Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
By: Panasonic Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 44
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 On: 2008-05-08
Nice camera, picture is perfect, bit clumsy with the button design, but once you get the hang of it works great.
 On: 2008-04-23
Before I get to the main review, I have to mention that, contrary to misinformed reviews, there has already, for months now, been software out there to edit the HDC-SD1s AVCHD footage. (Pinnacle Studio Plus or Ultimate and Uleads software come to mind; I use the former).
And not only is there software to edit it, but with a simple download of a codec pack, you can copy the individual movies straight off the SDHC card on to your computer, and watch them INSTANTLY with no rendering needed.
So this camcorder is really as versatile as you could want.
Review:
First, I have used my SD1 for almost a year and it has never let me down.
The SD1 takes high-quality 1440x1080 (1080i) HD video using the AVCHD codec. This is a very efficient codec, but requires a modern nicely-equipped computer to edit or even watch in its native resolution. Figure a Core 2 Duo 2+ gHz with at least 128 MB video RAM and 2 or 4+ GB of system RAM.
The lens features optical image-stabilization, which means the lens will compensate for any slight shaking, so the picture remains steady and focused. This is crucial for hand-held shooting if you want a semi-professional "look" to your videos.
The 12x zoom is really a great zoom length, especially when compared to the 10x of the new models; that last 2x can mean the difference between seeing someones face, and only seeing their upper-half. Unlike some others, the digital zoom does not necessarily degrade the image quality too much so you can use that, too, but if you want the best possible image quality, you only want to use Optical Zoom.
While on the topic of Digital Zoom, Panasonic provides 3 options - off, 30x, and 400x. This is a nice touch, because, even at 30x, the picture will be usable if you happen to need to get an image from that far.
Storage - The SD1 uses SD/SDHC cards only. Since SD cards are so small, the camcorder is easily held and weighs mere ounces. I have used 4 GB and 8 GB SDHC cards without issue. Although I did not attempt to record 8 GB straight, I was able to use all 8 GB, broken up into a number of clips, which, I think, is a more typical use than one long 8 GB clip.
SDHC cards keep coming down in price. I recently purchased an 8 GB card for around [...]. At that price, you basically have unlimited footage. The battery, though, is $[...], which is annoying.
As for the file structure, I believe it mimics a BluRay DVD file structure. The actual video is in the stream sub-folder, but you could, I would guess, burn your footage as is straight from the card (from the BDMV folder and in) and have a home-made BluRay Disc.
Playback - you can play back the video, in HD, either on the computer, or from the video camera itself, using any HDMI cable. The picture is stunning.
Performance - The SD1s built-in battery lasts for only about an hour of shooting. This is fine for small events and quick family outings, but what I usually do is find a location with an outlet, and record, on a tripod, from there, with the SD1 plugged into the wall. That way, my recording time is limited only by the card capacity.
I found that the camcorder handles light changes very well. I recently zoomed in from a room with one type of lighting into a room with sunlight flooding into it. The camera adjusted its lighting within a seconds time so that the picture was viewable under both lighting conditions. In other words, the autofocus and related parts work very well.
The Still-image feature is not bad, and 2 MP images are certainly usable for 4x6 prints, but a dedicated camera will do a bit better. I can tell which picture was taken with my camcorder, and which was taken with my Canon camera, though, as I wrote, the picture is very usable.
The only con I can think of is the resolution is 1440x1080 (1080i), not 1920x1080 (1080p, "Full HD"), but this is mitigated by the improved image quality that you get from the sensors not needing to produce more pixels on the same size sensor.
Overall, I highly recommend this camcorder, despite it not being "Full HD", because its native 1440x1080 is already quite stunning, and its implementation is really quite well done, and is a great cam to own and use.
 On: 2008-02-15
Others have extolled the very good picture quality of this camera, but you cant do much of anything with them. For now you have to be content looking at the unedited video played back from the camera directly to your HD TV. Your computer is reduced to a mere storage device, as for older footage you have to load it back onto the camera for HD playback, which takes 6-8 minutes for about a full 4GB disks worth of HD video (a little less than an hours worth).
The software is inexcusably awful. The first thing I did with the bundled HDwriter "EZ-Edit" crapware was accidentally delete my first hour of footage, thinking I was getting rid of the first 5 second "scene" (shot) of the ground and my feet. The manual appears to be correct in that deleted footage cannot be recovered: the program doesnt put the files in the recycle bin as would be appropriately civilized. After a few hours with an Undelete program, and with the help of another computer to figure out the inexplicably complicated directory structure (its about five levels deep, and its creator should be shot), I was able to restore everything exactly the way it should be. But HDwriter refused to read the footage, giving a cryptic error message (just a number) for which there seems to be no reference in either the manual or at Panasonics website. The files are all there, but Im guessing theres some time stamp or hash code which is causing it to choke.
The program is also littered with annoying and useless nags in broken Engrish which you have to click through to do anything, and you can only play footage back in the program in reduced resolution mode -- no HD playback on your computer. And the playback capabilities are very limited. No single frame stepping, for example. About all Ive figured out how to do with the software is delete unwanted scenes and merge multiple scenes into one scene. In other words, the editing capabilities are very limited.
And as of this writing theres still no third party software which can read the files and edit them properly in the native AVCHD format. Some of this software has plug-ins to convert into some other format for editing, but reports are quite mixed as to how well all this works. It sounds like its very computer and system dependent. Meaning that if you want to do anything with your great shots you may not be able to, and if you are they likely wont look nearly as good as is possible. If all you want to do is post to YouTube, thats maybe okay. But then why would you spend this kind of money on an HD camera? Its really a shame because the camera does take nice pictures and was rather easy to get the hang of. Even if an extra battery seemed to cost an arm and a leg - twice as much as an extra memory chip. Im also somewhat annoyed that theres no shoe for attaching an external microphone, as the one onboard is only barely tolerable for a lot of shooting.
In sum, I would stay away until its clear that either Panasonic can include some decent software with the camera or until theres a good third party solution that lots of people using the AVCHD format seem happy with. The latter has been promised for the better part of a year now but has yet to materialize. Ive had my SD1 for seven months and its spent all but the first month or so in the closet waiting for the ability to actually work with its pictures.
On: 2008-01-17
Ive had this camera for just under a year and have enjoyed it very much. Like other reviewers have mentioned, finding editing software for the AVCHD format used is a challenge. I use Adobe Premiere CS3 for editing but have to first convert any footage using Nero or other software.
The camera is lightweight easy to use and has many great presets as well as offering great image quality. Recording to SD is a great option if you dont want to buy a hard disk camcorder as carrying extra SD cards is much more convenient than the extra bulk of blank tapes.
One side note, for recording indoors consider using manual settings for white balance (an easy to find menu option) as full auto can look a little yellow.
On: 2007-12-30
The video quality of this camera is excellent. The only issues I have with the camera is the main control switch which is very uncomfortable and constraint of recording time by buttery.
