New Concept Video Camera for SDHC Memory Card Recording

March 21, 2007

Up to now, the growth of the video camera market has been driven by uses such as recording weddings and birthday parties. In an effort to stimulate new demand in this largely mature market, Panasonic is introducing a new video camera that lends itself to fresh applications.

The new SDR-S10 is a stylish, compact digital video camera that uses SD / SDHC Memory Cards as its recording media.

The SDR-S10 debuts at a time when many people enjoy posting photos they have taken with easy-to-use digital cameras onto blogs and other Internet sites. With these sites flourishing and with other sites where users can post motion images now gaining popularity, we can fully expect this trend of posting "everyday snapshots" to extend from still photos to motion images.

The new SDR-S10, with its ability to record on SD / SDHC Memory Cards, breaks the boundaries of conventional video cameras and offers a new style of shooting. It lets users shoot with the same casual ease they enjoy with digital still cameras. The SDR-S10 is also exceptionally compact and lightweight, so users can carry it about almost anytime. For occasions when in the past it may have seemed a bit awkward to pull out a video camera, such as on short outings or business trips, the SDR-S10 offers no such discomfit. Users can take out the SDR-S10 and shoot with the same casual freedom as people snapping everyday photos with a still image camera.

Thanks to its use of SD / SDHC Memory Cards, the SDR-S10 also has several other key advantages.

1. Impact resistance - withstands the impact of being dropped from up to 1.2 meters
Unlike recording media such as hard disk drives or DVD discs, SD / SDHC Memory Cards require no drive mechanism. This gives the SDR-S10 sufficient impact resistance to prevent malfunction when dropped from up to 1.2 meters. It is the ideal camera for anytime use outdoors, in active situations, and for casual everyday video shooting.

2. Water-resistance construction
The SDR-S10 boasts a water-resistance design that takes advantage of the water resistance of SD / SDHC Memory Cards. Eliminating the worries about a little water, the SDR-S10 can be used at the poolside, around a ski lodge, and in other outdoor settings.

3. Quick Start function for capturing sudden photo opportunities
Unlike with hard drives and DVD discs, a camera can read an SD / SDHC Memory Card instantly. This made it possible for Panasonic to develop a Quick Start function that allows the SDR-S10 to begin recording just 1.7 seconds after the power is switched on - less than half the time required by video cameras with hard drives. With the SDR-S10, it is easier to catch those special moments that come with no warning.

4. Attractive design
A flush surface design takes maximum advantage of the compact body and gives the SDR-S10 a smart, stylish look that makes this video camera suitable to take anywhere, just like a compact still camera. The SDR-S10 is designed for easy shooting, too. The grip is designed so that, when desired, you can stabilise the SDR-S10 by bracing your elbow against the body, as with conventional video cameras. Or, as an alternative, the Sub REC button on the camera front makes it possible to shoot with a pistol-grip style.

5. A long recording capability – SD / SDHC Memory Cards
Memory Cards provide an ideal combination of compactness, impact resistance, and extended recording capability, making them one of the best-balanced media for the future. The 4GB SDHC Memory Card allows up to 100 minutes (approx.) of recording, and the 2GB SD Memory Card that comes with the SDR-S10 allows up to 50 minutes

Other Features
- Panasonic 10x optical zoom lens
- 2.7” wide-screen LCD

Source: Panasonic