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Panasonic HDC-SD20

alaTest has collected and analyzed 97 reviews of Panasonic HDC-SD20. The average rating for this product is 3.7/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders for all reviews. People are impressed by the battery and design. The portability and price are also mentioned favorably, whereas many are negative about the control panel and color.

usability, price, portability, design, battery

color, control panel

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Panasonic HDC-SD20 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 84/100 = Very good quality.

See all Panasonic Camcorders

Review analysis

(Based on 97 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (23% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (43% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (14% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (14% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (5% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
  Show positive (81%)Show negative (19%)(Show all)
price
  Show positive (68%)Show negative (32%)(Show all)
image quality
  Show positive (55%)Show negative (45%)(Show all)
portability
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
design
  Show positive (69%)Show negative (31%)(Show all)
battery
  Show positive (73%)Show negative (27%)(Show all)
memory
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
size
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
zoom
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
reliability
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
color
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
durability
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control panel
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Showing 46 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 40 of 46 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (50)

Consumer review by: (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 22 user reviews of Panasonic HDC-SD20 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.co.uk. Comments about the zoom and memory are overall positive. The portability and image quality are also mentioned favorably, but many are critical about the design. Reviews are divided on the price.

usability, image quality, portability, memory, zoom

design

55% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

This summary is based on the products: Panasonic HDC-SD20 High Definition Flash Memory Camcorder with Intelligent Auto Mode & 16x Optical Zoom - Black • Panasonic HDC-SD20 High Definition Flash Memory Camcorder with Intelligent Auto Mode & 16x Optical Zoom - Black

Sep, 2016

Consumer review by: (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 8 user reviews of Panasonic HDC-SD20 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.6/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.com. People really like the portability and usability. The memory and battery also get good feedback.

price, battery, memory, usability, portability

100% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

This summary is based on the products: Panasonic HDC-SD20 HD Flash Camcorder (Black) • Panasonic HDC-SD20 HD Flash Camcorder (Black)

Sep, 2016

Expert review by: (electronicsme.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

If you're in the market for your first HD camcorder, the HDC-SD20 Flash camcorder makes an excellent choice. It's packed with features, reasonably-priced and built with Panasonic quality. Panasonic has made a name for itself in digital photography...

Record full HD 1920x1080 video16X optical zoomOptical Image Stabilization5.1 channel surround sound9 lux (1/30 low light mode) / 1 lux

The Panasonic HDC-SD20 HD Flash camcorder is a new 16X zoom HD camcorder...

Nov, 2010
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Expert review by: Kaitlyn Chantry (camcorderinfo.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20 Camcorder Review

 

The Panasonic HDC-SD20 is one of three models designed by the company to appeal to the more budget-conscious entry-level camcorder user. With an MSRP of $549, it's several hundred dollars less expensive than many models from the competition. What you...

The Panasonic HDC-SD20 offers a truly entry-level high definition camcorder experience. The video performance isn't in the same league as the Canon HF20, but neither is the price tag. For $300 less, we weren't expecting the smooth motion or vivid...

Apr, 2009
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Expert review by: Jeremy Stamas (washingtonpost.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

The Panasonic HDC-SD20 is an mid-level HD camcorder that should appeal to budget-conscious consumers. With an MSRP of only $549, the camcorder is a much cheaper alternative to the higher-end Panasonic HDC-TM300 ($1299) and numerous top-of-the-line...

The HDC-SD20 records HD video to SD/SDHC memory cards, and one of the reasons the camcorder is so inexpensive is the fact that it offers no internal memory. The camcorder captures video using the AVCHD codec, which is essentially the standard for all...

Apr, 2009
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Expert review by: Kaitlyn Chantry (reviewed.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

Can't compete with pricier models, but offers a strong, intuitive experience for beginners

Incredibly low noise; Intuitive auto modes

Poor sharpness; Few extras

Apr, 2009
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Expert review by: Chris Jager (goodgearguide.com.au)

Panasonic HDC-SD20-K camcorder

 

Ultra-compact HD camcorder with optical image stabilisation

Portable design, user-friendly interface, effective optical image stablisation

Outdated specifications, cheap aesthetics, image quality could be better

The Panasonic HDC-SD20-K is a reasonable high-definition camcorder that manages to impress thanks to its low price tag. It distinguishes itself from the SD crowd thanks to the inclusion of O.I.S and lots of user-friendly features.

Apr, 2009
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Expert review by: Trusted Reviews (trustedreviews.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

James finds out how the budget Panasonic HDC-SD20 Full HD camcorder performs.

Feb, 2011
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Expert review by: (expertreviews.co.uk)

Panasonic HDC-SD20 review

 

You wouldn't know the HDC-SD20 is a budget AVCHD camera to look at it.