On: 2007-12-26
I have used the Panasonic HDC-SD1 camera for over a month now and I am quite happy with the quality and sound of the videos. The camera performed flawlessly, however the battery barely lasted half an hour and there are no extended-time batteries available for sale. To do any serious taping outdoors away from an electric outlet, I would need a few extra batteries and they are not cheap. Pinnacle has come to the rescue for those of us who want to save our taped videos with their Ultimate 11 video program specifically for AVCHD users. The Pinnacle program saves the video immediately to a PC (not to a Mac computer) and also converts the video to a viewable format. However, to convert the video to a format suitable for viewing or storing on a PC or removable media like a DVD takes hours. Thirty seconds of recorded video may take over three to fours hours to convert into a video suitable for viewing or editing. Editing with menus and subtitles may take even longer. I have an old 1.7ghz PC which is maxed out at 2.0GB of RAM. This is about the minimum that Pinnacle requires to run the Ultimate 11 video encoding program and I suspect that if I had a more powerful PC it would still take much too much time. The program should covert AVCHD clips in minutes not hours to appeal to serious video makers using PC or Mac computers. Panasonic should come up with a better associated program for their high definition camera if they really want this technology to take off. If I didnt have Pinnacle Ultimate 11 I would not be able to save my video to PC for editing or archiving. I then saved some time by sending the created movie video file to my mac computer via my home network. There I edited it and cut a DVD disc with Toast 8 program which is much speedier than Pinnacle. I only wish the Apple guys will update Toast 8 so it can convert AVCHD clips from the Panasonic HDC-SD1 too. If you dont mind putting up with the drawbacks mentioned, I will recomend this camera as the best quality product available for the money at this time.
On: 2007-12-26
We used this camera to film our childrens christmas program and opening of gifts on Christmas morning. I have two items for your consideration.
1. If you buy this camera you will need to purchase more flash memory immediatly or plan on transfering footage to a computer freqeuntly. The included 4GB card films less than two hours at the maximum resolution.
2. The DVDs that you burn using the included software are viewable only on Blue Ray DVD players or Sony PS3 game consoles. If you plan on sharing the DVDs with friends and family running "Standard" (non-HD) TV and DVD players you will need to purchase a program to downgrade the HD resolution and burn DVDs in standard DVD format.
That said, the quality of the picture and audio are excellent. We love this camera and plan to use it frequently.
On: 2007-12-10
I have had my SD1 for about a week. I havent tested it fully, but here are my first impressions:
1. Looks AWESOME when attached HDMI to my 50" plasma!!!
2. Auto iris tends to gain up in low light (which is what it is supposed to do)- introducing noise in the video
- adjusting the gain manually is pretty easy
3. My one year old HP ZD8000 laptop does NOT support included 4GB SDHC card in the card reader slot. I have to connect the camera via USB cable. However, my regular 1GB SD cards work just fine (but only record about 10 mins per card at the highest setting)
4. In order to transfer files via USB, the camera MUST be plugged in. It will not work on battery power
5. Included editing software is VERY basic. It is used to transfer files, cut up, merge, and delete video clips, and output to DVD (which I have not tried yet). You cant do titles, fades or anything other than very simple cuts in this software.
- However, I downloaded a free AVC-HD to DVCPRO Transcoder and tested it on Avid Xpress Pro 5.7 and it imported just like P2 MXF media! The video was a bit jumpy in my short initial test, so I dont know if it transcoded poorly or maybe I had the Avid project at the wrong frame rate (30i instead of 60i). More testing tomorrow, I hope.
6. Ergonomics - this camera is small: about the size of a pop can. It feels a bit awkward in my average-sized male hand, but not too bad. I think I will get used to it in short order.
7. The OIS is outstanding! I have heard from other brand owners that my Panasonic SD1 has far better image stabilization.
OVERALL -- Great images playing straight out HDMI to my 1080i plasma. 3 chips give you good color and clarity, but they are small, which means you sacrifice light and depth of field (which is why I went with the SD1 and not the SD5 - go for chip size NOT pixels!!!). For $799 (Amazon) it is a fantastic deal for a consumer HD camera. Some argue that HDV yields a better picture (difference being in the compression codec), but I specifically wanted a memory card camera.
On: 2007-11-21
I buy Panasonic for their Leica lens. This one was the entire package, every feature fit my checklist. So far, Ive only owned it three weeks, but results are high end. Good purchase, satisfied customer.
On: 2007-11-11
I purchased this product in late August. I used it extensively in October 2007 while in Italy for two weeks. First, the size of this camera was one of the main reason I bought this. I have carried previous camcorders on vacations, and they were bulking to say the least. This camcorder was smal enough, it fit into Venturer Travel Portfolio Bag (I bought on Amazon). This is a small bag I threw over my shoulder. The camcorder and a small table tripod fit perfectly inside the main compartment. My passport, money, and extra camcorder battery, plus an extra scandisk all fit inside the bag. It was great not having to lug around a big camera bag.
Next, the ease of use of the camcorder was simply flipping the screen open and turn on. It powered very fast and I was shooting. I also could leave the power on and close the screen, and the camera would turn off, then I simply opened the screen again, and the camcorder would power on even quicker.
The zoom was good. However, the digital zoom was even better. With my tripod, I got some amazing close up shots. There is distortion at far ranges due to air molecules, so it was perfect, but believe me, it was damn good.
In the field, I could use the LCD screen to review what I recorded. The LCD was beautiful. Recording in the low light situations will not give you a great video. That is the only negative with the videocam IMHO.
Play back: upon returning, I played on a normal tv set. It looked good, but I wanted to see what it look liked on High Def tv. We bought a High Def set last weekend and I again played the video. Oh my god, what a difference. The quality of the video pictures was incredible. I just couldnt believe the difference. The clarity and color of video was astonishing.
I couldnt be happier with this purchase. Now, I am learning to edit everything using the uLead Videostudio 11 software. I cant comment too much about it, but I was able to upload a 1 minute video to my iPod. Everyone has been pretty impressed with that.
On: 2007-11-02
This camcorder takes very good quality videos. I have been impressed with the resolution and colors.
There are three main drawbacks to the SD-1, as I see it:
1) ergonomics. The camera does not comfortably sit straight in the hand, but rather, rolls over to a slightly tilted position unless you apply some pressure from your wrist and/or fingers to hold it upright. This can get quite annoying. The SD-5 is a far better design (although with the SD-5 its nearly impossible to avoid covering the microphone with your fingers, not a problem with the SD-1).
2) no hotshoe for an external light. This is important in particular with AVCHD cameras, which do not tend to perform well in low light, the SD-1 being no exception. Of course, the SD-5 doesnt offer a hotshoe or a mic jack, so thats no improvement. The Sony CX7 offers both, but I have not been impressed with Sonys high def image quality yet (have not actually tried the CX7, but have tried other Sony HD camcorders).
3) the Panasonic rep I spoke with today said that the new 8GB and 16GB memory cards will work with the SD-1, HOWEVER, they will stop at every 4GB interval. In other words, when you fill up the first 4GB, you will need to hit record again to start saving on the next 4GB. This could mean missing a key moment in the middle of you recording, or could mean a big hassle if you have the camera set up on a tripod and have to go back to hit record every 40 min or so. I do not believe this same problem will exist for the SD-5 (at least up to 16GB) or for the CX7 (which requires proprietary memory cards).
Im on the fence whether Ill keep my SD-1, or not, due to these limitations. I love the concept of memory card camcorders (pop it into your memory card reader and go! no wires!), and am impressed with SD-1s image quality. The SD-5 is a step back in some regards, except for the vastly improved ergonomics. My hunch is that the next generation of memory card HD camcorders will get all these things right, and be long-term investments worth a little more wait.
