Panasonic SDR-H18 Digital Camcorder

Panasonic Updated: 2007-06-21
Panasonic SDR-H18 Digital Camcorder

Extended Recording for Extended Shooting Fun
WThe internal 30GB hard drive holds as much video data as about 22 DVDs. That means you can record continuously for up to 27 hours without changing a disc, tape or other recording medium. The SD Card/Hard Disk camcorder is perfect for taking on a trip or for shooting those extra long events.

Suppress Camera Shake — Even on a Big-Screen TV
Imagine taking video shots on a moving boat and then viewing them on a large-screen TV. They're likely to appear blurry from the boat's movement and from your unsteady hands. Panasonic solves this problem with O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), which minimizes hand-shake in situations where it is most often a problem, such as with zoom shots &mdash or on a moving boat. The system is optical, so there is no quality loss, and images look clear and beautiful on a big-screen TV.

Always Ready for a Close-Up
You'll rarely need to move in to get a close shot with this camcorder. You can fill the screen with even a distant subject, thanks to a powerful 32x zoom. And because it's optical, there's no loss of clarity or quality. Whether you zoom in or pull back, images always retain their natural beauty.

An LCD That's Easy on the Eyes
In bright sun or a darkened room, your LCD will always be just right, with five brightness levels for optimal viewing. Simply adjust the LCD brightness to match lighting conditions, and enjoy comfortable shooting anywhere you go.

DVDs at the Push of a Button
No more complicated steps to put your memories onto a DVD. Just connect the camera to your PC's USB port and press a single button to copy your video to a 12-cm DVD. And it's just as easy with a DVD writer. Just connect, and with the push of a button, you're done.

Keep Video Safe from Falls
Don't let a dropped camera rob you of your best shots. An Anti-Shock Shield helps protect your valuable footage from damage by lifting the head away from the hard drive when it senses a fall of about 20 cm. And rest assured that those last few seconds of video are safe. If the camera falls, newly recorded data is temporarily stored in an internal buffer, and then transfer to the drive once it resumes operation. To reduce impact, a protective gel also cushions the drive, guarding your video from accidental loss.

Records onto:  SD/SDHC Memory Card, Hard Disk Drive
Recording Format  MPEG2
Image Sensor (Total)  1/6" CCD (680K pixels)
Image Sensor (Effective)  4:3 -- 340K x 3
16:9 -- 460K x 3
(Moving Picture)
4:3 -- 350K x 3
16:9 -- 460K x 3
(Still Picture)
F Value  F1.8 (Wide) / F3.7 (Tele)
Optical Zoom  32x Variable Speed
Focal Length  2.3 - 73.6 mm
35mm Film Camera Equivalent  4:3 -- 43.9 - 1405mm
16:9 -- 35.9 - 1149mm
(Moving Picture)
4:3 -- 43.7 - 1398mm
16:9 -- 35.6 - 1139mm
(Still Picture)
Lens Type  Panasonic
3CCD Camera System  No
Image Stabilizer  Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.)
Still Picture Recording  Yes
Progressive PhotoShot  Yes
Minimum Illumination  2 Lux (Magic Pix®)
White Balance  Auto/Indoor/Outdoor/Manual
High Speed Shutter  1/60 - 1/8,000 sec. (Moving Picture)
1/60 - 1/500 sec. (Still Picture)
Iris  Auto/Manual (Including Gain)
Program AE (Auto Exposure)  Yes
Backlight Compensation  Yes
LCD Monitor  2.7" wide (123K pixels)
Manual Focus Ring  No
MagicPix Images  Yes
Microphone  Stereo Zoom Mic
Wind Noise Reduction
Date Recording  Auto Date (in Date Code)
Wide Mode (16:9)  Yes
On-Screen Display Language  English / French / Spanish
Digital Zoom 1  32x - 1,000x
Flash  No
Quick Start  No
Web Camera Function 2  No
Cue and Review  Forward/Reverse
Skip  Yes
Recording Mode  XP/SP/LP
Audio Recording Format  MPEG1 Audio Layer 2
Built-in SD Slot  Yes (SD/SDHC)
Slide Show  Yes
DPOF  Max. 999 stills
DCF  Yes
PictBridge Compatible  Yes
S-Video In  Yes
Video Output  AV out
HDMI  No
AC Adaptor  Yes
Battery Pack  Lithium-Ion
Shoulder Strap  No
AV Cable  AV/S Multi
USB Cable  Yes
IR Remote  No
SD Memory Card  No
Lens Cap  Yes