Other than the record buttons and the zoom rocker on top, the controls are on the inside of the body, opposite the 2.7-inch LCD when open. Navigating the menus and settings is straightforward and the SW20 actually has a Manual option so you can set focus, white balance, shutter speed, and gain. There's a special Underwater button, too, that adapts color and audio for being underwater. The buttons are stiff, however, and don't always register (no doubt because of the seals required for waterproofing). A simple thumb dial lets you change between recording/playing video and still images. There's no dedicated photo button, so you can't take stills and capture video simultaneously.
When devices get this kind of protection, other elements of the product usually suffer, either because of the nature of the design requirements, to keep prices reasonable, or both. In this case, it's the video quality that gets shafted. Regardless of settings, it's plainly bad. If viewed at a small size on a computer screen, YouTube-style, or on a small TV, movies are passable as long as you have low expectations, don't mind the white balance being out of whack, and are OK with the picture being a bit crooked. (Though that last one might just be the unit I tested.) Lighter colors and skin tones were frequently blown out as well. Details are poor in general, but fairly nonexistent in dim light. Understand, most of these complaints are typical for the type and class of camcorder, but the SW20 is below average.
The concept for the Panasonic SDR-SW20 is sound: a small, lightweight flash-based camcorder that can withstand weather, water, dust, and drops. But if you have to sacrifice so much of the video quality to get it and pay extra for the privilege, I'm not sure it's worth it. Especially when options like the sturdier, less expensive Olympus 1030 SW point-and-shoot camera and the similarly priced Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 exist.
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Where to buy
Panasonic SDR-SW20 (Red):
$295.00
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$295.00 | Yes |
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