On: 2007-11-02
I overanalyzed this purchase to death, and kept coming up with the same answer based on message boards and reviews. The 3CCD lens makes all the difference over the competition.
Beautiful detail and vivid colors, the resolution is very crisp. No matter what time of day youre shooting, the lighting is always accurate. Pretty great sounds come out of this as well. Do yourself a favor and get a huge SDHC card.
On: 2007-10-13
I used it for special occasions or short casual taping of kids playing. I cant imagine myself taping for hours. So the capacity of the 8 gig SD card (bought separetly) and small battery is sufficient for me.
Pros: Pictures are very sharp. SD media is very convenient. Its compact. Love it for my use. It comes with a remove control.
Cons: I need to buy Blu Ray, HD DVD player or Play Station 3 to view the clips. You can view them through the camcorder, but you have to keep buying the SDHC cards. So I store them on external hard drive until the price comes down. The transfer through its software is very fast. I also couldnt watch the movies on the P4 computer. I may need a faster processor or better video card. I need to learn to use the microphones. Setting needs to be different for interior taping vs. outside. I havet explored taping in the dark. My previous recording in a restaurant wasnt that great. I may have to explore its setting.
The colors are natural and very sharp with adequate lights.
On: 2007-10-05
I bought this as a replacement for an old JVC MiniDV camcorder. I have not paid a lot of attention to the camcorder industry since I bought the last one but decided to make the move to HD since the price point seemed reasonable. Coming from a miniDV, the picture quality was fantastic.
The ergonomics are also very nice. Panasonic seems to have paid a lot of attention to making sure that the controls are well organized. I have not found anything yet, in ordinary shooting that I can not do with one hand. Starting/stopping recording, zoom and stills were all intuitive and easy to access. The still photo quality was nice but not as good as my Canon Powershot (not that I expected to be, I dont intend to take photos regularly with this but it is a nice backup)
The SD1 worked flawlessly with iMovie 08
On: 2007-10-01
Ive been looking for a while for a new video camera especially since my twin granddaughters were born. I picked Panasonic after some pleasant experience with another of their products. This camera delivers the quality feel and great pictures I expected. It is intuitive and compact. I hesitated butying for awhile because of the dearth of support for AVCHD editors from software companies. When Apple released iMovie 08 announcing support for AVCHD, I placed my order. The camera works flawlessly with my system and the granddaughters 2nd birthday party is stunning in HD and surround sound. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a compact, quality, easy to use camera that makes you look like a pro.
On: 2007-09-30
Ive been using this camera fairly frequently for two months now. It works well and the image quality is great, but I discovered what appears to be a bug in the cameras firmware when shooting my daughters birthday party recently. If the camera is recording, and you shut the screen, then it usually stops recording automatically and shuts off. If you open the screen again, the camera starts up and is ready for you to press the record button again within a few seconds. However, the mechanism that detects when the screen is closed doesnt always work when the camera is actively recording. I have many minutes of footage where the camera was in my waist pouch, with the screen closed. Worst still, when I opened the screen and pressed the record button, expecting the camera to start recording, it in fact stopped recording since it didnt stop when the screen was closed. Hence I am missing some key parts of my daughters birthday party, due to this camera malfunction. An unfortunate bug.
On: 2007-09-19
Does anyone know where to find a spare battery for this camcorder, and if so, the price, the part number, and if it is available from Amazon? I am going on vacation in December and would like to have an extra battery.
I just ordered this camera and havent received it as of yet, review to follow. Im giving this camcorder 5 stars based on the reviews I read, and also because it would not let me enter this question w/o a rating.
By the way thanks to all who wrote reviews on this camera, which helped make my decision.
On: 2007-09-01
The other reviews were very helpful. We really like this camera. Almost no artifacts on HQ mode. Video is a little noisy in low light, but gorgeous in brightly lit settings. Colors are rich and very saturated. It is better than I expected from all the reviews. Much better than having to use DV tapes again.
On: 2007-08-21
I have made several purchases from Amazon over the last few months... Samsung HL-T5687S, Toshiba HD-A2 to mention a few big ticket items and always my mind was made up after reading the in depth reviews left by ordinary people like me.
Once again I bought a big ticket item from Amazon, the HDC-SD1, after reading the reviews from people who have actually used the item in the real world.
I would also like to thank the people that not only review, but leave good advice in their posts. Settings, accessories, tips and tricks that without them, using a new piece of technology would present a huge learning curve.
Kudos to you all. I now sit and wait for my HDC-SD1 to arrive while downloading the latest version of Nero and Ulead from Usenext. :)
On: 2007-08-13
This is my 4th camcorder following a VHS-C, DVD, and Mini DV model.
Ive dreamed of a camcorder that can store movies on a flash card and already it is here. Not only that but it is very small, shoots in high definition and sports a Leica designed 3 CCD lens.
Took some clips yesterday and connected it to my LCD high definition set. Whoa. Crisp resolution that looks like my cable high def program channels and excellent sound to boot. This picture is much better than my former $2,500 semi professional mini DV camcorder and this from a machine that is 1/3 the size! Incredibly light too. I also like the automatic lens "cap" feature.
Way ahead of my expectation curve, great job from Panasonic. I understand they have a SD5 model out now but from what I hear the image difference is minimal (can people actually tell?), I didnt see the point of paying for it. Some are griping about the lack of editing software, kind of a moot point because it is already being addressed.
 On: 2007-08-11
I brought this camera in mid July. The pictures are great compare to other HD camera. Component connections, AV connections are working
but when I tried to hook up with my DVI its not work!
This DVI in my HDTV is currently using with my DVD player and has no problem. I called Panasonic and after about an hour of diagnostic, they
asked me to send back in. When I asked if they have a tracing number,
they said no (which meant that after I sent it to them, I may never see it again).
I returned it to Amazon with $20.00 insured postage (ouch!). Amazon said
they would refund this postage, but never did.
On: 2007-07-30
I bought the camera last week and I love it. The video quality is superb for outdoor footage and almost superb indoor (dark places do generate some grainy areas in the video). camera design is great: small, light weight and the joystick control is perfect. One major advantage is the big 3" LCD screen even though it would have been nice to have a viewfinder in addition to the LCD.
Camera has both HDMI and component ouputs and uses standard HDMI connector unlike the Sony SR7 that has mini HDMI that is ahrd to find. The SDHC as storage device is great and you can either connect camera directly to your PC with USB2.0 cable or simply extract the SDHC card and use a USB reader to copy the files.
Playback with the camera is easy with its remote control but using a PS3 that plays the transport files as raw files or creating a BlueRay disc and using a BlueRay player is the way to go and you will LOVE the picture on your HD screen.
I would like to see the battery life improve. 40 minutes when using best quality encoding is a bit short for me.
My dilema was between the SD1, Sony SR7 and the JVC HV20. Some reviews claim Sony has a slightly better picture in certain scenarios but the fact it doesnt have USB port and requires you to carry a docking station in order to extract files from the built-in drive as well as the price point which is a few huindreds of dollars more wasnt worth it. The JVC has some nice features such as 24p encoding and higher resolution (1920x1080) but it is interpolated and so pratically it is not a diffrenciator.
