Panasonic HDC-SD5 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by Michael Perlman

Published on Jul 30, 2007 3:00 AM
Add to My Yahoo!
Related Articles
Reviews: Panasonic HDC-HS9 Camcorder Review · JVC Everio GZ-HD6 Camcorder Review · Canon Vixia HF10 Camcorder Review · Panasonic HDC-SD9 Review Photo Gallery
News: UPDATE; Panasonic Aims for an AVCHD Future with AG-HMC150 · New Panasonic AG-HPX170 P2 Pro Camcorder · Panasonic HDC-SD9 review is posted




Ease of Use
Sony might wear the pants when it comes to ease of use within the consumer camcorder market, but the Panasonic HDC-SD5 walks softly and carries a big stick. Yes, Sony has their prized Easy button, which slips the camcorder into full auto mode and whittles down menu options to almost nothing. Sony also touts that infamous touch screen interface, which pumps up the “ooh…ahh!” factor for most buyers. The HDC-SD5 utilizes a menu interface that is nearly identical to its AVCHD predecessors, the HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) and HDC-DX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99). The look is basic, a stripped-down menu design full of useful features rather than ancillary gimmicks.

The HDC-SD5 employs the familiar one-touch joystick menu that provides instant manual control right at your thumb. Maneuvering the joystick will take some practice, especially with the HDC-SD5’s stunted nub, but thanks to the simplified menu structure, most shooters will be able to acclimatize in no time. To the bane of the manual control freak, the HDC-SD5 does not feature a plethora of ports, buttons, dials, switches, and sliders, which is good news for point-and-shooters. One last note is that the HDC-SD5 records to one of the most friendly formats available—flash memory. Just slide a card in and go. There’s no tape to rewind and no DVD to format. In order to capture footage onto a computer, all you need is a card reader and an AVCHD-compatible NLE, which are slowly beginning to crawl out of the woodwork as the relatively new compression reaches further development.

Handling
The “World’s Smallest AVCHD Camcorder” wars are raging more tumultuously than ever. When Panasonic introduced the HDC-SD1, they claimed the initial title. Then along came Sony with the HDR-CX7 (Specs, Recent News, $1199), capturing the flag. As a result, Panasonic was forced to retaliate. Hence the creation of the HDC-SD5—the latest “World’s Smallest 1920 x 1080 AVCHD Camcorder”…until Sony releases an upgrade to the HDR-CX7, which should run closer in size to an iPod shuffle. And thus, the cyclical battle of smallness trudges onward.

The HDC-SD5 is 20% smaller than SD1, and you can feel it. Weighing in at 340g and measuring a petit 66mm x 66mm x 135mm, the HDC-SD5 feels so small in the palm of the hand, it’s absurd. The Sony HDR-CX7 should feel like an overstuffed mess with its 430g weight and 74mm x 69mm x 142mm dimensions when pinned against the HDC-SD5. Despite the preposterously minute mass of the HDC-SD5, it’s refreshingly comfortable to hold. The right side of the camcorder features an amply-sized arched bump that conforms ergonomically to the palm of the hand. In addition, Panasonic has abolished the slender, feeble hand strap found on the HDC-SD1. The HDC-SD5’s hand strap is thin, yet made of a velvety material, flaunting a wide teardrop design that mirrors the palm-friendly bump. For a camcorder this tiny, we did not expect this caliber of comfort.

 
   
   
Of, course those with hands larger than a plastic backscratcher will most likely overshoot the microphone and playback speaker, which are both located on top of the camcorder. The HDC-SD1 features a raised rubberized ridge between its microphone and zoom toggle, which proved to be a valuable asset when it came to attaining a solid grip. Your quest with the HDC-SD5 will be to find out where to keep your fingers. The zoom toggle is constructed of a hefty, gnarled metal tab that slides as smoothly as hot Werther’s Original. Though zoom sliders tend to have bad reputations due to their choppy handling, we were more than pleased with the HDC-SD5’s. Honestly, we could have used more joystick, though. Panasonic’s joysticks resemble a miniscule mushroom with an exceedingly short stem. The HDC-SD5’s joystick appears to have had its mushroom top lopped off to expose a stunted microscopic shaft.

The HDC-SD5 features an LCD open button that, when pressed, releases the LCD screen a fraction of an inch. In order to fully extend the LCD screen, you must flip it out with a finger. The LCD screen cannot be released without pressing the LCD open button. If you try to jack it open with a fingernail, you will be subjected to the jarring snap of plastic-on-plastic resistance—not the greatest catalyst for easing the wear and tear process. The HDC-SD5 has a large battery/SD card slot door located on the bottom that flips out underneath the camcorder. Here you’ll find the battery and SD/SDHC card slot. On a lame note, you can’t replace the battery or SD/SDHC card while the camcorder is mounted to a tripod. In addition, you can’t upgrade the HDC-SD5’s VW-VBG130 battery pack to bigger size thanks to its fixed cavity. The HDR-CX7 features a rear-mounted battery design and side-mounted Memory Stick slot.

LCD/Viewfinder
 
 

The 2.7" LCD
   
The HDC-SD5 is equipped with a 2.7” wide LCD screen that flips out 90 degrees from the body and rotates up to 270 degrees. The screen touts a 300K pixel resolution, putting the Sony HDR-CX7’s 211K pixel LCD screen to shame. This is a 50 pixel increase in resolution from Panasonic’s first flash-based AVCHD model, the HDC-SD1. As a result, the HDC-SD5’s LCD image is strikingly crisp, heightened by bold lines and rife with vibrant, balanced color. As viewfinders are slowly ushered to the chopping block, manufacturers should pour more quality into the only source of image monitoring available on a camcorder. We were pleased to see Panasonic raise the bar.

On the other hand, the HDC-SD5’s LCD screen is devoid of controls embedded within its LCD panel. The HDR-CX7 flaunts zoom, record start/stop, and home menu controls along the left side of its LCD panel. Two-handed shooters will be disappointed with the HDC-SD5’s bare plastic frame. The HDC-SD5 sports an LCD open button located in back. When pressed, the LCD screen flips out slightly and requires a minor jostle in order for it to fully extend. This is another upgrade from the HDC-SD1’s LCD screen, which had no locking mechanism and was susceptible to an inadvertent flip out during transport.

 

 

 

 



<< Still Features | Audio / Playback / Connectivity >>