- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 31 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Best of the entry-level HDD camcorders."
Pros: Easy controls, useful features.
Cons: .MOD file format, PC transfer needs AC plugged in.
Summary: I had the JVC Everio HDD camera and exchanged it for the Panasonic SDR-H40. Of the two, the Panasonic is clearly a better buy. Picture quality was consistent between the two models, which overall is very good. The Panasonic, however, has much easier controls and is easier to handle.
The interface is a bit more user-friendly than the Everio as well. The big difference was that the Panasonic's intruction manual is much easier to consume than JVC, which reeks of bad translation from a foreign manufacturer. I was using the SDR-H40 pretty much out of the box.
A joystick control near the mode wheel gives you easy access to the LCD menus-- as opposed to some other models (JVC, Sony) which place the joystick on the LCD. That means rather than switching through menus on the fly with your thumb, with competing models you have to use another hand to use the LCD's joystick.
Two disappointments, one major and one minor, is uploading to PC. As with the JVC Everio, and I assume every other HDD camera, the file format that video is saved in is .MOD. As a Mac user, this isn't easily readable by iMovie or even more pro apps such as Final Cut Express. And of course, the provided software isn't Mac compatible. So, to convert the files to .MOV or Quicktime, you need a 3rd party app. Conversion of every scene can be a pain.
Another minor inconvenience is that this camcorder will not connect to your PC unless the clunky AC adapter is plugged into the camera. Even a little more bothersome than it sounds-- you need to insert an AC battery insert into the camera's battery port, then connect that to the actual AC adapter, then plug it in. Panasonic would have saved everyone much more trouble to trust us to not connect the camera to a PC unless the battery was charged. A simple onscreen warning would do rather than forcing us to have a power source in effect. This means that transfering video on the fly- or to someone else's computer, would mean you need to carry the AC adapter with you at all times.
Overall, of the two low-end HDD cameras I've got to sample, I love the Panasonic and look forward to many great videos. I just hope all the camcorder makers catch up to the world of Apple OS, et al, and make their file formats a little easier to transfer.
- 2 replies to this review
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What kind of software/application did you use to convert the files for your Mac?
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I have FCE and am thinking about getting the SDR-H40. How much trouble actually was it to get it working with FCE for you? What program did you use to convert it for use? MPEG streamclip?
Where to buy
Panasonic SDR-H40:
$209.95 - $309.95
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$309.95 | Yes |
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$209.95 | Yes |
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