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Panasonic HDC-SD100 Camcorder Review by Kaitlyn Chantry Published on Sep 26, 2008 3:30 PM   Intro Performance Format Auto / Manual Controls Still Features Handling and Use Audio / Playback / Connectivity Other Features Conclusion & Comparisons Photo Gallery Specs and Ratings	Advertisement

Ease of Use (6.75)
For experienced videographers, the Panasonic HDC-SD100 is an effortless affair. Climbing through the various menus will take some time, but once you've located all the important functions, they are easily accessible. Buttons within the LCD cavity and across the body of the camcorder are clearly labeled and easy to reach. The two methods for navigating the menus (the multi-function ring and the joystick) are smooth and responsive. The new joystick, in particular, we found to be surprisingly easy to use, despite the reduction in size. Someone at Panasonic deserves a promotion for designing that joystick.

 

However, when we ask ourselves whether a camcorder is easy to use, we try to put ourselves in the shoes of a beginner, picking up their first camcorder. In this regard, Panasonic could still use some help. Functions are divided among three different menus, all accessed by a different method. The Camera Function method (for making most of your manual image adjustments) is accessed via the Cam Function button. The Joystick menu, which houses a handful of automatic image options, is accessed by clicking down on the Joystick. And the main Administrative menu is found by pressing the Menu button in the LCD cavity. Determining which options you'll find in which menu is not always an intuitive process and once you do locate the desired feature, it's not always easy to adjust it. (See Manual Controls.)

Rather than streamlining the menu system—we like the straightforward tabbed system most recently used by Samsung—Panasonic designed a somewhat haphazard affair, then peppered in a few tools to advise the beginning along the way. Most noteworthy are the fantastic tool tips that scroll along the bottom of the screen to explain each function of the Administrative menu. We love these tool tips and wish every manufacturer would use them. In the Joystick menu, a similar feature is available (called Help Mode), but it has to be enabled from within the Joystick menu. Unfortunately, Panasonic did not extend the same courtesy to describing options on the Camera Function menu; here, you're required to decipher small icons without the aid of text.

The other feature Panasonic has included to help aid ease of use is the Shooting Guide. Ironically, you have to enter the Advanced tab of the Administrative menu to turn the Shooting Guide on and off. Once you do, however, you'll be greeted by the occasional piece of advice, as the camcorder analyzing the scene you're shooting, then suggests certain modes that you might want to turn on and off. Sometimes the text can be distracting, but for beginners, it's a helpful system.

As always, Panasonic also includes an Easy mode, which handles the same way as Manual mode, only several options are removed from the menu. The multi-function ring is disabled entirely, which seems a shame when it could be set to zoom by default so that beginners still get to play with this excellent control. Intelligent Auto (iA) mode is an even more basic mode, which disables even more menu features and also puts the camcorder into one of several scene modes, automatically selected for the user.

Though we don't often discuss a camcorder's operation manual, it should be noted that the Panasonic HDC-SD100 comes with a very thorough Operating Instructions, which describes all of the camcorder's functions in great detail. This is actually a helpful guide for users of all experience levels.

Handling (7.75)
The HDC-SD100 handles a lot like the HDC-HS100, only without the hard drive bulking up the right side of the body. As was the case on the SD9, it turns out that lopping off the hard drive changes the way you hold the camcorder pretty drastically. On the HS100, the fingers of your right hand will wrap around and tuck themselves on the edge of the hard drive. On these card-only camcorders, your fingers will just continue to wrap around the top of the camcorder. It seems like an insignificant difference, but we found that the change accommodates a greater variety of hand sizes, including smaller adult hands. For every user we tested, the zoom toggle and still capture button sit right under the index finger.

For ordinary one-handed videography, the HDC-SD100 is a great tool. The hand strap fits comfortably over the back of your hand and secures the camcorder well to avoid side-to-side flopping about. The Record button and Mode dial sit perfectly under most thumbs and have the right amount of responsiveness—the buttons are easy to press when you want to and unlikely to be pressed by accident. It's a comfortable camcorder to hold, even after a long day of shooting.

For this generation, Panasonic has also brought back the viewfinder, which is a welcome addition, especially when glare from the sun wreaks havoc on your LCD. The viewfinder doesn't extend or tilt, but we found it comfortably positioned for most shooting.

The Panasonic HDC-SD100 in hand—a better fit than Panasonic's hard drive equivalent.

 

Nestled inside the LCD is one of our greatest regrets about the Panasonic HDC-SD100: the joystick is tucked away where it's hard to access while recording. Once you've been using the camcorder for a while, you can often find the joystick by memory and by touch, but it's a less convenient placement that on the back of the camcorder or the LCD panel itself. As we mentioned above, however, the joystick itself is well-designed and makes the overall handling of the camcorder smooth.

