Panasonic SDRH80S SD and HDD Camcorder Silver

Not worth it
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am extremely disappointed with this camera. Its nice looking, light weight and seems easy to use, but none of that matters when the video quality is so terrible. Others have said that their cameras takes better quality video. I agree. The quality of video recorded on this thing is a joke!

Just What I was looking for
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First off, I was looking for a replacement for my JVC mini-DV camcorder which I used extensively last year. It worked well until one day, it fell to the floor and since then, I would get errors while recording after 30 minutes of use. If I used a cleaning tape, I could get it to work somewhat. But, the biggest thing I disliked about it was that it would take 1 hour to transfer to my computer 1 hour worth of video using firewire.

So, I was looking for a good Standard Definition camcorder which would either use a hard-drive or flash memory card to transfer video to my computer for further editing and DVD authoring. And, this camcorder does that and very elegantly as well. I tried out some HD quality camcorders but to edit those would require a new PC, better software which doesn’t seem to be available right now and more frustrations than I was looking for. I was looking for an easier way to do what worked.

I read where some do not like the quality ( primarily of photos ) which I’m not concerned with. The video quality to me is as good as my old JVC mini-DV. I have captured snapshots from the video taken on this camcorder and, considering all, they’re not too bad but if I want a good photo, I’ll use my digital camera. The software supplied with this Panasonic transfers the .mov files from the camcorder to the PC and renames them .mpg files. The files are identical so I’m assuming the camcorder records in mpeg format using a .mov file extension on the camcorder itself. I have thought I might just copy to my PC directly but the software is fairly straight forward enough, I use it. For editing video ( and photos ), I use my regular video/photo editing software once the files are on my PC. I used Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 Platinum for video and PSP X2 or Photoshop Elements for photos and they work well.

What I like most about the camcorder are:

1. the zoom — I recorded our son’s football game and from across the field up in the video booth, I could zoom in on players and see their face quite easily zoomed in,

2. optical stabilization — at zoomed in level, the stabilization worked very well. I held the light camcorder in my left hand as steady as I could and used my right index finger to zoom and thumb to record/pause the video. This worked very well,

3. audio — I picked up audio from below, close up and far away while recording and was truly impressed with the resulting DVD I created from the captured video,

4. transfer to PC — instead of 1-to-1 time transfer with a mini-DV, I could send 15 minutes of video over to my PC in 2-3 minutes max time — and I didn’t have to view/listen to the video being played while transferring.

What I like least about the camcorder are:

1. it is light — almost too light but I’ll get used to that,

2. the battery only lasts about 2 hours before charging so I’ve bought a longer-lasting battery which should help there,

3. the AC adaptor plug and file-transfer USB cable plug in under the battery. Somewhat awkward yes, but to do file transfers properly, I should be using AC anyway so it’s impossible to mess that up using a low battery and losing power in the middle of a file transfer,

4. there is another feature called aI which I haven’t completely figured out yet but from what I can tell so far, it may be something I would add to what I like Most about the camcorder. If I find this is so, I may wish to update this review.

So, for my purposes, this is a great camcorder!

Panasonic SDR-H80
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Panasonic SDR-H80 SD & HDD Camcorder (Black)this product is great outdoor during day light. It does not perform very will indoor unless you have enough light.

I was disappointed a little bit with the video image quality. it is not agood choice if you trying to buy both still image and video camera in one.

I bought this cammera because the reviews was so good on it. I also bought it because of its size, 60 G HD and some feature they describe. I give it 3 out of 5 because you still can take a good video recording if you have enough light. talking still image with Panasonic SDR-H80 is useless. Panasonic sell video DC light and Shoe Adaptor. it might be a good idea to buy both video DC light and Shoe Adaptor along with the camera if you are using it indoor. Finally, If you are not good at shooting video, I advise you to stay a way from this product.

Panasonic SDR-HD80
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Not good in low light conditions , transfer of video to dvd must be done with their program if not the quality is poor in transfer. Not user friendly. The unit does not have firewire capabilities which is simple to use with other software editing….

Grainy Image Quality
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
After some research and because I own a Panasonic Camera. I decided to buy this camcorder. First impression it looks good (small and very light), the optical zoom 70X and 60GB hard drive make it very impressive.

The biggest downside to this camcorder is the video quality. I shot a couple of shots in the morning under daylight and the image quality was very good. However, with no sunshine the image quality is very shady and bad. Imagine even with a house that is brightly lit the image looked very grainy and not good quality. The backlit feature does not help either.

Am going to return this camcorder and would advice you to stay away.

