Not Quite the Super-Device, but Pretty Close

Author's Rating:

Pros: small size, cool styling, good quality pictures and video

Cons: small SD card supplied, no dedicated button to switch modes, hardware connections are cumbersome

The Bottom Line: 
The D-Snap is for someone who wants something simple to operate, with a few settings to tinker, and can take everywhere. Perfect for the fashionista and secret agents in training.

Author's Review
For years, I had resisted the urge to purchase a digital camera; my gripe with them was that it’s senseless to buy something that is bulky and only has one function. Besides which, they are not convenient enough to have on hand all the time. And since the most priceless moments happen when one least expects it, a digital camera at home or in a carrying case is pretty much useless. Personally, I would much rather have a mobile phone with advanced imaging capabilities.

When I came across Panasonic’s new line of D-Snap cameras, it seemed like the perfect solution: Micro-sized devices that are designed to go anywhere and packs multiple functions ranging from imaging to music playback. I had previously considered the Casio Exilim and the Canon Elphs, but neither was quite as small or full-featured as I would have liked. With that in mind, I ordered the D-Snap SV-AS10 from Tweeter.com for the exceptionally low price of $148.

Design
The first thing that prospective buyers should know is that the D-Snap comes in four flavors. The SV-AS10 is actually the low range model, although it is the slimmest of the bunch, and comes in colors of orange, blue, and silver. This is also the only model that has a fixed LCD screen, though this is compensated with a rotating lens.

Even if it did not promise to do so much, the SV-AS10 remains one slick device; the cool aluminum body and slim size exude a modern aesthetic. It’s featherweight, but feels substantial because of the casing. Even the USB cradle looks sleek, with a combination of clear plastic, silver base, and sexy curves. It is difficult to appreciate just how small this camera is; it really is not much bigger than a credit card and is less than 1cm thick. Try one in a store, and you will notice how pleasing it is to hold in the hand.

Inside, the intuitive and easily navigated menus show the playful nature of the D-Snap range: Icons and buttons are set in colorful red/orange/white bubbles. Previous Panasonic electronic devices had mostly stark, clumsy menus. This newly designed interface in the D-Snap is a welcomed change.

Camera
Picture quality from the D-Snap is really very good, comparable to most other 2MP digital cameras on the market. Considering its small size (and the tiny lens), this is no easy feat. For the casual user, the SV-AS10 is entirely sufficient for printing 4x6 pictures. A handful of settings for the ISO, Color Balance, and Night Mode are also available for those that want to tinker with the camera. There is no optical viewfinder, but fortunately, the 1.5” LCD is clear, bright, and responsive to motion.

Because of the small lens on the D-Snap, lighting is more of an issue than with larger digital cameras. Pictures come out looking perfect in outdoor conditions, but indoors, it becomes tricky; daylight from a window is almost always too dark to produce good photographs. As such, flash (comes in Auto, Red-Eye, On, and Off settings) is a must under these conditions. Auto-ISO and Auto-Color Balance work well on this device; apparently, the D-Snap is smart enough to differentiate between lighting conditions and adjust as needed.

The D-Snap features a 4x digital zoom using the Jog Ball, but beyond 1x, the pictures become much too pixilated. I would suggest using no zoom at all for the pictures you would actually want to print, and possibly 1x if you only want to view on the computer. It is also possible to use digital zoom up to 10x on a photo in Display Mode; a useless function, but fun to show friends. The rotating lens is good for taking pictures at odd angles, but do note that the flash will fire only when the lens is facing forward.

Night mode is nothing special on this camera; it brightens the picture just slightly and warms the colors a bit, but I have seen much better from other Panasonic DVs. The manual ISO setting can be good for taking photos without using the flash. Although setting to ISO 400 will produce similar brightness as the flash, noise becomes rather evident.

Video
The video quality is surprisingly good as well. The SV-AS10 records in Motion JPEG at 320x240 (15fps), and clips are saved in the QuickTime format, a curious choice considering that Panasonic designed the device to work more with PC’s than Macs. I had expected the video to be jerky and low resolution, but movement is actually quite fluid and the picture was clean (though keep in mind of the resolution). Blurring, however, does occur with quick motions from the object or camera (or indoors shooting). I like to create music videos by piecing together video clips, and the output from the SV-AS10 would be perfectly adequate, as long as it is viewed on the computer. Video capture is limited to 60 seconds per clip, but it is possible to record as many clips as the memory card will allow. Unfortunately, Night Mode and Digital Zoom are not available during filming. ISO settings and Color Balance can still be used, though they will not help too much in dim lighting.

