located between each numerically represented gain level, which will provide users with even more precise levels of gain adjustment control. Like shutter speed and aperture adjustment, gain adjustment requires the user of the VDR-D100 to push the joystick for each step within the gain scale. Panasonic no doubt hopes you enjoy pushing the joystick over fifteen times to get from one end of the scale to the other.

Other Manual Control (0.0)

There are no other additional manual controls. However, with the number of manual controls found on this DVD camcorder, it would be definitely hard to find an equivalent DVD model on the market which is able to outclass it in this arena.

Still Features

Still Features* (0.0)*

There are no still features on the Panasonic VDR-D100. If looking for such a thing on Panasonic DVD camcorders, consumers will need to move up another hundred dollars to the $599 Panasonic VDR-D200. The VDR-D200 records still images at a resolution of 640 x 480 to SD memory card.

Still Resolution* (0.0)*

As mentioned above, there are no still features on the Panasonic VDR-D100.

Still Performance* (0.0)*

With no opportunity for still image capture on the Panasonic VDR-D100, it is not possible to judge still performance. There is, of course, the laborious possibility of dragging clips into an editing program like Premiere or Avid and extracting stills to use as photos. The quality will be poor, though, compared to even the cheapest point and shoot.

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (6.5)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 is easy to use in some ways, but not in others. When set in full auto mode, the controls are straightforward and relatively impossible to accidentally alter. The joystick menu is limited to one screen with just three options that control backlight, fade in/out and soft skin mode. The only thing missing from this camcorder found on more expensive Panasonic models is an info setting, which describes what each of the icons mean in the manual control menu, which would be helpful for users shooting without a manual.

The administrative menu is the same straightforward logical list structure with full text descriptions for each submenu. The only design flaw comes with the fourth submenu, the language menu. Once users enter this submenu, they must exit the menu system entirely to access other sections of the administrative menu. This isn’t true with other sections, in which the user merely presses the left arrow on the joystick to move backwards. And because the language menu is the bottom feature, it often gets accidentally highlighted when scanning quickly, and if entered inadvertently users will waste time figuring out how to exit it.

Other controls on the camcorder are straightforward in auto and manual mode with clear symbols or text descriptions for each control feature. The mode dial only has two settings and shouldn’t confound anyone, regardless of experience level.

The manual mode was basically clear and logical with a few inconsistencies which if fixed, would allow fast navigation and control. The first odd menu design appears when navigating the manual control settings which appear on the left side of the LCD. Users are restricted to only scanning down the list; the up arrow is not useable in this menu, which is odd since the up arrow has no function within manual mode at all. The next unfortunate setback is that when the auto white balance is selected in manual mode, it disappears off the LCD and will only appear if the user scans over the blank space where this setting is. And finally the control structure for manual controls like shutter speed, aperture, and gain force the user to press the joystick for each step encountered when traversing a given control’s range. Be prepared to press the joystick at least twenty times to move through the aperture settings; this design makes the joystick design less than joy-filled.

By comparison, Sony camcorders are typically easier to use, with a big, fat Easy button that glows blue, beckoning the beginner into its electronic embrace. Canons, in general, are comparable to Panasonics. They offer an Easy mode as well, but the auto controls are not as good as Sony.

Handling* (6.5)*

There are only a couple of handling concerns relating to the VDR-D100. Panasonic has placed manual controls within LCD menu structures which are navigated with the joystick control on the back of the camcorder. For some reason, Panasonic has equipped this camcorder with a right hand strap that is vastly undersized and not wide enough to provide comfortable support. When not gripping the top of the camcorder like I’m Eva Marie Saint gripping the face of Mt. Rushmore in North by Northwest, the camcorder had a tendency to flop around and feel as if nothing is really stopping the D100 from slipping off my hand and breaking.

