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Panasonic HDC-SD9 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Alfredo PadillaPublished on Jan 16, 2008 3:55 PM
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The HDC-SD9 is Panasonic’s third generation of memory card-based AVCHD camcorders, even though the first generation HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) was announced only 13 months ago. In the interim, the form factor has changed little – these things are tiny. In fact, the HDC-SD9 is currently the world’s smallest “full HD” (1920 x 1080) camcorder. Under the hood, Panasonic has made some improvements and some deletions. In addition to “full HD” status, the HDC-SD9 can shoot in 24P mode. It also has a new face detection system and an “Intelligent Shooting Guide” that points out problematic shots. And it’s small. Very, very, small. Unfortunately, it lost the mic and headphone jack that kept the HDC-SD1 off of our “naughty” list. Does the HDC-SD9 measure up?
The Front
The front of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 features the Leica Dicomar lens with 10x optical zoom. The filter diameter is 37mm and the focal length is 3 - 30 millimeters. Aperture range is f/1.8 - f/2.8. To the left of the lens, when viewing it from the front, you see an embedded flash for still photos.
The Right Side
The right side of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 has the strap and not much else. The strap is not as well padded as we would have liked, but did feel reasonably comfortable. The right side is also slightly countered, which gives it a very comfortable feel when holding it.
The Back
The back of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 is dominated by the slot for the battery pack. Above the battery you see a mode switch that allows you to set it to off, playback mode or capture mode. To the right of the battery is the capture button and below it is a switch to open the SDHC memory card slot. Unfortunately we also have to let you know that the mini HDMI port and the DC-in are underneath the battery. This means that if you ever want to use the HDMI cable to connect the Panasonic HDC-SD9 to a TV you’ll have to hope that you have your charger with you as well.
You may be wondering where the joystick and other controls are. Panasonic has relocated the joystick from its long-time residence on the rear of their camcorders, ending the era of one-handed operation.
The Left Side
On the left side you find the LCD display. Just above the LCD cavity you see two small buttons for Panasonic’s new Face Detection feature and the Pre-Record feature. When you open up the LCD you reveal a 2.7-inch screen with a resolution of 300,000 pixels, which is a little small for our tastes, but if you’re talking about a camcorder this small you can only ask for so much. Also, the resolution is better than you’ll find on most camcorders.
In the LCD cavity is an array of controls and ports. Here we find the joystick, moved from its traditional home on the back of the camcorder. The placement is certainly less ideal than before, though we were pleased to find that it still handled comfortably and intuitively. To the right is the release switch for the battery, which slides out to towards you when looking at the LCD cavity. This means that you must have the LCD open to get the battery out. To the left of it is a switch that allows you to choose between Auto and Manual modes, as well as turn on the Focus adjustment. Below these two are the Optical Image Stabilization button to the left and the Menu button to the right. Below these are three buttons for Disc Copy, Power LCD Extra and a Trash button. At the bottom are the A/V-out, component-out and USB ports, with a plastic cover protecting them.
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The left side ofPanasonic HDC-SD9 |
... and a close-up of the LCD cavity on the left side. |
The Top
On the top near the front you see the 5.1-channel built-in mic. In the middle is the speaker and near the back the zoom toggle, with a dedicated photo capture button right behind it. The grip is kinder on small hands; larger hands might find their fingers wrapping too far around the body and missing the zoom control.
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