Music Player
Other reviewers have already mentioned the lack of actual mp3 support (instead, with a proprietary Panasonic format in its place), which is a real shame. But this is hardly a deal breaker. The D-Snap requires a separate program just to transfer files; the software is nice looking, though not as elegant or bug-free as, say, Photoshop or Flash Studio. You can also attach photos and album art onto the music files using the Jukebox program, a nice touch that the Apple iPod has only recently begun to offer. The included headset (headphones plugged into a wired remote) is unusual for devices found on the American market, but it does look quite sharp and high-tech. Music playback is very good, which is helped by the high quality headphones Panasonic supplied (it’s nice that they didn’t try to be stingy with an expensive novelty). Audio settings (Normal, Bass 1, Bass 2, and Train) is adjustable so that you can listen to Linkin Park the way it’s meant to be heard (i.e., loud and heavy bass).

Voice Recorder
The voice recorder feature is something that would really appeal to students and others who like to document lectures. The tiny microphone mounted on the side is unexpectedly powerful and clear; it can pick up a speaker in the back of a hall that seats 200+ people, without the annoying static that comes with cheaper recorders. You can later listen to the recordings with the headphones, or transfer onto your computer through the speakers. The file sizes are also very manageable; a 64mb SD card can be filled with about 4 hours of recording. And since the D-Snap is completely digital, you can archive the files without taking up any physical space. Unlike the video capture limit, there is no restriction to the length of audio recordings you can make.

Flaws
The D-Snap does not connect to the computer without the cradle in place. Even then, there is no option to connect the camera without plugging in the AC source. Most people would not care, but I would have preferred being able to connect the camera using the internal battery source.

Although charging is restricted to using the cradle and the AC cord in combination, it does not appear possible to use the camera and charge at the same time. When the camera is charging, a LED light blinks continuously. Turning on the camera will cause the light to go off, indicating that the device has stopped charging. This seems rather silly, considering that all electronic devices nowadays allow for using while charging.

The SV-AS10 includes an SD memory card in the box, which is pretty much standard for Panasonic electronic devices. However, it is only for 8mb, much too small for actual use (think of it as a “sampler card”); at the Fine 1600x1200 resolution, only about 16 pictures can be stored on the included card. For a device that is intended to be high-tech and high-end, Panasonic should have been more generous. Also note that the D-Snap does not have any internal memory, though this can’t be considered a flaw; in fact, the use of SD cards is a nice feature of this device, because you can swap cards easily and keep multiple cards around (e.g., one filled with only music, one for video, one for pictures, etc.).

There is no easy way to switch between video/camera/audio modes; a specific dedicated button would have been nice. Instead, you have to use the Jog Ball and scroll through the menus to switch between modes (although holding down the Menu key will bring up a “shortcut menu” that allows for quicker changes). How Panasonic decided that this useful omission was less important than the idiotic dedicated Screen Reversal button (located below LCD screen) is beyond me.

The Jog Ball isn’t necessarily difficult to use; it’s similar to the rolling track ball on a mouse or those found on certain arcade games. And since it supports 5-way motions, navigating through the menu is quite easy. The only thing I do not like is that pressing the Jog Ball serves as the “enter” function, which can be difficult with a device this small.

Bottom Line
This is a great little device that does a multitude of things. It should be obvious that the D-Snap range is intended to ride on the popularity of camera/video phones. Though unlike those devices, the SV-AS10 does these tasks significantly better. If you are just looking for a cool gadget, then I think the retail price of $299 is not unreasonable at all; considering all of its capabilities and the form factor, I would even call it a good deal. But if you are looking at this device purely as a digital camera, then the price is probably inflated; for its imaging abilities, the D-Snap really should be in the $200 range.

One common problem with convergence products is that they don’t handle tasks as well as separate devices designed for just a single function. One day, we will see super-devices that are capable of super-tasks. But for right now, the D-Snap is pretty close. Contrary to most criticisms against miniature gadgets, I think the SV-AS10 could well serve as a replacement for other devices; for the point-and-click crowd, the 2MP camera capability is sufficient to use as an everyday digicam, and the performance of the audio recorder/music player is as good as any other single-function device I’ve seen. However, if you want professional-grade camera or video results, then this is the wrong product for you; this device is for the person who wants something simple to operate, with a few adjustable settings to tinker, and can take everywhere. For gadget-lovers, fashionistas, and secret agents in training, the styling and convenience of the D-Snap will more than compensate for its shortcomings.