After I had finally crammed my hand into the, the second problem arose. It was nearly impossible at this angle to touch the zoom toggle in a way that provided consistent zoom speed. I found myself contorting my hand into a number of positions, although none successfully managed to garner the elusive zoom rate I desired. In order to attain variable speeds the use of both the left and right hands was necessary. However, reaching and manipulating the mode dial, joystick, and other controls was comfortable and with so few external controls, it was hard for Panasonic to go wrong in these areas.

Portability* (6.5)*

Well, the Panasonic VDR-D100 certainly isn’t a matchbook camcorder, but it does show a size reduction in comparison to last year’s Panasonic VDR-M53. The Panasonic VDR-D100 measures 5.079 x 3.425 x 2.087 inches with an approximate weight of 1.058 pounds, without either the lens cap or battery. All said, this camcorder definitely has a physical presence, and while it’s comfortable to carry in the hand for a short time, it will necessitate a case or side bag if longer journeys are anticipated. The overall design seems durable and there doesn’t seem to be manufacturing decisions which could lead to accidental damage during travel. However, the lens cap doesn’t snap onto the camcorder with a reassuring security, and it seems it could be easily knocked off.

LCD/Viewfinder* (6.0)*

The LCD screen for the Panasonic VDR-D100 is located on the left side of the camcorder and may be opened using the open/push button on the back of the camcorder. This control is sticky and visually regressive in terms of design and aesthetics, and users will find that there is a slight sliver of space between the LCD screen and the edge of the camcorder which allows the user to manually open the screen. Both of these methods are irritating. The LCD screen itself measures 2.5 inches and has an approximate pixel count of 105,000 pixels, which is a bit below par compared to other LCD screens that pack 112K or 123K pixels.

The electronic color viewfinder is small. This isn’t surprising, considering the compact dimensions of the camcorder. However, the hard plastic eyepiece surrounding it makes for less than comfortable viewing and shooting. The viewfinder can extend outward horizontally from the camcorder, and there is a focal field adjustment system located on the top of the viewfinder, revealed when it’s fully extended. The VDR-D100 has a great advantage over camcorders by manufacturers like Canon when it comes to viewfinders, because there are no manual controls in the LCD cavity and users who wish to use the EVF to conserve battery power can do so. Because all controls and menus are navigated by the joystick on the back of the camcorder, the Panasonic VDR-D100 provides users with two fully functioning, although not wholly comfortable, viewing devices.

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (4.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 is a pretty limited and limiting camcorder when it comes to audio features and control. The camcorder comes with an in-camcorder stereo microphone positioned directly beneath the lens. There is no Mic-in jack, so users do not have the option of using an external microphone. Audio is compressed using a Dolby Digital AC3 compression format at 16 bit sample rate.

The wind cut setting is one of two audio controls provided with this camcorder. This feature allows the user to place a high pass filter on the audio track. This filter will block the low frequencies created by wind striking the surface of the microphone while allowing the rest of the frequency range to be recorded by the camcorder. The second control feature for audio is the zoom mic, which increases the gain on the audio track and results in heightened sensitivity towards distant audio. The only problem with this feature is its inability to function in noisy situations since all audio levels will be raised and not just the subject you wish to capture.

VCR Mode* (8.0)*

To enter the VCR mode the mode dial must be turned from shooting to playback mode. The user will then see a screen displaying thumbnail images of prior captured footage. It is possible to scan these images by moving the joystick. The selected thumbnail will be displayed with a red frame, and information regarding clip length as well as date/time recorded will be shown beneath it. To select a clip for replay, the user must merely press the joystick inward and the clip will appear full screen. Once in this screen, the user will see that the joystick controls have the following functions: up arrow will control play/pause, down arrow will control stop, right arrow will control skip forward, and left arrow will control skip back. This is displayed with a joystick diagram menu located in the lower left corner of the screen, the same placement involved with shooting mode.

The administrative menu for playback mode is entered by pressing the menu button on the back of the camcorder. Once open, it offers delete, play setup, edit scene, setup and language submenus. The play setup menu allows users to select between view all, by date or playlist screen structure.

