Panasonic Introduces First 3CCD SD Camcorder

September 4, 2005

Panasonic today announced another ground-breaking innovation in digital video and optical technologies: the world’s first 3CCD SD camcorder. The lightweight, super-portable SDR-S100 records high-quality MPEG2 video onto SD Memory Cards, and features a high-performance Leica Dicomar lens, 10X optical zoom and Optical Image Stabilization. The SDR-S100’s fast response time and rugged, shock-resistant design also make it the perfect "take-anywhere" camcorder for spontaneous shooting.

The SD Memory Card is the number one semiconductor memory card in use around the world today, and is found in a wide array of consumer electronics products such as digital cameras and camcorders, PDAs, laptop computers, digital audio players and many other products: more than 4,066 models of 31 product categories from 800 manufacturers (As of June 30, 2005). The SDR-S100 SD camcorder comes with a 2GB SD Memory Card capable of holding approximately 100 minutes of MPEG2 video (recorded in LP mode.)

The Panasonic SDR-S100 SD camcorder is slated for introduction in October, with a targeted manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1199.95.

“The SDR-S100 represents a totally new concept in video recording,” said Rudy Vitti, national marketing manager for Panasonic. “It outpaces conventional camcorders both in size and ease of operation, while delivering a beautiful, high-quality MPEG2 video picture.”

The SDR-S100 features high-performance image processing technology and a newly developed MPEG2 Engine designed to precisely detect and process fast movements, maximizing image quality.

For spectacular, widescreen presentations, the SDR-S100 records in the 16:9 aspect ratio, the same configuration as widescreen TVs. The vertical zoom ratio is minimized to boost vertical resolution. There's virtually no picture quality degradation, so you get breathtaking images with all the excitement of the wide screen. The SDR-S100 also features a wide, 2.8" LCD, making it easy to frame shots in the 16:9 format. Shots can also be framed for viewing on a conventional 4:3 TV as well.

Non-linear editing is fast, simple and requires no cable connection if you use a PC with an SD slot. If using the included USB 2.0 high speed cable, downloading data to the PC is also fast and convenient. SD Memory Cards do not require a finalization process, presenting another convenience for the user.

Of course, video shot with the SDR-S100 can be transferred to DVDs which can be enjoyed by friends and family over and over again.

The camcorder can also capture a 3.1-megapixel (2048 x 1512) still image and features MEGA O.I.S. for image stability.

The SDR-S100 includes a rechargeable battery pack and a 2GB SD Memory Card.