Panasonic HDC-DX1 Camcorder Reviewby John NeelyPublished on Apr 4, 2007 7:00 PM 
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Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)
Both the Panasonic HDC-DX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) and HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) perform very well in Auto mode, and a few new features make them better point-and-shooters than past Panasonics. The main automatic controls over exposure, focus, and white balance operate on par with similarly priced camcorders in bright light. Unlike Sony’s Easy mode, which severely limits access to camcorder functions, the DX1 keeps a number of useful options accessible in Auto mode.
To enter Auto mode, the recording mode switch in the LCD cavity needs to be set in the topmost auto position. Pressing the center of the joystick brings up a three “page” menu containing important recording options at the lower left corner of the LCD. By pressing the joystick right side on page one, you can engage Help mode for information about any joystick option. In Help mode, yellow banners appear across the top and bottom of the LCD screen, instructing you to point the cursor (using the joystick) to any menu option for information. A text description of any option you select scrolls across the lower banner while you are in Help mode. In addition, when a given option like Fade is selected, a text banner appears at the base of the screen for a few seconds that says “Fade On” to notify you that you’ve enabled Fade. Prior iterations of this menu did not display a text notification, making Panasonic’s efficient icon-driven menu system difficult with for novices to navigate. The text banners are a big help in this regard.
A number of useful options remain available in Auto mode making it less idiot-proof than Sony’s Easy mode, but offering greater flexibility. In Easy mode, Sony camcorders lock you out of nearly all functions other than zoom and video quality, and even menu options on the screen become larger. Panasonic allows you to set digital zoom, turn OIS on or off, and access features including Guidelines, Wind Cut, Zoom Mic on/off, manual audio level control, and zebras. Zebras and guidelines are great inclusions, because they are as useful to novice point-and-shooters as streetwise enthusiasts.
We found that exposure was the area this camcorder and the SD1 struggled with in high-contrast environments. High contrast environments are a challenge for any camcorder’s auto exposure setting, but the HDC-DX1 tended to over- or under-expose subjects to a more extreme degree than most. In Auto mode, it is possible to turn BLC (back light compensation) on to brighten your subject’s exposure, but the best remedy may be to leave Auto mode entirely. Sony’s first AVCHD camcorders, the HDR-UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95) (the discontinued DVD model), and the HDR-SR1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) (HDD-based) both allow you the option of using manual controls in Auto mode. That’s an unusual level of control, especially from Sony, but it is an option we think point-and-shooters should be able to fall back on.
Overall, the HDC-DX1 and HDC-SD1 are surprisingly approachable and user-friendly for Panasonics, which are known to appeal to manual control freaks rather than soccer moms and dads. The problems arise on the post-production end, where AVCHD footage still has much less support than HDV, DV, or even vanilla MPEG-2. Despite its strengths as a point-and-shoot camcorder, this makes it difficult to recommend the DX1 whole-heartedly for casual shooters.
Overall Manual Control (6.75)
Recording media and size aside, the Panasonic HDC-DX1 and HDC-SD1 are nearly identical camcorders with the same joystick-accessed manual control suite offering fully independent iris, shutter speed and gain adjustment. We have long been fans of Panasonic’s manual control-friendly approach to making consumer camcorders, and are glad to see it in evidence on the DX1. Interestingly, we think the company’s AVCHD camcorders – the most expensive in their lineup - are best viewed as point-and-shooters with good manual controls rather than. AVCHD is a big part of this, since it’s a consumer format without the third party support professionals demand. Another reason is what we see as the incomplete nature of some of the manual controls that Panasonic has included on the DX1.
The DX1 has a Focus Assist option that displays a magnified view of your subject in the middle quadrant of the LCD, and some kind of focus assist is practically required for focusing HD video. The Canon HV20 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903)’s focus assist feature fills the entire LCD screen with a magnified image, and adds peaking to the enlarged image. The combination of magnification and peaking make manual focus on the Canon a faster and easier process than on the DX1. Another factor that makes manual focus tough is joystick control, rather than ring or dial control. Sony’s HDR-SR1, the company’s HDD-based AVCHD camcorder features an excellent ring while Canon’s HV20 features a dial. A true ring is our first choice for focal adjustment, but the dial combined with the HV20’s focus assist works very well. The joystick on the HDC-DX1 lacks the finesse of a rotary control, while Focus Assist could have been much better.