Good bang for the buck!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After conducting much research, I decided on this camcorder because it fulfilled my immediate needs. I wasn’t expecting to be overwhelmed. I am expecting my first child and I wanted to record some of those treasured moments and wanted something besides my Canon G10 camera to do it with. It had to be compact, have large storage capability and ease of use (so anyone chosen to pick it up and record won’t be baffled). This did it all. I was on a budget as well and couldn’t afford an extra $200-$300 for an entry level HD camera, especially with a 70x zoom. It’s a standard definition camera so the video isn’t going to be perfect but it suits the needs of an online blog or sharing with family members who want video who aren’t geographically able to see the events in person.

The onboard 60GB HDD is pure awesome. I can’t fathom needing to use the SD expansion slot with that much memory on-board but it’s definitely a nice option and is a spot where this camera excels. It’s compact profile is also a great benefit and fits the hand with basic controls in easy reach.

Panasonic’s largest failure in the engineering of this camcorder is that the battery covers the usb connector so you have to take off the battery, plug in the ac adapter and then plug in the USB cable to upload the video to your computer. I don’t find this to be a well-thought out process. Having the USB connector inside the LCD cavity or on the bottom (with a cover) would’ve more then sufficed in avoiding this hassle. I also have to say that the shutter/lens protector on this seems very low-grade. It’s not so much that it is a manual shutter but the construction just feels like it wouldn’t take much to take it out. An old school lens-cap with a tether cord would’ve probably been the better option here.

However, all that being said, overall the camera is a good bang for it’s buck. It’s not the most awesome camcorder out there but it fits a certain price-point where some concessions have to be made to accommodate that price-point. You can’t spend $250ish on a camcorder and expect to get the high-quality video (especially if you extend the zoom without a tripod) but it’s a great all-around camcorder for capturing moments and you aren’t a high-resolution elitist about it.

The picture quality of a ’90s cell phone
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought the Panasonic SDR-H80 digital video camera from Best Buy yesterday (May 23, 2009). It cost $399 + extra for a backup battery and a warranty.

The Good Stuff:

The optical image stabilization feature is quite adept at stabilizing a shaky image.

The 70x zoom is kinda cool, though you really need a tripod for anything over about 30x.

The camera looks attractive, is light weight, and has a relatively easy to use interface. The buttons are mostly positioned well, except the zoom lever, which I couldn’t easily reach without jostling the camera.

The Bad Stuff:

The image quality of this camera is utter trash. Pure garbage. My picture phone literally takes better quality video at a higher resolution. I was absolutely stunned at how bad the image quality is. It looks like some kind of highly compressed late 90′s webcam or something.

And it gets even worse in low light. And here, by “low light”, I mean anything less than direct sunlight. My first attempts with this camera last night turned out so bad that I couldn’t see anything.

I did have the camera set to the highest quality, and I followed the instructions for the different lighting types (fluorescent, mercury, etc) with no luck.

The camera claims to have an intelligent auto (iA) feature, but I didn’t notice it doing much but fiddling with the white balance at odd intervals.

There is also a special low-light feature called “magic …” something or other. I forget. But it reduced the frame rate to 1 or 2 fps, which makes it completely unacceptable as a video recording device.

I am surprised at how good the reviews are for this piece of equipment. Really, people, set your bar just a little bit higher.

I returned this product this morning to Best Buy. I brought my laptop, and while I was there, I tried out other cameras of this model to make sure that mine was not simply defective. They were all trash.

I ate the $60 Best Buy restocking fee, but that’s okay because I’d rather be out $60 than $400 for a camera that won’t do anything but sit in my closet.

Worth every penny
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve read the other reviews and have to say, the one’s that claim the image is bad quality or grainy need to go to school. Just read the manual and learn how to adjust the settings to the surroundings. It’s a camera, not a box of ready to eat cereal….. it takes a bit of talent and practice to make a good video.

I also have a Laptop that’s running 64 bit Vista and had no problem with the software, as well as on my 32 bit desktop with XP. I’m not sure what her problem was.

Take the bad revues with a grain of salt, these people probably can’t tie their shoes right.

Fuzzy Picture
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
We are not a tech savy couple. We wanted an easy to use (this is), lightweight (this is) camera for our family. Everything was pretty easy to set up and use (even for us)..but when we saw the picture quaility on the tv, we were really disappointed! Our cell phones ( which are ancient ) can actually take almost as good of a picture.

For this $ (we paid almost $400 for the bundle)…we are taking it back to Best Buy TODAY!!!!

Waste of time!!!!

didn’t believe bad reviews, wish i had now!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I didn’t believe the bad reviews about how this camera records at a really poor quality level in low-light situations. My sister and her husband have this same camera, a couple years older, and love it! I made a DVD in no time on their computer when we visited them so we could take it with us. My daughter watched the DVD dozens of times to remember her grandparents and aunts and uncle.

I wanted a camera that was just as easy to use to make a DVD!

But I have a Mac!

Unless you have the newest version of iMovie, your Mac iMovie will not recognize the format this camera records in. That was my initial disappointment. I had to spend even more money to update iMovie just to make a DVD!

