Panasonic SDR-H40
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: SDR-H40
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CNET Editor rating:
Not yet rated
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 31 reviews
- More product information:
- Product brief
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Description:
- The SDR-H40's 42x optical zoom lens has the power you need to take dramatic closeups or get remarkable shots of even distant subjects. But with long-distance zoom shots, even a tiny bit of hand shake has a huge effect on picture quality. That's where Panasonic's Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) comes in, suppressing the effects ... Read more
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Product brief
Intro: The Panasonic SDR-H40 is a hard disk drive-based, ultra-compact camcorder.Compared to other ultra-compact camcorders on the market, it is midpriced at around $330.
Noteworthy Features: Has a 42x optical zoom.Also, this camcorder has optical stabilization, which is considerably more favorable than some similarly priced camcorders.(While many camcorders have electronic image stabilization, optical stabilization generally produces superior results.)Provides manual focus control, whereas many camcorders have only auto-focus.This product weighs just 12 ounces without battery and media, which is quite light.
Weaker Features: None noted, given available product data.
Suitability: An ultra-compact camcorder, suited for on-the-fly shooting.
Value: In general, this camcorder has good features for the money.
Suggestions: For more help selecting the right digital camcorder, visit CNET Reviews' buying guide.
User reviews
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Love the camera, a few things less than perfect
by springcleaning on February 1, 2008
Pros: The zoom is great! The image stabilization is good enough to get usable hand-held video at full zoom if you're careful, 40gig hd great!
Cons: Standard Def, one ccd, needing to switch to a/c power when downloading hd to computer, bundled software will not support dvd+ format,
Summary: Ok, to start with I'm a Novice camcorder user! Here's my experience. I got it home, charged the battery (1.5 hrs), read the manual while it was ...
Summary: Ok, to start with I'm a Novice camcorder user! Here's my experience. I got it home, charged the battery (1.5 hrs), read the manual while it was charging. I shot some indoor video (well lit room, incandescent lighting.) From reading the user's manual I noticed that it defaults to 16:9 aspect ratio so I changed that to 4:3 before shooting. It also defaults to the medium quality setting (forget what they called it, LP is low) so I changed it to High quality. The menu system in intuitive and easy to use!
Then I decided I'd like to see how the video looked on my computer (WinXP pro sp2). (You need to install the bundled software before you connect the camera to your computer) I was disappointed to see that it wouldn't let me connect to the computer without removing the battery and using the ac power adapter they supply, (guess they don't want the batt to discharge while you're reading from the hard drive!) I also didn't like that they won't let you delete files on the camera's hd from the computer.
The next disappointment was that the bundled software only supports the dvd- format. Some how I ended up with a bunch of dvd+ media and a drive in my computer that supports DVDR+, DVDRW+ and dual layer dvd+ burning, but NOT DVD- anything!
When you connect the camera to the computer it is necessary to make some menu selections from the camera to choose the hdd or the sd card, then the bundled software will recognize the camera's hd as an hd on your computer. You don't have to use the bundled software for transferring/editing your video files at that point, you can use windows explorer to drag and drop them into whatever folder you select. The files will be in a .mod format. A quick look at wikipedia suggested that I could play them with windows media player if I renamed them to .mpg, (yes, this works just fine).
I need to find some 3rd party software to edit the clips so I can burn DVD+ videos for myself!
Some other observations:
What I like about the camera is the zoom!!! it is Loooooong, and the image stabilization really does work! If you were gonna use it at full zoom a lot you'd need a tripod. You can use the full zoom when hand-holding but you have to pay attention to what you're doing.
I found the buttons to be a little hard to reach but my wife (smaller hands) thinks they're perfect.
We bought this camera to replace an old hi-8 camcorder and were expecting a much higher quality video when viewed on the TV, (35" crt, flat glass). It's really about the same as the hi-8 video from several years ago shot in the same type of light. Again, I'm NOT a camera expert, so maybe this expectation was off base. I guess they're both shooting standard definition... (maybe another more knowledgeable reviewer can address this)
The camera seems to be well made.18 out of 18 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best of the entry-level HDD camcorders.
by TonyLP2007 on March 2, 2008
Pros: Easy controls, useful features.
Cons: .MOD file format, PC transfer needs AC plugged in.
Summary: I had the JVC Everio HDD camera and exchanged it for the Panasonic SDR-H40. Of the two, the Panasonic is clearly a better buy. Picture quality was consistent between the ...
