Panasonic D-Snap SV-AV50 Camera Review - Using the Camera
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Although 32MB isn't that much of a capacity, it was sufficient to at least take a few pictures and movies and get a good feel for the camera. With the video set to XF we were able to record 4 minutes and 11 seconds, which is 11 seconds more than the manual claims it to be. I was also able to squeeze a 1 minute and 38 second voice recording on top of that without erasing any data off the card.
As far as the pictures go, 52 high-resolution pictures (1600x1200 in Fine mode) was the max for a 32MB card, 2 more than listed and also enough space for 1 minute and 45 second voice clip. So if you don't feel like breaking the bank for an expensive 256 or 512 SD card, a good cheap 32MB can do the following: 2hr03min of voice (great for a class); 52 hi-res pix or 4 min 11sec of MPEG4 video in XF setting. It took around 3 hours to fully charge the included 530 mAh unit to capacity. It was enough time for filling the 32MB card with the mpeg4 file, full voice file and take 35 pictures with flash on, while formatting the card in between to fully drain the battery.
A major discomfort after all that was the heat dissipated from the battery, it was very hot to handle and if it gets that hot after using a 32MB card to its fullest, what would happen if you try to use up a 256 card while taking pictures with flash that drains the cell a lot faster than plain voice or video recording?
Software Usability
The number one thing that was a major inconvenience with using recorded files is the inability to freely transfer files back and forth between the D-Snap and your home PC. If you have an mp3 player and you just rip some files onto the card using your card reader, the player usually will play them back just fine the way they are. Well, most of them, anyway. In this case you have to format the card inside the unit first, and then you can save files in different folders that it creates on the card. Ease of use was definitely not on Panasonic's engineers' mind when they designed this device, since most of computer users who would purchase this camcorder have card readers either built-in to their machines or freestanding with a usb plug.
The SD movieStage program that was bundled with the camera is a decent utility to manage and transfer files to and from the PC. It also allows you to preview the images, video and audio files that are stored on the card inside the camera. The editing feature inside the program does not let you do much but rotate the picture and save it like that. On the video side, it lets you transfer other formats into the one readable by the D-Snap and store it on the camera.
The SD-Jukebox bundled in the box lets you manage and record audio files between your PC and the SV-AV50. The computer does not, however, recognize the camera until you switch it to play mode and had general problems with recognizing the camera when it was taken out of the cradle and plugged back in right after.
Next: Samples and Conclusion >>
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