Panasonic SDR-H18 30GB Hard Drive Camcorder

A good value for money Camcorder

Posted May 20, 2007 - I bought this camcorder after doing some research. I was looking for a HDD based camera, this comes with an option of storage in Memory cards. The video quality is crystal clear with 32X zoom is really cool. The OIS feature helps to stabilize image even at max zoom. Sound quality is Dolby, zoom mic feature helps to get good sound from even a distance. The joystick is easy to operate and all buttons are within reach, this I find one of the best features. Image is OK (Camcorders are not meant for good stills).Probably only negative of this product is that it does not have a flash (you cannot attach even an external one).All in all a good choice for HDD based camcorder.

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Nice feature set for this price range

Posted Aug 13, 2007 - I was deciding among three HDD-based camcorders at sub-$400 price level, namely JVC Everio GZMG130, Sony DCR-SR42, and this Panasonic SDR-H18. It appeared to me that JVC Everio series received a generally lower score than the rest two from various online reviews including those at CNET so it was out of my list first. CNET also gave Sony DCR-SR42 a relatively low review score. Besides, Sony DCR-SR42/62/82 seemed a bit overpriced for its feature set. So Panasonic SDR-H18 seemed to be the only choice to me for under $400. Well, I've not determined if this is a good purchase yet as this SDR-H18 certainly has lots of spaces for further improvement. So please allow me to focus on its weaknesses as some pre-warning: 1) Not-so-satisfactory low light shot performance: I remember some online sources mentioned that this H18 requires minimal 2 lux light density for low light shot and this was proven with my grainy videos in rooms with insufficient lights. Its stepup version, H200, has a better performance (min. 1 lux if I am not wrong) but is about $100 more expensive. 2) Awkward USB port design: This has been mentioned for several times by other reviewers. You have to remove the battery in order to use the USB port as well as the DC power socket. It also means you have to use the provided battery charger (cannot charge the battery while it is in the camcorder body). It appears to me that H18, H20 and H200 share the same form factor. This anyway does not pose a challenge to me so far, as I usually transform my video to my desktop; but I believe this will become an inconvenience for people on the go. 3) Short battery life: The provided 700 mAH only lasts for about 40 mins. Anyway I purchases an extra 3rd party 2100 mAH battery for around $20 with free shipping. Overall this seems to be a good *budget* HDD-based camcorder for its sub-$400 price. But customers with not so tight budget may want to step up to its higher version H200, or Sony's DCR-SR200/300 series (NOT SR42/62 etc) and may find the added features well worth the extra money.

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PANASONIC SDR-H18

Posted Oct 4, 2007 - This is a great camcorder. We were using it within minutes of the batteries being charged. Then we discovered you can charge the battery while shooting video with the camera plugged in to AC. This camera has great zoom 32X optical. The anti-shake feature will make it great for shooting my son's Lacrosse games. The 30GB hard drive and SD card allows hours of time before downloading.

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Panasonic H18 comcorder

Posted Dec 5, 2007 - Panasonic H18 camcorder is a good DV. first experience: user-friendly design is satisfactory: comfortable grabbing, easy to reach buttons. in recording: optical image stabilizer makes life much easier, especially in high magnification. microphone is of good quality. However, in relative dark surrounding, this camcorder met difficulties in getting satisfactory recording.

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Great camcorder with a hard disk

Posted Nov 30, 2007 - This is a great HDD camcorder for the same price range. The SONY and JVC cost more than the Panasonic and the Panasonic has more to offer. I have used it in few trips already and the pictures are in great quality indoor and outdoor. The Image Stabilization makes a big difference. The picture is much better than my old SONY with 20X zoom. The only draw back is the transfer time and the software they provided is very basic. It is easy to use but the functions are very limited. However, if you factor in the price, it is a 5 stars.

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Good Value, works with Mac

Posted Aug 21, 2007 - I picked this product because of the price and the fact that it would work with MacOsX out of the box. I found it easy to use, the controls very intuitive. The pictures are sharp, the sound is excellent. Main complaint is the software, Imagemixer 3, is not as powerful as iMovie. You upload your video quickly but it uses MP2 files which are incompatible with Quicktime and you have no options to change file formats. Using my Digital converter and firewire and setting the camera up like a VCR, I was able to upload to iMovie where I had much more freedom to convert files, edit and then transfer to iDVD.

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Panasonic Hard disk Camcorder

Posted Dec 19, 2007 - This is very good camcorder in the market available at such low price. I brought this one from Circuit city at $350+taxes. very good camcorder, good capacity (30GB). low weight, Easy to handle. At this price it is very good camcorder with all this facilities.

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Very Good!

Posted Dec 7, 2007 - Very easy to use. Fits in palm of hand perfectly. Looks very professional, very high quality. Records very clearly, sound and picture are very clear. Zooming in and out is clear, looks professional. Picture is true to what you actually took video of. Can also record yourself. Very nice.

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Panasonic SDR-H18

Posted Feb 21, 2008 - I have had this since Christmas. It is very intuitive and user friendly plus the size is wonderful. Low light capability is just O.K. and I wish there was an attachment or some way to hook up an external light up or that one was included with it. Transition is quick, hook-up is easy, but the access to get to those controls could be better. For an occasional user wanting a hard drive camcorder right now this is a good choice and a consumer's best buy.

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Good value for money for someone looking for SD camcorder

Posted Feb 18, 2008 - I wanted to buy High Definition camcorder and got this instead due to two reasons. 1. Price - this camcorder cost $350. That was great price compared to similar models from other brands. 2. Zoom - The camcorder has much higer zooms than High Definition camcorders currently in the market. I have been happy with the camcorder, the user interface is easy. I started using it without reading the manuals. The camcorder can be set to save all still pictures in the SD card while all videos will be saved to HDD automatically. This is great, as we can easily transfer pictures without having to hook up the camcorder to computer. The only problem I have with this camcorder is that quality of picture does not appear to be good on my HD TV.

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Panasonic SDR-H18 30Gb HD Camcorder

Posted Jan 26, 2008 - I bought this camcorder two months ago from Circuit City with a final price of $337 and it really worth it. It's small, light and very easy to use. The 32X zoom is very convenient and the sound quality is much better than my old Panasonic camcorder. The video quality is very good at daylight. However, at low light, such as inside house, it is a little grainy and the color is less satisfactory. Over all, it's a good buy in this price range.

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Excellent value for the money

Posted Jan 1, 2008 - I did a bunch of research comparing the Sony, JVC and this one. The Panasonic overall seemed to get the best reviews, though a friend owns the JVC and loves it, too. I have already got it up and running and have shot several practice videos.

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Best for the Price

Posted Dec 20, 2007 - Best Price for this configuration. It all depends on your need when it comes to Hard Drive Camcorder. What I wanted was a high Optical Zoom and this one provides for this. Compromise is with the bit lower quality CCD based lens instead of currently popular CMOS Sensor for video picture. I would have preferred touch LCD screen, however I do not complain for the price and the quality

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Amazing Space and Amazing Price

Posted Dec 7, 2007 - I bought this camcorder from Circuit City on Thanksgiving and so far, I am very pleased by it. It very easy to use and has an excellent zoom. It is light, small and very fast. The video quality was good. I didn't like the image stablization (IS) very much. May be this level of IS is common for camcorders. But since I have a Nikon D80 with vibration reduction lenses and Canon 720IS, I found both cameras' IS superior to what Panasonic had to offer. With that said, I don't think so that my comparison is fair. It is like comparing a mini van against mini cooper. I brought it up just to point of the difference that I felt. The still shot capability is OK and I didn’t care about it much. It is the best HDD camcorder available in this price range.

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