Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder, 12x Optical 3" Wide LCD Screen, Leica Lens, Optical Image Stabilizer and 5.1-ch Surround Sound

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

This camera does not show up in iMovie 7 on my Mac Book Pro 2.2 LED. It mounts on the desktop and shows up correctly in System Profile but iMovie can not see this camera. It works on every other computer but crashes iMovie while importing at the highest quality. I've takes the problem to a major pro video specialist and back to the AppleStore and everybody is stumped. It may be a problem with the Santa Rosa mother-board used in the MBP

Expertise: Pro Audio computer specialist

Problems Encountered: This camera does not show up in iMovie 7 on my Mac Book Pro 2.2 LED. It mounts on the desktop and shows up correctly in System Profile but iMovie can not see this camera. It works on every other computer but crashes iMovie while importing at the highest quality. I've takes the problem to a major pro video specialist and back to the AppleStore and everybody is stumped. It may be a problem with the Santa Rosa mother-board used in the MBP

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Lumix

Items I Recommend: not a Mac

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

This camera is out of this world. After shooting a coupleminutes of video of my kids, I plugged it into my HDTV andwas blown away by the picture quality. AVCHD compared to theDV tape I had before is like going from a cassette tape toan audio CD.Setup was fast, the camera is very intuitive in thecontrols. I connected to my mac book in seconds andtransfer video into iMovie 08 without any issues. Thetapeless format of recording onto SDHC cards is fantastic.You can scan clips instantly to pick the one you want. Nomore queing up a tape or risking recording over old stuff.You can back up the raw footage of these SDHC cards using asmall amount of hard drive space as well.The camcorder physically is nice as well. Slick, light andfast to boot up.I Highly recommend this device!

Expertise: Amateur video, computer expert

Problems Encountered: Only problem I can find is in getting a backup battery.Almost impossible.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Canon Elura 50

Items I Recommend: Additional SDHC cards and batteries

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

Very good video image quality. EASY control. Enough manual control options for most users, but less than pros would want. The color saturation is a bit exaggerated under low light or harsh contrast conditions, but reasonable under daylight or moderate light. Still photo feature works, but quality not so good.SDHC cards are getting cheaper. The SD1 comes with a 4 GB card. An 8GB card will give you 80 minutes in highest quality or 180 minutes in extended play (still better than most standard definition and a way to economize when light is not good).The SD1 is compact, no bigger than a soda can, and fits in a coat pocket or a handbag.High definition, precisely because it brings out details, demands more image stabilization. A tiny camera is harder to stabilize. So, even though the SD1 stabilizer is good, you have to be extra steady, especially when shooting in zoom.The latest Nero, Pinnacle, Ulead, and Roxio NLE software edits the AVCHD files, but you need a very good core 2 duo or quad core processor, plus a NVIDIA Geforce 8400 GPU or better, to have full edit functionality. On slower PCs, you must export to an easier or smaller format in order to play back smoothly on your PC or create an SD DVD.A PS3 or Blu Ray player will play back high definition output, whether in AVCHD another format. Some Files also allow you to export to HD-DVD compatible format. But no HD-DVD player (yet) will play raw AVCHD format.The SD! comes with one battery, which lasts from 40 to 60 minutes, depending on type of use. Most users should have at least two, as backup or replacement. Unfortunately, the required VW-VBG130 is almost unavailable in the USA. There are no compatible clones. B&H reports it out of stock. If you visit or call B&H, tell them to put some on order.The SD5 successor to the SD1 is a bit more compact and shoots in full 1920x1080i at the highest quality setting, but at the same bitrate as the SD1, which shoots at 1440x1080i. A viewer might notice a difference on a large 1080p screen, but some will find it smarter to buy the SD1 for less and spend the difference on accessories, a CPU / GPU upgrade for editing, or a BD player.

