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More…The more sophisticated sibling of the company's $380 VDR-D210 (both are DVD models), Panasonic's VDR-D310 ($630 as of April 24, 2007), produces better-quality video and still images. It uses three CCDs (each assigned to detect red, blue, or green wavelengths), whereas the D210 uses a single CCD to record all three colors. Not surprisingly the VDR-D310 earned one of the highest scores we've seen in a camcorder for color accuracy on still images, though its overall score was a less impressive Good. The VDR-D310 can record photos at sizes ranging from 0.3 megapixel to 3.1 megapixels to an SD card.
Panasonic VDR-D310 Mini DVD Camcorder (10x Opt, 700x Dig, 2.7
| Video image quality | Superior |
| Still image quality | Good |
| 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 (103 minutes) |
| Overall design | Good |
| Video/still image recording media types | Mini DVD-RAM/-R/-RW/-R DL, SD/SDHC Card |
| Image stabilization type | Optical |
| Electric viewfinder | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Remote | Yes |
| Flash shoe | Yes |
| Inputs/outputs | A/V out, microphone, S-video out, USB |
| Weight (ounces) | 17 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 3.4 by 3.8 by 5.9 |
Pros
Top-notch video quality
Supports Mini DVD-RAM
Cons
Lacks full manual control
No video light
Panasonic VDR-D310
VDR-D310 Mini DVD Camcorder (10x Opt, 700x Dig, 2.7 Review, by John Poultney May 18, 2007
The camcorder has a microphone jack, though its built-in mic isn't too bad; in our lab tests, the VDR-D310 earned high marks for audio quality. Playback on the built-in monitor is fairly easy to control. The joystick on the back of the body falls under your right thumb; you use it to select the video you wish to play, and the controls appear on screen. You can adjust the volume by moving the zoom lever atop the camera, and the built-in speaker is strong enough to be audible in fairly quiet areas. There's no headphone jack, which would have been useful in noisy environments, but you do get USB and AV-out jacks.
A delete button on the front of the unit is convenient for disposing of unwanted scenes and stills, and the remote control permits access to all basic functions, including still photos, zooming, and file management.
To charge the battery, you must remove it from the camcorder and place it in the small charging bay; you can't just plug the VDR-D310 into the wall.
You do plug in the camcorder to transfer video or stills to a PC, and when finalizing a DVD disc (to make it readable in other devices). This makes sense--given that losing power would result in an unreadable disc--but requiring AC power for transferring files, especially stills from the SD card, seems like overkill; most digital cameras can transfer files on battery power alone.
The VDR-D310 lacks full manual control, and there's no built-in assist light for recording in dimly lit settings. Also conspicuously absent are any optional wide-angle or telephoto adapters. But there is a shoe for attaching the optional $85 VW-DC10 video light, which requires a battery pack (also optional).
If you can accept these limitations, the VDR-D310 is likely to please, thanks to its excellent video quality. Besides offering the convenience of instant DVD burning, the USB port supports easy data transfer to a PC.
John Poultney
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User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: manolios
Strengths: size of unit, size of display, picture quality
Weaknesses: no built-in light requires separate purchase, no harddrive, no HD
Overall: The camera is compact and has very good picture quality. It does not have an internal harddrive to record onto, so you would have to rely on DVD-RAM or other types of disks. To take video in the dark, you would also need to order a separate light as no built-in light exists. Though HD video cameras are expensive, they should drop in price. If you're in a hurry, this is one of the best cameras on the market for what it can do. If you can wait till prices on HD cameras drop and you want the best picture quality you can get, you should wait.
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