May, 2009
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Consumer review by: JLRphotography (ciao.co.uk)

Panasonic - not pro perfection, but still a pleasing past time

 

As a professional photographer I've never really had much of an interest in video – until last year I still owned a Sony Hi8 camcorder that used to be my mum's and hadn't been put to use for about 4 years. If ever the urge took me to video anything I'd...

easy to use, fits well in hand, good quality results

software doesn't work with new computer systems ie. Windows 7/8, photos not great

Jul, 2013
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Consumer review by: Alec (reevoo.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

Neat, easy to use, good results

Aug, 2009
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Consumer review by: Ian (reevoo.com)

Panasonic HDC-SD20

 

light weight - quality image

cost of panasonic batteries. No microphone input

Jul, 2009
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Product Specifications

Worldwide, there is a strong and growing trend toward large-screen, high-image-quality televisions and high definition (HD) broadcasting. In line with this, manufacturers are transitioning to HD quality in all other types of video equipment too. Panasonic, consistent with its long-time position as a leader in the video field, is now introducing its Full HD Camcorders including the HDC-SD20. The iA function automatically activates several convenient shooting functions. These include Advanced O.I.S., which compensates for hand-shake to eliminate blurring; Face Detection, which adjusts the exposure so faces are captured perfectly; and Intelligent Contrast Control, which helps ensure proper contrast. Also included is the Intelligent Scene Selector, which determines the shooting conditions and automatically selects the scene setting that will provide optimal results. And AF Tracking keeps the subject in focus even if it moves around to ensure continuously perfect image quality. The SD20 records on both SD and SDHC Memory Cards. Because SD Memory Cards require no transport mechanism, the SD20 is highly resistant to external impact. This combines with its small size and weight to achieve unmatched mobility.

Audio Input

Microphone Operation Mode:Surround
Microphone Technology:Electret condenser
Type:Microphone

Battery

Battery Form Factor:Manufacturer specific

Camcorder Features

High Definition Video Support:1080i
Low Lux / Night Mode: Yes
Widescreen Video Capture: Yes

Camera Flash

Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Type:Built-in flash

Configuration

3 Chip Technic: No
Chip Type:CMOS
Image Stabiliser:Optical Image Stabiliser
Sensor Size:1/6''
Smartphone Remote Control: No

Connectivity

Digital Input: No
Firewire IEEE-1394 Interface: No
HDMI: Yes
HDMI PORT: Yes
Near Field Communication: No
Type of Memory Stick Interface : No
Type of SD Card Interface :SD Card / SD HC Card
USB: Yes
USB Interface: Yes
WiFi Connectivity: No
Wireless Interface: No

Digital Camera

Supported Flash Memory:SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory Card/SDHC Memory Card

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:5in
Height:2.6in
Weight:9.5oz
Width:2.5in

Display (Projector)

Diagonal Size:2.7in
Diagonal Size (metric):6.9cm
Display Form Factor:Rotating
Technology:TFT active matrix
Type:LCD display

Exposure Parameters

Shooting Programs:Beach / Fireworks / Low light / Portrait mode / Scenery / Snow / Sports mode / Spotlight / Sunset

General Features

3D: No
Format:Memory Card
Handheld Position:Horizontal
Product Type:Camcorder / TRAD. CAMCORDER
Resolution:Full HD
Type:Camcorder

Header

Manufacturer:Panasonic
Model:HDC-SD20/HDC-SD20K
Packaged Quantity:1
Product Line:Panasonic

Lens

Longest Shutter Speed in s:1/25
Shortest Shutter Speed in s:1/8000

Lens System

Lens Aperture:F/1.8-3.3
Max Focal Length:47.2mm
Min Focal Length:2.95mm
Optical Zoom:16
Type:Zoom lens

Miscellaneous

Color:Black

Optical Sensor

Camcorder Effective Still Resolution:1.17Megapixel
Camcorder Effective Video Resolution:1.17Mpix
Camcorder Sensor Resolution:1.47Mpix
Optical Sensor Size:1/6"
Optical Sensor Size (metric):4.2 mm ( 1/6 ) / 4.2 mm ( 1/6" )/4.2 mm ( 1/6" )
Optical Sensor Type:CMOS
Sensor Qty:1CMOS

Optical System

Built-in Optical Image Stabilizer: Yes
Image Stabilizer:Optical (Advanced O.I.S.)

Recording

HD Video Format:AVCHD
Recording Format:16:9 / 4:3

Storage Floppy Drive

Type: None

Video Input

Analog Video Format:NTSC
Digital Video Format:AVCHD / H.264/H.264 / AVCHD
Digital Zoom:1000
Face Detection: Yes
Media Type:Flash card
Shooting Modes:Digital photo mode
Still Image Format:JPEG
Type:Camcorder