(But if you really insist on zooming in on your distant subject, the VDR-D100 also has the ability to achieve up to 1000x in digital zoom mode. ) And while cameras with high-powered zooms typically require a big and complicated lens, the VDR-D100 is light and compact enough for you to carry with you easily. Reducing Hand-Shake with Panasonic's Optical Image StabilizerAnyone who has ever recorded home video knows how difficult it is to take perfectly stable shots. Hand-shake is one of the biggest problems with home video. Panasonic has created a unique solution to this problem-an optical image stabilizer system that corrects the problem before the CCD imaging stage, so that it has virtually no effect on image resolution or field of view. With this one-of-a-kind system, you'll get automatic hand-shake correction every time you shoot. Panasonic's Advanced Color Engines and High-Quality OpticsAt the heart of the system is a 1/6-inch CCD, Panasonic's innovative Pure Color Engine and MPEG2 Engine that together offer superb color reproduction and performance. In short, the Pure Color Engine converts the CCD output signal from a complementary color signal into an RGB signal at an early stage and extracts the low-frequency luminance component from the RGB signal. This innovative process will help you achieve superb color reproduction for all your shots, including your high-zoomed pictures. Panasonic's MPEG2 engine is a wide-range, high-precision search engine that produces smooth, beautiful motion pictures. By using the same variable bit rate technology that Panasonic developed for its high-end Diga DVD recorder, the MPEG2 engine will enhance your LP recordings with nearly twice the resolution captured with standard video cameras. But none of this technology would be worth a hoot if Panasonic didn't outfit the VDR-D100 with some of the finest optics you'll find in any camcorder. Leica AG of Germany is the manufacturer of fine cameras and lenses revered by generations of photographers. The Leica Dicomar lens featured in the VDR-D100 was developed specifically for digital video cameras. Drawing on Leica's renowned optical technology, this advanced multi-coated lens captures clear, crisp, finely nuanced images with outstanding detail and contrast. Straight to DVD: No Computer NecessaryOne of the VDR-D100's most exciting features is its ability to record directly to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs. With a DVD-RAM disc, you can record up to tens of thousand times and view your results without any finalizing process. You can also record repeatedly on DVD-RW discs. While you can record only once on DVD-R discs, they can be played back on almost any kind of DVD player or recorder. The camcorder automatically finds a blank section on the disc for recording. You never need to search for blank disc space, and there's no worry about recording over a previous recording by mistake. With this versatility, you'll have the option of recording on whichever kind of disc works best in your DVD player or recorder. With DVD's high-speed data transfer, you can dub your recordings-even large volumes-quickly and easily onto a DVD video recorder's hard disk drive for the editing process. You can also do some polished editing using just the camera itself. For example, you can delete scenes right on the spot or change the scene sequence to create your own scenarios. It's also easy to change the sequence of the scenes you've recorded, and then play them back. And the camcorder's USB 2. 0 compatibility means that you can upload a motion picture data to a PC at high speed over a single USB cable. Even if your PC has no DVD drive, you can transfer the data to a PC seamlessly and quickly. The Finer DetailsThe VDR-D100 has a shutter speed range of between 1/60 and 1/3000 second. With a 0 Lux Color Night View feature, you can shoot video in total darkness. This function shoots four frames per second using the LCD monitor as a light source. Pictures are clear and sharp, thanks to the hand-shake compensation provided by the O. I. S. Light from the LCD is gentle and easy on the eyes, so you can snap shots of sleeping children without waking them up. Automatic functions, such as several scene modes, make it easy to take the perfect video shots, and a 2. 5-inch LCD monitor makes it easy to keep track of your subjects. A built-in stereo microphone lets you record in Dolby Digital stereo, giving your video a true theatrical touch. What's in the Box VDR-D100 camcorder, battery pack, AC adapter, strap, AV multi-cable, USB cable, lens cap, and software CD-ROM.

7 widescreen 16 - 9 hybrid LCD touch panel - rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles Smooth Slow Record - Increase the frame rate from 60fps to 240fps, capturing smooth slow motion Record an audio track to narrate what is being seen in the video Multiple scene selection modes, plus fader and picture effects One-touch wide angle shooting; manual focus; on screen zoom & record buttons Dual Recording - While you record high definition video, you can also capture 2. 3 Megapixel still images directly to a Memory Stick(R) Duo (up to 2304 x 1728 resolution) Super SteadyShot(R) compensates for camera shake without compromising picture quality Cinematic Mode adds a frame film-like effect to video - perfect for creating home movie masterpieces Tele Macro Function handles close-ups without casting a shadow on your subject i. LINK (IEEE1394) interface for easy connection to camcorders, digital VTRs, capture cards and PCs Active Interface Shoe for adding accessories while directly providing power & two-way communication InfoLithium battery with AccuPower(TM) Meter System Multilanguage m.

0W (LCD) Battery Type - InfoLithium(R) with AccuPower(TM) Meter System (NP-FH40) Power Requirements - 7. 2V (battery pack), 8. 4V (AC Adaptor) Video Recording System - NTSC color and EIA standards Compatibility - Windows 2000 Professional, XP Home and XP Professional Dimensions - 2 7/8.

As long as you just want to document your family's life, and send videos to grandma, you aren't really giving anything up. The CCD-TRV308 is Sony's midrange Hi8 camcorder, and it offers an assortment of features that make it great for the average home videographer. Sporting a 2. 5-inch color LCD and 20x optical zoom, there's really no situation that the TRV308 won't shoot well. Especially when you add in the NightShot mode, which switches the camera to an infrared shooting mode, and SteadyShot image stabilization, which helps eliminate those annoying shakes that accompany high zoom levels. In addition the CCD-TRV308 offers a few fader and picture effects, as well as some titling options.