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Panasonic HDC-SD9 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Mar 4, 2008 4:42 PM 
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Audio (5.5)
For a camcorder that does not offer any external sound options, including a Mic jack or a hot shoe, the onboard Audio options are quite good. But before we dive in, let’s talk about the placement of the onboard microphone, which is located on the top of the camcorder. The HDC-SD9 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) is the smallest “Full HD” camcorder, which allows for the possibility of the shooting hand scraping the microphone. An abundance of onboard audio options is great, but it’s all completely worthless if you’ve laid a menacing pinky over the microphone during the entire duration of your recording. Be wary of your grip on the HDC-SD9.
The HDC-SD9 has a 5.1 channel surround sound microphone that allows you to record in three different settings: Surround, Zoom, and Focus. Surround recording uses four discreet microphones, two front-facing and two rear-facing, then digitally creates a composite fifth channel. The Zoom setting allows focuses on sound near the front of the camcorder when zoomed in and sound farther away from the camcorder when zoomed out. This is useful for capturing action that covers most of the recorded frame. The Focus setting concentrates on the front of the camcorder and is ideal for interviews.
You can also set audio Levels on the HDC-SD9—Auto Gain Control (AGC), Set+AGC, and Set modes. AGC is simply the camcorder’s auto mode, meaning the camcorder automatically adjusts the sound levels, which is useful for most situations where sound levels are unpredictable. Set+AGC is used to set the recording dB level for sounds that are a bit harsher, yet AGC is still present to reduce the amount of sound distortion. The Set mode is used when you want to record sound in its most natural form—AGC is entirely off and you will have to rely on the HDC-SD9’s level meter. The level meter essentially emulates a dual-channel meter found on prosumer and pro camcorders. The downside is that it’s really hard to monitor because there are not enough segments in the meter to allow for a fluid motion. Readings will be jumpy, so if you haven’t gotten used to the HDC-SD9’s levels meter, keep it in Auto (AGC) for now.
When you select Set+AGC or Set, a screen appears containing individual level meters for each of the five surround sound microphone segments—Center, Front Left, Back Left, Front Right, and Back Right. A horizontal slider bar allows you to shift the dB input level up or down from -30 to +6 using the Joystick.
Lastly, the HDC-SD9 is equipped with a Wind Cut function, but after all of this onboard Audio control, a Wind Cut function is about as useful as wearing a helmet in a tornado.
Playback (4.25)
Playback on the HDC-SD9 is simple. Just shift the Mode Switch to the far left and a screen containing up to 8 icons at a time will appear. You can scroll through the icons using the Joystick and arrange them by Date. You can also select the Intelligent Scene function, which displays only scenes with proper exposure, focus, etc. In order to select a scene or image, press the center of the Joystick and the video clip or still will fill the entirety of the LCD screen. Video Playback controls are governed by the Joystick and clip volume is adjusted using the Zoom toggle. For images, the Joystick controls Slideshow and selects previous and next pictures.
Playback mode in action
The Video Playback menu is accessed by pressing the Menu button and contains the following options:
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Video Playback |
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| Video Setup | Repeat Play, Resume Play, Scene Protect, Guide Lines |
| Edit Scene | Divide, Delete |
| Setup | Format Card, Display, Date/Time, Date Format, Power Save, Beep Sound, LCD Set, Component Out, HDMI Resolution, VIERA Link, TV Aspect |
| Language | English, Francais, Espanol |
In Photo Playback, the Administrative menu contains the following options:
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Photo Playback |
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| Pict. Setup | Scene Protect, DPOF Set, Delete |
| Setup | Format Card, Display, Date/Time, Date Format, Power Save, Beep Sound, LCD Set, Component Out, HDMI Resolution, VIERA Link, TV Aspect |
| Language | English, Francais, Espanol |
Connectivity (4.0)
Panasonic fails to excel in the port placement department. We’ll start off by addressing the two terminals hidden behind the battery. The DC and HDMI jacks are only available when the battery is absent from the battery chamber. This means that you have to disrupt a shot to connect the external power supply. If you want to review footage on an HD monitor using an HDMI cable, the power must also be plugged in. Furthermore, Panasonic needs to update its AC adapters—it is composed of too many parts and you cannot charge the battery while the camcorder is connected. What is the busy shooter supposed to do if they need to review footage and charge the battery at the same time? JVC, Canon, and Sony are miles ahead in this regard.
The only other ports found on the HDC-SD9 are located within the LCD cavity behind a rectangular plastic door. Here you’ll find the A/V out, Component, and USB jacks. The HDC-SD9 is devoid of a Mic or headphone jack and an accessory shoe. The HF10 proudly sports all three, which goes to show that Panasonic is more concerned with size than features. The right side of the HDC-SD9 is just begging for more connectivity, but Panasonic drops the ball here.
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