Summary: I had the JVC Everio HDD camera and exchanged it for the Panasonic SDR-H40. Of the two, the Panasonic is clearly a better buy. Picture quality was consistent between the two models, which overall is very good. The Panasonic, however, has much easier controls and is easier to handle.
The interface is a bit more user-friendly than the Everio as well. The big difference was that the Panasonic's intruction manual is much easier to consume than JVC, which reeks of bad translation from a foreign manufacturer. I was using the SDR-H40 pretty much out of the box.
A joystick control near the mode wheel gives you easy access to the LCD menus-- as opposed to some other models (JVC, Sony) which place the joystick on the LCD. That means rather than switching through menus on the fly with your thumb, with competing models you have to use another hand to use the LCD's joystick.
Two disappointments, one major and one minor, is uploading to PC. As with the JVC Everio, and I assume every other HDD camera, the file format that video is saved in is .MOD. As a Mac user, this isn't easily readable by iMovie or even more pro apps such as Final Cut Express. And of course, the provided software isn't Mac compatible. So, to convert the files to .MOV or Quicktime, you need a 3rd party app. Conversion of every scene can be a pain.
Another minor inconvenience is that this camcorder will not connect to your PC unless the clunky AC adapter is plugged into the camera. Even a little more bothersome than it sounds-- you need to insert an AC battery insert into the camera's battery port, then connect that to the actual AC adapter, then plug it in. Panasonic would have saved everyone much more trouble to trust us to not connect the camera to a PC unless the battery was charged. A simple onscreen warning would do rather than forcing us to have a power source in effect. This means that transfering video on the fly- or to someone else's computer, would mean you need to carry the AC adapter with you at all times.
Overall, of the two low-end HDD cameras I've got to sample, I love the Panasonic and look forward to many great videos. I just hope all the camcorder makers catch up to the world of Apple OS, et al, and make their file formats a little easier to transfer.8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Cheap, light weight, easy to use video camera for non-tech-savvy users
by spankbot on February 18, 2008
Pros: Easy to use, light weight, cheap, decent quality, excelent built-in microphone
Cons: Software is lacking but usable, some may find the controls are small and difficult to use.
Summary: My parents, both in their 60's, recently purchased a Panasonic SDR-H40 video camera. I did my "son" duties, showing them how to use it while ensuring them there was ...
Summary: My parents, both in their 60's, recently purchased a Panasonic SDR-H40 video camera. I did my "son" duties, showing them how to use it while ensuring them there was no way to break it by playing with it. Mom was making short videos in no time. I would say this video camera is perfect for non-tech savvy parents and young children. While the provided software is lacking, and only work with Windows computers, this camera itself will work fine with Apple computers - in fact, Apple users will be able to make better movies due the software Apple computers are provided with (iMovie and iDVD). This is a great video camera for the masses.
This small, light video camera must be plugged into the wall before you can transfer video to your computer. There is also an accessory DVD drive which will let you save video to DVD disks without the use of a computer.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Value for Pricepoint
Pros: Easy to use camcorder. No tapes to bother with. 42x zoom is amazing. OPTICAL image stabilisation is awesome. I love Panasonic cmacorders (have for years) as the mircrophone ZOOMS with the lens!!
Windcut feature works well too.Cons: Apart from the software (which to me is minor as there are many more editing software programs out there) I DO NOT have any cons to this camera, for the pricepoint.
Summary: Important thing to mention is the pricepoint. For this price this is an EXCELLENT camcorder. I take home movies of pets, family and holidays.
I do not want to be ...Summary: Important thing to mention is the pricepoint. For this price this is an EXCELLENT camcorder. I take home movies of pets, family and holidays.
I do not want to be the next Stephen Spielberg.
The fact there are no tapes is a bonus to me.
The fact I have to plug in the AC adaptor is no surprise to me because I read about this BEFORE I bought it. This is good because it means I will not screw up my HDD by running out of power when transferring.
The software is not the best, I use Ulead or Nero on Windows Vista and there are NO problems.
I LOVE the DVD copy button that with the supplied software will burn straight to DVD from the camcorder (HDD only not SD card) Do that as a quick back up (or to give a DVD to a friend whilst visiting as I did) and then later on transfer to your Pc to work with it.
This is my 4th Panasonic (first analogue in the UK in 1997, 2nd analogue in Canada 2000, then miniDV 2004 (not very easy to use with firewire) and then this 2008 with a USB connection which is GREAT.
I have also found that with a HDD DVD recorder (in place of a VCR) I can transfer to that (from my old analogue as well as this) and then edit on there.
I never expect the sioftware to eb the one i use all the time, but i pulled a still from the video with it and it's great.