We found Panasonic’s joystick was easier to trust for focusing standard definition video because getting a sharp HD picture is so much more difficult due to its much higher resolution. Another thing to keep in mind is that Panasonic’s Focus Assist option actually magnifies only about 1/8 of the whole video frame (1/8 of the frame is displayed at 2x magnification). That means the HD pixels you see using Focus Assist are shown at ½ the resolution of standard definition pixels on a screen of the same size! In other words, even Focus Assist displays an image on the DX1’s screen with less fidelity than a standard definition camcorder from Panasonic.
The joysticks on the HDC-DX1 and SD1 are also less user-friendly than those found on previous Panasonics. These have a larger surface area, but they protrude less from the body and provide less leverage. Our critique of the joystick is minor, however, and the controller maintains the attributes we like about Panasonic’s control interface.
In Manual mode, pressing the center of the 5-way joystick displays a 4-page control menu at the lower right corner of the screen. Key manual image controls are found on page 4 - iris/gain, white balance, and shutter speed – and tapping down on the joystick cycles through the menu pages. When manual focus is enabled by pressing down on the mode switch in the LCD cavity, a fifth page is added to the control menu for manual focus. This joystick makes accessing manual image controls a relatively fast and painless process. For adjustments other than focus, the joystick is quite capable. Another boon is the ability to control gain manually, a feature that HD camcorders from other manufacturers like Sony and Canon lack.
The addition of zebras, color bars, a mic input, and manual audio level control should have made the DX1 and SD1 strong camcorders in Manual mode. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to trust manual focus even using Focus Assist, there’s no headphone to make audio monitoring possible, and zebras default to a single unspecified setting. It looks to be around 100 IRE, but the user’s manual sheds no light on this. Sony’s HDR-HC7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1128.56) and Canon’s HV20 offer zebra options at 70 IRE and 100 IRE, both commonly used settings. If Panasonic had included features like a headphone jack, decent Focus Assist, and specific zebra settings, the HDC-DX1 would have been a very different camcorder. From a $1300 HD cam, we think it’s reasonable to expect more, and apparently manufacturers aside from Panasonic think so too.
Zoom (6.00)
The DX1 and SD1 both have 12x optical zooms, but the ergonomics of the zoom toggles are drastically different. While the DX1’s is all about compact, symmetrical style, the DX1’s toggle is mounted at the crest of the tape hatch and fails to meet the tip of the index finger. It hits the first knuckle and this is a shame, considering how ridiculously big this camcorder is. In addition, there are no other zoom options available such as a Sony-like LCD zoom control or Canon’s three speed settings. For a camcorder that breaks the 1K price barrier, we would have liked to see more from Panasonic. Once you angle your hand into a position that won’t lead to chronic carpal tunnel, the toggle itself is responsive and comfortable, which is a major upgrade from the Canon HV20’s unfinished plastic tab, and similar to the nice zoom controls on Sonys.
Zoom Power Ratio (12.0)
With a 12x optical zoom, the DX1 edges out many consumer HD cams max out at10x. This is modest compared to cheaper consumer camcorders with optical zooms that range up to 40x because smaller imagers (that produce low-quality video) allow for bigger optical zooms. Despite the DX1’s lower optical zoom max, you’re bound to get oodles of better video quality from its three ¼” CCDs than you’d find on a 40x camcorder with a puny 1/6” sensor.
