BIOS: Technology Means Business

Up until now, the growth of the digital camcorder market has been driven largely by such conventional uses as recording weddings, birthday parties and family holidays.

However, Panasonic has announced a new digital camcorder, the SDR-S10, that lends itself to a new generation of applications that are more in tune with the needs of younger users keen to shoot, edit and upload ‘quick turnaround’ footage for the likes of social-network internet portals such as YouTube, MySpace and so on.

According to Panasonic, we can fully expect this trend of posting these increasingly-common everyday snapshots - in the form of digital stills and motion images which are taken very much on impulse and with instant device-to-device or Internet sharing in mind - to increase in popularity. To that end, therefore, the company has unveiled a product that uses SD and SDHC (High Capacity SD) flash memory cards and USB 2.0 connectivity as a means of enabling on-demand operability and ease of sharing.

With its ability to record on SD/SDHC (High Capacity SD) Memory Cards, the SDR-S10 is designed to offer this new style of shooting appropriate to the requirements and - to a large extent, the lifestyle - of a new generation of video-making members of social networking sites. Claimed by its maker to be ‘exceptionally compact and lightweight’, there’s no doubt that such a small device is easy to take everywhere, and is appropriate for use on occasions where it would previously have seemed awkward to pull out a video camera.

Of course, the use of SD/SDHC Memory Cards as its single recording medium has the advantage of there being no moving mechanism in the recording section which, in turn, provides considerable resistance to shock. It also provides essential impact resistance when dropped from up to 1.2 metres. The SDR-S10 also boasts a resistance to water that takes advantage of the water-resistant qualities of the SD/SDHC Memory Cards themselves, thus making it a more attractive option when recording at poolside, beachside or even ski locations.

Unlike camcorders that utilise hard disk drive or DVD disc recording technologies, a solid-state digital camcorder such as the SDR-S10 can read an SD/SDHC Memory Card instantly. With this in mind, Panasonic has developed a Quick Start function that allows the SDR-S10 to begin recording in as little as 1.7 seconds after the power is switched on (very useful when something has already started to happen and you’re desperate to grab it as quickly as you can).

Finally, and most importantly, the SD/SDHC format allows for long recording capability. The 4GB SDHC Memory Card allows up to approximately 100 minutes of recording, with the supplied 2GB SD Memory Card allowing up to approximately 50 minutes. SD Memory Cards offer an ideal combination of compactness, impact resistance, and provide outstanding benefits such as shock, water and dust-resistance - plus ease of use with quick start and easy networking with other SD compatible products, making them one of the best-balanced media for the future.

All these features are contained within the SDR-S10’s streamlined and ergonomic design and include a 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD and Panasonic 10x optical zoom lens, the latter of which gives the SDR-S10 a smart and stylish look that evidently makes this digital camcorder ideal to take with you wherever you go. Designed for easy shooting, the grip is designed so that you can stabilise the SDR-S10 by bracing your elbow against the body or - as an alternative - the Sub REC button on the camera front makes it possible to shoot in pistol-grip mode, all comfortably in the palm of your hand. The Panasonic SDR-S10 is expected to be available in Europe from May 2007.

[Best Camcorder Pricing UK]
[Best Camcorder Pricing US]