Panasonic HDC-SD1
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: HDCSD1
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A solid SD-based camcorder, the Panasonic HDC-SD1 nevertheless suffers from a few performance issues and an annoying design.
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CNET editors' review
Panasonic HDC-SD1 price range: $1,789.44
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 07/25/2007
The good: Generally high-quality video and decent stills; nice manual feature set.
The bad: Sluggish autofocus; poor automatic white balance; uncomfortable design with some poor feature implementations.
The bottom line: A solid SD-based camcorder, the Panasonic HDC-SD1 nevertheless suffers from a few performance issues and an annoying design.
One advantage of using flash memory cards as a recording medium in camcorders is that they facilitate smaller designs. The body of Panasonic's 1.1-pound HDC-SD1, which records high-definition 1,440x1,080 AVCHD video to SD cards, is a mite smaller than camcorders which use other formats, but its tubular shape retains a bit too much bulk to be truly compact. It's not wasted space, though; the SD1 accommodates a 12x zoom lens, a 3-inch, 16:9 LCD, a 5.1-channel surround microphone, and a trio of 1/4-inch, 560,000-pixel CCDs.
Ironically, one of the SD1's biggest design weaknesses stems from its lack of a bulky DVD drive, hard drive, or tape compartment that you often find on other models. The extra height helps provide a good solid grip; I found the SD1 just a little too squat to comfortably hold with my forefinger on the zoom switch. In addition, the joystick for navigating the menus and accessing shooting adjustments--white balance, shutter speed, iris (aperture), and so on--is too far to the right to easily control with a thumb while holding on to the low-riding body. As a result, you really need to operate the camcorder with two hands: one to shoot and one to hold it level. Even then, changing the manual settings tends to jog the camcorder more than usual. And you frequently have to nudge the joystick multiple times to effect a change.
While I really like the joystick navigation, other operational aspects can be a bit frustrating. The manual focus is unusable, for example, as it provides no distance feedback. It does show a zoomed view (Focus Assist), but there's too much trial and error involved in finding focus. There were times when the camcorder wouldn't focus at all (as the subject was probably too close), yet I couldn't figure out when moving the joystick had stopped having any effect.
This situation applies to the device's features as well. The SD1 offers a reasonably broad set of options, but their implementation occasionally falls short. For instance, you can't manually set the shutter speed below 1/60 of a second. The iris settings may confuse some users, as Panasonic combines iris settings with gain controls. At and below f/2.8, the SD1 reports in decibels--from 0dB to 18dB, adjustable in 3dB increments. At 0dB it displays "open," and then gets narrower in f-stop, at various increments, to f/16. Beyond f/16, it reports "close." While there's a logic to combining them--both allow you to increase or decrease the exposure--each produces different side-effects when changed. The shutter and iris settings also function more like priority modes than manual modes; that is, you can't change them independently.
Other shooting features include backlight compensation; five scene program modes; MagicPix night mode (which drops the shutter speed below 1/60); a very nice tele-macro mode; soft-skin mode; zebra stripes; an audio wind filter; and zoom microphone. The SD1 also offers Auto Ground-Directional Standby (AGS)--a fancy way of saying that it goes into standby when you hold the camcorder upside-down. At its highest quality, or HF mode, the SD1 requires 1GB per 10 minutes of video, and uses constant 13Mbps encoding. In the lower-quality HN and HE modes, the SD1 switches to variable bit-rate encoding, and increases the available recording times to approximately 15 minutes per gigabyte (9Mbps) and 22 minutes per gigabyte (6Mbps), respectively.
Overall, I liked the SD1's video quality. In good light, video usually looks nice and sharp; the colors are bright and pleasing; the exposure generally hits the mark; and there's little noise in low-light shots. The 1,920x1,080 still photos look good printed up to 8x4.5--I wouldn't bump any HD-resolution shots beyond letter size. Played back on an HDTV, videos and stills look great. Up close in a video editor, however, they lose a bit of their luster. Interlacing and interpolation artifacts appear, thanks to the undersized 520,000-pixel sensors (effective resolution) Panasonic uses.
