Panasonic SDR-S150
Panasonic SDR-S150 News Release
As a successor to the SDR-S100, Panasonic is introducing the SDR-S150 SD camcorder. Following in the footsteps of the popular S100, the S150 is compact, lightweight and features high-quality 3CCD recording and MPEG2 images. The S150 improves on its predecessor by accepting the new 4GB SDHC Memory Card, a next-generation media that allows recording for up to 3 hours and 20 minutes.*
The SDR-S150 packs a wealth of Panasonic’s top image-enhancing technologies into a conveniently small, easy-to-handle body. The 3CCD camera system provides superb color reproduction. The Optical Image Stabilizer helps deliver crisp, clear images without degradation for shooting either moving pictures or still shots. The Leica Dicomar lens and high-performance LSI Crystal Engine image processor assure beautiful image rendering. Also adding advanced MPEG2 technology, Panasonic has equipped the S150 to deliver truly outstanding pictures, even when shooting fast-moving subjects.
Taking advantage of the small, solid-state SD Memory Card, the S150 is tough as well as compact. Because there’s no mechanism in the recording section, the S150 provides excellent resistance to impact and stable, almost error-free recording. It also offers outstanding convenience after shooting. Using a PC equipped with an SD Memory Card slot, for example, it is possible to perform non-linear editing without the need to connect any cables.
With the SDR-S150, Panasonic has introduced a camcorder that offers impressive image quality and performance in a package that is compact, convenient, and extremely easy to use.
*When recording in LP mode.
3CCD Camera System
The SDR-S150 features a 3CCD camera system - the type used in most professional broadcast equipment. Since being selected as official broadcasting equipment for the Olympic Games in 1992, Panasonic’s 3CCD comcorders have brought breathtaking images to the homes of viewers all around the world. For the compact S150, Panasonic has downsized its professional 3CCD camera system to about 1/16 the original size in terms of surface area. In a 3CCD camera system, the incident light is split into its three primary color components (red, green and blue), and theresulting signal from each is collected by one of the three CCDs. Compared with conventional 1CCD camera systems, Panasonic’s advanced 3CCD system gives you greater beauty three different ways: in color, detail, and gradation.
O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)
Panasonic’s O.I.S. minimizes the shakiness that can be such a problem with handheld shots. Because the system is optical, there is no image quality degradation. When shooting a still image, the MEGA O.I.S. system automatically doubles the corrective power. With O.I.S. and MEGA O.I.S., the S150 is equipped for clear, beautiful shooting of both moving pictures and still images.
Leica Dicomar Lens
Leica Camera AG is renowned by photographers world-wide as a maker of superb cameras and lenses. Now this legendary optical technology fuses with Panasonic’s advanced digital technology in the Leica Dicomar Lens. The SDR-S150’s brilliant new lens features 12 lens elements in 8 groups and uses low-dispersion optical glass to reduce chromatic aberration. A special multi-coating process is applied to 14 lens surfaces, minimizing harmful reflections to deliver crisp, clear images free of flare and ghosting.
*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, and Dicomar is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
4GB SDHC Memory Card Compatible
For extended high-quality recording, the SDR-S150 also accepts the new 4GB SDHC (SD High-Capacity) Memory Card, which conforms to SD Specifications Version 2.00. With the 4GB card, it can record up to around 50 minutes of moving images in high-quality XP mode or 3 hours and 20 minutes in LP mode. Because the SDHC standard guarantees the minimum data speed performance, it guarantees stable, consecutive recording of moving images and other types of large-volume data.
SDR-S150 Specifications
Power source: DC 7.4 / 9.3 V
Power Consumption: When recording: 3.5 W
Signal system: 525 lines, 60fields NTSC color signal
Weight (w/o Battery): 250g
Dimensions (W x H x D)
49.9 x 100.0 x 83.1 mm
Image Sensor
1/6-inch 3CCD image sensor
Total pixels: approx.800 K x 3
Effective pixels Motion Picture: approx. 640 K x 3 (4:3)/
approx. 540 K x 3 (16:9)
Still Picture: approx. 710 K x 3 (4:3)/
approx. 540 K x 3 (16:9)
Lens: Auto iris, 10X power zoom
F 1.8 to 2.8 (f = 3.0 to 30.0 mm)
35 mm equivalent
Motion picture: 45.6 to 456 mm (4:3)/
46.7 to 467 mm (16:9)
Still picture: 43.4 to 434 mm (4:3)/
47.0 to 470 mm (16:9)
Tele-macro function provided (full range AF)
Filter diameter: 37 mm
Zoom: 10X optical zoom, 25/700X digital zoom
Monitor: 2.8? wide LCD monitor (approx. 210K pixels)
Microphone: Stereo (with a zoom function)
Speaker: Dynamic type
White balance adjustment: Auto / White Set / Indoor / Outdoor
Standard illumination: 1,400 lx
Minimum required illumination: 12 lx (1 lx in MagicPix mode)
High-speed shutter: 1/60 - 1/8000 (Motion Picture), 1/30 - 1/2000 (Still Picture)
Recording media: SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card
USB
Card reader/writer function (No copyright protection support)
High-Speed USB (USB 2.0) (miniB)
Pict Bridge-compliant
Web Camera function
Flash: GN 4.5
Available flash range: approx. 1 m to 2 m
Standard accessories: 2GB SD card, AC Adaptor, Battery Pack, Hand Strap, Headphone Cable, IR Remote Controller, USB Cable, Video/Audio Cable, CD-ROM (MotionSD STUDIO 1.1E), Attachable Grip
Update: CamcorderInfo reports that Panasonic has announced that the SDR-S150 camcorder will carry an MSRP of $999.