The editing which can be done in-camera allows users to select between divide and combine. When combining scenes, the user is placed in the thumbnail screen and when a thumbnail is highlighted and then selected, the camcorder will ask if the user wishes to combine this scene with the one directly following it. The divide control is a bit trickier and takes some getting used to. The user must select a clip and begin playing the clip back as in regular playback mode, but in this mode, the stop (or down arrow) control is replaced with the divide control. When the proper frame is visible the user must either press pause or divide, at which point the camcorder will ask if the user wishes to divide the clip. If you choose no, you’ll be returned to the thumbnail menu and the process must be started over again.

Playback mode is relatively simple and basic and allows quick viewing of footage prior to exportation. By comparison, most DVD camcorders by other manufacturers are similar. The thumbnail pages are a common asset among all of them. Most, too, are just as slow as the D100. Canon offers better animations in their playback menu. Aesthetics aside, they are all pretty similar.

Ports* (3.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 has two covered ports, the A/V out and the USB 2.0 Hi-speed compliant, located on the front of the camcorder. As mentioned elsewhere, the port cover has two slight problems due to its placement along the bottom edge of the front face.

Firstly, the port cover opens via a tab located on the bottom of the camcorder. This is fine unless the camcorder is connected to a tripod. If connected to a tripod, you must remove the camcorder from the tripod to access the port. Secondly, the cover is close to other features like the white balance sensor, which gets obscured when the cover is open. These drawbacks aside, the ports themselves are laid out with plenty of room between them to minimize the chances of accidental unplugging.

The second port for the Panasonic VDR-D100 isn’t immediately visible; the user must remove the battery before it becomes apparent. Masked by the battery on the back of the VDR-D100, the DC-in port is placed into the cavity. This means it will be necessary to turn the camcorder off when switching between battery and wall power, which can result in broken or lost footage and be a nightmare during extended takes. The upside to this poor design is the massively limited recording time of DVD camcorders, which gives users plenty of opportunities to switch to wall power when inserting new DVDs every eighteen to twenty minutes.

 

Other Features

Widescreen/16:9 Mode* (5.0)*

The Panasonic VDR-D100 doesn’t actually shoot in a true 16:9 format. The widescreen feature that comes with this camcorder is a "cinema mode;" it produces images which, according to the user manual, "are recorded with a black belt appearing along the top and bottom of the screen so that they look like theatre movies." If this was a true widescreen mode, frames angle would increase, but the cinema mode reduces the frame of the camcorder by shooting with the same horizontal angle as 4:3 while reducing the frame edge on the top and bottom. Last year’s DC10 by Canon is an equally priced alternative to the VDR-D100 and shoots in true 16:9 format. For true widescreen, you'll need to step up two models to the VDR-D250, at a pricey $899 MSRP. Of course, with this you get 3-chip performance as well. For true widescreen at a cheaper price, the Canon DC10 is a goood choice.

Scan Rates/24P* (0.0)*

Like most DVD camcorders found within this price range, the Panasonic VDR-D100 uses a 60i scan rate. If variable scan rates are desired, expect to be paying more. If only the mirage of variable scan rate is tolerable, perhaps the PV-GS500 by Panasonic could suffice, although digital effects are always a little lame to the purist.

Other Features* (5.0)*
Electronic Image Stabilization The image stabilizer setting is located within the EIS submenu of the advanced menu, in turn located within the administration menu. The electronic image stabilization will lower the overall resolution and will work less successfully than camcorders which use an optical image stabilizer, though some type of stabilization is better than nothing.

*MagicPix  *The MagicPix feature allows users to increase the visibility of subjects recorded in extremely low lighting. According to Panasonic’s user manual, this feature slows the signal charge of the CCD up to 30 times so that scenes in darkness can be revealed and recorded. And while it certainly did increase the amount of information captured in low light, it wasn’t an astounding feature, especially since the camcorder needs to be on a tripod to make up for the lowered frame rate.