Image quality is also inextricably entwined with performance, which isn't so hot. The autofocus is a bit too slow to keep up with unpredictable subjects, such as squirrels. And the automatic white balance seems confused most of the time, usually producing overly cool tones. On random occasions, the video seemed to get particularly soft and the autofocus simply didn't lock. The optical stabilizer works well, though.
A fine if not stellar camcorder, the Panasonic HDC-SD1 delivers solid AVCHD video that's fun to watch, somewhat less fun to shoot, and not fun at all to edit.
User reviews
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Beautifully built camera. This is the future, but probably not ready for prime time
by albanyeardoc on May 2, 2007
Pros: Beautiful build quality. Amazing Hi Def picture, amazing zoom mic
Cons: Hi Def does nothing for you if you do not have a Hi Def burner
Summary: Bought and returned the camera because the file format ACVHD was not supported by any video editing formats.
The good: I then returned the other camera (JVC) when I saw ...Summary: Bought and returned the camera because the file format ACVHD was not supported by any video editing formats.
The good: I then returned the other camera (JVC) when I saw that the new NERO 7 does support the format. I am now able to use the camera, download and edit video and output it to a standard DVD (I do not have a high def burner or player).
If you do not have a high def burner this camera does you no good unless you are archiving the video on a computer in the hopes that in a year or two the high Def recorders will be mainstream to purchase. The regular def video is acceptable but on par with a middle road camcorder. The hi def images when connected to my TV directly are unbelievable (like a Dicsovery Channel HD show). Nero 7 does pretty well for now though.
The zoom mic and sound is amazing. The miz zooms as you zoom in. Has great macro feature.
The bad: does not support larger than 4gig chips. Makes no sense. The chip is formated in a wierd file structure and you cannot simply dump the videos from the card but have to do it using the camera as a hard drive.
The ugly: If you are not a true geek and are not filling to "fight" with this technology do't bother. There is a high hassel factor with this new video format. Short of that this yhing is amazing.Updated
Several comments after using the camera. I have used it to record various "medical" events. The zoom is excellent. The video quality of even the regular def video when outputted to regular DVD via Nero 7 is far superior to any regular camcorder I have ever seen . Amazing resolution even when zoomed in close and superb colors. The 4 gig chip gets you about 45min of video which is about the staying power of the battery anyway. Class 2 chip seems to work well. Have never heard of class 6. Where can I get it and will it make a difference?
I have a love hate relationship with this camera. Super small, no moving parts, and incredible image quality. Cannot wait for the HD burners to come out and come into the price range of the "normal person." 4 gig chips are getting cheap. $68 today. Will be half this in a few months. Will keep this unit. It is a ground breaker and will go into my museum along with my Apple 2C, Mac, original Ipod,and a few others. Each one I bought and had a blast with. PS. Sony sucks. I am still mad at them for the micro MV camcorder I bought that was never supported (ie. "movie shaker"). They should be ashamed of themselves.
This camera is the future, but just a little ahead of its time.8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Well it is great and not so great
by Iwantone on June 14, 2007
Pros: Awesome video quality- Awesome Gadget
Cons: Can really only see the vids on a high def TV- laptops need not apply
Summary: Well I knew the video format wasn't supported when i got it thinking that I could put these MPEG4 vids on my laptop and view them with NERO 7 ...
Summary: Well I knew the video format wasn't supported when i got it thinking that I could put these MPEG4 vids on my laptop and view them with NERO 7 that will support the format BUT (there's always a but with this new technology stuff isn't there?) OK Nero DOES support it (for another $80 for those who don't have it already like me) but your laptop (or desktop) will have to have some HEAVY HORSEPOWER to view the video correctly!! Know this before buying.
I have a new Lenovo widescreen fully tricked out with 256 meg of vid RAM dedicated (its too slow to me but that if for another review) and a Sony TX small laptop with Intel integrated graphics. The Sony will only run the vid in slow choppy motion and the Lenovo will run the video but it ain't "high def"
I would run this on my TV to get the true "High Defness" but I have to buy a component or HDMI cable for that but they are not supplied with the unit- so another 50$ or so.
The software supplied is only to copy vids off the SD card- don't need 3rd part software for that!