To operate the joystick, place your finger in the middle of the pad, then nudge it in one of four directions to navigate the menus. Clicking on the center of the joystick will bring up the Joystick menu or serve as an "enter" key, if you're already in the Administrative menu. It really is all about texture here, since the joystick has a highly "gripable" surface. Still, you have to reach your hand in front of the LCD for the joystick, which makes operation less than optimal.

The joystick on the Panasonic HDC-SD100 is, unfortunately, still stuck inside the LCD cavity.	The multi-function ring, however, is  great new addition.

The other primary control method on the Panasonic HDC-SD100 is the fantastic new multi-function ring, which operates most of the camcorder's manual controls. The ring controls Zoom, Focus, White Balance, Shutter Speed, and Iris (a combination of aperture and gain). Not all the features controlled perfectly on the ring (see Manual Controls), but the inclusion of this feature will be a big selling point for manual control enthusiasts. We liked the design of the ring so much that we wished it could have been used for more features, such as exposure and sharpness, which are instead buried within the Administrative menu.

Although the controls are the most important part of the camcorder, the SD100 does offer a few other features that may change the way it handles. We were happy to see the accessory shoe, as well as microphone and headphone jacks. Admittedly, the SD100 is a very compact, lightweight camcorder to have many accessories added on. We imagine it might start feeling unbalanced or bulky.

Speaking of bulky, we have to take a moment to once again decry the illogical port placement on Panasonic's last couple generations of consumer camcorders. Tucked within the battery compartment are the USB, HDMI, and DC power ports. We already discussed this at length when describing the back of the camcorder and we'll mention it again in the Portability and Connectivity sections, but it's worth mentioning again. Sure, it's inconvenient to remove the battery and plug in the camcorder every time you want to transfer footage or view video on an HDTV... but putting the power output in there is just preposterous. Not only do you have to carry the external power adapter everywhere you go, but you can't charge the battery and use the camcorder at the same time. Longtime Panasonic owners may not realize that a better world is possible, but anyone switching over from another manufacturer will find this frustrating—maybe even enough to consider a different camcorder.

A model of inconvenience.

Menu (6.5)
Panasonic's menu system is fairly straightforward and easy to navigate. The biggest frustration comes from dividing features among three unrelated menus, where beginners may have a tough time deciding which menu holds the feature they're looking for. We much prefer the consolidated tab system used by Samsung, and if Panasonic wants to offer a quick menu, it may be helpful to includes these features within the main Administrative menu as well.

On the bright side, Panasonic's layout is much more comprehensible than the seemingly haphazard organization of JVC's latest menu system. Plus, Panasonic has added the incredibly helpful scrolling text to describe all the options within the Administrative menu. It can be frustrating to decipher tiny icons without any explanatory text—as is the case for several competitors, as well as the Camera Function menu on the SD100.

New to the HDC-SD100 is the excellent multi-function ring, which allows the user to control many of the manual operations via a smooth and responsive ring around the lens. This means there is a whole new menu on the SD100, called the Camera Function menu. Features on the Camera Function menu are available only in Manual mode, but can be used for recording video or for still photography. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, there are no text descriptions of the Camera Function features; Panasonic assumes that anyone using these options does not need the aid of tool tips. The Camera Function menu (accessed via the Cam Function button) contains the following options:

Camera Function Menu
Return	Exits the menu and allows you to toggle between manual zoom and manual focus
White Balance	Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Indoor 1 (incandescent), Indoor 2 (color fluorescent), and Manual
Shutter Speed	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, 1/8000 (1/24, 1/30, 1/48 are available in some settings)
Iris	Aperture: f/1.8 (Open), f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, f/16 Gain: 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB, and 18dB

 

The multi-function ring controls options in the Camera Function menu.		Pushing the Cam Function will bring up the Camera Function menu, allowing you to adjust White Balance, Shutter Speed, and Iris.

 

The Joystick Menu (accessed by clicking on the center of the Joystick) is available in both Manual and Auto mode. Activating Help Mode (on page 1) will enable scrolling text tool tips that describe each of the features contained in the Joystick menu. The Self-Timer is only applicable to still photography.

