This one, the bigger brother to the VDR-D160, looks very similar and shares the subtle look that attracts without really meaning to. Beauty is in the detailing and the fine body sculpting here-Panasonic wins hands down in that department. Build quality is top-notch, something else the siblings share-once again, two weeks and never a creak could we get out of her.

The VDR-D220 has double the megapixel rating and also foregoes the cheaper Digital Image Stabilisation for the more effective Optical IS. However, the image sensor is very much the same at 1j6-inch-typical consumer stuff.





Sharing the same sensor should mean very similar perŽformance-and it's easy to spot. There is noticeable grainiŽness when shooting indoors, but to be honest, you're always going to encounter such issues with single CCD sensor camcorders. Noise is something we've become accustomed to indoors, and we found quite a good deal; once you're shootŽing in the bright sun, these niggles disappear. At the long end of the zoom, we found some minor issues with focusing: the VDR-D220 isn't as fast at getting into focus as is the PanaŽsonic SDR-H20 or the Canon DC51. However, the optical IS system proves its mettle-it's marginally better than the VDR-D160 in this regard, though miles behind its HDD- media-based sibling. The Panasonic VDR-D220 makes a good buy-its better than the cheaper models, and has a good IS system. Highly recommend for its price.


Specifications:

1 / 6-inch CCD image sensor (0.8 megapixel);
LCD viewfinder 2.7-inchŽes (123,000 pixels);
weight: 510 gm.