Expertise: Ambitious amateur

Problems Encountered: Anyone with a solo core PC slower than about 3 GHZ and older graphics processing will be flabbergasted. The AVCHD files will stutter and play poorly, even with an upgraded player or codec. People who never edit and are content to playback on an HDTV screen using the HDMI interface with the video cam will have no trouble, but better prepare to invest in lots of SDHC cards. Or they can use the accompanying HD Writer software, which has limited editing capability, but at least lets people burn disks for playback, even on fairly slow PCs, but you need a zippy PC or a Blu Ray player to view the saved disks in HD.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: 1980s vintage VHS videocam, digicams with mpeg video

Items I Recommend: A 2nd or 3rd battery, a PC with horsepower for AVCHD

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

I am new to all this and finally decided to get a camcorder. This Panasonic is so easy to use and to view and edit movies all I have to do is run the USB to my pc and iMovie does the rest. Incredible picture quality and it recorded a lot on a 4GB flash card. I am also super happy with B&H. I ordered 3PM there time and asked for 2 day shipping and it was here Wednesday. I was expecting it on Thursday so it cam a day early. Great camcorder and a great place to buy it.

Expertise: Limited :P

Problems Encountered: No problems with it.

Items I Recommend: Get some extra flash cards and an extra battery.

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

I just bought this last week and I am very impressed withthis SD1.Short story: Great video quality, nice size, awesome bangfor the buck.I was able to shoot a video in a dimly lit street, and thecamcorder kept up, even when it was almost completely dark.In normal to dim indoor lighting, the camera has been great- no noise, good color, and great auto-focus. I also shot aclip facing a window lit up by the sun. As I panned over itand pulled back, the window blinds came into clear focus andthe picture got a bit darker so as not to blow out thewhite of the blinds.A note on the software: The included HD Writer software isrudimentary and it works, but it is not even needed, as Iwill explain soon. If you want to turn your clips intoprofessional home movies, get Pinnacle Studio 11. Despiteits dire warnings on the box about needing a Core 2 2.4 toedit HD, I was able to scrape by with a P4 3.0 with 1 GB RAMand a 128MB dedicated video card, though I could only do soby manually moving the slider through the timeline, not byplaying the movie and pausing at will - you will need a morepowerful computer to really edit and even view HD. I thenre-encoded it as 720p quality (1280 x 720, I think) WMV,which is higher than DVD quality. I haven't even checked outthe bonus Pinnacle Studio 11 DVD yet, but even DVD1 ofPinnacle Studio 11 has plenty of effects and features included.What I really like about the SD format vs. tape or DVD isthat you can just copy the raw video file over to your PCand play it or edit it. Your camcorder is treated as anexternal Hard Drive, and copying even a full 4 GB from thecard shouldn't take more than a few minutes. No need torender, no need to buy DVD-Rs - just inexpensive SD cards orSDHC cards, which will come down in price as they becomemore common. As a reviewer mentioned on a different site,using tape in an age of CDs and DVDs is kind of anachronistic.As other reviewers have noted, it is annoying that the powerand analog video ports are under the LCD, requiring the LCDto remain open and vulnerable while any of them areconnected. While the HDMI and usb ports are on the hand-gripside, and out of the way, since the power is not, unlessyou're running the HDMI off battery, you're going to have toopen the LCD to copy clips off the camcorder (to power thecamcorder), or to use either of the analog outs.Note: The charger comes with a separate AC cable, so you'llhave to throw that in your bag if you want to be able tocharge the battery wherever you go. The upside to thisdesign is that you have more flexibility as to where youleave the charger, and a greater length to power the videocamera when you leave it running to playback video or copyto your pc, etc.I like Edit bag they recommend, too. It fits the remote,extra battery, cable, cards, and more.

Expertise: Amateur

Problems Encountered: For some reason, my computer is suddenly not finding thecamcorder after I plug it into the USB port, but I mighthave overloaded the computer's USB power and just need a reboot.

Items I Recommend: Edit bag, extra battery

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

Works well with Pinnacle Studio 11 - Awesome picture

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

I did not like it

Problems Encountered: You cannot edit with any other program that the one Panasonic send you. The program has a lot of limitations, is hard to used harder that Vegas, just not worth the money

Items I Recommend: none

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

Love the size and picture quality and the image stabilizer. Amazing pictures. Size could be even smaller or vertical. Other than that: excellent value for the money.

Problems Encountered: You cannot edit the files but hopefully the codec will be available in FCP and similar.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Canon

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS CAMERA, YOU CAN NOT TRANSFER THE VIDEO TO ANY NLE, NOT FCP, NOT AVID. DOES NOT HAVE FIRE WIRE. OTHER THEN THAT AMAZING PICTURE QUALITY

Problems Encountered: NO FIREWIRE, DOES NOT WORK WITH OTHER HD FORMATS.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: ZIU.

