Home > Consumer Camcorders > Camcorder Reviews > Panasonic Camcorders > Panasonic Flash Memory Camcorders >
Panasonic HDC-SD1 Camcorder Reviewby John NeelyPublished on Apr 2, 2007 6:00 PM
|
Advertisement
|
||||||||||
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)
For the most part, the Panasonic HDC-SD1 performs well in auto mode, with the caveat that it struggled in challenging environments that give any camcorder a run for their money. The core auto image adjustments, exposure, focus, and white balance all operate well in bright, consistent lighting. In addition, a number of useful options remain available when the camcorder’s recording mode switch (in the LCD cavity) is set to auto. Pressing the joystick brings up a three page menu at the lower left corner of the screen, with Help mode at the right side of page one. When you enter Help mode, yellow banners appear across the top and bottom of the LCD screen, instructing you to point the cursor to any function for details. As long as you remain in Help mode, the yellow banners remain in view, and a text description of a function is scrolled across the lower banner.
Panasonic’s introduction of descriptive banners carries over to other functions, so that when Fade is selected, a banner text banner appears at the base of the screen for a few seconds that says “Fade On,” or “Magic Pix On,” etc. This may not sound like a groundbreaking addition, but it does make Panasonic’s efficient but somewhat opaque menu system easier to work with for novices.
While this is a good camcorder for point-and-shooters who like to let their camcorder do all the heavy lifting, Panasonic keeps a large number of options available for users who want a little more control. While this means there is no “Easy” or “Green” idiot-proof mode on the SD1, it means you’ll have more options available, should you choose to use them. Sonys in particular lock you out of nearly all functions other than zoom and video recording quality when you’ve pressed the Easy button, and even the menu options on the screen become larger. Panasonic’s auto mode retains options including digital zoom set, OIS on/off, Guidelines, Wind Cut and Zoom Mic on/off, manual audio level control, and zebras. The availability of an option like zebras in auto mode is a great inclusion, because it can be treated as a warning notice that auto exposure is blowing out part of the frame.
We found that exposure was the area this camcorder struggled the most in high-contrast environments. While no camcorder’s auto exposure deals with high contrast well, the HDC-SD1 tended to over- or under-expose the subject more often than we like to see. Other than turning BLC (back light compensation), adjusting your framing, or leaving auto mode entirely, the SD1 offers little in terms of recourse for the point-and-shooter. Than again, neither do Sony and Canon’s new HDV camcorders, the HV20 and HDR-HC7, respectively. A camcorder that got auto mode right were Sony’s first AVCHD camcorders, the HDR-UX1 (the discontinued DVD model), and the HDR-SR1 (HDD-based) which both allow you the option to use manual controls even in auto mode.
Yet with an easier to use menu and generally good performance, the HDC-SD1 has much to offer point-and-shooters. The guide frame and zebra options are helpful assists that are not usually available in auto mode (Sony’s new HC7 offers neither, and the HV20 only offers guide frames), though novices are less likely to make use of assists like these. In sum, the SD1 is uncharacteristically approachable and user-friendly for a Panasonic, and keeps a handful of useful functions available. Recording to flash media enhances the cam’s easy appeal…until, that is you try to do anything with the footage other than play it back using the camcorder.
Overall Manual Control (6.75)
The Panasonic HDC-SD1 and HDC-DX1 have a nearly identical set of manual control features, and both permit fully independent iris, shutter speed and gain adjustment. This matches the level of manual control found on other consumer cams from Panasonic, and is one of the qualities that sets the company’s camcorders apart. Yet, for all the manual adjustability offered by the SD1, it’s more a point-and-shooter with good manual controls than a professional tool. The lack of support and low quality of AVCHD versus HDV is one big reason for this, as are the limited nature of some of the manual controls.