The DX1 is also equipped with digital zoom that can be disabled, capped at 30x, or set to the max of 700x. This is a bit excessive, don’t you think? The DX1’s digital zoom starts to enter the drunk and disorderly zone at just over 30x, and at 700x the image is a pixilated mess of nausea-inducing mayhem. Absolutely useless unless you’re a video artiste... Digital zooms function by magnifying pixels to create the illusion of a real zoom, so that a 48x digital zoom on the DX1 is actually a 4x blow up of what you’d see at 12x. To the DX1’s credit, 12x to 30x digital zoom territory was surprisingly usable even with the expected decrease in resolution produced by the digital zoom. Cap it of at 30x and you’ll be able rest assured that your image will never be too pixilated – or better yet, turn digital zoom off and forget it exists. You can always move closer to get your shot.
Focus (5.0)
There’s no getting around the fact that it is much more difficult to focus an HD image manually than a standard definition image. High definition video is much sharper, and today’s big screen TVs magnify the slightest mistake, especially a slightly soft image. For this reason we believe that any HD camcorder should have a way to make accurate manual focus adjustment possible using a small LCD display. Without some kind of assist function, focusing an HD image on a 3” screen is practically impossible because the resolution of HD video is too high (1080 x 1920) and the screens too small to allow you to see slight errors in focus. There are a few ways to address this problem. Sony’s debut AVCHD cams, the HDR-UX1 (discontinued) and HDR-SR1 feature huge 3.5” screens and excellent multifunction rings; Canon’s HV20 has an excellent Focus Assist feature that magnifies the image to fill the 2.7” screen, and adds peaking (peaking heightens contrast along the edges of objects in the frame).
The Panasonic HDC-DX1 and HDC-DX1 do have Focus Assist, but it doesn’t go as far as it should. Unlike the HV20, the DX1 displays a magnified view in only the center quadrant of the LCD rather than the entire screen. In a practical sense, that means you are only given a magnified view of 1/8 of the entire picture – without the added benefits of peaking. The sub-par Focus Assist is further hampered by the fact that manual focus is done using the joystick – a great interface for menu navigation or iris adjustment, but not for.
In the field, we found the DX1 and SD1 to be more difficult to focus manually than competitors like the HDR-SR1 with its huge screen and ring control, or the HV20 with its dial control and excellent focus assist.
Exposure & Aperture (5.62)
The joystick is well suited for many other manual image adjustments, including exposure, and it can be extremely efficient. When the camcorder is set to Manual mode (exposure cannot be adjusted during Auto operation) pressing in on the joystick brings up a small circular menu at the lower right corner of the screen. Tapping the joystick down towards “Next” cycles through the menu pages, and the manual exposure option (labeled Iris) appears on the left side of page 4. Tapping the joystick towards any option engages manual control over that parameter and replaces the menu with a specific control interface. Tapping down, towards “Back” returns to the menu. When Iris control is enabled, tapping the joystick left closes down the iris and tapping right opens up the iris. The Iris settings available are: f/16, f/14, f/11, f/9.6, f/8, f/6.8, f/5.6, f/4.8, f/4, f/3.4, f/2.8, and Open. An incremental (1/2 step?) setting lies between each full stop, for a total of 23 steps.
After you’ve reached the Open aperture setting, you can keep on brightening the image if you continue to tap the joystick right. Beyond Open iris, gain kicks in, appearing as a continuation of the same scale from 0dB to 18dB. The HDC-DX1 and HDC-SD1 are unique among the current crop of HD camcorders in that they offer full control over iris and gain. While this is a good thing for experienced shooters who have an understanding of how gain affects the image, the HDC-DX1 lacks an exposure compensation option for the benefit of those who just want an easy way to adjust the brightness of the image. The lack of a simple exposure tool is a big misstep on a camcorder that otherwise gets accessibility right. We love aperture and gain control, but their nuances will be lost on inexperienced shooters.
Shutter Speed (8.1)
Manual shutter speed control is available on page 4 of the control menu on the HDC-DX1 while working in Manual recording mode, and they are operated in the same way as Iris. Upon selecting the SHTR (shutter speed) option, control menu is replaced by the shutter speed adjustment interface, a horizontal bar with “–” on the left and “+” on the right. Pressing the joystick left lowers the shutter speed, while pressing right raises the shutter speed. The current setting, i.e. 1/250, is displayed on the left side of the LCD along with other manual image settings.
