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Panasonic HDC-SD9 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Mar 4, 2008 4:42 PM 
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Comparison
Panasonic HDC-SD5
The fleeting lifespan of the Panasonic HDC-SD5 ($999 MSRP) – announced in July 2007 and the replacement announced in January 2008 –led us to believe that this second generation AVCHD flash camcorder was simply not what Panasonic wanted A lot if interesting developments were present for the first time: 1920 x 1080 “Full HD” recording, an improved OIS, and a smaller size than the first generation
The HDC-SD9 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) picked up on these trends, improving some and impoverishing others. Panasonic did some size and weight reduction, which required some ill-advised feng shui with the external controls. The HDC-SD9’s Joystick is located in the LCD cavity, killing the handling. The HDC-SD5’s Joystick resided in back, like the rest of the heroes we’ve seen from Panasonic. However, the HDC-SD9 flaunts an open battery design, while the HDC-SD5 featured a limiting enclosed design. The SD9 retains full 1920 x 1080 recording, but boosts the maximum bit rate from 13Mbps to 17Mbps.
The HDC-SD9 has 24P Digital Cinema Color mode, but its value is suspect. The color enhancement is only compatible with the latest HDTVs that support the xvYCC color standard. In addition, the 24P only looks decent in optimal lighting conditions, and there’s no way to shoot 24P without the Digital Cinema color engaged. Despite this, we still recommend sticking with the HDC-SD9 and salvaging 200 bucks.
Sony HDR-CX7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $882.95) (Review, Specs, Recent News, $882.95)
While Panasonic released a string of AVCHD flash camcorders, Sony produced only one model, released last summer. The Memory Stick PRO Duo recording HDR-CX7 ($1119.99 MSRP) looks like a stealth bomber, adorned in a glossy coat of black paint and sporting futuristic architecture. The HDR-CX7 is equipped with a single 3,200,000 pixel, 1/2.9-inch CMOS chip that performed like a star in bright light, but trailed off in low light. The HDR-CX7 feels great in hand, but lacks the breadth of manual controls found on the HDC-SD9. You’ll also have to deal with Sony’s touch screen interface, but the HDR-CX7 has a hot shoe and docking station. This is another close one, and it will probably come down to brand loyalty in the end. That or the fact that the HDC-SD9 is $400 cheaper than the HDR-CX7.
Canon HF10
The Canon HF10 (Specs, Recent News, $0.00)($1099 MSRP) is in the house and currently being tested. We know you’ve been waiting since its CES announcement to see what it can do, but until then, our judgments are based solely off of anecdotal results. The Canon HF10 is the HDC-SD9’s direct rival, but already it seems the HF10 has the lead out of the starting gate. The HF10 is equipped with a 1/3.2-inch CMOS chip with a 3,300,000 gross pixel count. It includes a Mic jack, Headphone jack, and hot accessory shoe and shoots in 1080/60i, 1080/30P, and 1080/24P. Right off the bat, the HDC-SD9 should be shaking in its boots, but we’ll give you the official word within the next week.
Panasonic HDC-HS9 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00)
The HDC-HS9 ($1099 MSRP) is what would happen if you slapped a 60GB HDD on the HDC-SD9. That’s the only difference in this cousin to the SD9, which was announced at the same time. You can expect the same performance, manual controls, and Joystick design from both camcorders. Although, handling the HDC-HS9 is easier because of its bulkier size. If you want more than just SDHC capacity but like everything else about the SD9, the HDC-HS9 is the way to go.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
Between the profoundly elaborate audio control, manual controls, and advanced options, the HDC-SD9 is not on the top of the “Friendliest Camcorders” list. The menu is straightforward, but the joystick used to navigate it is terrible. This is a camcorder to grow with.
Budget Consumers
The HDC-SD9 is the cheapest “Full HD” camcorder on the market. $800 is a steal compared to the first generation HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99), which retailed for $1400.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
The still features are limited here—1920 x 1080 is all you get. Sony and Canon will wet your still image whistle with larger picture resolutions and more advanced options.
Gadget Freaks
Gadget Freaks will swoon over the HDC-SD9’s tiny size, touting the “World’s Smallest Full HD Camcorder” wrestling belt all throughout Circuit City.
Manual Control Freaks
Panasonic never fails to deliver that standard bill of goods here—Focus, Exposure, White Balance, Shutter Speed, and Gain. However, the HDV camcorders of this year, including the Canon HV30 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) and Sony HDR-HC9 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00), both offer more comprehensive packages.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists
Based on the HDC-SD9’s video quality and AVCHD compression and compatibility, Pros will have to look elsewhere.
Conclusion
The Panasonic HDC-SD9 could have been the near perfect AVCHD camcorder, were Panasonic not so intent on following two noble yet discordant paths. On the one hand, they are determined to retain the “world’s smallest” title. On the other, they're trying to cater to the demand for higher bit rates and better AVCHD compression. They’ve achieved both, but it’s somewhat a pyrrhic victory, only meeting the needs of half the intended market.
The point and shooters who need portability are fine. They’ll love the SD9. However, the crowd that demands so loudly for improved quality is the same crowd that demands a fully-featured camcorder with expert handling. The outcome was foregone. You can only make a camcorder so small before all the buttons have to be moved around to inconvenient places, which is exactly what happened with the HDC-SD9. The once unbeatable handling from Panasonic has gone to the dogs with the stubby, physically painful (yes, actually painful) joystick in the LCD cavity.
We’d also hoped that the third generation AVCHD camcorders would be the ones to finally match HDV quality. Sadly, that is not the case, though the HDC-SD9 has the best AVCHD compression to date. The camcorder still produces slight "ghost images" when subjects move across the screen, though not nearly as much as in previous generations. Blocky bits of compression artifacts are still apparent, to a greater degree than the best HDV camcorders this year. The Canon HF10, an AVCHD camcorder primed to be the SD9’s main competitor, is up next for review, and early signs indicate that Canon is once again producing the best looking video. Don’t forget Sony, either, which is likely to replace the aging HDR-CX7 sometime soon. While Panasonic will probably remain the world’s smallest AVCHD for a while, size is its leading quality, which may not be enough to suit the needs of all shooters.