You’d think Panasonic would want to be Apple-friendly. Lame. Or that Mac would want to be more friendly toward ALL formats out there, since they brag on being so “media-friendly!”

And yes, the picture quality is POOR in anything other that bright, outdoor lighting.

Plus, I do not understand how we have never taken any data off the thing and it says we still have like 9 hours of recording time left to put on the hard drive! Shouldn’t the picture quality be larger so that it only holds maybe 5 hours or so! We do NOT have the “web” recording on. I even have it on XP, the highest quality.

VERY POOR PICTURE QUALITY
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Size, ease of use, features and zoom are real good for the price. But both video and still picture quality is very,very poor. My wife bought this for me as a Christmas present but I cant wait to return it..What good is a camera if the picture quality is 3rd rated..

Amazing camcorder. A must buy !!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had purchased this camcorder for my trip to Alaska. I am back yesterday from Alaska & was just seeing the videos I had taken during the trip. The videos are amazing & even the images are great. I purchased the Panasonic H80 after lot of research & I am vry happy with my decision. Great product !!!

Bad video quality
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera at Best Buy, they had some others I wanted to look at but there were “no power cords” for them. I listened to the Panasonic rep at the store and was impressed with the 70X zoom and 60GB hard drive.

The image stabalization is really good. The zoom is awesome. The storage is phenominal. The battery life is good ( 2 hours ).

The video quality is ATROCIOUS! I got the video I shot all weekend home and was excited to watch them. I was very dissapointed.

I went back to best buy and the lady there was very nice and dug up the power cords for a couple other cameras. I was amazed at the difference. I complained a little and they decided I could return it and trade for another with no restock fee. That makes me happier, of course I can never get the video back that I took all weekend… it will forever be inferior quality ( and it included celebrities ) so I am gonna get a Canon FS200 instead ( I am not trying to sell this one, just though I would throw in what impressed me )

This camera is shiney and fun, but the beauty is only “skin deep”. The best feature of a video camera really should be its outputed quality.

Utter crap
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Got this camera today, havent messed with it much, but the video quality is atrocious. I wanted to upgrade my old video camera from 2003. But this camera actually takes worse pictures. It even takes worse videos then my cell phone. I got this camera for xmas from my mom, and the lady at Bestbuy who sold it to my mom told her that it was a HD camera, but its not. She thought HDD meant HD! Like I said, I havent messed with it much but I tried plugging the USB cord into two different computers and neither would recognize it was attached. Terrible videos plus it was broken.

Very dissappointed
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have used Panasonic (MiniDV) camcorders and i was very happy with its video capture quality and easy interface to copy to PC, but with this one i was very disappointed. The picture quality is poor and so is the video quality. The PC interface does not support copying to another location than the C drive. I have just OS on the C and D for data, and this device does not recognize the D drive as it is in compressed mode..ridiculous. Anyways i am giving it 2 stars only because it has good zoom, OK video capture, just enough audio volume for you to hear. Overall i wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. Its not worth the price. I am going to return it.

not mac compatible
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I wanted a simple video camera for documenting and editing family events.

the panasonic sdr h80 hdd camcorder doesn’t come with editing software and is not plug and play compatible with my Mac. a dvd burner is an optional accessory.

DON’T BUY!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am going to keep it short and sweet.

I bought the SDR-H80 and it had TERRIBLE picture quality (like many other reviews have stated). I am not a technical whiz who is expecting high definition, but the picture quality is so poor I took it back. Who cares if it has 70 optical zoom if at no zoom it can’t take a basic clear shot?! In all honesty it felt like it was only a slight step up from a mobile phone camera.

Luckily, I have got a good electronics store nearby and I could exchange it for the Canon Legria FS200. I would highly recommend the Canon, because it has a much better picture quality (and is a lower price!). Good value for money for SD.

(Also, if you are wondering why I bought the camera even though it had bad reviews about the picture quality, it’s that on paper the camera seems alright, and I thought that maybe people were being picky and expecting HD, and the guy said I could return it if I didn’t like it. People weren’t being picky – again I will say again – stay away from the panasonic because of the terrible picture quality!!)

Image quality terrible
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I buy a camcorder for one reason only–video quality. All the other features are really just pointless. I want to be able to take clear crisp images of my family–this camcorder does not fit that bill. I am returning it. The quality even on the highest quality setting was terrible. I feel bad for anyone suffering through watching video made with this piece of junk. If you are reading this before you buy—save yourself the headache and move onto a different camcorder.

Awesome choice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera. it’s an excelent home camera. it’s not professional.

70x optical zoom works perfectly. it seems to be hardly to aimed with all that zoom, i think i need to practice, getting focus, having slow motion of arm movements. this camera worth the price. it is cheap, also a small camera. it can took pictures too. it have face detection.

the automatic scene mode detection is pretty good.

