Panasonic HDC-SX5 Camcorder Review

by Michael Perlman
Published on Oct 17, 2007 4:45 PM

 
Intro Performance
Format Auto / Manual Controls
Still Features
Handling and Use
Audio / Playback / Connectivity Other Features
Comparisons / Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Ease of Use (6.0)
Like the HDC-DX1, the HDC-SX5 is not a daunting piece of machinery. The HDC-SX5 employs straightforward, simple menus and a rear-mounted joystick to enable one-handed camcorder operation. Although Panasonics are geared toward more advanced shooters due to their robust gamut of manual controls, point-and-shooters can opt to set the camcorder to Auto mode. In Auto mode, the Joystick menu is reduced to three pages and loaded only with the very simple one-touch options like Soft Skin mode and Tele Macro.

To simplify the HDC-SX5’s operation even further, the first page of the Joystick menu includes a Help mode. When Help mode is activated, two yellow bars span across the top and bottom of the screen. When one of the one-touch controls is selected, a description of that tool appears. Help mode is available only within the Joystick menu.

Out of Auto mode, the HDC-SX5 will perplex most beginners. You’ll have to know or learn a little camera terminology to really understand the aperture, gain, white balance, and shutter speed tools. Unfortunately, Panasonic does not outfit its camcorders with a simple exposure tool to make the image “a little brighter or darker” – something beginners can wrap their brain around. So many advanced and miscellaneous features are available on the HDC-SX5, such as audio levels, MF assist, and Intelligent Contrast, that it would be easy for a novice to feel bewildered amidst a sea of options.

While the concept of the DVD medium is simple, in truth, it may be the most uncooperative medium in the consumer camcorder world. You’ll get a trivial 14 minutes of recording time in the highest quality, and since the HDC-SX5 is one of the few HD camcorders that can produce 1920 x 1080 “full HD” video, most users will want to take advantage of this recording quality. In addition, DVD discs need to be finalized before they can be played back on a DVD player. Finalization can take up to 10 minutes in some cases. Furthermore, the HDC-SX5’s disc hatch can take up to 30 seconds to open. During a shoot, this can be extremely frustrating, making the shooter wonder why they opted for a DVD camcorder in the first place. When it comes time to watch your videos, you may be surprised to find your older DVD players or DVD drives can’t even read the disc, due to AVCHD incompatibility. Tough luck.

Handling (6.0)
The HDC-SX5 is a beast – there’s no way around it. Even though Panasonic has slimmed down its next generation AVCHD DVD titan, there’s no escaping the fact that the HDC-SX5 is merely an HDC-DX1 on a diet. We almost ran for the hills back in March after unboxing the gargantuan HDC-DX1. It’s uglier than any camcorder we’ve seen all year, weighs a ton, and is a dread to handle. The HDC-DX1’s preposterously prominent battery back thrusts out the back end. In addition, the HDC-DX1’s steep disc hatch felt more like a discus in our hands than part of a camcorder. The HDC-SX5 is in fact more portable, yet still manages to pack in all of the HDC-DX1’s peculiar handling flaws.

The HDC-SX5 is equipped with an equally-colossal battery pack. We appreciate battery life as much as anyone, but manufacturers typically include a skinny battery in the box, then let the customer decide if they want to sacrifice portability by upgrading. To make matters worse, the HDC-SX5’s hard plastic viewfinder merely telescopes straight out and does not flip up. This means the viewfinder just barely clears the battery. When you place the viewfinder in front of your eye, the battery literally attacks your face. One minor stumble could lead to a row of missing teeth. Poor form, Panasonic.

The HDC-SX5’s disc hatch is more compact, yet lacks the grippability of a Sony or Canon. The bottom line is the HDC-SX5 does not feel comfortable in the hand. Sure, the hand strap has been revamped and is notably more padded, but the rest of the right side is devoid of ergonomic friendliness. When you slide your hand into the HDC-SX5, you’ll notice you have to slide your palm down so your index finger aligns with the zoom toggle. The middle, ring, and pinky fingers rest atop the disc hatch, but you’ll notice a sizable gap between your hand and the camcorder’s right side. The rear-mounted joystick has been chopped down to a mere nub, and is awkwardly placed, requiring a thumb contortion to operate it. Though the HDC-SX5 is built for one-handed camcorder operation, you’ll find a second hand might be necessary to brace the left side to keep the camcorder upright, depending on how tight you ratchet the hand strap.

The good news is the HDC-SX5 is lighter than the HDC-DX1. While this might not equate to a more solid, balanced feel in the hand, it certainly aids the portability factor. You can actually fit the HDC-SX5 in a decent-sized camera bag without any obscene protrusions. Though we lament the size of the HDC-DX1’s joystick, there is no contest between a rear-mounted joystick and a touch screen LCD. Most power users prefer joysticks. One last note is that the HDC-SX5’s disc hatch takes an abnormally long time to open. Be prepared to wait up to 30 seconds, depending on how stubborn the HDC-SX5 is being that day.

