Full set of manual controls; well built; nice image stabilization.

Thumbs Down:

No slot for external headphone/microphone jacks; low resolution display.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Panasonic SDR-H85 is a 0.8 megapixels camcorder. It has inbuilt 80GB hard drive and memory slot that accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. The SDR-H85 features 70x optical zoom, 3500x digital zoom, Electronic & Advanced Optical Image Stabilization and digital photo shooting mode. Exposure modes are Automatic, Program, and Manual.

2.7 inches LCD display is based on TFT active matrix technology. Zoom lens has F/1.9-5.7 aperture and 1.48-104mm focal length. Panasonic SDR-H85 has inbuilt lens shield and automatic & manual focus adjustment. Its stereo microphone has wind-noise reduction and zoom features.

Maximum shutter speed is 1/1800sec and minimum is 1/30 second. Shooting programs are Snow, Beach, Sunset, Scenery, Fireworks, Low light, Spotlight, Night scene, Sports mode, and Portrait mode. White balance types are: Automatic, Presets, and Custom. Its presets include Sunlight, Cloudy, Outdoor, and Indoor.

Supported image format is JPEG, while Panasonic SDR-H85 supports NTSC analog video and H.264 & MPEG2 video format. The audio recording format is Dolby Digital Stereo. The recording speed options are SP, XP, LP, LLP, LXP, and LLP. Image storage resolution options are JPEG 640×360 and JPEG 640×480.

The connector set includes 1×USB, 1×Composite video/audio output, and 1×DC power input. Panasonic SDR-H85 has 1790mAH lithium ion battery. Accessories supplied inside the box are one USB cable, one A/V cable, battery, drivers & software disc, and handstrap.

Razzle Dazzle:

Panasonic SDR-H85 is 2.5 inches tall, 2.2 inches wide, and 4.2 inches deep and weighs 9.6 ounces. The dimensions are same to that of Panasonic SDR-S50. The right side  is made up of black matte plastic, while top and left side are mixed of chrome and black shiny plastic.

Inside Dope:

We had earlier reviewed the mini-telescope like Panasonic camcorders – the SDR-S50 (without internal memory) and the SDR-T50 (with 4GB inbuilt flash memory). Now, it is the turn of Panasonic SDR-H85. It costs $349.95 and offers 70x mega-zoom, 80GB hard drive and memory card slot that accepts SDXC/SDHC/SD cards for external storage. These three models will be the best fit for long distant recording, but their standard-def video quality is average. The low-light video quality is poor with image noise. If you need the same features and quality in low price with some internal memory, then go for $269.95 priced Panasonic SDR-T50.

Like the SDR-S50 and the SDR-T50, the Panasonic SDR-H85 has well positioned controls. Shutter release button, iAuto/Manual switch, OIS shortcut, and zoom rocker are located on the top. Movie record button sits on the right of battery pack at the back. If you want to capture still picture then directly press shutter release button. There is no need to toggle between picture and movie modes.

You can flip open the LCD display for easy access. Five-way joystick, Menu button, and auto-focus tracking button are located on the left of display. You can use the joystick for menu navigation and adjusting manual shooting options. You can also press the joystick to access mode-specific options such as aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and focus in Manual mode. Mini-USB port, memory card slot, and AV output are located in LCD cavity. You will also find Long Record, power, and delete button in the cavity.

Maximum recording time of Panasonic SDR-H85 at highest quality is 18 hours 30 minutes. You can press the Long record button to get the maximum recording time, but this video can not be played back on camcorder. The SDR-H85 has easy-to-use menu options and controls. We do not like that the LCD display has low resolution on all three versions – the SDR-H85, the SDR-S50, and SDR-T50. Also, there is no audio jacks for external headphones/microphone and accessory shoe on camera’s body. As an alternative, Panasonic is also supplying additional video light with adapter that attaches on tripod receptacle.