Battery life is about 1 – 1/30 hours.

so you must buy other if you are thinking to record a large scenes

i love this camera.

Very Disappointed in Panasonic
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I really liked this camera because it was easy to use and the picture quality was good. However, I’ve only had this camera 4 months and the battery will not charge. I believed that the AC adapter was bad, but customer service at Panasonic felt that the battery was bad. Well guess what? There’s only a 10 day warranty on the battery! Yes, 10 days!!! I went ahead and ordered a new battery….$65.00!!! I got the battery today and tried to charge it, and it will not charge. I was right after all, and it is a bad charger. I call Panasonic hoping that they will send me a new charger, because it actually is still under warranty. No way…customer service says that I have to pay to mail the adapter to them and they will fix it. This is ridiculous! Who knows how long it will take them to return it to me??? In the meantime, I’m missing out on taping my son’s football events, because the camera is worthless without a charged battery! I’m very very disappointed w/ Panasonic and their customer service!!!!

I do not recommend this camcorder
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purched this product from Amazon, of which I have never had a problem and do not anticipate return of this product to be a problem. I just received it, read all directions and proceded to shoot vedio set at best Quality. The vedio is much worse than my old tape Panasonic camcorder. Indoors you cannot see any detail due to the fuzzy picture and outdoors the picture is very grainy. Still pictures are trash. I do not recommend this camcorder.

Great intentions, poor delivery
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I checked this out in store before buying from Amazon.com. In store, the usage, look and feel were all great. What we weren’t able to see until purchasing was the quality of the video produced. As noted by another review, it’s not much better (if at all!) than a 3yo cell phone video. In fact, I recently viewed a DVD made from one of our Sony Hi-8 cams (circa 2003) and the quality was very similar.

So, overall, it’s really close to being exactly what I want – great optical zoom, good HDD size, the image stabilization is better than I’ve ever seen but the actual pixels/bits written to disk leave much to be desired.

Result – returned to Amazon for a refund, back to the drawing board as to what camera I’ll end up keeping.

Utter frustration
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bought this camera for $359, which I thought was a great price for the 60GB HDD and the 70x optical zoom.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to even use the camera to see whether the video quality was as bad as some of the reviews have said, because I’m one of the unfortunate ones who happen to own the Windows Vista 64-bit operating system, which, it turns out, is incompatible with the software suite which comes with it.

Thinking I’d try a workaround, I recorded some video to an SD card, popped the card into my computer, and found a file with an unknown extension. My editing software opened the file OK (it’s really just an MPEG file), but it had no sound and it was shown in 4×3 ratio (it was shot native 16:9).

So, without the software, the camera is basically useless, and if you have Windows Vista 64-bit, I was told by a Panasonic customer service phone rep, there are no plans to issue compatible software at this time.

Tomorrow, the camera goes back to Frys.

Reviiew for Panasonic HDD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I think this is an excelent options for those who love to make home video films or outdoor video films, it`s easy to use, very portable and it has an incredible zoom, my wife and i are enjoying a lot this Panasonic Camera, especially for traveling.

Very good purchase
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The camera is very good value/cost. Very good quality in outdoors. Record in low light is a little difficult because the Color Noght View feature is really bad. It works only if you don’t move the camera, if you do the image is a robotized effect. The zoom is really nice and powerfull. You can also buy the additional battery Panasonic VW-VBG260 3 Hour Rechargeable Battery Pack for Compatible Panasonic Camcorders to get more record time and you don’t need the any other accesory to charge/use it.

La cámara tiene buena relación calidad/precio. Muy buena calidad en grabaciones de exteriores. Grabación a baja luz es difícil porque la función Color Noght View es poco útil. Solo funciona si la cámara está fija sin movimiento pero al moverla o al moverse lo que grabamos se consigue un efecto robotizado. Es zoom es muy poderoso. Puedes comprar también la batería adicional Panasonic VW-VBG260 3 Hour Rechargeable Battery Pack for Compatible Panasonic Camcorders para tener más tiempo de grabación y no necesitas ningún otro accesorio para utilizarla/cargarla.

Good Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a good camcorder and it comes at a good price, this is one step below HD. This is a good purchase.

Panasonic Camcorder review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoy this cam corder, it is very EASY to work, and the ZOOM is awesome!

Upgraded to HDD
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bought this a couple weeks ago as my old Sony MiniDV camera bit the dust.

So far so good – excellent zoom, audio quality, nice to have so much recording time to the HDD.

Didn’t notice till I got it that it does not have an eyepiece – only the LCD screen – other than that I couldn’t be happier.

Note, I originally tried to save money by buying from one of those New York Electronics dealers – guy tried to convince me it only came with a 30 minute battery and I needed to spend the extra $100 with him to upgrade. Looser –

It’s good for at least a couple hours.