Panasonic VDR-D310
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: VDR-D310
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Panasonic VDR-D310 produces good-looking home movies without much hassle.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/02/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Panasonic VDR-D310 price range: $538.99
- Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
- Edited by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 05/01/2007
- Released on: 03/01/2007
The good: Solid video quality; optical image stabilization.
The bad: No video light; controls completely menu driven.
The bottom line: The Panasonic VDR-D310 produces good-looking home movies without much hassle.
On the outside, the D310 doesn't look much different from lower-end Panasonic DVD camcorders, such as the VDR-D210 and the D230. All three models share the same basic shape and simple, direct control scheme. Most of the camcorder's shooting options can be accessed directly through the joystick mounted on the mode dial. The joystick also navigates the D310's menu. Though the casual user probably won't use the menu for anything besides finalizing the disc, this camcorder also might attract some higher-end users who might be miffed to find that there are no dedicated buttons for functions such as backlight compensation or white balance, which can be helpful when trying to change shooting conditions on the fly. Also, given that this is a step-up model, we would've hoped to find some extra controls, such as the zoom and record start/stop buttons found on the LCD bezels of most Sony and Canon camcorders.
Looking past its simple design, the D310 proves itself to be pleasingly different than its 200-series siblings. Its three 800,000-pixel sensors and a 10x Leica lens give the VDR-D310 a significant edge over those more budget-priced models. Given that both sport a three-CCD design and a 10x lens, the D310 can be seen as a mini-DVD version of the miniDV Panasonic PV-GS320, which also offers a significant step up from its two budget-priced, single-chip little brothers.
The D310 produced very nice footage both indoors and out, with sharp details and saturated, accurate colors. With no video light, indoor footage looked predictably muted. Panasonic's MagicPix mode enhances indoor and low-light footage, making video more viewable, but since it slows the shutter speed, it also makes your video quite choppy in dim lighting. Like all Panasonic camcorders, the D310 uses Panasonic's Mega OIS optical image stabilization. It helps reduce shake and blur, but if you plan to zoom in a great deal, you should still invest in a tripod.
The Panasonic VDR-D310 takes good-looking home movies and burns them straight to easy-to-watch miniDVDs. It's a good choice if you want pleasing footage without spending over a grand on high-def video. If you're willing to do without the convenience of miniDVDs, however, the miniDV-based Panasonic PV-GS320 offers the same great video quality for several hundred dollars less.
User reviews
-
-
lives up to the cnet review
by janetgomez on July 6, 2009
Pros: great picture quality..DVD's are convenient..decent sound quality..mic input.
Cons: Ram dvd may be difficult to find...& arent readily accepted by our computer. no flash
Summary: The Ram function is nice especially if you hava DVD player, recorder that will accept them ...as our Panasonic DMR EZ27 does...I thot the mic input to be a ...
Summary: The Ram function is nice especially if you hava DVD player, recorder that will accept them ...as our Panasonic DMR EZ27 does...I thot the mic input to be a plus since I figured I could connect my Rode NTK mics up for some supper audio..well I havent figured that out yet...& probably should have went for something witha line input instead...still the audio is pretty good(dolby stereo). Since this is the only camcorder I have used I really cant compare it to other models....overall a quality product.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: VDR-D310
- Description: Panasonic's DVD e.cam VDR-D310 is the high-end DVD video camera with 3CCD and O.I.S.
General
- Product Type Camcorder
- Digital Zoom 700 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/6"
- Optical Sensor Type 3CCD
- Min Illumination 1 lux
- Digital Video Format MPEG-2
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Digital Scene Transition Black fader
- 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
- Exposure Modes Program, Automatic
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
- Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 3.1 megapixels
- Color Support Color
- Still Image Format JPEG
- Remote Control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
- Floppy Drive None
- Image Storage JPEG 2048 x 1512, JPEG 1920 x 1080, JPEG 1280 x 960, JPEG 640 x 480
- Media Type DVD-R (8cm), DVD-RW (8 cm), DVD-RAM (8 cm)
- Recording Speed LP, SP, XP
Lens System
- Type Zoom lens - 3 mm - 30 mm - F/1.8-2.8
- Focal Length 3 mm - 30 mm
- Lens Aperture F/1.8-2.8
- Optical Zoom 10 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 3 mm
- Lens Manufacturer Leica
- Max focal length 30 mm
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Filter Size 37 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual, Automatic
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Digital Still Camera Function Yes
- Additional Features Auto power save, PictBridge support, USB 2.0 compatibility, Backlight compensation
- Time Code Yes
- Remote control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
- Software Drivers & Utilities
- Included Accessories Lens cap
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type LCD
- Viewfinder Diagonal Size 0.3 in
- Viewfinder Resolution 113,000 pixels
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 1 x USB, 1 x S-Video output, 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x Microphone
- 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 123,000 pixels
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.6 in
- Depth 5.6 in
- Height 3.6 in
- Weight 1.1 lbs
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Panasonic
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.panasonic.com/
- Address:
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
