Panasonic Unveils Two New High Definition Camcorders: HDC-SD9 and HDC-HS9

by David Kender
Published on Jan 6, 2008 1:00 PM

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The New Panasonic HDC-HS9 records in full 1920 x 1080

  
   
January 6, 2008 - Today at CES, Panasonic announced two new high definition camcorders. The HDC-SD9 ($799 MSRP), now the world’s smallest full HD (1920 x 1080) camcorder, and the HDC-HS9 ($1099 MSRP), a hybrid SDHC/HDD camcorder. Both record in the AVCHD format and offer an advanced optical image stabilization (OIS) – features that premiered in mid-2006 with the HDC-SD5 and HDC-SX5. New additions this year include 24P recording, face detection, and an “Intelligent Shooting Guide” that instructs shooters on how to improve their video.

Panasonic has stated that its top priority this year is manufacturing the smallest camcorders on the market. Judging this year’s releases so far, the company is well-secured in its goal. The HDC-SD9 has been reduced in size from last year’s HDC-SD5, which was small to begin with. Their standard definition SDR-S7 is genuinely pocket-sized.

The HDC-SD9 (full specs) is equipped with a 3-CCD imaging system, each measuing 1/6-inch, allowing for still capture up to 2.1 megapixels. The gross pixel count of each chip is 560,000 (effective pixel count is 520,000). Video is recorded to SDHC cards, which range in capacities up to 16GB . An 8GB SDHC card holds up to 80 minutes of video. This camcorder will replace the HDC-SD5, announced in July of 2006.

The HDC-HS9 (full specs), which has the same imaging specs, now offers a hybrid recording method. It accepts either SDHC cards or the built-in 60GB HDD that can hold up to 22.5 hours of video capture in the lowest quality setting. The camcorder is then capable of transferring footage from the card to the HDD without using a computer.


Panasonic HDC-SD9

The O.I.S., which typically ranked the best in CamcorderInfo.com’s testing last year, has been improved on both camcorders. On previous models, the stabilization was corrected 500x per second. The new O.I.S corrects at an updated speed of 4000x per second, an eight-fold improvement. This feature is not new to this generation of Panasonic camcorders, but it still appears to be the most advanced stabilization system in the industry. Both camcorders offer a 10x optical zoom.

New this year is a face detection system, a long-popular feature on digital still cameras. The feature is able to detect up to five faces simultaneously and correct for exposure. Also new is a unique interface called “Intelligent Shooting Guide.” When activated, this feature prompts an onscreen dialogue box that advises the user when an image is in need of correction during shooting. For example, the camcorder will suggest using a one-touch correction tool such as backlight compensation. The Intelligent Shooting Guide includes six instructional comments: Fast Tilt/Pan, Hand Swing, Back Light needed, Cancel Backlight, Low Light mode needed, and Cancel Low Light mode.

The camcorders also offer a complementary guide in playback mode, called “Playback Intelligent Shooting.” This tool indicates when recorded footage is less than ideal with the following warnings: Dark Scene, Fast Tilt/Pan, Hand Swing, Low Light, Ground Shooting, and Unfocused.

Both camcorders include a 2.7-inch LCD, 1.7-second quick start, a Leica Dicomar lens, and simultaneous video and still capture.

The HDC-SD9 retails for $799, and the HDC-HS9 retails for $1099. Both will ship in March 2008.