Panny's SDR-100 Camcorder
Even a staunch camcorder cynic might admit that Panny‘s latest camcorder, the tiny SDR-100, has a long list of impressive
features that threatens to overshadow the fact that 99% of home videos are
achingly dull. First off the device is already extremely compact for a
camcorder (97mm tall) and is definitely the smallest one to use 3CCD
technology. Unlike most traditional camcorders, which use standard 1CCD, the
SDR-100’s 3CCD is more akin to professional equipment and this results in much
better picture quality. Added to that is an Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) that
is very important accessory when wielding such an undersized camera.
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Another sensible feature is the use of SD
card memory, which should prove a bit more practical than fiddling around with large
amounts of complex cabling and makes transferring to and editing on a computer
considerably easier. From the website it looks like it comes supplied with a
2GB card that should hold plenty of footage. Also like many more modern
camcorders, the SDR-100 has the ability to take 3.1 megapixel still images as well.
So what’s the catch? Probably that it costs somewhere in the region of £900; but,
if you are a big home movie fan, it undoubtedly has a great combination of
picture quality and compactness that is hard to match.
