January 26th, 2010 
pkinvest 
- Capture video to flash memory
- Waterproof to 5 feet; Shockproof to 4 feet
- 10x optical zoom
- 2.7-inch LCD screen
- Compatible with SD/SDHC memory cards
Product Description
Panasonic’s SDR-SW20 compact SD camcorder is built tough so you can shoot in places never before possible. Take it underwater as deep as 5 feet for great video in the pool or ocean. Waterproofing also means you can shoot in the rain or snow with no worries. The SW20 is also shockproof, resisting damage even if dropped from a height of up to 4 feet with improved fortification inside and out. A dustproof design keeps the camcorder safe even if handled with dirty hands or used in a place with swirling dust. Take it to the beach or sports field without worrying about sand. And since it’s waterproof, simply wash it with water when it gets dirty.Small enough to slip in a pocket or bag. Cool enough to take everywhere you go. This is one stylish camcorder you’ll never want to be without.The SW20 SD camcorder starts up to record quickly. In Quick Start mode, recording begins in just 0.6 seconds from the time the LCD is opened. This lets you catch those sudden shooting opportunities.The USB port allows you to connect directly to a DVD burner. And copying a recording from an SD card to a DVD disc is as easy as selecting from the menu. To view your video, simply take the SD card from the camcorder and slip it into any TV or DVD player with an SD card slot; there are no cables to worry about.First, transfer the motion-image data from the SD card to your PC using your PC’s USB port. Then with the included MotionSD Studio 1.3E software, you can easily put scenes in a different order, delete the ones you don’t want, and add a wide variety of video effects. Save your results by burning your video production onto DVD.
Panasonic SDR-SW20 Waterproof Flash Memory Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
Popularity: 89% [?]
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UPDATE: Evidently … this camera does work on some Macs. I am using Mac OS 10, and iMovie HD… and it did not work on my system. However, I have heard that it DOES work with iMovie 08… sorry for the confusion.
I just got my camera in today, and have been trying to figure out all day how to get video onto my mac from this camera.
I have NEVER had this much trouble connecting anything to my mac.
I am using OS 10 on my Macbook.
I called customer support, and the rep was just as shocked as me… this camera is NOT campatible with a Mac.
It is unfortunate that Panasonic would not make this camera compatible, because it actually is a really cool camera.
So anyways… mac users… you may want to try another alternative.
I hope this review helps… I will be returning this camera tomorrow!
Rating: 2 / 5
Very happy with the size and features. I bought this as a beach/boat video camera and it is doing a great job!
Rating: 4 / 5
I found the black version of this product by chance at a Duty Free Shop in Sao Paulo, listed at 750 USD, before a trip to the US. Once there, we weren’t able to find it at any brick&mortar shop (BestBuy, now defunct CircuitCity, etc.) in the greater Miami area but many of Amazon’s shops did carry it.
My 11-year old daughter wanted a digital camera but I had been procrastinating… This one seemed sturdy enough, being waterproof (has been in a pool more often than I initially imagined) and impact resistant (well, I don’t know of anything, but it would be safe to assume that it did happen).
So far, very satisfying. The only thing I would like to see improved in the future is resolution for still photography (VGA at 640 x 480) and maybe the zoom, but not that it is really needed because 10x is really good).
Ah, one point of attention is battery life. It will go for about one hour before it dies. Replacemente batteries go for 35USD and are a good thing to have around.
Rating: 4 / 5
This is a handy, easy to carry, simple to use with reasonable quality pictures. Can plug into newer TV sets and play the pictures quite easily. Only drawback is I have an intel duocore iMac – I cannot download the movies to the mac. The instructions are limited for a mac as well. i would recommend looking at something else if you are at all Mac inclined. I can’t vouch for a pc as I don’t have one. I guess I will have to get one now.
Rating: 3 / 5
Very nice and practical little camera. Very easy to use for a novice user, can stick it into any bag without a cover and not really worry about it. Picture quality seems decent, however if you want HD quality don’t buy this camera. If you wan’t something very practical and easy to use and carry around, then I would highly recommend it.
Rating: 5 / 5