The cost of a more powerful battery is about $130 CDN but i bought one full price and got one (postage included) from Ebay as an open packege in perfectly good working order for under $10 CDN
Bottom line - I LOVE this camcorder and it is well worth the money spent.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Software problems are fixable
by fparton on January 5, 2009
Pros: Nice camera. Takes really good video. Easy to use and setup.
Cons: If you can't get the video off the camera it really is useless after about 15 hours. Most folks don't have the time or money, to be aggravated with this problem. My summary below will hopefully help anyone who has one or may want one.
Summary: Same problem as everyone that probably has one of these cameras and not the exact computer the software was designed to run on. I got NERO DVD burn software and ...
Summary: Same problem as everyone that probably has one of these cameras and not the exact computer the software was designed to run on. I got NERO DVD burn software and am now able to see the camera hard drive and recognize my videos. I have Windows XP but as long as you get the right NERO software your troubles will probably be forgotten. After learning of doing it like this I'm really glad the Panasonic software didn't work because I'm sure I have a much better handle on how I want my videos burned to DVD. Knowing what I know now I would buy another one and just throw the software in the trash.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The camera works as advertised
by jcroson on December 27, 2008
Pros: I think it's ease of use, and simple design make it a winner in my book. I'm not out to create award winning documentaries, just take video of my growing family, and post the results on YouTube for posterities sake.
Cons: I really have nothing to note that is negative.
Summary: I like it because it's easy to use, Windows, Linux and presumably Mac see the device as a USB mass storage device, so you can simply drag the MOD ...
Summary: I like it because it's easy to use, Windows, Linux and presumably Mac see the device as a USB mass storage device, so you can simply drag the MOD files over and manipulate them WITHOUT the crappy software that everyone else is whining about.
For automatically splitting the MOD files via ffmpeg and bash in Linux for YouTube, see my blog post at http://pcnorb.blogspot.com.
Updated on Dec 27, 20082 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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good for the price
by Juan_o_Mejia on March 24, 2008
Pros: 42X optical zoom, 40G HD, great image stabilization
Cons: very basic functions, no nightshot
Summary: This camera is very good for its price range. It takes great video in varied lighting and has manual exposure control if the auto is not doing it. It is ...
Summary: This camera is very good for its price range. It takes great video in varied lighting and has manual exposure control if the auto is not doing it. It is perfect for ppl that are not too tech savy and are happy with Auto mode. The zoom is amazing and very stable even at its max, and you cant go wrong with the 40G HD + memory card slot. The digital stills are just ok, but chances are you already have a digital camera thats better at taking pics anyway. Having said all that I actually returned this product once I bought it beacause it was too basic for me. Im not a pro, but I also want to be able to play around with the settings... I felt it was just too limiting in what I could do, so if you want a bit more options, go with the Sony comparable model instead.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good camera, crappy software
by prakasheas on June 3, 2008
Pros: Easy to use, intuitive controls and icons, good video quality
Cons: Software and set up
Summary: The camcorder itself is good. Easy to use, controls and icons are pretty easy to understand for anyone who has used digital cameras etc. I was able to start shooting ...
Summary: The camcorder itself is good. Easy to use, controls and icons are pretty easy to understand for anyone who has used digital cameras etc. I was able to start shooting with it in no time at all.
Software is a piece of crap. After installation it would just hang while trying to read the hard drive on the camcorder. It also adds some target folders during installation like "My Pictures" etc and appears that the software tries to scan these folders for videos and pictures and takes forever. Plus I left the install disc in the CD drive and it was scanning that too. Took me 4 frikkin' hours to get the thing to start and at least recognize the hard drive. Very basic manipulation capabilities. On top of that when i finally managed to transfer the video to my pc hard drive as an mpeg-2 file, i realized that WMP and Quicktime cant play such files unless you have a specific MPEG2 codec. And the codecs are not available for free. I have so far not seen any option in the VideoCam software to transfer to a pc as an AVI file or something that does not require special stuff to view in standard media players. If I was not pretty technical, i would've just returned this the next day, it is no fun trying to spend hours getting the software to work when all you want is to shoot videos and see them.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Solid, simple, inexpensive camera with one caveat
by ssolomo on May 25, 2008
Pros: Easy to use, good quality, relatively low cost
Cons: Awful PC software, no direct link off camera
Summary: I purchased this camera in anticipation of our first child being born. I liked the HDD as opposed to tapes and DVDs as I thought it would be much easier ...