Items I Recommend: EXTRA BATTERY

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

I am comparing this to Canon HV20 which I recently purchased at B&H but had to return because of some malfunction. Panasonic won my 100% for the way the camcorder is manufactured - everything sits tight (on Canon the battery was banging, something was banging inside, the tape compartment door will not close tight). Easy to use - very convenient way of accessing menus, that is the function button is placed strategically (not like on other Panasonic similar model with built in hard drive).Colors are excellent, saturation is great. Very good (comparing to Canon HV20) shooting in low light - Panasonic wins here.Leica lens has wider angle than Canon.Overall very nice design, love it.The only drawback - poor image stabilization algorithm. I looked at another Panasonic model just to compare (price tag was around $1100, same AVC format, 3CCD and same lens, with built in HD) - it seems it had much better IOS.And some minor remark - not sure why they put the TV connector plug under the LCD (not HDMI) - you have to keep LCD open while watching on a TV.Also, on zoom button - you have to be careful not to let it go every time you zoom either in and out - if you just let it go you hear click on the output. So you have to keep your finger 'working' and not just let it go - keep your finger on it until the button is safely rest against the wall. Didn't try the software.

Problems Encountered: IOS

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Canon HV20

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

I use it for family video and not for professional use.This tiny camcorder delivers the HD image in spades. Connectit to a HD tv, via component cables (supplied) or hdmi andyou will be smiling. Great detail and color. The 3ccd andOIS (optical stabilization) are top notch. The 5 built inmicrophones capture surround sound. The start-up time is 1.7seconds and the camcorder can power-on if you open the lcdpanel. The supplied 4GB card records 80 minutes of great HDfootage in the mid-level setting for image compression(setting i use). At the best setting, it would capture 40minutes on that card. I nearly bought the hv20 hdv, but liked the idea of goingtape-less. This camcorder will always record on empty spaceand never over-write footage. All clips can be accessed viathumbnails. If a clip doesn't look good, just delete it.It comes with software to burn the contents of the card to advd. This sd dvd shd. play in a blue ray dvd player. I havenot tried it yet, as the BD dvd players are still expensive. Overall it's a great HD camcorder, easy to use and greatresults.

Problems Encountered: None

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Canon optura mini-dv

Items I Recommend: case and extra battery

Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD High Definition SD/SDHC Camcorder:

This is an excellent piece of camcorder. Video Quality isExcellent especially if you are upgrading from a SD to a HD.Here are some of the Pros and Cons Pros 1. Excellent Video Quality and Auto White balance - I cansee the exact color in my video in good light. Low lightperformance is also not bad. 2. 3 CCD chip - Excellent colors and saturation, I comparedmy old Sony HC40 and Panasonic SD1 side by side shooting thesame scene at the same time in Auto mode mounted on Tripodsand Panasonic has great colors & Sharpness 3. Leica Optics - Optics are much better on this one 4. Manual Options - Can set White balance, Iris, ShutterSpeed to get more manual control, has separate option forbacklit subjects. 5. High Definition - I don't have a high definition TV, butvideo looks sharp on my computer and TV. I am completelysatisfied with it. 6. Size - Perfectly sleek and light 7. Comes with separate charger and remote control Cons 1. No iLink inside the Camcorder 2. No View Finder 3. Video Outputs (except HDMI & USB) are not availableoutside without lifting/bringing the LCD Screen out. LCDscreen can break if camera accidentally falls and i want myLCD panel to be closed when I am watching the video 4. Comes with filter thread, but the filter hood should bepurchased separately 5. HDMI cable is not presented 6. Only 40 Mins video at highest quality on 4GB SDHC Card. 7. I was not able to copy using media copiers to backup anddownload this card which i can use to backup my digitalimages while I am on the field. 8. Joystick on the camera can be better, You have to getused to it. 9. Less/Complex Editing options as this is AVCHD Every camera has a drawback and is not 100% perfect. Iconsider Panasonic a very good buy for people looking for3-CCD, and a little manual control.

Problems Encountered: Software's are not available to support AVCHD format.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Sony HC40, Sony TRV25

Items I Recommend: Hoya 43mm Filter kit with Filter hood