Bottom line - I would highly reccomend getting the SD1 - sleek design, excellent performance and great value for your money.
On: 2007-07-28
I enjoy the camcorder very much. This is my second Panasonic (the provious one was also 3CCD). The quality of the movies is perefct, the idea of recoding on a SD card - brillant. Light and no mechanics (contrary to HD, mini-DVD or DV casettes) - so longer battery life and less noise.
On: 2007-07-24
One challenge with these AVCHD camcoders is how to play the files on something other than the camcorder!
I received my Panasonic HDC-SD1 yesterday through Amazon. On a whim, I burned the transport stream files to a DVD-R (as a DVD ROM, not as a video-format DVD), and put it in my Playstation3. The PS3 played the video files with no problem.
So if you own a Playstation3 (and I suspect other BluRay players), you may have an easy way of viewing the recordings you make with this camera.
On: 2007-07-19
This device delivers on all critical attributes:
1. Awesome performance - video quality, sound quality, etc.
2. Solidly build - both looks and feels solid.
3. Easy to use
I was somewhat skeptical of buying a camcorder that uses non-volatile memory as its only recording medium, but am now sold on the idea. Solid-state is clearly the future...
However, there are a few minor issues... as some have noted editing software for AVCHD is still a problem and the software provided by Panasonic isnt very good (granted this is a temporary problem as new software releases that naively support MTS/MT2S are probably forthcoming).
I found that there are basically three options now for the PC (dont know about Mac) for import the MTS/MT2S files generated by this camera/pana software...
1. Ulead VideoStudio 11 -- I dont recommend this, the user interface is dreadful and you need to import the AVCHD as a DVD not as video clips, which is annoying.
2. MainConcept MPEG Plug-in for Adobe Premiere or Adobe Premiere Elements
3. Nero 7 Ultra
The other options Ive tried that claim to support AVCHD did not work for this camera, in particular Sonys Vegas 7 only supports Sonys flavor of AVCHD.
So far I found Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced to work great, for $79 you can do basic editing on it or simply use it to convert the MTS files to an alternate format (with no observable loss of quality) and use an alternate tool...
Im certian there might be other editing options as well, if anyone has had success with other options, please leave me a comment - thanks.
Also, downloading the files off the camera with USB is cumbersome since you need to use the DC input of the camera to the external battery charger in order to download from the camera. Instead, I recommend getting an SDHC USB adapter (such as Sandisk MicroMate Reader - for SD and SDHC memory cards) and grabbing the files right-off the card... beware not all USB SD adapter will work, make sure you buy one that specifically supports SDHC.
All in all, I highly recommend this device... its a lot of fun, and you wont believe the image quality.
On: 2007-07-13
I bought this camcorder for a recent trip to Italy with the following reservation:
1) Price continues to drop.
2) No editing sw available yet.
3) Storing SDHD while traveling, and eventually archiving onto DVD.
4) Quality of still picture.
5) Its size, its compact but not that compact.
I bought along 2 more 4GB SDHC and a 100 GB Woverine storage. After 2 weeks trip, here are my fbacks:
a) PQ relating to capacity: The "middle" shooting mode PQ is stunning when view on 50" HD plasma. The "lower or extended" mode show pixels occasionally. Due to the capacity constraint, Ive learned to compartmentalize the content in shorter chunks. This is a change of mindset for me...
b) The pluses: size could fit into my pants pocket so I dont stand out as tourist; I also use the SD1 for still pictures and ended up didnt use my digital SLR at all; The stills printed-out OK but not-HD quality when viewed; the built-in lens cap and the recess lens work great in dusty and or rain situations; operating firmware is intuitive; 2 lux is amazing for indoor and low light situations eg. inside the Panthenon without flash;
c) The minuses: Screen panel has to be in opened position when access component out/power outlets during playback; There is no MUTE while playback thus trying to review discretedly in quite areas is not possible eg. on a plane; There is no INSERT function to compartmentalize unwanted sections for deletion; There is delay in PAUSE thus the fadeout has few more seconds than needed/wanted;
Overall, this toy is probably one of the most-fun toys Ive purchased. Eventhough there were reservation, Im now satisfy, the PQ is so great that it overides all other insufficiencies. I re-live my experiences in Roma, Florenze, Milano, Venezia, Pisa, Zurich... and smile everytime I watch those moments in HD.
On: 2007-07-08
I absolutely love this little thing. Solid state throughout, except one small exception. The lens cap is motorized, but Im not complaining.
If it works out of the box, theres really not much to break. EVER.
The picture quality is beyond words. The color recreation is fantastic, the resolution is fantastic. The only beef I have is that its interlaced, which combined with digital video, makes for a bit of the jaggies. Heres a workflow that will eliminate that entirely.
Capture Video
Use Final Cut Pro to import to 422 Interlaced using the brand new converter(6/07)
(note the entire directory structure of the SDHC card is required, not just the raw video files, very important)
Use MPEG Streamclip to deinterlace the video to progressive
Quality so good I have some trouble playing back 30 fps on my 4 CPU Mac Pro with a $500 video card. WOW! From a consumer camcorder under $1k.
You all can wait for the SD3, but I have no idea why you would want to.
On: 2007-07-02
Pros: as the title
Cons: You need a better PC/Laptop with the discrete video card to play clips. My PC, with ATI X800, could barely play the clips smoothly. But the video quality is awesome.
On: 2007-07-02
I have the HDC-SD3 model of this camcorder (which as of 6/30/07 is available only in Japan). The SD3 is physically and functionally identical to the SD1 except that the highest bitrate recording mode on the SD3 does full 1920x1080i (the SD1s three recording modes all top out at 1440x1080i).
As someone who works in computer graphics, I am particularly concerned about image quality and was a little wary that this cameras top bitrate of 13 Mbps would still be too low to achieve acceptable results using the AVCHD H.264 codec. I was pleasantly surprised- the quality is surprisingly good! There are no obvious motion artifacts. The captured color is vibrant and accurate, especially in good lighting. (Low light performance is decent too.) I was very impressed at how nice the image looked connected to good 1080i and 1080p displays over component and HDMI. The image is a tiny bit more contrasty than I would have dialed in, but other than that, no complaints. The average tech-savvy family shooter buying this camera will be perfectly happy with the picture.
Im particularly impressed with the excellent optical image stabilization, build quality and autofocus performance (which is important since there is no focus ring and only an awkward joystick-based means of focusing manually, should you ever need to do it). Like all consumer HD cameras, the flip-out LCD doesnt have enough resolution for fine manual focusing, and I plan to use the camera mostly for casual family use anyway. Although not specifically documented as such in most product listings, the zoom control on the SD1 is variable speed. It is very responsive. You can do subtle, slow zooms quite easily despite the levers small size.
A few downsides: the running time is limited on the ONE size of battery this camera supports - the camera can shoot for a little over an hour on a charge, less than the 83 minutes (at best quality) I can get on an 8GB SDHC card and well short of the shooting times at the lower bitrates. The SD1 also lacks a progressive shooting mode and a choice of framerates... 1080i is it (look into the HV20 if you must have a 24p mode). The audio quality is pretty good but not extraordinary (possibly due to the microphones being placed on TOP of the camera instead of in front... the 5 channel Dolby Digital it records is sort of cool (more of a gimmick, I think) but does make the footage more complicated to edit. I would have preferred a PCM 48 KHz/16-bit stereo mode. There is no accessory shoe on top. And finally, the editing solutions for the AVCHD clips this camera records are only now beginning to emerge (though with Nero, Ulead, Pinnacle and Final Cut Pro already supporting it, the situation is only bound to get better).