Panasonic has provided complete set of both auto and manual options. You have to press iAuto/Manual button to toggle between them. Manual mode in Panasonic SDR-H85 provides control on 10 scene modes, Intelligent Contrast, Color Night, Soft Skin, aperture, shutter speed, focus, and white balance. While, iAutio mode provides adjusts the settings automatically by selecting one out of five scene modes depending upon surroundings and subjects.

Panasonic SDR-H85 also has YouTube recording mode, like the SDR-S50 and the SDR-T50. Its Pre-Rec option prerecords 3sec video continuously until you press record. Backlight Compensation option lightens all the backlit objects while recording.

The overall video quality of Panasonic SDR-H85 was average. Video appeared soft with visible noise and artifacts. We noticed green as well as purple fringe on high-contract subjects. As already said, the low light video was of poor quality. The video from the SDR-H85 is only fine for sharing at YouTube like Web sites.

The battery life of the SDR-H85 is 2hr 55min continuous video recording.

Nitty Gritty:

Panasonic SDR-H85, SDR-S50, and SDR-T50 offer great and large zoom lens that money can buy now. If you want a mini-telescope like camcorder with 80GB hard drive, then purchase – the SDR-H85.

You can also check $249.95 priced Panasonic SDR-S50 without internal memory and $269.95 priced Panasonic SDR-T50 with 4GB flash memory. Both of them offer same mega-zoom lens, identical video quality, and similar memory card slot.

Full manual and Auto controls; well-designed body; excellent optical image stabilization.

Thumbs Down:

No audio jacks for external mic/headphone; outdated interface; low resolution screen.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Panasonic SDR-S50 is a 0.8-megapixel camcorder with CCD optical sensor. It features digital photo shooting mode, Advanced O.I.S. (Optical image stabilization), 70x optical zoom and 3500x digital zoom. Minimum shutter speed is 1/30sec, whereas maximum is 1/8000sec.

The SDR-S50 supports JPEG image format, NTSC analog video format, and digital video formats of MPEG2 and H.264. Image storage options are 640×360 and 640×480. The recording speed set includes LP, SP, XP, LLP, LSP, and LXP.

Lens has focal length of 1.48-104mm and F/1.9-5.7 aperture. Panasonic SDR-S50 has inbuilt 2.7 inches LCD, stereo microphone and inbuilt lens shield. It has: 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output, and 1 x DC power input.

The SDR-S50 has standard lithium ion battery that has life of 1hour 20min continuous video recording. Accessories supplied inside the package are AC/DC cables, drivers & software disc, USB cable, A/V cable, battery pack, and power adapter.

Razzle Dazzle:

Panasonic SDR-S50 is 2.2 inches wide, 2.5 inches tall, and 4.2 inches deep and weighs 8.3 ounces with media and battery. It is available in gold, blue and black colors. Our test model had black color. The left and top sides are mixed of chrome and shiny black plastic, whereas right side is of black matte plastic. Handstrap is affixed low on its body.

Inside Dope:

If you are dreaming for getting a mini-telescope with video recording to capture long distant videos then wake up as Panasonic SDR-S50 has been launched. It is like a mini-telescope to record standard definition videos of distant objects due to its 70x mega-zoom lens. You need a tripod mount for the support, which is not a big problem. However, the camcorder does not have internal memory and slot for external mic/headphone. For compensation, you can use SDXC/SDHC/SD cards for storage. The SDR-S50 costs $249.95 and offers complete set of manual controls and good video quality. Noteworthy that low light videos are poor with a lot of noise. If you are looking for internal memory, then you can check similarly featured Panasonic SDR-H85 (80GB hard drive) or the SDR-T50 (4GB flash memory).

On the top, you will find zoom rocker, optical image stabilization shortcut, switch for toggling Manual/Intelligent Auto, and shutter release button. Video record button sits on the right of battery pack. You can directly press shutter release button to capture the still picture.

