Panasonic SVAV10 MPEG4 e-Wear Digital Camcorder w/ Still Mode/MP3/Voice Recording & 64MB SC Card (Silver)
by Panasonic

Our Price: $449.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $99.99 (click here)
Category: Digital Camera
See more product details

Digital Photo Product Details

• MPEG4 recorder
• Fixed-focus lens
• 2-inch color LCD
• Records both digital stills and voice onto the included 64 MB SD card
• Plays back MP3 and AAC files

• Pinnacle Studio HD V14 [OLD VERSION]
• AmazonBasics Universal Camera Case for Digital Cameras HF (Black)
• Adobe Premiere Elements 9 [Old Version]
• Final Cut Studio - Old Version

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Panasonic SVAV10 MPEG4 e-Wear Digital Camcorder w/ Still Mode/MP3/Voice Recording & 64MB SC Card (Silver)

Customer Review: Know what to expect
Summary: 5 Stars

Panasonic touts this as a 4-in-1 device: you can record MPEG4 video, digital photographs, and audio, and can play back MP3 and AAC digital music, all in an amazingly tiny package that weighs no more than 4 ounces with battery and SD memory card. BTW, now you can buy Secure Digital memory card of up to 512MB, with 1GB on the way, so the SVAV-10 can be expanded easily.

The SV-AV10, which is recently joined by two newer models SV-AV20 and SV-AV30, comes with a 64MB Secure Digital (SD) memory card, on which you can record up to 30 minutes of MPEG4 video. However, this is at the lower resolution of 174x124. If you go up to the "fine" mode, which shoots at 320x240, you can obviously fit a shorter footage. The framerate is 15 frames per second (vs. 25 fps for the NTSC video standard used by American TVs and camcorders), so the video is a bit jerky, much like using a webcam. The minimum required illumination is 120 lux, so you won't be able to shoot anything at a candlelight dinner. This is what I mean by "knowing your expectations." This is not to replace your regular camcorder; it's really a toy that you can carry 24 hours a day and capture those moments that no one could expect ahead of time.

The digital camera function captures images in the 640x480 resolution, and the SV10 has a built-in flash (but no optical zoom). Image quality is so-so; I'd say it's something you'd expect from an inexpensive digital camera that still shoots at this resolution. Given lots of lighting, the quality is quite acceptable. (Of course, you probably can't print the photos of this resolution. So don't throw away your regular, 2+MP digital camera yet.) Panasonic claims you can record up to 880 images on a single 64MB SD card. I haven't tested that claim yet.

Voice recording is nothing to write about; the quality is acceptable but again nothing on par with a dedicated device. MP3 and AAC (AAC is a better-than-MP3 encoding format; see my review of the Panasonic MP3-in-a-headphone model) playback is excellent, although you don't get too many options. The included stereo earphones are good, although you can always substitute your own ones.

Because of its small size, the SV10 only has a small number of buttons: one record button at the top, one power button that also opens the menu on the 2-inch LCD screen, one "mode" button that switches between play and record on the LCD, and one jog-dial button that plays, forwards and rewinds. The user interface is quite intuitive; you just need to know what the mode button does.

You can transfer files between the SV10 and your PC via the included USB cable and software. Everything works smoothly on my Windows 2000 and also a Windows 98 SE PC.

For a super-cool AV (audio/video, not "adult video"!) toy, the price is surprisingly affordable -- you can find it for cheap at some places, hopefully at Amazon soon -- and this is will impress the heck out of your friends.

Note: The newer AV20 and AV30, which only recently hit the retail market in the U.S., have the same resolution and frame rate as the AV10. They are slightly smaller and lighter, but their LCD screen has less resolution than AV10. Of course, this means they are more battery-efficient than AV10. AV30 comes with a cradle that allows you to play back on a TV, plus recording stuff from the TV!

Description of Panasonic SVAV10 MPEG4 e-Wear Digital Camcorder w/ Still Mode/MP3/Voice Recording & 64MB SC Card (Silver)

Initial Impressions
Small. This thing is just small. Really small. It's the first thing people mention when they see it for the first time. Cute is usually the second word applied. And it's both of those things. It fits easily in small hands, and I was using it to make a quick movie and shoot some stills within minutes of picking it up.