If youre looking at this camera, you may be debating between it and the Canon HV20. Id urge you to go with the SD1. The image quality from both cameras is very similar, but with the SD1, youll never lose a shot due to tape dropouts and you wont have to spend hours capturing footage in over Firewire (the SD1 appears to your computer as any other flash drive... just copy the files off, one per clip). The build quality and handling are slightly better than the HV20s, and the optical image stabilization is the same or perhaps slightly better too. I agree with those who believe MiniDV tape will be dead in a few years, as recording to flash memory offers numerous speed and reliability advantages, and we are hitting that crossover point where you no longer have to give up any quality to go with a flash-based product.
If youre debating between the SD1 and one of Sonys AVCHD cameras, be sure to compare picture quality and color accuracy before going with the Sony... Sonys cameras rated well behind Panasonic and Canon products in consumer HD camcorder shootouts.
On: 2007-06-30
I like this camcorder. Been through several generations, starting with mini-vhs, to mini-dv to Panasonics SV AV100 and now this. It is a looker, and will likely make you ponder up lots of innovative situations to use it in, unlike a low-def camcorder. The photo button is a bit awkward, and there is not a viewfinder. But these are both trifling complaints when contrasted to this units build quality, feature set, and most importantly, high-caliber recording ability. Sure, as others say, the editing options are currently limited though ambitious people can use Nero to convert the SD1s .mts files to .mpg files for use in Adobe Premiere, etc.
I considered buying the Aiptek HD-GO, which seems like a nice deal for the money. It likely is a decent camcorder, but this one is in a different league, an incredible league. The HD-GO lacks optical image stabilization, leading to movements and hand jitters that can quickly ruin your recordings. This device features marvelous optical image stabilization, which I am lead to believe involves weights, squirrels and pulleys, for excellent results.
Long review made short: Buy this little fella. Well, if you are interested in having video you will ever want to watch again. It can make even childrens baseball games and pet videos compelling.
On: 2007-06-21
I recently took a brand new (only shot a couple of minutes before I left) on a three week vacation to Europe. I was obviously a little concerned since it seemed to be bleeding edge technology and support for editing is thin right now.
The camera worked great overall. It was slow (maybe 5 seconds) to respond to my sometimes quick "record off" to "record on" commands, so I had to wait a bit at times to start recording again.
At one point, the motorized lens cover would not close or open as required unless I whapped the front of the camera with the heal of my hand; I suspect this was a result of some foreign object getting stuck in the mechanism after being in my pocket during pauses in my shooting (I began to place the SD1 with the lens end facing "up" in my pocket rather than "down"). I blew out the lens area and it seemed to be fine, but this is one area I would be careful of - it seems to be pretty delicate, but worth the extra care as it is a very nice feature over a separate lens cap.
As is obvious from my comment above, it is small enough to ride around in your pants pocket. The fit in your hand should be good, though I am big-handed and therefore had to get it positioned just right in order to comfortably operate it in a one-handed mode (with the strap the only thing securing it to me); strapping it on was achievable, but took a few seconds to get just right - smaller hands should be no problem.
I shot 30-50 minutes a day (using one to two SDHC chips) and never fully discharged my primary battery, though I always had a backup (which I had to procure from some outfit in Asia via eBay - couldnt find one in the US) in reserve - my guess is that the stock battery is good for 60-70 minutes based upon my style of shooting which was to generally turn it off whenever I was done shooting a scene (though the auto-off feature worked fine).
I took five 4GB chips with me (but could have just used two) and downloaded my days work onto a 120GB HyperDrive (an external harddrive with a built in card reader capable of reading the SDHC chips - it worked great by the way with my only complaint being the visibility of the display). I prayed that the drive would survive all the jostling it got while being dragged around Europe for three weeks. When I got home, I simply attached the HyperDrive to my computers USB port and tranferred the files.
I got Pinnacle Studio 11 Beta downloaded onto my computer at home and was able to simply read the .mts files that I had transferred from the Hyperdrive. The files loaded just fine so I did not have to "capture" off the camcorder itself (which was nice since I would have had to transfer the files back off the HyperDrive and onto an SDHC chip first) - ah, this great digital file age!
I still have issues with Pinnacle Studio crashing and being inconsistent in its operation - no different than my pre-AVCHD days, so I do not think the AVCHD files are the culprit any more than my older mini-DV tape files were. I think Studio is just prone to glitches - but its features and interface are really nice if you have some patience. I was going to use this trip to learn Vegas, but so far, Sony has decided not to recognize the AVCHD .mts files produced by the Panasonic SD1. Rumor has it that its coming soon. Rumor also has it that its delayed because the Panasonic files look so much better than the equivalent Sony files, but I cannot confirm that.
Bottomline - its a great camera with great video and the quick, two-button-push ability to put it into "backlight" mode is awesome. Its not its fault that the software support is a bit behind at the moment. No-moving-video-drive-parts for camcorders has got to be the future of course - with the SD1, the future is now!
On: 2007-06-20
Im simply amazed by the video quality and ease of use. Dont bother using the software, HD Writer, that comes with it. Instead get ULead Visual Studio 11 plus (or Pinnacle Studio 11) to import, edit and convert your clips. Works great!
 On: 2007-05-29
I bought on in May, came with a defect, sent it to panasonic, they do not respond, do not have parts, do not provide feed back.
Wasted money, stay away
On: 2007-05-23
Ive owned mine for two weeks and Im very pleased. Picture quality is superb, as youd expect. Handling is also good -- the camera is comfortable to hold and relatively easy to operate. I love having my videos on a chip -- its a pleasure to avoid the real-time capture process that tape camcorders require.
On the downside, as others have indicated, the bundled software is awful and commercial editing software is just now beginning to support AVCHD.
I know others are considering waiting for the HDC-SD3, which has already been released in Japan. I considered waiting but decided against it -- from what I can tell, that camcorder has the same imager and video data rate as the SD1, so Im guessing the increase in recorded resolution (to 1,920 x 1,080, from 1,440 x 1,080) will not make much of a difference in image quality.
On: 2007-05-15
Colors and resolution are stunning. For me the key things I was looking for were
-tapeless format. Makes playback and storage much easier
-good quality HD
-good low light (indoor) performance
On all three counts I am very happy. I previously owned a Panasonic SV-AV100 and the indoor video was always a problem with it beign too dark.
The quality of the video is extremely good (at least to the amateur eye) and I cant see myself going back to standard definititon.
Main problems-what to do with the video files. Currenly most PCs do not have the computing power to play back videos. So the only way to play back is by connecting the SD1 to the TV. Can someone let me know whether the SD card from the SD1, if inserted in the PS3 will play back in HD? That alone would be reason to go out an buy a PS3.
On: 2007-05-15
I was ready to by the Panasonic PV-GS400 Mini DV Camcorder, even though it was a year or so old at the time. This camera came highly rated and my buddy loved it. When i heard that HD cameras were coming down in price, i decided to wait. I am glad i did.