You can flip out the 2.7 inches LCD display of Panasonic SDR-S50. The Menu button, five-way joystick and auto-focus activation button are located on the left side of display. You can use the joystick for menu navigation and adjusting manual options. On pressing, the joystick will show mode-wise arranged shooting options such as aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and focus in Manual Mode. You will find the AV output, mini-USB port, SD card slot, Long Record button, delete key, and power button inside LCD cavity.

Panasonic SDR-S50 camcorder has simple and well-positioned control, whereas its LCD has low resolution. Also, the camcorder does not have accessory shoe for external flash and also lacks audio jacks for external mic/headphones. However, you can buy additional video light that can be attached to tripod mount receptacle.

We appreciate that the Panasonic has included full-auto as well as complete set of manual options. You can press Manual/iAuto button to switch between them. Manual mode provides controls over Intelligent Contrast, Color Night and Soft Skin modes, 10 scene modes, white-balance, aperture, shutter speed, and focus. Color Night allows recording video in low light down to 2 lux, whereas Intelligent Contrast rectifies overly bright and dark areas.

The Intelligent Auto mode of Panasonic SDR-S50 adjusts all the settings as per environment and object. Both Manual and iAuto mode has Backlight Compensation that lightens backlit objects. They also have Pre-Rec that seamlessly prerecords 3sec video until you hit the record button. Panasonic SDR-S50 also has Web mode setting with 10-minute countdown option. The included software also has one-click YouTube upload option, but compatible only with Windows.

The recorded video looked soft with noticeable digital artifacts and noise. There was green and purple fringe around high contrast objects. The color reproduction was OK with clipping highlights. Low-light video quality was poor as expected from a standard-definition camcorder. However, the video is only good for uploading and sharing at YouTube like sharing Web sites. Optical Image Stabilization and new Active mode has done a good job to improve the image stability.

Nitty Gritty:

The SDR-S50 camcorder offers an incredible zoom range, which your money can buy. If you want to shoot long distant subjects and can work with average video quality, then purchase – Panasonic SDR-S50.

However, if you are looking for internal memory then check similarly featured mini-telescope like camcorders – Panasonic SDR-T50 and the SDR-H85.

Manual controls; well-built; Advanced optical image stabilization with 70x zoom lens.

Thumbs Down:

No slot for external mic and headphones; mediocre low-light video performance; outdated user interface; low-resolution display.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Panasonic SDR-T50 is a standard definition camcorder that has 1/8” CCD optical sensor. It features 3500x digital zoom, 2 lux minimum illumination, Advanced Optical Image Stabilization, wide-screen video capture, and digital photo shooting mode. Minimum shutter speed is 1/8000 second and maximum is 1/30 second. The effective video resolution is 520-megapixel and still resolution is 470-megapixel.

The camcorder has 2.7 LCD display and inbuilt stereo microphone. The mic features are wind noise reduction and zoom. The connector set includes 1 x DC power input, 1 x Composite video/audio output, and 1 x USB.

It has three types of white-balance: Automatic, Presets, and Cloudy. The white-balance presets are Sunlight, Indoor, and Cloudy. Shooting programs are: Portrait Mode, Night scene, Spotlight, Low light, Fireworks, Scenery, Sunset, Beach, and Snow.

The SDR-T50 supports digital video of MPEG2 and H.264 as well as JPEG image format. The camcorder has 4GB internal memory and memory expansion slots that accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. Recording speed options are LXP, LSP, LLP, XP, SP, and LP. Image storage resolution options are JPEG 640×360, and JPEG 640×480.

Zoom lens has 1.48-104mm focal length with F/1.9-5.7 aperture that features 70x optical zoom. Zoom adjustment is motorized drive, whereas focus adjustment is Automatic and Manual.

The additional features are Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording, Take photos while recording video, Intelligent Contrast Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, In-camera movie editing, Backlight compensation, USB 2.0 compatibility, Automatic Display brightness adjustment, YouTube capture mode, PictBridge support, Pre-Rec function, Inbuilt speaker, Face detection, AE/AF tracking, Direct Print, and DPOF support.