Menu (6.5)
Panasonics are equipped with excellent menus, and the HDC-SX5 is no exception. They’ve done a great job of simplifying. Most camcorders have separate menus for each shooting mode: HD video mode, Standard Def Video mode, Still Photo mode, etc. The HDC-SX5 only features one Administrative menu (accessed via the menu button on the back) that spans them all. This menu is only available when you are not actively recording. A separate menu, the Joystick menu, takes care of all manual controls and image effects. This is available during recording. All action is controlled by the rear-mounted joystick, which enables rapid, accurate selections.

The Administrative menu contains those items you wouldn’t necessarily need in the heat of the moment. A scrollable list appears containing the following options:

Administrative Menu
Basic Scene Mode (Sports, Portrait, Low Light, Spotlight, Surf & Snow), Digital Zoom, OIS, Guide Lines, Clock Set
Video Record Mode, Fade Color, Wind Cut, Zoom Mic, Mic Level, Hot Shoe Mic, AGS
Picture Picture Quality, Flash Level, Shutter Sound, Red Eye
Advanced Record Lamp, Zebra, Color Bar, MF Assist, Auto Slow Shutter
Setup Format Disc, Auto Protect, Format Card, Display, Date/Time, Date Format, Power Save, Beep Sound, LCD Set, EVF Set, Component Out, HDMI Resolution, EZ Sync, TV Aspect, Initial Set, Demo Mode
Language English, Français, Espaňol

The Joystick menu is accessed by pressing the center of the joystick. A small circular menu appears in the bottom right corner of the LCD screen. When the HDC-SX5 is set to Manual mode, the following options are available (if you are in Auto mode, only the first three pages of options appear):

Joystick Menu
Joystick 1 Fades, Intelligent Contrast, Help Mode
Joystick 2 Soft Skin Mode, MagicPix, Backlight Compensation (BLC)
Joystick 3 Flash, Self-Timer, Tele Macro
Joystick 4 Iris, White Balance, Shutter Speed
Joystick 5 Manual Focus

 
The Joystick menu in action

Portability (3.75)
Let’s all raise our hands in the air and thank anything holy that the HDC-SX5 does not share the same dimensions with its prodigious older sibling, the HDC-DX1. As many readers will recall, the HDC-DX1 did not fare well in the portability department. Nobody wants to tote around a bowling ball all day at Six Flags.

Much to our relief, the HDC-SX5 went on a diet. It’s slimmer, shorter, and weighs less, touting the following revamped measurements: 83.5 x 93.5 x 151.5mm (3.3 x 3.7 x 6-inches) and 540 grams (1.2 pounds). That’s more like it. Though, you’ll still have to dodge that absurd battery jutting out of the back like a pier. Panasonic did not make any attempt to hide that monstrosity, so make sure there’s extra room in the camera bag. Also account for DVD discs, a backup battery, SD cards, and a self-motivation booklet after you look at your depleted wallet.

 

The 2.7-inch, 300,000-pixel LCD

 

The viewfinder extends, but not past the battery.

LCD and Viewfinder (6.5)
The HDC-SX5 is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen that packs in a whopping 300,000 pixels. This is one of the highest resolutions we’ve seen yet on a consumer camcorder, but is actually quite common on digital still cameras. The LCD screen flips out 90 degrees from the camcorder’s body and rotates up to 270 degrees. There are no buttons on the LCD panel controls, as most operations are governed with the rear-mounted joystick. The HDC-SX5 features a Power LCD Extra function that brightens the screen by two exposure steps. Be warned that this affects only the screen brightness and not the actual exposure of the image. We predict this will cause more than a few underexposed images over time. One last thing – the LCD screen’s image appears more saturated than the viewfinder. Depending on which you’re using to frame the shot, there may be some variance in how you perceive the color and exposure.

The HDC-SX5 is outfitted with a viewfinder that telescopes out to about an inch from the camcorder’s body. The viewfinder is sharp, with a 183,000 pixel count, and will be your best friend when it comes to an accurate picture. The only problem you’ll run into is the submarine-sized battery underneath it. The viewfinder just barely clears the battery, which will not make for a pleasant shooting experience. The dioptric adjuster is located on top of the viewfinder shaft.

Battery Life (15.4)
We’ve roasted the HDC-SX5’s battery enough in this review, so let’s find out if its massive size had an impact on endurance. We tested the life of the VW-VBG260 battery pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with the LCD flipped open. When the disc needed to be changed, the battery was removed and the external power source was plugged in. When all was said and done, the HDC-SX5’s humongous battery lasted a whopping 153 minutes and 34 seconds (2 hours, 33 minutes, and 34 seconds). We’re not entirely sure why the HDC-SX5 outperformed the HDC-DX1 by an hour, but we’ll take it. This is the longest lasting battery we’ve seen all year. One more of these bad boys will keep you occupied all day long.

 

 

 

 



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