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Panasonic HDC-SX5 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Jul 30, 2007 3:00 AM
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Handling
The Panasonic HDC-SX5 is more comfortable to handle than either the HDC-DX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) or the HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99). It’s somewhere between the two in size, retaining the comfortable grip of the DX1 but 20 percent smaller in size. The hand strap is wide and comfortable, but is still prone to some leftward leaning when you let go of your grip. All the buttons are well-placed, which is nothing new for Panasonic. The rear-mounted joystick is perfectly placed for one-handed operation. The joystick has been reduced in size for some reason, though, which makes it marginally harder to grip than some cheaper Panasonics.
Not that the Panasonic HDC-SX5 is perfect, far from it! The battery on this camcorder is simply enormous. We love a good, long battery life, but when it weighs the camcorder down so much and smacks up against your cheek when using the viewfinder, we find ourselves wishing that it shipped with two smaller batteries instead. Our other big complaint was the wait time for anything involving the DVD media. No one in their right mind will opt for recording to DVD over an SDHC card once they see how long it takes to open the DVD bay, to start recording, or to view clips in playback mode. Long, slow summer afternoons seemed to pass by as we waited for the DVD to finish reading. Meanwhile, these operations are nearly instantaneous with the SDHC card.
Even some SDHC card interface is hindered by the HDC-SX5’s propensity for whining. Much like Windows Vista, error messages abound when you’re trying to operate this camcorder in any mode. It’s like being in a very needy relationship. Between the SD1, and SD5, and the SX5, how many more times would we be subjected to the “Card slot door open” warning? Is it too cold out? Should we get you a blanket? In the next generation, we’d like to see these camcorders toughen up a little.
LCD/Viewfinder
Viewfinders are not only to be found in the extinct animals exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. The Panasonic HDC-SX5 is outfitted with a 0.44” widescreen, color electronic viewfinder. The resolution has not yet been stated. The viewfinder extends out about one inch, which puts it exactly parallel with the edge of the enormous battery. Unfortunately, the viewfinder does not pivot upward, so you’ll have to get used to the feel of the hot battery on your cheek.
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The Panasonic HDC-SX5 also has a 2.7” widescreen LCD, with a resolution of 300,000 pixels. The screen has been reduced in size from the HDC-DX1, but the resolution has increased (previously 3.5” and 251,000 pixels). Panasonic explained that in order to reduce the overall body size by 20 percent, the weight had to come from somewhere. Nevertheless, we regret saying goodbye that big LCD. It definitely excelled in focus compared to the HDC-SD1, which always had the smaller 2.7” screen. The increased resolution should compensate to some degree.