Overall
Ease of Use
Features
Quality
Pocket-Friendly, Full-Featured Camcorder, But Poor Video Quality
Review From: NexTag Editorial Review, Apr 14, 2005
The Panasonic D-Snap Digital Camcorder is a full-featured camcorder with a lightweight, super compact design, weighing in at less than a quarter of a pound. The camcorder features a 2" LCD screen, 2.5x digital zoom, 2-megapixel digital output, built-in flash, microphone, speaker, and an SD memory card slot (with a supplied 8MB card) for storing photos. The camcorder also can function as a digital audio player and a voice recorder. The included cradle AV input/outputs allow users to record TV content. Users can also select between four different continuous video modes including: Super Fine, Fine, Normal, and Economy. The D-Snap is easy to use, featuring user-intuitive menus and buttons. The major drawback to the camcorder is that in their process to provide a multi-functional device, Panasonic skimped on overall image and video quality. The D-snap lacks optical zoom and provides poor recording in low-light conditions. Though the device boasts a small form factor, it is not very ergonomic as fingers often get in the way of the lens and buttons are a bit on the small side. Overall, the Panasonic D-Snap is best suited for users looking for an all-in-one recorder that can function as a camera, voice recorder, and digital audio player, but don't require the image and video quality found in dedicated camcorders and digital cameras. The D-Snap is a gadget that sacrifices some quality for the novelty of a small size and an array of features.