Customer Reviews

Panasonic SDR-SW20 Waterproof Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Red)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have read all the complaints about video quality but unless you are shooting at night or in very dim lighting you have nothing to worry about. Besides, there should be no surprises related to quality if you read the spec's before you bought the camera.

That said I have been using this camera in fairly heavy surf here in Southern California and I'm extremely pleased with it's durability so far. The tiny rubber gaskets worried me at first look but after having the camera thrashed a bit in heavy white water and just general rough play I'm not worried anymore. The video quality underwater is amazing. Definitely the most fun feature of the camera. And the main reason I bought it! Any clips you watch on youtube or any other site do NO justice to how clear the quality is. Those websites use compression software that kills video quality. When you watch the videos on your T.V or computer they look perfect.

The reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is because I find getting the videos to play on my computer is not as easy as they made it sound. I also noticed the "squished" effect that the above reviewer mentioned and I intend to download the SDCOPY software they recommend. I also have noticed that randomly the sound becomes muffled and a buzzing can be heard. Again the above reviewer mentioned that this could be due to water contacting the mic.

Other then those 2 problems (which are by no means major) I highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a durable water proof camera to use swimming, surfing, or any other adventurous outdoor activity. For the money I think it's a great bargain.

This is a fantastic camera for use outdoors or in any area that has a lot of light. I would not recommend this for indoor use though. It is just not very good in low lighting conditions. If you already have a good camera for indoor use, this is an excellent second camera. This is a perfect beach camera, pool camera, boat camera. It has a decent zoom, and I've found battery life to be more than adequate. I got a 8gb SDHC card to go with it and that seemed to be a good size.

I have done two beach trips with this camera and the DVDs I've made have came out with some amazing footage. Stuff you really can not get without a waterproof camera. I can put it in my pocket and wade into the ocean or the pool and take it out when I want to record some stuff.

Two cautions:
1) The file format does not set the widescreen flag properly. My first videos I transferred got me VERY worried because the image was squished. I searched around and used a program called SDCopy (do some google searching and you will turn it up) to "fix" the flag and convert the MOD files to mpeg2. It works wonderfully, i'm annoyed that I have to do this, that's why I can't give it 5 stars.

2) After submerging it water can get on the lens and in the mic. A few shakes and a wipe on your suit or with a finger gets it back ok again - oh yeah and hit pause so you don't record this! I think the first time I submerged it the next 5 minutes of footage had a water spot on the lens and the sound was distorted.

Overall, as long as you are aware of the limitations, this will be a great camera. It's inexpensive and waterproof, but not meant for low light.

I bought this camcorder for my backpacking trip on Mt. Whitney. I figured since the manufacturer claimed their product was waterproof/dustproof/shockproof (surprised there was no lens cover), that this would be a good fit for the environment I would be placing the camcorder in. It is very easy to use and the menu was easily figured out. I did record while it snowed and it performed fine afterward. However, what I wasn't prepared for was the poor and low quality of the pictures and video that I took on this trip. I was severely disappointed and had to spend time on Photoshop to make the photos look decent. The videos also had a lot of contrast and the sound quality on the videos were fuzzy and muffled. I liked the look, weight, easily handling and use but that's about it. I'm returning the product.

Have just received my camcorder and would like to confirm that it works perfectly fine with iMovie 08 on my MacBook Air. Just plug in the USB cable and open up iMovie and movies can be downloaded very easily. Photos can be imported onto iPhoto just as easily. Considering it's small size and reasonable price the video footage isn't bad at all. I don't fly to Belize for another week or so, so can not comment yet on it's performance underwater. But from my initial impressions (have had the camcorder about an hour!) I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a basic pocket camcorder, especially for water fun. Without opening the manual I have easily been able to take photos and record video and transfer them to my Mac, so it is clearly easy to use. I am looking forward to seeing what else this little gem can do!

I have used this camera since early 2008. The best things about the camera are the small convienent size, waterproof and it uses SD cards. The camera has turned out to be our camera of choice unless we want good quality still photos. I used the camera underwater in Aruba and St. Johns. The 8gb SD card lasts a long time and requires at least two battery charges to fill the SD card with pictures. A typical weeks vacation does not fill one SD card for me. Just in case I bought 2 SD cards and 3 batteries and I never run out. 3rd party batteries work well and are inexpensive.

Well, I was VERY excited about receiving this camcorder, the only thing missing from my arsenal for my kayak fishing expeditions...a waterproof camcorder to get thos underwater shots just below the kayak when something interesting wass on my line or stirring below the surface. Two trips, 2 submersions and now 2 trips to Panasonic repair center in Illinois. Not what one would expect from Panasonic. Of the footage and photos I was able to take I was very dissapointed in the color...very bland. If I could do it over again I would go with the little Pentax W60, primarily a digital camera but with excellent video capabilities as well and highly endorsed by other kayak anglers.

Recently purchased the SDR-SW20. I was looking for a easy to use, practical video camera that I didn't need to worry about getting dusty or wet. The first day I owned it we took it to the pool. The camera performed well in video mode. The stills it takes lack the quality I was hoping for. Be sure to buy an extra battery as I ran through mine in what felt like a short amount of time. Overall, I'd recommend it.

I have used the SDR-SW20 for over 2 months now and overall I am happy with the product. Easy to navigate menu, nice picture quality (not HD!), lightweight. My only but important point of critique is the poor battery performance. In SD mode the battery only allows for 30min of recording time. NOT enough for weekend trips. I guess I have to buy a spare battery to avoid carrying the charger and cable.

Many reviews have berated the video quality of this camcorder but I have no complaints. If you are big on videos and buying new video cameras every 1-2 years then you might complain about the quality. However I find the video quality good since the last camcorder we owned was from the late 90's and used tapes. This camera is very easy to use and I've had nothing but compliments from people who have seen me using it. The picture quality is poor but this is not a camera designed to take pictures so that's to be expected. I have yet to get it wet as in putting it under water or used in a heavy rain. I have used it during a light sprinkle, and have had it in sandy conditions. I plan on using it when we go snorkeling next summer. As long as you read the owners manual carefully and use the camera the way Panasonic designed it to be used. Yes the water packing has to be replaced, but that only has to be done every 18 months. That is a year and a half.. those that complain about having to do that are the ones who expect everything to last forever without maintenance when a reasonable normal person knows that is impossible. If the maintenance requirements bother you then don't buy the camera, it's America, buy something else and stop complaining. If you want it to work the way it was designed to work and you want it to last as long as possible then do what the manufacturer recommends. I'm happy with it, I have no complaints, it is a great camera that looks great. Extra batteries are needed but due to the design of the camera then it's easy to understand why battery life had to be sacrificed. Again, if that bothers you then don't buy it, it is that simple.

I've used the camcorder for a couple of weeks now, and I like it. Some reviews I'd read spoke of poor video quality, and it's not great, but it's good. I haven't had it in the water yet, but it did fall out of my truck to the pavement once, and it survived that. The fact that they recommend sending the unit in every 18 months to repack the waterproofing bothers me since I found that out AFTER purchase. So far, I'm happy with the camcorder.