The Panasonic VDR-D300 is a top-of-the-line DVD camcorder that uses three-chip imaging to deliver some of the highest-quality video available in a non-high-definition consumer model. The VDR-D300 boasts a Leica Dicomar lens and three 1/6-inch CCDs, each delivering 710,000 effective pixels in 4:3 standard mode and 540,000 pixels in 16:9 widescreen mode. In terms of sharpness and clarity, the resulting video images are nothing short of incredible. Colors are accurate but not oversaturated, and motion is smooth and clean.

Coupled with the excellent video performance, this camcorder also offers all the convenience and flexibility of the DVD format. The VDR-D300 records to write-once DVD-R and rewriteable DVD-RW and DVD-RAM. Like most DVD camcorders, this unit offers point-and-shoot simplicity that will appeal to novice users who want the camcorder to handle the exposure and focusing controls.

However, the VDR-D300 is by no means strictly aimed at novice hobbyists. It also offers extensive manual adjustments if you want a level of creative control to match the outstanding image quality. The VDR-D300 provides manual controls for focus, shutter speed, aperture, gain and white balance. If you are a serious videographer, the only real drawback is the navigation system, which requires pressing a series of buttons to adjust gain and exposure, as well as potential compatibility problems with some computer editing software.

The unit offers a 10X optical/700X digital zoom along with a superior optical image stabilization system. As a stills camera, the VDR-D300 captures images at a maximum resolution of 2,048X1,512, which can be saved to disc or SD memory card. The stills won't match the outstanding quality of the video, but they are comparable to those captured by similar digital camcorders. Whether you are a novice or an experienced camcorder user, the Panasonic VDR-D300's video quality is sure to please.

Pros:  Excellent three-CCD video performance, great manual controls, optical image stabilization
Cons:  Menu navigation is tedious at times, the price may put off some consumers

Warranty
90 days labor, 1 year parts