Backlight Compensation This feature can be employed when shooting subjects backlit by strong lighting. The backlight compensation will brighten the image onscreen and hopefully light the front plane of the subject enough to provide functional footage. The backlight compensation control is located within the first screen of the joystick menu and will remain accessible whether the camcorder is in full manual or full auto mode.

Soft Skin Mode The soft skin mode is intended for use when shooting portrait subjects at a close range. This mode will "smooth" the skin of the subject to produce a more flattering image intended to mask scars and unappealing skin imperfections. Note that this feature will blur and smooth any other subject in the scene which possesses "skin color." While potentially useful, don’t think that this is going to solve an impressive bout with poison ivy. It can only do so much.

Fade in/ Fade out  The fade controls are found within the first joystick menu screen and are available in both automatic and manual modes. Fades are used to gradually transfer between an image and a full opaque screen of black or white; the Panasonic PV-GS300 provides a fade-in and fade-out tool. The color of the fade can be altered by entering the administrative menu and selecting the Advanced submenu, which contains the Fade Color setting. Users can also select between black and white fades.

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
*Panasonic VDR-M53
*The Panasonic VDR-M53 was the least expensive DVD camcorder produced by Panasonic and is being replaced by this year’s VDR-D100. Although it was originally released with price identical to this year's D100, the M53 can easily be found for less on and off-line. This year Panasonic once again escalated optical zooms, equipping the D100 with 30x optical zoom in comparison to the 24x of last year. The D100 has a far more functional joystick control compared to the spread out external controls which littered the left side of the M53. Also, the D100 is equipped with the manual control options we’re used to on Panasonic camcorders, while last year’s M53 had fully automatic shutter speed and gain. The D100 does have some important components missing when placed against its predecessor. The M53 has a cold accessory shoe, an LCD screen with 120K rather 105K resolution, a Mic-in port and an SD card slot which also allows the camcorder to have a still image mode which has vanished on this year’s D100. Both camcorders lack a true widescreen mode. However, the joystick has made the D100 much easier to work with. Winner: D100.

Sony DCR-DVD105
If a straightforward auto-centric DVD camcorder is wanted for saturated color and simple design, the Sony DCR-DVD105 is certainly an option to consider as opposite to the D100. That being said, it also has an MSRP of $649. With this price increase the DCR-DVD105 offers an identical 1/6-inch 680K CCD, but it does include improvements over the D100 like a center channel microphone and a still memory feature. It also has electronic image stabilization like the D100 as well as manual control over white balance. The 2.5-inch LCD manages to sport a higher resolution of 123,000 pixels. The DVD105, with its 20x zoom, does not outdo Panasonic’s 30x optical zoom. Overall, we like the D100 better.

*Canon DC10
*The Canon DC10 provides its users with a larger 1/4-inch, 690,000 pixel CCD which performed with reasonable accuracy and strong resolution scores during testing. The Canon DC10 has a plethora of external controls, which may lead to confusion if the user is a novice. Exerienced users will appreciate them. While there are fewer manual controls on the Canon DC10, there is still control over shutter speed, aperture, focus, and white balance, although the shutter speed range is truncated in comparison to the D100. Appealing to the hybrid camcorder user, the Canon DC10 does have a handful of still image options which can be recorded to either DVD or SD/MMC card. Also, the Canon DC10 has a 16:9 format option that provides a true widescreen mode. Audio setup for the DC10 is comparable to that of the D100; both lack headphone or Mic-in ports. However, a serious design faux pas occurred with the placement of the battery in the cavity of the LCD screen, a choice which makes it impossible to upgrade to a longer life battery. If it weren't for the battery, we would probably tie this with the D100. However, the facts stand as they are. Winner: D100.