Panasonic provides one year limited warranty with its SDR-T50.

Razzle Dazzle:

Panasonic SDR-T50 is 2.5 inches tall, 2.2 inches wide and 4.2 inches deep and weighs 7.5 ounces. Its left and top sides are mixed with chrome and black shiny plastic, whereas right side is of black matte plastic. Despite of having mega-zoom lens, the camcorder feels lightweight and small while taking in hand. There is a slider at the left side of lens that controls the lens cover. The camcorder’s body is compact to fit easily in small handbag or coat pocket.

Inside Dope:

Panasonic SDR-T50 looks like a mini-telescope that can record standard-def video. It has 70x mega-zoom lens that focus very closer to the object without any problem. The SDR-T50 costs $269.95 and features Optical Image Stabilization, 4GB internal flash memory, various manual controls and memory expansion slot that accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. The overall video quality is good for a standard-def camcorder, but the low-light videos look poor. The T50 camcorder is inexpensive, but missing slots for external headphones and microphone. It does not provide the perfect standard-def video quality. If you are buying the SDR-T50, then you are paying for mega-zoom lens and storage but not for excellent video quality. Moreover, you can check for Panasonic SDR-H85 that has 80GB drive and the SDR-S50 that costs less as well as records to SDXC/SDHC/SD cards.

The controls of Panasonic SDR-T50 are well placed, but the display is not a touch screen.  The hand-strap sits low on the body and you can reach the fingers after slipping your hand on it to shutter release button and zoom rocker. The other buttons for optical image stabilization, Manual shooting options, and Intelligent Auto are located on the top. The slider to switch between video recording and still capture sits on the back. You can press the shutter release button to capture a still picture without going to photo mode.

You can flip on the LCD display to access the buttons on left side including Menu button, five-way joystick for manual adjustment and navigation, and tracking auto-focus. The joystick will bring mode-specific options, for example, Manual mode has options for aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and focus.

AV output, mini-USB port, and memory card slot are located inside LCD cavity. You will also find Long Record button, delete button, and power button on the cavity. The Long Record button doubles the recording time that you get on Standard quality (SP), but it could only be played on camcorder. The menu system looks outdated and dull due to low resolution display. Panasonic also sells separate adapter and video light that can be attached on tripod receptacle.

Panasonic has included good range of both full-auto and complete manual shooting options. You can press Manual/iA button to toggle between them. The Manual will give access to Intelligent Contrast, Color Night and Soft Skin modes, ten scene modes, white balance, aperture, shutter speed, and focus. The Color Night mode allows recording videos in low light condition downward up to 2 lux. The Contrast mode improves bright and overly dark areas. The iA (Intelligent Auto) will adjust all the settings as per the surroundings and subject.

Some options are available in both shooting modes like Backlight Compensation that lightens backlit subjects, and Pre-Rac that prerecords 3 seconds video continuously until you press record button. There is also a Web mode option that records as per YouTube approximations and starts a ten-minute countdown. Panasonic also provides Windows-only software inside the CD that has one-touch YouTube upload option.

The video quality showed digital artifacts and noise with green and purple fringe at high-contrast subjects. In addition, the color reproduction was merely good with clipping highlights. Panasonic SDR-T50 has poor low-light performance. You have to use tripod for complete zoom range. The Optical Image Stabilization works perfect and Active mode works fine to revamp the stability while moving.

The battery life is 1hr and 20 minutes of continuous video recording.

Nitty Gritty:

Panasonic SDR-T50 offers large zoom range and allows recording of moon  and your sporting events from the last raw of stadium as well. The T50 really deserve its cost due to full-Manual, Intelligent-Auto and powerful mega-zoom lens.

If you need a standard-def camcorder that can capture videos and photos even at a great distance and does not mind poor low-light performance, then you can buy – Panasonic SDR-T50.