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Panasonic HDC-SD40 video review

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The HDC-SD40 is Panasonic's entry-level 1MOS camcorder. It has many more manual features and - most importantly - a 16.8x optical zoom, which no pocket Internet model can boast. Image quality is reasonable for the price, and there's even a Power OIS optical image stabilisation system, to keep things steady when shooting handheld. The SD40 is not the absolute best budget deal on the market, but it provides the most manual settings at this price.

Overall

8/10

By James Morris
Reviewed 03 August 2011
Updated 09 November 2011

Price as reviewed

£228.00

Review
Video Review
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Reviewed by James Morris
03 August 2011

Read the full Panasonic HDC-SD40 review

Awards

Panasonic HDC-SD40 details

Design: 8/10
Features: 7/10
Image Quality: 8/10
Perfomance: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

Pros & Cons

Pros

Comprehensive manual settings
Optical image stabilisation
Built-in LED video light

Cons

CMOS doesn't have Full HD resolution
Optical zoom smaller than some competitors
No built-in memory

Price as reviewed

£228.00

Manufacturer

Panasonic

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