I have had the Panasonic HDC-SD1 camera for about a month. I give it 5 stars, but if Amazon had a scale of 1-10, I would give it an 8.5-9.0. However, I must say that this camera is awesome. All the major features i would want are there. The menu system is easy to use and the feature it offers is awesome. The media is stored on a high Capacity SD card, but i am not sure if that is necessary. I have used other SD cards in this video camera and they seem to work fine.
The biggest complaint i have is that the yoke stick to navigate around the camera is not in a great location so your fingers get cramped trying to move it around. Often it requires two hands if not positioned correctly.
The second thing that kind of seems problematic has nothing to do with the camera, but the HD part of the video taping makes it hard to edit on a computer. Requires special software - which i believe is provided. To be honest, i have not played with the software yet.
All in all, i recommend this camera.
On: 2007-05-15
I have been using this little jewel for about 2 weeks and my early impressions are all favorable. The size is perfect, i.e. small but not too small and buttons are well located. The screen is big and beautiful and recordings themselves are stunning. Havent messed with the software (waiting for iMovie to support AVCHD) but everything else is logical and easy. Recording to SD cards is the best of all worlds: instant non-linear access to videos, easy to add capacity, small and light, tougher than a hard drive camcorder. Can you tell I love it?
On: 2007-05-14
SD1 is a good camera but why not wait for the SD3 in the US. Its already out in Japan.
On: 2007-05-07
Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
With early-stage access to (and purchase of) the HDC-SD1, I ran a series of objective comparisons with 2 Sony (not yet released) HD video cameras. General results showed the HDC-SD1 to produce far superior quality. The HDC-SD1 handled much higher density range than did the new Sony units, and color resolution is measurably superior. Density range issues need no measurement; they are intuitively obvious. Without going further in detail, as the new Sony devices were on loan for only a day or two, it seems to me that the perceived problems relate to Sonys single sensor capture and related issues. Running through striped filters is not the way to capture accurate HD images -- and never will be. For one experienced in the science, there is little argument with this preceding point. My only real irritation point with the HDC-SD1 was lack of eyepiece viewer.
Unable to test fully with Vegas 7.0, v.7.0e (bld 216) -- because 7.0e will not capture Panasonic-produced AVCHD files, I performed all tests using Corel (Ulead Video Studio 11). Capture of both Panasonic and Sony AVCHD files worked properly, and the rendered results were as expected (or better). To be fair, I repeated the Sony tests using Vegas, all of which required at least twice as long (or greater) as compared to the Ulead product. Again, to be fair, I used large numbers of relatively short exposures, and I did not use networked render with Vegas.
In my opinion, the reason (possibly the only reason) Sony didnt release v7.0e capture that handles the HDC-SD1 is the Panasonic unit produces far superior results than does the Sony AVCHD devices tested. Obviously, it had nothing to do with the AVCHD data format etc, as I was able to write code in a period of less than a day to get the Panasonic (and Sony) data into a consistent format that, with a little work, could be handled in Vegas 7.
For any that are interested, bringing in AVCHD and capturing to Ulead11 is very simple (and fast). SanDisk sells an inexpensive "MicroMate USB adapter (less than US$ 20) that can be used to capture AVCHD to the workstation disk. Following that, use import from DVD/DVD-VR under the Ulead capture tab. Capture, end-to-end, is at least twice as fast as the 7.0e Sony Vegas capture -- with complete file integrity.
I have had no axe to grind with Sony until recently. On my shelf are several Sony video camcorders including (not limited to) DCR vx1000, TRV7, PC1, HC96 etc. Anyone with long-time experience with Vegas Video is aware that the new Vegas hides behind circular telephone switching vectors. No pun intended, dealing with Sony has become Bush-League child play. An additional Sony bit for Amazon buyers. Almost all of the latest model Sony (still and video) cameras have the interface connector located on the bottom of the camera (my HC96 included). Imagine (if you will) setting the instrument down to chase a grandchild, then to discover the bottom connector fills with mud or sand. Chose carefully.
One other brief point. Over the years Ive use non-linear editors from AVID (high end), and Vegas Video (lower cost). Much to my surprise, having never used the Ulead product previously, I suspect Video Studio 11 will become my low end choice after a bit more testing.
nuff said.
TomF
by: sell5813 On: 2007-05-05
On a 4GB SD card, it can only record up to 40 minutes of HD video. I would like the Panasonic AG-HSC1U which is the next generation of this with external 40GB HDD, so that you can record over 9 hours of HD video. That model will come out in June 2007.
Wish Amazon is the first to carry that new model.
On: 2007-04-28
Youd better get your shot right the first time - because it can not be edited in any current software. The February review that said the software is only now showing up is wrong. It hasnt shown up yet.
Final Cut Pro, Express, iMovie nor any PC products are announced as supporting this format.
When it is supported - this will be a great camcorder for the price.
On: 2007-04-03
Speaking as a video pro, the picture is astounding. Set to the highest data rate, it gives you 40 minutes on the 4gb card. I shot Mariners baseball opening day, brought it home and plugged it in to the 50" plasma, and the family thought we were watching the news in HD! I couldnt see any compression artifacts - like I did at the mid-quality setting. Apple better announce support for AVCHD soon, or I may go crazy not being able to edit this gorgeous footage. I love the menus - the user interface is very intuitive. Being able to shoot the game, and erase the at-bats where nothing happened was awesome. 40 minutes was plenty when you can erase bad takes. My only annoyance: Safeco field has a retractable roof, the light was a combination of field lights, and natural light. Twice the camera decided to change the color-balance setting on its own. It probably thought it was pretty smart - I"ll have to set it manually next time so that doesnt happen...
On: 2007-03-28
This is my first Amazon review. In the past Ive had two Sony Hi-8 camcorders, a, Sony Mini-DV (DCR-PC1) and two Panasonic 3-CCD Mini-DV camcorders (PV-DV953 and PV-GS120) and now this HDC-SD1 will be my 6th model. Having had the last 2 weeks now to familiarize myself with the ins-and-outs of the HDC-SD1, Id like to pass on what Ive learned of this little dynamo. There are some limitations I had to accept in order to feel confident about making a smart $1100 purchase. First and foremost, be warned that the MPEG-4 H.264 Codec is not currently supported by iMovie HD, Final Cut Studio, Vegas, or any other popular NLE, though revisions and plug-ins are expected probably around summer 2007. If you can live with that for now, then be prepared for the output from this machine to knock your socks off.
Personally I was willing to live with not being able to edit the footage for now because I wanted to capture the first months of our 7-week old infant in the best quality available, and this meant either going AVCHD using mini-DVD (Sony HDR-UX1), AVCHD using a hard drive (Sony HDR-SR1) or AVCHD using a chip (Panny HDC-SD1). HD camcorders recording to DVD were the first to be taken off the list because of its annoying disc formatting and finalizing times and the brevity of recording length. I took the tape-based HD camcorders out early on due to my own experience with the frustration of locating footage using a linear recording format. More on this later. I also did not consider HDV-based HD camcorders as ingesting HDV footage (MPEG-2) is onerously slow and no piece of cake for ones hard drive. To be fair, HDV is a mature (more dated?) technology while AVCHD is still relatively embryonic with a huge upside still to come. So after lurking through a few forums and thumbing thru @500 page views of info, I gave the nod to the Panasonic. Absolutely no regrets. Even with the just announced HDC-SD3 coming in a few months stateside, it didnt look much better spec-wise to the HDC-SD1 and my baby might already be walking by then so Im glad I got this now. Im also in the process of purchasing an 8th or 9th generation plasma to match the output (1080i/60) from this little wonder as my current set doesnt support 1080i.