The camcorder will be shipping in September.
Via CamcorderInfo.
Panasonic SDR-S150 Camcorder Reviews
CamcorderInfo has a review up of the Panasonic SDR-S150 and writes, “you are likely to either outright disregard a camcorder like the Panasonic SDR-S150, or you are willing to consider it as a contender for your 1000 or so hard-earned dollars. Those in the first group, probably never even read the review, despite all our hard work in writing it. And that’s okay. This camcorder cannot compete in many regards with horizontally-oriented bodies – those with viewfinders, larger bodies, and lots of exterior buttons. Panasonic is certainly not aiming for that market. But if you’re largely a point and shooter with an interest towards some manual controls, this is a compelling buy. The video performance is absolutely beautiful for its size – exactly the same as the top-end Panasonic DVD camcorder, the VDR-D300. The fact that it’s about 1/2 the size of the VDR-D300 is a pretty persuasive feature. The biggest liability of the SDR-S150 is the small capacity of the recording medium.” Link.
LaptopMag has a review of the Panasonic SDR-S150 and writes, “Thanks to the camcorder’s excellent 3CCD image sensor, which records reds, greens, and blues separately, color was vivid and realistic in the video we took of costumed revelers at a medieval festival. On the other hand, the MPEG-2 video from the SDR-S150 doesn’t quite measure up to the less compressed video captured by MiniDV camcorders; our footage didn’t have the same dynamic range, especially in low light, where image noise was a problem. Still, managing the MPEG-2 clips was far easier with the SDR-S150. … shooting video is what the Panasonic SDR-S150 is really all about. Its MPEG-2 compressed files may not rival the quality of cheaper models that record to MiniDV tape, but the SDR-S150’s three-chip sensor captures better-looking footage than many DVD camcorders. And it does so with a more pocket-friendly design.” Link.
T3 has a review of the Panasonic SDR-S150 and writes, “The optical image stabiliser is superb, and it uses SDHC Flash memory cards, an updated version of SD which promises sizes up to 16GB. … Three CCDs means fantastic colour quality and this camcorder’s performance is second to none in its class. Outdoor footage taken in good light looks brilliantly colourful, although it’s less fun in low light. … Hi-Def camcorders may be widely considered the gold standard, but standard-def camcorders still have an awful lot to offer. For filming people hurting themselves or spectacle-theft, in order to have a laugh on YouTube, you won’t do much better than this.” Link.
CNET has a review of the Panasonic SDR-S150 and writes, “Though it’s fun and easy to shoot with, that’s where the enjoyment stops. The most obvious problem I hit is its pitiful battery life. After fully charging the battery, I shot about 14 minutes of video and a handful of stills with a few flash shots, at which point it had dropped to about one-quarter of capacity. Plus, the focus is slow to lock. And once I got home, I couldn’t help but be disappointed with the results. Videos never achieve true sharpness and display severe interlace artifacts, and weaknesses are exacerbated by poor auto white balance–the sensor is on the side of the camcorder–and inconsistent metering … If it were cheaper, I might forgive the SDR-S150 some of its flaws.” Link.
Trusted Reviews has a review of the Panasonic SDR-S150 and writes, “Panasonic’s SDR-S150 is a curious beast in today’s camcorder market. It packs decent image quality into a very handy little package, but high definition camcorders are becoming increasingly affordable. For the time being, HD models using Flash Memory for storage remain quite a bit more expensive, with Panasonic’s own HDC-SD5 about the cheapest yet, and that’s still some £200 dearer. So, for now, if you don’t have the money or don’t want to move to HD, the SDR-S150 makes a capable choice for pocket-friendly video shooting. But the days when it’s worth paying over £400 for an SD camcorder are numbered.” Link.