For example, the SD1 includes a manual Focus Assist option that magnifies roughly the middle quadrant of the displayed image – certainly a useful option for focusing HD resolution video. However, while this helps, its doesn’t go as far as the focus assist on the Canon HV20, which fills the screen and adds peaking to make manual focus much easier. In addition, the manual image adjustment controller on the SD1 is a joystick rather than a true ring – our first choice, found on Sony’s HDR-SR1 HDD-based AVCHD camcorder – or a dial, found on the Canon HV20, and for multiple manual controls on many HD Sonys. The joystick in combination with Focus Assist makes manually focusing the SD1 possible, but far from easy.
The joystick-centric manual control suite of the HDC-SD1 carries over from Panasonic’s standard definition consumer line, and using a joystick to focus standard definition video is doable. Getting a good picture via manual control on an HD camcorder is a dicier endeavor, however, since the pixels displayed on the screen are effectively ¼ the size of standard definition pixels. In other words, the quadrant displayed with Panasonic’s Focus Assist enabled actually represents only 1/8 of the whole video frame. That means the pixels you see with Focus Assist enabled are shown at ½ the size of the pixels you would see on a standard definition camcorder with the same LCD screen! To us, this represents a downgrade to this camcorders manual control abilities from any standard definition camcorder from Panasonic.
The joystick on the HDC-SD1 is also a bit more difficult to operate than the ones on its standard definition predecessors. The joysticks on both the SD1 and DX1 have a larger surface area than the ones found on previous Panasonics, but they don’t protrude as much from the body. We found this modified design made navigation with the new joysticks slightly more difficult than with the old joystick design. The new controller feels like a higher-end implementation, but we found that we couldn’t navigate up, down, left, and right with the facility we’ve grown to appreciate on consumer Panasonics.
In other respects, the SD1 should make Panasonic fans feel right at home. When the camcorder is set to Manual recording mode, pressing the center of the joystick brings up a 4-page menu at the lower right corner of the screen, with options for iris/gain, white balance, and shutter speed on page 4. When manual focus is enabled, a fifth focus adjustment page is added to the menu. In comparison to most other consumer camcorders, this interface design makes accessing these important image controls a very fast process. For adjustments other than focus, the joystick works very well and the ability to control gain manually is a terrific quality control feature that HD camcorders from other manufacturers like Sony and Canon lack – though gain control will be offered on the JVC HD7 Everio.
With assists like zebras, color bars, a mic input and manual audio level controls, this camcorder has the makings of a strong contender. Sadly, a less-than-stellar Focus Assist feature makes it difficult to trust manual focus, there’s no headphone jack to make manual audio adjustment worthwhile, and zebras default to a single mystery setting. It seems to be around 100 IRE, but the user’s manual sheds no light on this. Meanwhile, Sony and Canon’s HD camcorders offer zebra options at 70 IRE and 100 IRE. Add the fact that this is an AVCHD camcorder with video quality that can’t compete with HDV, and the HDC-SD1 ends up in an uncomfortable niche of its own, boasting some very good features, and some very big liabilities.
Zoom (6.0)
The zoom controller on the HDC-SD1 is excellent, allowing for accurate control over speed, and it has a responsive, comfortable feel. The position of the zoom on top of the lens barrel, just forward of the photo button should also feel right for most users, though we found it suited operation with the middle finger best. The problem with this camcorder’s zoom that it lacks settings that allow you to fine-tune the action of the controller, and it is the only zoom available. Most comparably-priced HD camcorders offer a secondary zoom controller on the LCD frame, while Canon’s HV20 takes it a step further by allowing you to set the primary zoom toggle to one of three constant speeds, or the default variable speed. The SD1 zoom is good but its basic, and on a camcorder priced at more than $1000 we would have expected some additional options.
Zoom Power Ratio (12.0)
The Panasonic HDC-SD1 includes a 12x optical zoom, offering a slight gain over most consumer HD camcorders that max out at 10x optical. Standard definition camcorders typically feature much stronger optical zooms that range as high as 40x on some entry-level Sonys, but the video they produce is much lower in resolution. The gap between standard definition and HD camcorder optical zooms stems from the fact that HD camcorders usually employ much larger imagers, or in the case of the SD1, a 3-CCD imager system. A sensor’s physical size and the length of the lens barrel determine the power of an optical zoom, so a smaller sensor is able to produce greater magnification in the limited space of a consumer camcorder body. In other words, the SD1’s optical zoom pay seem puny, but the video it captures will put standard definition video to shame.