Unique advantages compared to other models in its competitive set:
+It has a high design aesthetic and is the smallest 3-CCD HD consumer camcorder on earth. Its as long as a dollar bill and just as wide. (I measured)
+With the Quick Start mode activated, the camcorder fires up and starts recording in about 2 seconds after the screen is opened. Never miss your babys first steps with this guy.
+Built-in option of having virtual guidelines superimposed on the display for better compositions and more level horizons. The camera gives you three choices, horizontal lines only (my favorite) a big grid, or a small grid (egg crate) for the truly anal.
+German designed Leica Dicomar lens contains three aspherical elements that keeps chromatic aberration in check, with almost all surfaces multicoated.
+Simplicity of button layout and U.I., even though most advanced functions still there and easily accessible, like iris and shutter controls, fades, etc.
+Optional color bar indicator for tonal checks on your TV for calibration, normally seen only on professional broadcast camcorders.
+An option called zoom-mike that focuses the sound on the area that youve zoomed into up 12X, great for surveillance work I guess. Or stalkers.
+Built-in HDMI to connect right up to an HDTV with no signal degradation, with one cable handling both HD video and 5:1 Surround Sound if connected thru an HDMI receiver.
+Weighs about one pound with media and battery. The girth and weight of the HDC-SD1 is almost exactly the same as a 16-ounce can of Coke.
+Package includes a 4 Gb SDHC class 2 media card that can hold between 40 minutes and 90 minutes worth of footage depending on compression, when most camcorders dont even come with a $5 tape.
Unique disadvantages compared to other models in its competitive set:
-The multifunction joystick is on the small side and can be confusing in use. For some people I can see how this might hamper recording effectiveness. On the other hand, its no better or worse than the joystick on the Panny PV-GS400/500.
-USB 2.0 is nice but the the lack of a firewire/iLink connection is a bit of a bummer.
-Camcorder battery will not recharge in-camera, nor will it recharge if AC adapter is utilized (plugged-in) at the same time.
-Included software that handles rudimentary editing functions works only on PCs.
-Resolution of still images taken is below par when compared to other models in its competitive set (like the Sony HRD-SR1 or Canon HV10/20)
-No tactile focusing ring if you like to verify the focus, a distinct advantage with the Sony camcorders in general and even its brother the Panny PV-GS500.
A quick vent. What bugs me with tapes, whether Hi-8, Mini-DV, etc is the time needed to peruse through vast amounts of media to get to a specific footage. It is entirely possible to spend up to 5 or 10 minutes jogging back and forth on an 60-minute tape to find the 30-second clip of something youre actually looking for. Recording to either HDD or an SDHC card, not only can clips be played at a glance in any order, erasing a clip is just as easy. For example, you have two 15 minute clips of primo footage with a 15 minute clip of some pointless recording in between. With a tape, it is much safer to keep all 45 minutes of footage to retain the good 15 minutes worth on the end. With an SD card, the middle 15 minutes can be deleted like a photo in your digicam, and youre left with another 15-minute chunk of space for better footage. The analogy I can make between the HDC-SD1 and its HDV rivals would be akin to comparing an HD camcorder spawned from the iPod (flash memory) and an HD camcorder fathered by a Walkman (tape-based) and I personally would never go back to using my Sony Walkman when I can slip a Nano in my pocket. I probably sound like an anti-tape nut by now but its only because I have over 50 Mini-DV tapes in our collection that nobody has touched in the last couple of years. I mean, why not settle for true random access if its available? Good luck to all in your purchasing.
On: 2007-03-28
Im just a point-and-shoot videographer (a.k.a. a father of a new baby). Im also a penny pincher so spending $1,100 on a camcorder is not any easy thing for me to do - but boy am I glad that I did.
The picture quality is simply amazing. My wife kept commenting on how the picture looked so three dimensional - and it really does. With the outdoor shots, we cant tell the difference between the TV shows now broadcast in HD and the footage from this camera. The indoor shots are pretty darn good as well, but without set up lighting it will never look as good as TV.
I chose this camcorder because it records on SD cards, which are relatively cheap and can record much longer than mini-DVDs currently can.
Also, being as frugal as I am, I want to be able to easily transfer and watch our home movies from the camcorder while I wait for the cost of HD-DVD players and HD editing software to come down.
Im a big fan of dragging and dropping files to the computer as opposed to having to capture video with our previous camcorder.
Since HD and 16:9 are the wave of the present and future, Im glad we got away from the 4:3 camcorder. Watching video from the new Panasonic is like watching an episode of Lost in HD, while our old Panasonic was blurry, dark, and stretched out the picture in comparison.
I cant comment on the features because I havent used them much other than the back light correction. That works very well.
My only dissapointment is that while there is a flash for taking still images, that I cant use that as a recording light for indoor recording.
On: 2007-03-27
This is my first Amazon review. In the past Ive had two Sony Hi-8 camcorders, a, Sony Mini-DV (DCR-PC1) and two Panasonic 3-CCD Mini-DV camcorders (PV-DV953 and PV-GS120) and now this HDC-SD1 will be my 6th model. Having had the last 2 weeks now to familiarize myself with the ins-and-outs of the HDC-SD1, Id like to pass on what Ive learned of this little dynamo. There are some limitations I had to accept in order to feel confident about making a smart $1100 purchase. First and foremost, be warned that the MPEG-4 H.264 Codec is not currently supported by iMovie HD, Final Cut Studio, Vegas, or any other popular NLE, though revisions and plug-ins are expected probably around summer 2007. If you can live with that for now, then be prepared for the output from this machine to knock your socks off.
Personally I was willing to live with not being able to edit the footage for now because I wanted to capture the first months of our 7-week old infant in the best quality available, and this meant either going AVCHD using mini-DVD (Sony HDR-UX1), AVCHD using a hard drive (Sony HDR-SR1) or AVCHD using a chip (Panny HDC-SD1). HD camcorders recording to DVD were the first to be taken off the list because of its annoying disc formatting and finalizing times and the brevity of recording length. I took the tape-based HD camcorders out early on due to my own experience with the frustration of locating footage using a linear recording format. More on this later. I also did not consider HDV-based HD camcorders as ingesting HDV footage (MPEG-2) is onerously slow and no piece of cake for ones hard drive. To be fair, HDV is a mature (more dated?) technology while AVCHD is still relatively embryonic with a huge upside still to come. So after lurking through a few forums and thumbing thru @500 page views of info, I gave the nod to the Panasonic. Absolutely no regrets. Even with the just announced HDC-SD3 coming in a few months stateside, it didnt look much better spec-wise to the HDC-SD1 and my baby might already be walking by then so Im glad I got this now. Im also in the process of purchasing an 8th or 9th generation plasma to match the output (1080i/60) from this little wonder as my current set doesnt support 1080i.