The shutter speeds available on the HDC-DX1 are: 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000. As on the SD1, this makes for a wide range of shutter speeds but neither camcorder includes options slower than 1/60. MagicPix mode is Panasonic’s low light recording mode and when it is engaged (control menu page 2), the DX1 automatically drops the shutter speed below 1/60 when needed. MagicPix is useful, but provides no direct control over slow shutter speeds. Sony and Canon both offer manual shutter speed options below 1/60 on their high-end camcorders making them more versatile in low light situations.
White Balance (5.5)
The HDC-DX1 white balance presets for AWB (auto), indoor (incandescent or halogen), and outdoor (clear, not cloudy skies) lighting – a limited selection for a camcorder in this price range. Canon’s HV20 leads the preset pack with several options each for indoor and outdoor lighting. But enough about white balance presets...
Like other Panasonics, manual white balance is set using the joystick and like iris and shutter speed, it resides on page 4 of the control menu. Upon selecting the white balance option (at the top of the menu, marked WB) the white balance select screen appears. Pressing left or right on the joystick cycles through the four options available. Manual white balance is identified by a standard white balance icon, and when this icon is visible, tapping up on the joystick locks in your setting. As soon as the white balance icon stops flashing, white balance is set. We found the HDC-DX1 and HDC-SD1 to be a little less precise than the Canon HV20. Manual white balance on these camcorders leaned towards the green end of the spectrum according to our color testing software, but the error was negligible.
Gain (6.0)
Manual gain control is one of Panasonic’s hallmarks, and even the company’s lowliest entry level camcorder allows independent gain control. Even other HD camcorders don’t offer manual gain control, despite the fact that getting a handle on gain is one of the most direct means to controlling image quality. When gain is used to brighten an image, graininess increases noticeably beyond around 9dB, and the ability to keep gain at an acceptable level can be valuable.
Gain on the HDC-DX1 can be set to 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15 dB, and 18dB. In between each gain step is an incremental setting, giving the DX1 a total of 12 manual gain steps.
Other Manual Controls (3.5)
Zebras -
The HDC-DX1 includes a zebra stripe option – a standard feature on prosumer camcorders, but a rarity on consumer cams. Zebras can be enabled in the Advanced submenu of the Admin Menu. When in use, zebras superimpose horizontal stripes (hence the name) over those parts of the image that surpass a certain brightness. Most camcorders that include a zebra option allow you to set zebras to 70 IRE and 100 IRE. Prosumer camcorders often offer a much larger number of zebra settings, ranging from 50-105 IRE. The DX1 only allows you to turn zebras on or off, and does not specify the IRE level, though it appears to be about 100 IRE. With no information in the manual about this mystery zebra setting, you should give it a test run before relying on it during a shoot.
Guide Lines - The HDC-DX1 includes three onscreen guide settings, located in the Basic submenu of the Admin Menu. The options available are Horizontal, which superimposes three horizontal lines over the image displayed in the LCD; Grid1, which superimposes a nine-box grid, and Grid2, which superimposes finer grid lines over the image. The most versatile of these guide lines is Grid2, which is well-suited for both horizon alignment and “rule of thirds” framing.
Audio Level Control - Audio levels can be adjusted manually by selecting either SET + AGC or SET from the Mic Level option in the Video submenu of the Admin Menu. The SET option allows basic manual audio level adjustment, while SET + AGC allows manual level adjustment with the addition of Auto Gain Control. According to Panasonic, Auto Gain Control automatically kicks in when SET + AGC is selected in case the manual settings allow sound distortion.
Color Bars - The HDC-DX1 has a color bar option that allows you to record color bars to card, or display them on an external monitor for calibrating color. The feature can be enabled by selecting the Color Bars option from the Advanced submenu.
MF Assist - MF Assist, or Manual Focus Assist magnifies the center of the screen while manually focusing the camcorder. When MF Assist is enabled, the center quadrant of the LCD screen is filled with a 2x magnification of a portion of the frame, allowing for more accurate assessment. If MF Assist is used when zebras are also enabled, zebras do not appear on the magnified portion of the shot.