Summary: I purchased this camera in anticipation of our first child being born. I liked the HDD as opposed to tapes and DVDs as I thought it would be much easier to transfer, edit and store video on our PC (and later view or burn to DVD) than a tape and has a much higher capacity than an SD card. Also, the recording medium doesn't require you to carry around spare tapes or discs and worry about running out all the time.
Impressions after using it for a few days: video quality is good, even viewed on our Panasonic 50" plasma 720p. Zoom and image stabilization are great. On camera menus are simple and easy to navigate and understand (once you translate a few of the terms from the well written owners manual).
Now for the negative - the VideoCam Suite software is hideous. Not only are you required to use it to transfer video off the camera (and cannot use any other software to watch the video), but to convert the video to .mp2 or something else more common, the software batches things together without asking you. Plus, it is extraordinarily slow to start up, shut down, and process requests (on a medium-high end desktop with plenty of memory, processing power and drive space).
I'm going to search for another piece of software which, hopefully, will alleviate the single great downfall of this camera. Even if I have to spend $80 on software, this camera in total beats the pants off anything withing $300 in my opinion. But until I find that software, my rating will remain a 7.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Camcorder
by Nick31313 on March 16, 2008
Pros: Good Video Quality, Lightweight, Easy to use
Cons: Not the best in low light, buttons kind of small
Summary: I just got this camera a few days ago. I was looking for a nice cheap good video quality camera. I was first thinking of getting an HD (High-Def) Camera ...
Summary: I just got this camera a few days ago. I was looking for a nice cheap good video quality camera. I was first thinking of getting an HD (High-Def) Camera but realized that my computer wouldn't run it well and HD Cameras were way out of my price range. I wanted a nice camera so that i could make home movies, skating videos, and paintball videos. This camera exceeded my expetations. I also use an editing program to make my movies. I use Power Director Version 6. This camera and that program are, at least in my opinion, and a great combination
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: SDR-H40
- Description: The SDR-H40's 42x optical zoom lens has the power you need to take dramatic closeups or get remarkable shots of even distant subjects. But with long-distance zoom shots, even a tiny bit of hand shake has a huge effect on picture quality. That's where Panasonic's Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) comes in, suppressing the effects of hand shake as you shoot. The system uses gyrosensors to detect hand shake, then shifts a lens and adjusts the optical axis to compensate. This all happens a remarkable 4,000 times per second. And because the system is optical, no image quality is lost. Thanks to Advanced O.I.S., the images you capture look incredibly clear, sharp and blur-free even at high zoom levels. The SDR-H40's 40GB internal hard disk drive lets you record continuously for up to 36 hours (in LP mode) without changing a disc, tape or other recording media. Panasonic's Anti-Shock Shield helps protect recorded video data from damage due to jolts and impact. The Drop Detect function senses if the camera is falling and moves the head away from the hard disk. The Floating Structure protects the hard disk should the camera fall or be dropped. And the Buffer Memory automatically backs up data while the camera is falling. This hard disk drive camcorder has a USB Host function, which lets you connect directly to a DVD burner (sold seperately) via a USB cable. You can then copy recordings from the hard disk to a DVD disc by simply pressing a button. You can transfer the motion-image data from the SD card or the camcorder's hard drive right to your PC using your PC's USB port.
General
- Product Type Camcorder
- Digital Zoom 2000 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/6"
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Min Illumination 2 lux
- Digital Video Format MPEG-2
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Min Shutter Speed 1/30 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec
- Shooting Modes Digital photo mode
- White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic
- White Balance Presets Indoor, Outdoor
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 0.3 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Still Image Format JPEG
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Digital Storage Media Hard disk drive - Built-in - 40 GB
- Image Storage JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 640 x 360
- Media Type Hard disk drive
- Recording Speed LP, SP, XP
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 1.8 mm - 75.6 mm - F/1.9-4.3
- Focal Length 1.8 mm - 75.6 mm
- Lens Aperture F/1.9-4.3
- Optical Zoom 42 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 1.8 mm
- Max focal length 75.6 mm
- Features Built-in lens shield
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Digital Still Camera Function Yes
- Additional Features DPOF support, PictBridge support, USB 2.0 compatibility, Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording
- Software Drivers & Utilities
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Type None
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
- Microphone Features Zoom, Wind noise reduction
Connections
- Connector Type USB, Composite video/audio output
- Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included A/V cable, USB cable
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Rotating
- Display Format 123,200 pixels
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.8 in
- Depth 4.6 in
- Height 2.6 in
- Weight 12 oz
Manufacturer info
- Panasonic
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.panasonic.com/
- Address:
One Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