Unique advantages compared to other models in its competitive set:
+It has a high design aesthetic and is the smallest 3-CCD HD consumer camcorder on earth. Its as long as a dollar bill and just as wide. (I measured)
+With the Quick Start mode activated, the camcorder fires up and starts recording in about 2 seconds after the screen is opened. Never miss your babys first steps with this guy.
+Built-in option of having virtual guidelines superimposed on the display for better compositions and more level horizons. The camera gives you three choices, horizontal lines only (my favorite) a big grid, or a small grid (egg crate) for the truly anal.
+German designed Leica Dicomar lens contains three aspherical elements that keeps chromatic aberration in check, with almost all surfaces multicoated.
+Simplicity of button layout and U.I., even though most advanced functions still there and easily accessible, like iris and shutter controls, fades, etc.
+Optional color bar indicator for tonal checks on your TV for calibration, normally seen only on professional broadcast camcorders.
+An option called zoom-mike that focuses the sound on the area that youve zoomed into up 12X, great for surveillance work I guess. Or stalkers.
+Built-in HDMI to connect right up to an HDTV with no signal degradation, with one cable handling both HD video and 5:1 Surround Sound if connected thru an HDMI receiver.
+Weighs about one pound with media and battery. The girth and weight of the HDC-SD1 is almost exactly the same as a 16-ounce can of Coke.
+Package includes a 4 Gb SDHC class 2 media card that can hold between 40 minutes and 90 minutes worth of footage depending on compression, when most camcorders dont even come with a $5 tape.
Unique disadvantages compared to other models in its competitive set:
-The multifunction joystick is on the small side and can be confusing in use. For some people I can see how this might hamper recording effectiveness. On the other hand, its no better or worse than the joystick on the Panny PV-GS400/500.
-USB 2.0 is nice but the the lack of a firewire/iLink connection is a bit of a bummer.
-Camcorder battery will not recharge in-camera, nor will it recharge if AC adapter is utilized (plugged-in) at the same time.
-Included software that handles rudimentary editing functions works only on PCs.
-Resolution of still images taken is below par when compared to other models in its competitive set (like the Sony HRD-SR1 or Canon HV10/20)
-No tactile focusing ring if you like to verify the focus, a distinct advantage with the Sony camcorders in general and even its brother the Panny PV-GS500.
A quick vent. What bugs me with tapes, whether Hi-8, Mini-DV, etc is the time needed to peruse through vast amounts of media to get to a specific footage. It is entirely possible to spend up to 5 or 10 minutes jogging back and forth on an 60-minute tape to find the 30-second clip of something youre actually looking for. Recording to either HDD or an SDHC card, not only can clips be played at a glance in any order, erasing a clip is just as easy. For example, you have two 15 minute clips of primo footage with a 15 minute clip of some pointless recording in between. With a tape, it is much safer to keep all 45 minutes of footage to retain the good 15 minutes worth on the end. With an SD card, the middle 15 minutes can be deleted like a photo in your digicam, and youre left with another 15-minute chunk of space for better footage. The analogy I can make between the HDC-SD1 and its HDV rivals would be akin to comparing an HD camcorder spawned from the iPod (flash memory) and an HD camcorder fathered by a Walkman (tape-based) and I personally would never go back to using my Sony Walkman when I can slip a Nano in my pocket. I probably sound like an anti-tape nut by now but its only because I have over 50 Mini-DV tapes in our collection that nobody has touched in the last couple of years. I mean, why not settle for true random access if its available? Good luck to all in your purchasing.
On: 2007-02-28
This camera delivers great picture quality and is very easy to use.
If you are looking forward to editing and publishing your videos taken with this camera please note, at the time of North American release, software packages that can handle AVCHD digital format encoded using MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (m2ts) are only starting to show up.
The software included with this camera, Leadtools HD Writer Ver 1.0E for SD1, is capable of only basic operations such as scene preview, split, merge, and delete. Using this software you can backup your videos on a DVD-R disk, but you wont be able to play it back, unless you have one of the new Blu-ray disk players.
The software situation will improve with time, and there will be more high definition video options in the future.
To hookup this camera to a high definition display you can use provided component cables or the HDMI output (HDMI cable is not included). Standard audio, video output is also available for older TV sets (cable included).
The computer interface is USB (cable supplied); it works only when the camera is hooked up to the AC/DC adapter (included). By the way, the battery will not charge inside the camera; charge it on the adapter disconnected from the camera.
Videos and pictures are stored on an SDHC card (some SD cards can also be used, but SDHC class 2 or better are recommended). A 4 GB SDHC card (one included) is good for about 40 minutes of recording in the highest quality HF setting; this is also about as much as the stock VW-VBG130 battery can handle. For more power on the go an optional VW-VH04 battery pack holder can be used. You can use additional SDHC cards, or dump data to a laptop computer via USB cable, or use optional VW-PT2 or similar SDHC media storage device.
The battery is loaded from the bottom. When using the camera on a tripod, load the battery first.
In addition to videos, this camera can also take still pictures. The quality of still pictures is so-so with some digital artifacts showing up; but it is fine for occasional snapshots. On the positive side, the still picture trigger on this camcorder functions like on real picture cameras: you can pre-focus depressing the trigger half way.
Thanks to the powerful 3CCD sensor architecture and optical image stabilization the videos this camera takes are very good, even in sub-optimal light conditions. There is an automatic mode, and a manual mode for more advanced control. One of the features I especially like is the Grid that can be displayed for better shoot composition.
HDC-SD1 is one of the first consumer high-definition cameras from Panasonic, its a great start and sure to please customers looking so save the moving pictures of unforgettable moments in life.
On: 2007-02-28
This is an excellent piece of camcorder. I was blown away by the Video Quality of it. Here are some of the Pros and Cons
Pros
1. Excellent Video Quality and Auto White balance - I can see the exact color in my video in good light. Low light performance is also not bad.
2. 3 CCD chip - Excellent colors and saturation, I compared my old Sony HC40 and Panasonic SD1 side by side shooting the same scene at the same time in Auto mode mounted on Tripods and Panasonic has great colors & Sharpness
3. Leica Optics - Optics are much better on this one
4. Manual Options - Can set White balance, Iris, Shutter Speed to get more manual control, has separate option for backlit subjects.
5. High Definition - I dont have a high definition TV, but video looks sharp on my computer and TV. I am completely satisfied with it.
6. Size - Perfectly sleek and light
7. Comes with separate charger and remote control
Cons
1. No iLink inside the Camcorder
2. No View Finder
3. Video Outputs (except HDMI & USB) are not available outside without lifting/bringing the LCD Screen out. LCD screen can break if camera accedentaly falls and i want my LCD panel to be closed when I am watching the video
4. Comes with filter thread, but the filter hood should be purchased separately
5. HDMI cable is not presented
6. Only 40 Mins video at highest quality on 4GB SDHC Card.
7. I was not able to copy using media copiers to backup and download this card which i can use to backup my digital images while I am on the field.
8. Joystick on the camera can be better, You have to get used to it.
9. Less/Complex Editing options as this is AVCHD
Every camera has a drawback and is not 100% perfect. I consider Panasonic a very good buy for people looking for 3-CCD, and a little manual control.
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