The SD1 also includes a digital zoom option that can be capped at 30x, or allowed to run all the way to an absurd 700x. The users’ manual we received with our test model misprinted the max digital zoom on the SD1 as 120x – and Panasonic should have kept the digital max at a “mere” 10 times the optical zoom max. The reason is that digital zooms magnify the pixels available at a lenses’ optical max, which causes the quality of the image to plummet as you proceed further into digital zoom territory. To be fair, we found the SD1’s image held up remarkably well up to about 30x. At that magnification, the resolution remained comparable to what many standard definition camcorders produce – an impressive feat. Above 30x, the image quickly degenerates to the point that at 700x, you’re left with giant blocks of dancing pixels and zero legibility. If you must use the HDC-SD1’s digital zoom, we recommend capping it at 30x so you’re not tempted to push your zooms to stratospheric nausea-inducing heights.
Focus (5.0)
Focus is the bane of HD video. While standard definition video is quite forgiving, thanks to a much lower resolution, high definition video is sharp enough to magnify the slightest mistake. This is especially true of focus, and it’s simply not possible to focus accurately using the 2.7” – 3.5” displays found on today’s consumer HD camcorders. The resolution of HD video is too high (1080 x 1920) and the screens too small to make this possible. There have been a few successful remedies to this problem. Sony’s debut AVCHD camcorders, the HDR-UX1 (sadly discontinued) and HDR-SR1 feature huge 3.5” screens and excellent ring controls; the Canon HV20 has an excellent Focus Assist feature that magnifies the image to fill the 2.7” screen, and adds peaking.
Panasonic too has a Focus Assist option on the SD1 and DX1, but it’s only a partial success. Instead of filling the screen with a magnified image as on the HV20, the SD1 fills only the center quadrant of the LCD with a magnified image. As a result, you’re only given 1/8 of the entire frame to focus on – without peaking to make the job easier. Although the HDR-SR1 from Sony doesn’t offer any assist functions, the size of the screen and the ring control makes focusing manually a relative breeze. In addition, Panasonic HDC-SD1 manual focus control is a joystick that doesn’t offer the finesse of a rotary controller like a ring or dial.
After roaming the streets of Boston with the SD1 in tow, we can definitively declare that focusing manually is possible – but it ain’t easy. Most shots focused manually were crisp, but the HV20 and HDR-SR1 made it easier and faster to get it right.
Exposure & Aperture (5.62)
The joystick on the HDC-SD1 may not be a great focus controller, but its fast and adept for working your way through the manual iris adjustment options. We find the Panasonic joystick interface to be extremely efficient in the hands (or thumbs) of power users who become adept at the system’s quirks. However, the manual control menu that pops up on the lower left corner of the LCD screen upon pressing the center of the joystick has been confusing at best for inexperienced shooters. With the SD1 and DX1, Panasonic has improved the lot of newbies considerably by improving their Help mode and including longer descriptions of selected functions. Manual aperture still takes some getting used to, but Panasonic’s new camcorders make one of the best manual adjustments on the consumer market more approachable.
Here’s how it works: With the Auto/Manual/Focus selector switch set to Manual (Auto does not allow manual exposure adjustment) pressing the center of the joystick brings up the joystick navigation menu on the LCD’s lower right corner. After the menu appears, tapping down towards the “Next” option will cycle through the pages; The exposure adjustment is on the left side of page 4, labeled Iris. Tapping the joystick towards Iris enables manual exposure control, while tapping down towards “Back” returns to page 4. When Iris control is enabled, you cycle through f-stop settings by tapping left (to close down) or right (to open up) the iris. The iris settings are displayed in full f-stops as follows: 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.