Joystick Menu
Page 1	Fade (select black or white in the Admin menu), Backlight Compensation, Help Mode
Page 2	Self-Timer (2sec/10sec/Off), Intelligent Contrast Control1, Automatic Face Detection1
Page 3	Soft Skin Mode, MagicPix, Tele Macro
Page 4	Headphone Volume Adjustment2

¹ Feature not available in Intelligent Auto (iA) mode
² Feature available only in Headphone mode (selected via Setup tab of Admin menu)

The Panasonic HDC-SD100 has a surprisingly responsive joystick.		Pushing on the center of the joystick brings up the Joystick menu.

The Administrative Menu, which is accessed via the Menu button, houses the majority of the camcorder options. Each of these features has a scrolling text description at the bottom of the screen. Features marked by italics below are only relevant to still photography:

Administrative Menu
Basic	Scene Mode (Off, Sports, Portrait, Low Light, Spotlight, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Scenery)2, Digital Zoom (Off, 30x, 700x), Guidelines (Off, Horizontal, Grid 1, Grid 2)1, Set World Time
Record Setup	Face Framing (Off, Primary, All), Record Mode (HA1920, HG1920, HX1920, HE1440), 24P Digital Cinema1, Fade Color (White, Black), Wind Cut2, Mic Setup (Surround, Zoom Mic, Focus Mic), Mic Level2, AGS, Hi-Speed Burst1, Flash, Flash Level, Red Eye, Shutter Sound
Advanced	Recording Lamp, Auto Slow Shutter1, Shooting Guide, Digital Cinema Color, Picture Adjust (Sharpness, Color, Exposure)2, Manual Focus Assist2, Zebra2, Luminance2, Histogram2
Setup	Clock Set, Display, Date/Time, Date Format, Power Save, Quick Power On, Quick Start, Beep Sound, Power LCD, LCD Set, EVF Set, Component Out (480i, 1080i), HDMI Resolution (Auto, 1080i, 480i), VIERA Link, TV Aspect (16:9, 4:3), AV Jack (AV Out, Headphone), Initial Set, Format Card, Demo Mode
Language	English, Français, Español

¹ Feature not available in Intelligent Auto (iA) mode
² Feature not available in either Auto mode or Intelligent Auto (iA) mode

	Row 1: Basic Submenu, Record Setup Submenu Row 2: Advanced Submenu, Setup Submenu Row 3: Language Submenu

Portability (8.25)
The Panasonic HDC-SD100 is even smaller than its highly portable hard drive cousin, the HDC-HS100. Despite the addition of a multi-function ring, viewfinder, and accessory shoe, the HS100 is only slightly larger than its predecessor, the HDC-SD9. Measuring just 65mm x 72mm x 138mm (2.56 x 2.835 x 5.433-inches) and weighing just 320g (0.705 lbs.), this is a very small camcorder.

Unfortunately, you'll need a small camera bag to tote around cables and accessories, especially since the DC jack is lodged within the battery chamber. (You won't be able to charge the battery, transfer files, or connect via HDMI without removing the battery and plugging in the camcorder.) On the plus side, the SD100 records entirely to SD/SDHC cards, which are tiny and ultra portable, no matter how many extra cards you want to carry. The only downside is that their diminutive size makes them easy to lose.

LCD and Viewfinder (6.0)
The HDC-SD100 sports the same 2.7-inch LCD found on the HDC-SD9. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. Panasonic retained the colorful, sharp 300,000-pixel resolution, which is the highest out of any other 2.7-inch LCD screen found within the consumer camcorder market. There are two settings within the Administrative menu that will allow you to alter the display: an LCD Set function for adjusting the color or brightness of the screen and the Power LCD Plus feature for brightening the LCD screen up to two steps. Either setting will alter your perception of what your images look like, so it may interfere with attaining the most accurate shot possible. Leave these settings off, especially if you plan on making a lot of manual image adjustments. Unfortunately, each time the camcorder is powered off and back on again, the Power LCD Plus kicks in automatically. You'll have to manually disable this feature every time the camcorder is powered on.

Battery Life (12.6)
We tested the life of the HDC-SD100's VW-VBG130 rechargeable battery pack by recording continuously in manual mode with the LCD flipped open and OIS disabled. The HDC-HS100's battery lasted 125 minutes and 55 seconds (2 hours, 5 minutes, and 55 seconds). It comes as no surprise that the HS100 lasts a bit longer than the hard drive model, since the moving parts on a hard drive camcorder tend to take up more energy. However, we were also pleased to find that the SD100 outlasted Panasonic's last generation SD model as well.

Regardless, we recommend that you pack a couple spare batteries, especially since the batteries can't be charged while the camcorder itself is plugged in. And since the battery chamber is conveniently recessed, we think you might even want to upgrade to a longer lasting battery.

The battery cavity is deep enough to accommodate a larger battery... but is the inconvenient home of several important outputs.

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