As far as a "gadget' goes- this is unbeatable- great in your hand- looks cool and the "theory" of the memory card is great- If it could support 8 GIG cards (I think the new SD3 does?) it would be great. But beware the SD3 it is even HIGHER resolution than the SD1 and probably REALLY wouldn't run on anything less than the most powerful desktop computer.
I know that watching video on a high def TV is cool but that is only one source- most people I think (at least me) watch most RECORDED video on a computer- at this time this is NOT the best camera for this- the software though I think will catch up- but the hardware requirements are tough.
I know that better software will be available in the future and that is why I am keeping the camera. If I could see the high res video on my laptop I would give this unit a 10 out of 10.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Hello HD, good-bye mini-DV
by tcrosley on June 13, 2007
Pros: Super focus and color, lightweight, simple to use
Cons: Might prefer 30 gb HDD to SD
Summary: I hesitated to buy yet another camcorder since I have 2 mini-DV tape models (one a 3CCD model) that work fine. I very happy I took the plunge.
The HDC-SD1 ...Summary: I hesitated to buy yet another camcorder since I have 2 mini-DV tape models (one a 3CCD model) that work fine. I very happy I took the plunge.
The HDC-SD1 is superior in every facet. It's small and light, and very steady. It focuses so fast it's always in focus - like normal vision. The picture is crisp with very accurate, bright color and much less 'noise' on my LCD panel than my DV models. I used the HDMI output from the camcorder and the 'normal' compression option (one hour recording on the supplied 4 GB SD card)
The controls are simple and well thought out. NO MORE TAPES!!! NO SEQUENTIAL SEARCHES!!!
Like every other camcorder I've seen, the digital stills unuseable1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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File format is achilles heel
by hbvoyager on December 1, 2007
Pros: nice quality, easy-to-use camera
Cons: file format unusable, extremely poor editing software
Summary: I realize I'm breaking ranks with other reviewers here, but urge people not to buy this camcorder --- yet.
I bought mine in March and while the quality is ...Summary: I realize I'm breaking ranks with other reviewers here, but urge people not to buy this camcorder --- yet.
I bought mine in March and while the quality is nice and the camera is easy-to-use, the new file format they use causes so much trouble that the camera is essentially unusable.
The file format is not supported by any editing software other than the software that comes bundled with the camcorder (latest update from Panasonic on this was today, 12/1/07). The bundled software is hard to use and is missing the most basic and fundamental editing options. It's not really usable so all my footage sits on my computer as-is. (Google reviews on the software for more detail. I found most others had the same problem.)
The file format is not accepted by any internet video sites. So while I would have been happy just to share unedited clips, that also isn't possible.
The only remaining option is to covert the new file format to one recognized by other editing software and the Internet. But in doing so, you'll lose the quality that makes the camcorder unique. You'll also pay $80-$250 for software that allows conversion.
The camera has been out for over a year and every 2 months I contact Panasonic for updates. I found the representatives had almost no training on this camcorder. What they do tell you is that no one supports the file format and they don't know when we can expect more software to support it.
This camcorder may be great, but until file formats are supported, it's sadly, totally unusable. After a year in the market, I'm not clear if/when we'll see expanded support of the file format. I bought it thinking support was imminent and it *is* a great camcorder. But don't make the same mistake - wait until there really is support for the file format
!1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic camcorder
by elanf on July 24, 2007
Pros: Solidly built, picture quality, sound quality, great features...
Cons: Camera must be connted to AC power adapter to download video to PC, bundled software (what can you expect?)
Summary: The Panasonic HDC-SD1 is great. I was a bit a concerned about performance of a camcorder that only used flash memory for recording, but no more - the SD performance ...
Summary: The Panasonic HDC-SD1 is great. I was a bit a concerned about performance of a camcorder that only used flash memory for recording, but no more - the SD performance is great and solid state media is clearly the future.
Editing the AVCHD video is still a bit problematic, but there are several solutions readily available - more will be avaible soon.
I returned a Canon HV10 and bought the HDC-SD1 instead - I am VERY happy that I did; the HDC-SD1 outperforms the HV10 in every possible way.1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I-Pod of consumer cameras
by memograph on April 9, 2008
Pros: Great design, no tape, HD in a budget. 3 ccd, small
Cons: No extended battery, no web cam.