The beauty of this system is that once you pass the Open aperture setting, manual control over gain – fully independent of aperture – kicks in. The HDC-SD1 and HDC-DX1 are the only currently available consumer HD camcorders that allow you to de-link iris and gain, though the JVC Everio HD7 will also offer this feature.
The HDC-SD1 has no exposure compensation, making it stand out amongst nearly all camcorders. The lack of a simple-to-understand tool that says to the user “hey, here’s where to make the picture darker or brighter” is a big misstep. We love aperture control, but this will be lost of inexperienced shooters.
Shutter Speed (8.1)
When the HDC-SD1 is recording in manual mode, the shutter speed settings can be easily reached by pressing the joystick in and navigating to page 4 of the manual control menu. Shutter speed appears on the same page as the iris/gain and white balance, and tapping the joystick left towards the SHTR label enables shutter speed adjustment. Page 4 is replaced by the manual shutter speed interface, indicating joystick-left will lower the shutter speed and joystick-right will increase the shutter speed.
The settings available on the HDC-SD1 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 – a wide range of shutter speed options. However, the SD1 does not allow you to select shutter speeds below 1/60 manually. To make use of slower shutter speeds, the camcorder must be set to MagicPix mode, Panasonic’s low light recording mode. With MagicPix enabled, the camcorder will automatically drop the shutter speed below 1/60 in low light. It’s certainly a useful recording mode, but it gives you no direct control over shutter speed. HD camcorders from Sonya and Canon both offer manual shutter speed settings below 1/60, and the ability to select either 1/30 (1080i) or 1/24 (24p on the HV20 only) is an especially valuable asset available on those cams.
White Balance (5.5)
The Panasonic HDC-SD1 includes a handful of standard-issue WB presets including AWB (auto), indoor (incandescent or halogen), and outdoor (clear, not cloudy skies). This is a limited number of presets, so the circumstances under which you’ll be able to use them are also limited. Canon leads the pack in the white balance preset department with several indoor and outdoor modes. Still, you’ll always get the best results by setting white balance on the SD1 manually.
The best thing about manual white balance on this camcorder is its accessibility and speed. To reach the manual white balance setting option, press the center of the joystick in Manual recording mode, and navigate to page 4 of the menu. The white balance select screen appears, and pressing left or right cycles through the four options, with manual white balance identified by a standard white balance icon. Tapping up once on the joystick sets white balance, and it locked in a setting after only a few seconds. In terms of color accuracy, the HDC-SD1 was not quite as precise as the Canon HV20, a comparably priced HDV camcorder, trending slightly towards the green end of the spectrum.
Gain (0.0)
Independent manual gain control is a rarity on consumer camcorders, at least outside the Panasonic brand. Most consumer camcorders even at the high end, roll gain into exposure, and when auto gain reaches higher levels, it manifests as grain in the image. An image that undergoes no gain enhancement has the least grain, and the best quality and clarity. For this reason, manual control over gain can be a valuable quality control tool, allowing you to raise the gain only to the level you deem acceptable.
The HDC-SD1 includes gain settings 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15 dB, and 18dB. In between each whole-number step is an incremental gain step giving the SD1 a total of 12 manual gain settings.
Other Manual Controls (3.5)
Zebras -
The HDC-SD1 includes a zebra stripe option – a feature that’s standard on prosumer camcorders, but rarely found on consumer models. When this option is enabled in the Advanced submenu of the Admin Menu, those parts of the image that surpass a certain brightness have diagonal stripes superimposed on them. On most camcorders, zebras can be set to specific brightness levels, and common settings are 70 IRE and 100 IRE. Sony and Canon HD camcorders allow you to select either 70 or 100 IRE, but this Panasonic only allows you to turn zebras on or off, with no level specified. It appears to be about 100 IRE, but some until Panasonic sheds some light on this camcorder’s mystery zebra setting, you’d be advised to test it out before using it.
Guide Lines - The HDC-SD1 includes three guide settings that assist with framing your shot, located in the Basic submenu of the Admin Menu. The options 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-SD1 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.
|
Advertisement
|