Panasonic HDC-DX1 Camcorder Review

The HDC-DX1 and  HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) (both $1299 US MSRP) mark Panasonic’s entry into consumer high definition video, and hey join a burgeoning niche of $1000 - $1300 HD camcorders. Unlike the SD1, which is the first HD consumer HD camcorder to use SD/SDHC media, the DX1 is one of three DVD-based HD cams currently available in the US.  The other two, the HDR-UX5, and HDR-UX7 are made by Sony. The HDC-DX1 is also quite a bit less sleek and compact than its SD/SDHC sibling. This is a camcorder with meat on its bones, and you’ll appreciate the extra stability offered by the heft if not the drop in portability. The DX1 features a shockingly good OIS system, but in other ways, it is good but not great: a mic jack but no headphones jack, a single “mystery” zebra setting, mediocre focus assist, and disc access speeds that would lose a race with a tortoise. The HDC-DX1 itself has some tough questions to answer, but its native AVCHD codec may be its most pressing problem of all.

The Front (6.5)
Want to know what would happen if you took Panasonic’s HDC-SD1 and fed it ample amounts of NFL-grade steroids? You’d get the HDC-DX1. This camcorder is bigger, badder, and brimming with bulk. Up front, you’ll notice the same 12x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 4.0-48mm. However, the DX1’s 43mm filter diameter looks more proportionate to its gargantuan body than the compact SD1. Adding a fisheye or telephoto lens to the DX1 would make it look like something out of “Mad Max,” but the option is there, thanks to the lens threads. Seeking refuge from the looming lens is the white balance/remote sensor that lies underneath. A minute record lamp is embedded in the sensor panel. To the left of the lens is the built-in flash for digital still recording. The only problem with mounting a flash on the side of the lens instead of on top or underneath is that you get uneven lighting. Below the flash is a “Pimp My Ride” style grill that houses a small circular cooling fan inlet.

The Right Side (6.25)
The DVD disc hatch on the DX1 is shaped like a massive paisley. This is not the camcorder’s money shot side. Actually, the DX1 doesn’t look good at any angle, but we’ll get to that in a bit. The side-loading disc hatch is conducive to recording with a tripod without having to remove the camcorder in order to change the disc. This conserves time and continuity. However, ejecting a disc in the DX1’s off state takes over 10 seconds, which is a ridiculous amount of time in the camcorder world. The hand strap is identical to the one found on the SD1—thin, cheap, and low strung. Fortunately, the massive paisley is so big that it creates an inch-high ridge for the fingers to grip snugly. Otherwise, the camcorder flops to the side at about a 30 degree angle. Toward the flash end is a small grill covering a cooling fan outlet.

The Back (6.25)
The back of the DX1 looks like it was modeled after a practical joke drawing found on the floor of Panasonic’s development room. We’re talking about the battery, which juts out of the back end like a prodigious grey brick. Even the wide retractable viewfinder struggles for attention and barely clears the preposterously long length of the battery.  Warning: If you intend to use the viewfinder on this camcorder, prepare for an onslaught of hard plastic bulk in your face. When the battery is unearthed, a small, round DC jack is discovered. The battery release button is located on the bottom of the DX1, requiring the camcorder to be removed from a tripod to be connected to power, disrupting the continuity of a shot.

Once extended, the viewfinder’s fan-shaped dioptric adjuster rests on the top of the shaft. Hibernating in the shadows to the right of the battery is the disc eject button, which operates by sliding upward. Above lies the record start/stop button, with the joystick-infused mode dial to its right. This is a concoction of the SD1’s mode dial and joystick, and the same ease of use applies here. Because the mode dial is on the outermost ridge of the camcorder, it is not difficult to inadvertently bump the camcorder into record mode, so always perform a routine check. Above the mode dial is the access/PC lamp which will flash feverishly while you are waiting a significant amount of time for the disc hatch to open. Along the top half of the massive paisley’s crown is a strip of controls. The bottom two are the trash and menu buttons, and are easy to access with a thumb.

The Left Side (6.50)
This angle highlights how ridiculous the DX1’s battery is, but we’ve tormented it enough, so let’s talk about the rest of the left side. The DX1’s 3” LCD screen is devoid of any LCD panel controls, due to the versatile rear-mounted joystick. Inside the LCD cavity you’ll find the power LCD button, which brightens the LCD screen in low light, and auto/manual switch. This switch acts as a governor that controls the gamut of manual controls available on the DX1. When switched into manual, more choices are available, such as iris, white balance, and shutter speed. The SD card slot lies directly beneath both controls, and below that is a covered HDMI terminal. The HDMI port cover is one of the burliest we’ve ever come across, so you’d have to be the Incredible Hulk to rip it off. On the bottom ridge of the camcorder is a long strip housing the A/V jack, USB terminal, component jack, and microphone jack. The port cover is sturdy and pulls out easily via a finger tab on the bottom.

The Top (5.25)
Like the SD1, the DX1 is equipped with a 5.1 channel Dolby digital built-in microphone located at the head of the camcorder. Most manufacturers place the microphone on the front of the camcorder so it is pointed directly at the subject. At the back is a thick port cover that pulls out to reveal an accessory shoe, although based on the built-in microphone, you probably won’t need an external mic unless you’re doing a dialog-heavy short film. Next to the accessory shoe is the zoom toggle and photo button, conveniently located around the corner from he index finder. To the left of the photo button, wedged in the crevice where the DVD chamber meets the lens barrel, is an arced series of holes. They represent the playback speaker, and if you can’t find them initially, you’ll definitely find them while playing back video clips.