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More…Notable for its low cost, the Panasonic VDR-D210 ($380 as of April 24, 2007) is an easy-to-operate DVD camcorder that doesn't have a huge number of features. The VDR-D210 (like the $380 Canon DC210) lacks a USB jack, so you can't connect to a PC to make a copy of the DVD in the camcorder (instead, you'll have to insert the disc in your PC's DVD drive). The VDR-D210 has a composite-out port for connecting to a TV or other device; but before you can move files onto your PC, you'll have to finalize the disc and then retrieve the files via your computer's DVD drive. The VDR-D210 lacks a headphone jack, too, which makes reviewing your audio difficult when you're in a noisy area.
Panasonic VDR-D210 DVD-RAM CAMCORDER (SILVER)
| Video image quality | Good |
| Still image quality | Poor |
| Battery lifeTime for the camcorder's battery to go from fully charged to exhausted while recording to tape or disc with the LCD active. | Good (109 minutes) |
| Overall design | Good |
| Video/still image recording media types | Mini DVD-R/-RW/-R DL |
| Image stabilization type | Electronic |
| Electric viewfinder | Yes |
| Manual focus | No |
| Remote | No |
| Flash shoe | No |
| Inputs/outputs | A/V out, FireWire |
| Weight (ounces) | 14 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 3.5 by 2.1 by 5.0 |
Pros
Powerful zoom
Supports Mini DVD-RAM
Cons
No memory card slot
Low-quality still images
Panasonic VDR-D210
VDR-D210 DVD-RAM CAMCORDER (SILVER) Review, by John Poultney May 19, 2007
The VDR-D210 offers optical image stabilization to minimize shakiness. It's especially effective when used in conjunction with a powerful zoom setting. With the VDR-D210's 32X optical zoom at full tilt, stabilization improved output noticeably, though the camera is fairly easy to hold steady in the first place. When digital zoom is switched on (there are settings for 50X and 1000X), extreme close-ups tend to look very jittery without image stabilization. That said, using a digital zoom past about 100X on any camcorder tends to yield grainy, pixilated images in most circumstances anyway.
The switch for selecting Auto or Manual mode lurks on the back of the LCD monitor. As a result, you're unlikely to trip it accidentally, but the location may strike you as inconvenient nevertheless. The bulbous design necessary to accommodate the 3-inch DVD recording medium requires a bit of finger stretching to control the zoom lever atop the unit. The delete button on the front gives you a convenient way to erase files without having to navigate through lots of menus.
Taking still pictures is easy enough: In video-recording mode you just pause, and then hit the Photoshoot button. The pictures are stored on the same DVD as the video files, and they're easy to navigate because they show up in a directory alongside the video clips. Because these are not JPEG files, however, you can't open the still photo files with image editing software; consequently, the VDR-D210 could not complete our image quality tests. By contrast, the Canon DC210 (which also lacks a memory card slot) burns still images to DVD disc in both DVD movie format (for playing slide shows) and in JPEG format (in a dedicated JPEG folder).
Since this camcorder has no media card slot, getting photos off of the DVD disc is a hassle. To retrieve still images, you must use third-party software such as WinDVD or PowerDVD, neither of which is included with the VDR-D210. And even with the requisite software, you have to capture the MPEG-2 images during playback of the disc and then paste them into another software program, such as Microsoft Windows Paint, so you can save them as JPEG files.
The VDR-D210's smallish battery lasted just 79 minutes in our battery life test, earning a score of Poor. By contrast, the Canon DC210's battery lasted 109 minutes. To charge the VDR-D210's battery, you have to remove it from the camcorder and place it in the charging bay--you can't just plug the camcorder into the wall.
The VDR-D210 earned a video image quality score of Very Good, thanks to a creditable job of reproducing colors. One handy feature is the MagicPix setting for night shooting; this mode produced good results, though the footage looked a bit herky-jerky due to the slower shutter speed used.
If you're looking for a no-frills home-video camcorder and have no desire to export still images from it, the VDR-D210 is a good choice.
John Poultney
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User Reviews
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User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: ddgkkg
Strengths: easy to use
Weaknesses: very difficult for the normal person to convert .vro files on the computer.
Overall: this camera needs special software to convert the panasonic .vro files. most computers do not read this file, and panasonic does not supply you with software to convert these files. if you plan on editing, viewing, sharing or emailing these videos on your computer, i would not recommend this. unless you are some type of computer genius... read the other complaints online about the .vro files. i wouldnt do it :).the onscreen tv viewing of the recordings are very bad also.
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Reviewed by: The Shoopster
Strengths: Small Compact Size
Weaknesses: The fact that to use this camcorder, you are forced to purchase the outrageously overpriced 3.5" DVDs.
Overall: Panasonic continues to produce top notch electronics and have proven that fact yet again. For the price, the little camcorder certainly delivers. WIth it's optical stabilizer and it's 32X zoom capability, you can't beat what this camera will do for the price. It also comes with a full 1 Year Warranty on both parts and labor!
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Reviewed by: fnpony
Strengths: burn Mini-DVD directly
Weaknesses: Only support brand-named mini-DVD-R, not support DVD-R
Overall: It is great for those old people or some people who do not know how/want to burn DVD after recording on DV-tapes. The mini-DVD will be finalized automatically. It is picky and not burn the cheap mini-DVD-R and, of course, not burn DVD-R that is really cheap now. If you want to pay triple price per disc and 1/3 capacity of DVD-R, this one has good quality of video recording. Paid 200 USD, so there is no big complain.
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Reviewed by: rollingstone
Strengths: low price; compact dial control; low-light performance; dvd-ram support
Weaknesses: low-resolution LCD; a little too much white washed; no still picture support
Overall: First, I like its price of 200-400 range. Bought this at black friday for 200 and its performance exceeds its price.One thing it is different from similar dvd camcorders, it uses a compact dial control for recording and playback. It is very high-tech, looks good, and saves space.Its video quality is better than average. I have tried similar ones from JVC which sucks esp under low light. This one records good video even in doors.Yet its LCD only has 130K pixels; its picture color is a little bit white washed; and it has no good still picture support. If you take snapshot, it stores it together with DVD disc because it does not have SD card slot as its sister model D230. It won't be fun to extract a picture from a DVD disc full of video.But at this price, a DVD camcorder with DVD-RAM support deserves a 5-star.
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Reviewed by: HPALS
Strengths: Relatively inexpensive, compatibility with media
Weaknesses: Controls little weird
Overall: This is my upgrade form my previous Mini DV camcorder from Panasonic. I bought this at a relatively cheaper price from newly opened electronic store in my area. Versatility of different kinds of media usage including DVD-RAM discs is a plus. The controls could have been better placed for easy operation.
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