Digital Trends

The Panasonic VDR-D300 was one of the most anticipated camcorders of 2006. It's the first DVD camcorder to use three CCDs for recording video instead of a single imaging device. Panasonic has made a name for itself by incorporating three CCDs into MiniDV models for years such as the legendary PV-GS400. And now they've brought the technology to DVD camcorders. As digitaltrends.com readers know, I have issues with DVD camcorder quality but their convenience is undeniable. I love finalizing a disc, popping it into a DVD player and then watching videos. The “instant” thumbnails with some formats and the ability to hop from scene to scene is outstanding. But those clouds of digital noise and lack of real color oomph bug me and most other folks who care about quality. Don't get me wrong there are some good DVD camcorders such as the Sony DCR-DVD203 reviewed some months ago as well as higher-end Sonys like the DCR-DVD505. Trouble is they're expensive. And so is this Panasonic at close to a $1,000. The VDR-D300 is loaded though with Optical Image Stabilization, manual controls, 3.1MP snapshot capability, a Leica lens, a powerful flash and more. We couldn't wait to charge the battery, load a disc and hit the streets. Here's what we discovered...