Summary: I am a veteran videojournalist, used many professional and pro-sumer cameras. I bought this in the summer of 07 and I use it for vacation and family videos. It has ...
Summary: I am a veteran videojournalist, used many professional and pro-sumer cameras. I bought this in the summer of 07 and I use it for vacation and family videos. It has a very sexy design. I do not agree with c/net about the small size hurting your hand in long shoots. If holding a bear can hurts your hand so will this. Not having a tape head is a plus tape heads can get dirty, this is no longer an issue. Manual controls are on a joy stick control and it is much easier to access than the previous consumer cameras I have owned. This is a great camera. AVCHD is much better than HDV to edit on my final cut pro.
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Great Video
by scott.cropper-2045595817941659 on November 13, 2007
Pros: Zoom, Compact Size, SD Card, Lens, Accessories, Takes Good Photos
Cons: Takes some adjustment to use depending on hand size
Summary: We got this camera at work to take and edit video of various projects. Its simple to use, records excellent video and takes good photos. We use iMovie on a ...
Summary: We got this camera at work to take and edit video of various projects. Its simple to use, records excellent video and takes good photos. We use iMovie on a MacBook Pro to import and edit the clips right off the SD Card.
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Its Good but not what I wanted
by victorcy on September 15, 2007
Pros: very clear movie, bonus stereo mic jack, great pictures with still image camera.
Cons: it only supported 4gb, zoom mic cant used at far distance, all input jack like mic is at wrong place.
Summary: I bought this camera thinking I would be able to take more than 45 minutes but only in economy mode that I got to that. With church sermon in mind, ...
Summary: I bought this camera thinking I would be able to take more than 45 minutes but only in economy mode that I got to that. With church sermon in mind, this is off the high mark. I have to reduce this to low resolution to get the continuous uninterrupted movie shot. If I reach 4 gig even thought I have 8 gig of memory card, the movie shot stops. It does not give you any warning or noise or tell you it stops. The annoying part is I took only half the sermon and have to re-press the record button to start a new again. Its a nice video camera and since spending so much I have find ways of making it work for the purpose of buying it. Try using a wired microphone jack to the mixer of the church to get a good voice from the speaker and it seems to work very well. Bought a wireless microphone and will try this next week. The worse part is all the jack is build very bottom where my tripod pad rested on. So it it so difficult to pull out the cover of the various jack. Especially the mic jack and the power jack which I use most of the time.
I really need a powerful PC to run this power hungry file which I used Videostudio to convert to wmv files to upload to the net. The PC I used are semi powerful so Videostudio takes a long time to render and even when playing back using Videostudio is crawling. I hoping to get a powerful PC to make sure can render this power hungry file.
I did however tired to used the Japanese version of the software provided but fail to understand Japanese, so I am buying a English version and hope it will work much better.
My hard drive is full of video up to about 12gig each file. So if you intend to used this as a HD, then you need to have a big amount of space. Which is now very cheap.
The still image of this camera although I know is on about 2.1meg pixel but it does a great job. The optical zoom is very very good too.
I am looking at buying a HDD HD video camera with wireless mic and the only option is Sony.
Overall HDC-SD1 give me a good experience and also cost me mega bucks but well it is an experience I have to pay to find out. Might sell this and buy me a Sony instead.Updated
The one thing I am dissapointed is the limit to the timing I can shot the video. Although I have 8 gig SDHC, I found that I only can shot up to 4 gig and I have to repress the record button to shot for it to continue. So I have two clips instead of one long one. I was hoping I could capture this on my laptop but no, it only allow import of files once it transfer to the Pc.
I was hoping it does one step better with the zoom mic but it hardly capture the voice of the Pastor I am shoting at 20 to 30 metres. I now regret buying it as I was looking at JVC with hard drive and read with dismay at the bad part of it.