Panasonic VDR-D200
The differences between the VDR-D200 and the VDR-D100 are few to none, with the major difference being the inclusion of a memory card slot on the VDR-D200. Before the excitement roused by this feature inspires you to throw your digital camera against a concrete wall, it should be noted that the D200 records still images at a 1640 x 480 maximum resolution. The VDR-D200 also provides an LED light and two suites of editing software; DVD Movie Album and IMX Video CD software for Mac users. All other imaging specifications, features, controls, and designs are identical to that of the D100. This camcorder’s MSRP of $599.95 forces users to shell out an extra hundred bucks for an all but pointless LED light and a still mode. It’s not worth it, if you ask us.

*Hitachi DZ-GX3100A
*With external controls littering the surface of the camcorder and a number of options set into the LCD cavity, Hitachi certainly won’t win an award for control integration and structure. We normally like external controls, but the placement inside the LCD cavity is simply bad design (it also happens to be where last year's Panasonic DVD cams put them). That being said, the GX3100A does allow still images to be captured and offers analog input, two features distinctly lacking from the D100. The widescreen LCD is 2.7 inches on the diagonal. It certainly falls short however in optical zoom, providing a mere 15x optical zoom rating. This pales in comparison with the 30x equipped Panasonic VDR-D100. With the analog input, $499 price tag and still image options, this camcorder could appeal to certain members of the budget DVD camcorder market looking for features not found on the manually heavy, non-hybrid Panasonic VDR-D100. Just know that navigation and manual controls won’t be able to stand up to the offerings of Panasonic.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters *(7.0)*

For the point-and-shoot user looking towards a brighter future full of manual controls, the Panasonic VDR-D100 could be a great DVD camcorder. If a fully automatic camcorder with no manual or little manual control is desired, the user may wish to look at Sony camcorder models like the DCR-DVD105.

Budget Consumers* (4.5)*

For the budget consumer looking to buy a DVD camcorder, the Panasonic VDR-D100 is certainly going to provide them with the most options for manual control at the lowest price. However, if cost is really an issue and DVD isn’t a must-have, MiniDV camcorders by Panasonic will provide the same controls at a fraction of the cost. Add to that the ability to actually edit the footage that you’ve captured and the PV-GS29 will just make more and more sense.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid* (0.0)*

With not a single still image feature available, we can unequivocally state that any camcorder with a still capture mode, even if to MiniDV tape, is going to be better in this category when compared to the Panasonic VDR-D100.

Gadget Freaks* (2.0)*

For the gadget freak, last year was all about the DVD camcorder: it was new, stylish and not every kid on the block had one. But with the limitations of the media and the frustrations which arise when trying to edit this format, the gadget freak should be wiser in 2006 and look elsewhere to satisfy the never-satiated cravings for new technology.

Manual Control Freaks* (5.0)*

This camcorder definitely provides its users with an impressive number of manual controls, especially when considering its MSRP of $499. The VDR-D100 provides control over gain, shutter speed, aperture, white balance, focus, and zoom. If even more manual control is desired, the user should expect to pay quite a bit more. In this price range, it would be hard for the DVD enthusiast to do better.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists* (2.0)*

With DVD camcorders still lagging in the image quality standards of other formats like MiniDV, the pro and serious hobbyist is probably not going to pick up this camcorder or even the highest level consumer model available this year. With time and improvements this may change, but for now, the limitations of DVD media will keep this section of the market at arm’s length.

Conclusion

The VDR-D100 is just what you would expect from an entry-level model. It performs comparably to other camcorders in its price class, while lacking the features that make you want to go out and buy the better equipped sibling models. The VDR-D100 lacks any still capability. This may be just fine for some people, as camcorders aren’t really designed to take still pictures in the first place. The video, however, is not so good that you want it for that purpose either. The picture was simply dull, and a noisy dull at that.

The D100 has all the conveniences inherent in DVD camcorders, and ease of use is not too much of a concern. All the great manual controls that Panasonic provides are there for the neophyte to learn on. It's pretty clear that the D100 is the leader in the entry level DVD camcorder space providing more versatility than any other model. For a DVD camcorder, this is not a bad choice.

Specs/Ratings

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James Murray

James Murray

Editor

James Murray is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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