Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic SDR-SW20EB-S Underwater Camcorder - Silver
Panasonic SDR-SW20EB-S Underwater Camcorder - Silver
See it at Amazon.co.uk for £129.99Average Customer Rating
(3.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
brilliant little camcorder
(5 out of 5) by Rachel on May 22, 2009 (Plymouth, England)I bouught this camcorder a year ago, and have used it extensively. It is absolutely ideal for trips to the beach, holidays etc. It is small and fits into your pocket or handbag.
We holiday in Florida a lot, and this camcorder has been ideal. (When I took my larger, more expensive camcorder it got a little moisture on it during a water ride and refused to work for the rest of the day.) This camcorder works even in high humidity and in the pool.
The quality of outdoor shots is good. When viewed on a large screen tv it is not top quality, but it gives a perfectly acceptable record of occasions when other camcorders would not have worked at all.
The underwater feature is great fun, and I have some wonderful shots of my son swimming underwater in the hotel pool.
To the person who thought that a mobile phone would be better, all I can say is that you must have some mobile phone! (And what would happen to your phone if you dropped it in the pool?)
I would definitely recommend this camcorder.
We holiday in Florida a lot, and this camcorder has been ideal. (When I took my larger, more expensive camcorder it got a little moisture on it during a water ride and refused to work for the rest of the day.) This camcorder works even in high humidity and in the pool.
The quality of outdoor shots is good. When viewed on a large screen tv it is not top quality, but it gives a perfectly acceptable record of occasions when other camcorders would not have worked at all.
The underwater feature is great fun, and I have some wonderful shots of my son swimming underwater in the hotel pool.
To the person who thought that a mobile phone would be better, all I can say is that you must have some mobile phone! (And what would happen to your phone if you dropped it in the pool?)
I would definitely recommend this camcorder.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Great product
(5 out of 5) by dizzikat on Feb 7, 2009 (UK)Easy to use, no set up to worry about. It's survived handling by my 1 yr old, my main reason for choosing this product was the shock proof claim. Not tried downloading from it yet so can't comment on that part.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Better than I expected
(5 out of 5) by J. Dias on Feb 3, 2009This is a great little camcorder. I've previously owned a Canon Mini DV and a Sony Video 8. In good lighting this is just as good either of them on a 32" screen. Simple to operate, with no unnecessary features. I don't know how anyone could say a mobile phone is as good - that unit must have had a fault on it. The lens is small, so it will not be great indoors in low light - this is an outdoor camcorder really. Two criticisms - battery life is short at around one hour and the lens really should be wider angle for skiing, beach use, sailing etc.
5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Great concept, but poor product and software not compatible with MAC
(1 out of 5) by MikeN on Dec 13, 2008 (norwich uk)I bought this camcorder to record fishing videos using its underwater capabilities. I also thought it would be a kid-friendly camcorder to take to the beach etc.
Unfortunately, the resolution is absolutely terrible, even on the highest setting. I'm not being overly picky or expecting too much from a standard definition camcorder. It really is awful. Not what you would expect from a company like Panasonic. If you plan to watch the videos from this camera on a normal size television, you will probably be disappointed. Indoor shots are particularly poor. Add any kind of motion, and you will have trouble recognizing the subject. This is definitely not the camera for recording birthday parties and Christmas mornings. You could do better using your mobile phone.
The EIS also creates significant feedback noise when it is active (whenever your hands are moving) so any kind of action shot has a significant hum in the audio.
Finally, the software bundled with the camera for converting the .MOD files that this camera saves as video is not compatible with Mac OS, nor is a Mac version available. You can use IMovie to convert the files, but this adds another annoying step in an already disappointing experience.
On the basis of these three complaints, I sent this camera back to Amazon and got a full refund. I would definitely recommend that you avoid this camera at all costs. There are cheaper and better alternatives for the YouTube generation.
Unfortunately, the resolution is absolutely terrible, even on the highest setting. I'm not being overly picky or expecting too much from a standard definition camcorder. It really is awful. Not what you would expect from a company like Panasonic. If you plan to watch the videos from this camera on a normal size television, you will probably be disappointed. Indoor shots are particularly poor. Add any kind of motion, and you will have trouble recognizing the subject. This is definitely not the camera for recording birthday parties and Christmas mornings. You could do better using your mobile phone.
The EIS also creates significant feedback noise when it is active (whenever your hands are moving) so any kind of action shot has a significant hum in the audio.
Finally, the software bundled with the camera for converting the .MOD files that this camera saves as video is not compatible with Mac OS, nor is a Mac version available. You can use IMovie to convert the files, but this adds another annoying step in an already disappointing experience.
On the basis of these three complaints, I sent this camera back to Amazon and got a full refund. I would definitely recommend that you avoid this camera at all costs. There are cheaper and better alternatives for the YouTube generation.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Not for use in doors
(2 out of 5) by G. Pickford on Feb 3, 2009 (UK)I bought this camcorder as I have a Panasonic DV one which has brilliant picture quality and wanted something smaller and more robust. This camcorder is robust and is great for activities outside in good light. However it is rubbish at indoor shots unless it is very well lit and then doing any panning shots just throws it all out again. This camcorder is nowhere near as good as my DV one indoors or out doors.
If this is the standard for camcorders using SD cards then I will be sticking with DV and wait until HD camcorders have had time to mature their technology.
Dont buy this camcorder as a replacement for a DV, dont buy this camcorder for indoor, low light or night filming. Only buy it for filming where you dont want to take your DV camcorder eg on a boat, down the beach, underwater, up a mountain, cycling, sking etc and only on bright days.
Panasonic you have let the side down with this one.
If this is the standard for camcorders using SD cards then I will be sticking with DV and wait until HD camcorders have had time to mature their technology.
Dont buy this camcorder as a replacement for a DV, dont buy this camcorder for indoor, low light or night filming. Only buy it for filming where you dont want to take your DV camcorder eg on a boat, down the beach, underwater, up a mountain, cycling, sking etc and only on bright days.
Panasonic you have let the side down with this one.