Interface
The SV-AV10 is essentially a big battery with a lens and SD card reader-writer. As such, the control system is rather limited, consisting of two buttons and a rocker switch on the back, and a large trigger button on the top. On the back, the menu button doubles as the power button. The power won't turn on or off unless you hold the button for two to three seconds, making it hard to accidentally turn on the phone while it is in your pocket. Upon powering up, you're confronted with the various modes (movie mode, still mode, etc.) for recording or playback. You use the rocker switch to choose between them, and the mode button to switch between the playback and recording menus. Whatever recording mode you're in, the trigger switch at the top starts and stops. In playback modes, you rely heavily on the rocker switch. Depressing the switch performs multiple functions, and makes me wish they'd added another button. The system works well for the most part, however, and is relatively simple.

It's clear that Panasonic intended the user to manage files by using the included software and memory card reader. It is extremely difficult to delete individual files, and to actually playback items is a bit cumbersome, as the SV-AV10 only displays a list of files stored, requiring you to pick blindly (file names are automatically generated, and usually appear similar to this: MOL001.ASF). The only exceptions are the MP3 and AAC files you transfer to the memory card, but those file names are truncated after 17 characters, so you need to be concise.

Movie Mode
I'll admit, I was quite excited about the promise of an MPEG-4 in such a small package. This new codec stuffs really large video files into exceedingly small spaces, and is being used by entertainment companies to provide new video-on-demand services over the Internet. And, the codec is so efficient that even in the "fine" mode, you can store about 20 minutes of footage on the included 64 MB SD card. Unfortunately, the footage you get from the SV-AV10 is jerky: the frame-rate is probably about 15 fps, far short of the 24 fps that movies are shot at, or television's 29.9 fps. What it is good for, though, is sending e-mails to friends, and making little mini-movies for fun. I'd hoped for a little more than this, as Kodak's MC3 supplied as much a year earlier (with a smoother frame rate). Similar to the MC3, you can shoot until the card is full (about 20 minutes with the included 64 MB card), whereas most digital camera movie modes have a 30 or 40 second time limit per clip.

Frame-rate limitations aside, the SV-AV10 is a fun toy. There's a certain amount of kitsch value with something like this, but the price might end up being too prohibitive for some.

MP3 Playback
There's not a whole lot to discuss here. Once you've used the included software (RealJukebox) to transfer files to your SD card--digital-rights management is in effect, so you need to check music in and out--you place the card back in the SV-AV10, go to the MP3 playback mode and go. There's no EQ, and the headphones that come with the machine are of the cheap earbud variety, which means you'll probably want to use a better set. Obviously, the machine's not geared toward audiophiles, but it performs its functions admirably.

Digital Photo Mode
The SV-AV10 is fine for taking lower-resolution snapshots. In that respect, it's kind of fun to use. The lack of any sort of zoom hurts you here; you'll have to get in close for most shots. Once you turn the flash on, you'll blow out most of your subjects, so use it sparingly.

Software
I was disappointed in the software that came with the SV-AV10. RealJukebox was fine, albeit not the most current version, and I was happy with how it worked. It was the Panasonic SD-MovieStage software that gave me nightmares. The software was good for pretty much one thing: viewing your movies on a computer. Trying to do anything else was problematic, and extraordinarily difficult to figure out, even with the manual's help. It's not particularly adept at making cuts, or editing together various movies, but then, I'm not sure most people will want to do that with this particular machine.

Final Analysis
The Panasonic SV-AV10 is a unique device with a lot of appeal for those who need a camera that does a lot of things. While it isn't a high-end digital camera, MPEG camcorder, or MP3 player, all the functions are performed adequately or better. The one thing you'll want, particularly if you have an interest in MP3 playback, is extra memory: high-quality MP3s eat up your memory quickly.

Camcorders

• Camera & Photo > Camcorders