Panasonic SDR-SW20 (Silver)

For those who need a compact, weatherproof camcorder that can take some abuse and only plan on sharing the results online, the Panasonic SDR-SW20 may be of interest. Otherwise there are plenty of pocket camcorders that produce the same or better video for less money.

The SW20's major selling point is its sturdy, waterproof body. It's protected down to 5 feet underwater for a maximum of 30 minutes at a time, adhering to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60529 IPX8 standard. It's also dustproof and resists damage if dropped from heights up to 4 feet (using MIL-STD-810F method 516.5 for shock testing). And for all its toughness, the SW20, which records MPEG-2 video at a maximum of 10Mbps to SD or SDHC cards, weighs only slightly more than 8 ounces and measures 1.3 inches wide by 2.5 inches high by 4.5 inches deep. It's worth noting, too, that Panasonic warns that the water-resistant packing degrades over time and recommends that a dealer replace the packing at least once every 18 months.

The SW20's horizontal camcorder design--at least when compared with competitor Sanyo's pistol-grip Xacti VPC-E1--allows for its 10x optical zoom. However the zoom is not smooth, with video visibly jerking up and down as the internal lens extends and retracts (it's especially noticeable if the subject is still). Panasonic put a record/pause button both on the front right of the camcorder (handy when using an overhand grip shooting at a low angle) and at the natural thumb position at the back for an underhand grip. You'd better keep a good grip on the SW20, though, because the included handstrap--while cleverly making use of the tripod threads in the bottom--is far from secure. Not great for its active-use purpose.