Panasonic SDR-H80 review (silver)

Panasonic included both full manual and full auto shooting options. As mentioned earlier, a single press of the Manual AF/MF button will let you control focus using the joystick. You can then move the joystick up to get control of shutter speed, aperture (labeled Iris), and white balance. From Manual mode you can also choose a Scene mode that will optimize shutter and aperture settings for what you're shooting. However, if you don't feel like thinking about settings, press the iA button and the H80 will adjust depending on the subject and recording environment as it corresponds to a Scene mode. Press it again and you'll enter a more traditional Auto mode.

If you're considering the H80 for recording clips for video-sharing sites, YouTube in particular, you'll probably be happy finding the camcorder's Web mode button. Pressing it starts a 10-minute countdown keeping your recordings within the site's upload parameters. The bundled software has "one-click" uploading to YouTube as well.

For all its features and ease-of-use, the H80 produces video typical of standard-definition consumer camcorders. Video is soft with readily visible noise and digital artifacting, a lot of purple and green fringing around high-contrast subjects, and merely OK color reproduction with highlight clipping. Low-light performance isn't great, either, but that also is expected from standard-definition models. That said, if you still live completely in a low-resolution world, the recordings are destined for video-sharing Web sites, or you simply want to capture the moment no matter how it looks, the H80 should be satisfactory. Worth repeating, however, is this camcorder's need for a tripod when using the full zoom range. The OIS system is good, but only out to about 20x unless you have incredibly steady hands and don't breathe. Otherwise, you'll be looking at a nauseatingly shaky mess.

The zoom range offered by the Panasonic SDR-H80 is incredible for the money as is the storage amount. Yes, you can shoot video of the moon and stars as well as capture sporting events from the nosebleeds and your child's play from the very, very back row. And again, if capturing those things is all that matters to you, then the H80 is worth the money. Be warned, though: the video quality just isn't there.

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