Create your own video from the deep, sort of.
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It's a breath taking experience.
If you've even been snorkeling or diving you know all too well the things you can see underwater. Well now you can capture it all on video thanks to Panasonic. The company has jumped head first into the underwater camcorder market with the SDR-SW20, and if you're an underwater enthusiast it's worth taking a look at.
The unit is lightweight and compact making it easy to use underwater. It's simplified design means there are a limited amount of buttons. Once you have it on the underwater setting all you have to worry about is hitting the record button.
One of the best features of this camcorder is the LCD screen. At 2.7 inches it's perfect for underwater use. And if you're a bit squeamish you can use the 10x optical zoom top get nice and close to those underwater creatures while keeping a safe distance.
While the camcorder has a lot of great features, it also has a lot of limitations. You can only take it five feet underwater. Panasonic doesn't recommend using the camera where there's a strong current. You can't jump or dive into the water with it in your hands and you shouldn't bump or jar it while it's submerged. You also can't use it for more than 30 minutes at a time. Any of these actions could cause the waterproof housing to leak.
In the end the SDR-SW20 is a great standard definition camcorder if you can live with the limitations. While you won't be taking it diving anytime soon it could prove useful for snorkeling giving you a glimpse into the underwater world even if it's only a shallow one.
To get a look at this new underwater toy, check this video clip.
