Product Description Panasonic's SDR-SW20 compact SD camcorder is built tough so you can shoot in places never before possible. Take it underwater as deep as 5 feet for great video in the pool or ocean. Waterproofing also means you can shoot in the rain or snow with no worries. The SW20 is also shockproof, resisting damage even if dropped from a height of up to 4 feet with improved fortification inside and out. A dustproof design keeps the camcorder safe even if handled with dirty hands or used in a place with swirling dust. Take it to the beach or sports field without worrying about sand. And since it's waterproof, simply wash it with water when it gets dirty.Small enough to slip in a pocket or bag. Cool enough to take everywhere you go. This is one stylish camcorder you'll never want to be without.The SW20 SD camcorder starts up to record quickly. In Quick Start mode, recording begins in just 0.6 seconds from the time the LCD is opened. This lets you catch those sudden shooting opportunities.The USB port allows you to connect directly to a DVD burner. And copying a recording from an SD card to a DVD disc is as easy as selecting from the menu. To view your video, simply take the SD card from the camcorder and slip it into any TV or DVD player with an SD card slot; there are no cables to worry about.First, transfer the motion-image data from the SD card to your PC using your PC's USB port. Then with the included MotionSD Studio 1.3E software, you can easily put scenes in a different order, delete the ones you don't want, and add a wide variety of video effects. Save your results by burning your video production onto DVD.
good so far, but make sure you know all the details...December 2, 2008 The Panasonic SDR-SW20 Waterproof camcorder fits in you palm and is real easy to use and very versatile...especially with its ability to not have water affect it...after losing several sony camcorders to rain. However, make sure you know that the computer you are using is 8 years or older, it may not have an appropriate video card to view the video. I was able to put a new video card in my computer, for $50. Just one point to be aware of, check to see if your computer has a good enough video card to view the video. If so, like mine does now, it works great. Also, the transcend flash card with the 16G SD card has enough size to last awhile...enjoy!
Good foolproof camcorder - poor batteryNovember 29, 2008 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.
So SoNovember 12, 2008 Nice concept with mediocre execution. Picture quality is worse than mini tape. Its is very small and portable. Kind of awkward in your hand.
Good camera if you don't own a MacOctober 18, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a handy, easy to carry, simple to use with reasonable quality pictures. Can plug into newer TV sets and play the pictures quite easily. Only drawback is I have an intel duocore iMac - I cannot download the movies to the mac. The instructions are limited for a mac as well. i would recommend looking at something else if you are at all Mac inclined. I can't vouch for a pc as I don't have one. I guess I will have to get one now.
A great little video cameraOctober 1, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