In conclusion I am cheated of my dream of a nice HD video with nice audio capture. Sad I miss it all.0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: HDCSD1
- Description: Panasonic's O.I.S. minimizes the hand-shake that can be such a problem with handheld shots. Because Panasonic's system is optical, there is no image quality degradation. When you're shooting a still picture, the MEGA O.I.S. system automatically activates, doubling the corrective power. With O.I.S. and MEGA O.I.S., HDC-SD1 is equipped for clear, beautiful shooting of both motion and still pictures. Using the zoom at full magnification, you can shoot macro close-ups while maintaining a distance of 60 cm from your subject. This makes it much easier to capture extreme close-ups without your body or camera casting a shadow on the subject and while keeping the background in soft focus. Distant subjects can be enlarged so they appear to be right up close. This allows dynamic shots of both motion and still pictures. This model offers the high quality wide images that make for beautiful, dramatic viewing on a wide-screen TV. The image is processed on 16: 9 area of the CCD. Because the image decoded has the same proportions as your wide-screen TV, there is virtually no picture quality degradation. You get beautiful images and all the excitement and dynamism on either a wide 16: 9 screen TV or a conventional 4: 3 TV. This model also features a high-density, 250, 000-pixel, wide 3.0-inch LCD, making it easier to frame shots when you're shooting in 16: 9 mode. You can enjoy shooting wide, and viewing wide. The joystick makes the camera much easier to use, letting you control all basic operations with one hand. As you shoot, just watch the image in the monitor and follow the instruction guide. You can handle a number of operations quickly and easily, without even taking your eye off the subject.
General
- Product Type Camcorder - 1080i
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 1.7 megapixels
- Effective Video Resolution 1.5 megapixels
- Digital Zoom 700 x
- Effective Photo Resolution 1.5 megapixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 1.5 megapixels
- Total Pixels 1.5 megapixels
- Camcorder Media Type Flash card
- Optical Sensor Size 1/4"
- Optical Sensor Type 3CCD
- Min Illumination 2 lux
- Digital Video Format AVCHD
- Image Stabilizer Optical
- Min Shutter Speed 1/50 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec
- Shooting modes Digital photo mode
- White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Outdoor,
Indoor - Exposure Modes Program,
Automatic - Image Recording Format JPEG
- Camera Flash Built-in flash
- AV Interfaces Composite video/audio
Lens System
- Type Leica 12 x x Zoom lens - 4 mm - 48 mm - F/1.8-2.8
- Lens aperture F/1.8-2.8
- Features Built-in lens shield
- Optical zoom 12 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 4 mm
- Max focal length 48 mm
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Filter Size 43 mm
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 38.5 - 462 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual,
Automatic - Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Additional Features Built-in speaker,
Backlight compensation,
Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording,
PictBridge support,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording,
Direct print - Remote control Remote control - Infrared
- Software Drivers & Utilities
- Included Accessories IR remote control,
USB cable,
Power adapter with battery charger,
A/V cable kit Camera Flash
- Effective Flash Range 3.3 ft - 8 ft
Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Microphone,
1 x USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x Component video output,
1 x HDMI output - Memory Card Slot SD card
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Memory / Storage
- Media type Flash card
- Supported Memory Cards MultiMediaCard,
SD Memory Card - Included Memory Card 4 GB SDHC Memory Card
- Image Storage JPEG 1920 x 1080
Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Power
- Battery type - Lithium ion
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Features Rotating
- Resolution 250,000 pixels
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.9 in
- Depth 5.4 in
- Height 2.6 in
- Weight 15.2 oz
Accessories
- Sony CLM-V55 LCD monitor (34636090)498.00 - 499.99
- Panasonic P2HD-CASE - carrying bag for camcorder (33921985)363.95
- Panasonic SHAN-TM700 - tripod adapter (31027498)399.95 - 415.00
- Porta-Brace Shoulder Case with Raintop SC-D250 - soft case for camcorder (31068748)372.37 - 429.00
- CANON XL1S VIDEO CAMCORDER CASE (7032423)399.99
- Canon WP V2 - marine case for camcorder (33984051)169.95 - 499.00
- Canon WP V3 - marine case for camcorder (34930183)449.95 - 499.99
- Canon WP V4 - marine case for camcorder (35138638)489.00 - 499.00
- Porta-Brace Hiker Backpack Camera Case HK-1 - case for camcorder (31058034)441.81 - 495.70
- Porta-Brace Polar Bear Insulated Case POL-3 - case for camcorder (31030134)381.05 - 439.00
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Panasonic
- Address:
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
