Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver)
- No Longer Available
The Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver) is an entry-level HD camcorder for those looking to break into high def recording without breaking the bank. The SD60 records 1920 x 1080i video and 5MP stills to removable SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, using a 1/4.1" CMOS sensor as its engine. Tools like 25x optical zoom and 35 Intelligent Zoom, Power Optical Image Stabilization, and a touch screen 2.7" LCD screen all help to capture your footage with clarity.
When it comes to practical and user-friendly features the HDC-SD60 has a number of options that help to create beautiful and accurate video and stills. Face Recognition ensures that up to 6 faces in a shot are clear and in focus. iA (Intelligent Auto) also helps take the guesswork out of recording by automatically adjusting the camera to the right settings for the situation. You'll also benefit from features like Eco Mode, the Auto Power LCD, and others.
- 1920 x 1080i HD Recording
- The SD60 captures MPEG4 AVC/H.264 1920 x 1080i high definition video with stunning clarity
- Memory Card Recording
- The HDC-SD60 records to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards for ease-of-use and portability
- 1/4.1" MOS Sensor
- Panasonic's 1/4.1" MOS sensor is CMOS sensor that captures 1080i HD video and 5MP still images
- 2.7" LCD Display
- The 2.7" LCD gives you an accurate platform on which to compose and play back your video and still footage. Touch screen icons displayed on the LCD let users operate a variety of functions intuitively without taking their eyes off of the subject they are recording
- 35.7mm Wide Angle Lens
- The 35.7mm wide angle lens on the SD60 fits more people and more of the background into the frame than a conventional 44.1mm lens. This is especially handy when you want to take a group photo in a small room. It fits your subjects in even when you shoot from up close, and makes it possible to pick up even small sounds with the mic. It also gives you entirely new ways to enjoy your camcorder, like taking self portraits or capturing sweeping landscapes without losing the sense of scale
- Power O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization)
- The corrective ability of POWER O.I.S. has been increased by five times compared to previous models, allowing it to correct even slight hand-shake, something that wasn't possible with conventional O.I.S. Even high-power zoom shots, which are highly susceptible to hand-shake, now come out sharp and clear
- Face Recognition
- The Face Recognition function recognizes the faces of registered subjects, and automatically optimizes the focus and exposure for those special people. It continues to track the subject as he or she moves anywhere within the LCD frame, making it ideal for video shooting. It is extremely useful for capturing someone's face in a group. Names can also be registered and displayed on the LCD while shooting. A total of six people can be registered, and the names of up to three people at a time can be displayed in the shooting frame
- Eco Mode
- Automatically turns off the power when the camcorder is not operated for five minutes, reducing wasteful energy use and saving battery power
- VIERA LINK
- Connect a Panasonic HD Camcorder to a Panasonic VIERA HDTV via an HDMI mini cable, and operate the camcorder using the TV's remote control and follow on-screen prompts
- Auto Power LCD
- Automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD screen according to the shooting environment. In dark places, the screen brightness is reduced to 1/3 the normal level. In bright outdoor places, the screen brightness is double the normal level
- iA (Intelligent Auto)
- This powerful function senses the shooting conditions and automatically makes the settings and activates functions that will deliver optimal results. With both motion and still images, iA does the bothersome settings for you and makes it easy to capture beautiful, well-focused images
- Wind Noise Canceller
- New feature that automatically detects and suppresses wind noise to help ensure natural sounds with lifelike ambiance
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 3.32 Megapixel 1/4.1" CMOS |
| Lens |
3.02 - 75.5 mm f/1.8 - 3.3 |
| Zoom |
Optical: 25x Intelligent (Optical): 35x |
| Filter Size | None |
| Recording | |
|---|---|
| System | NTSC |
| Recording Media | SD/SDHC, SDXC |
| Video Format |
High Definition MPEG AVC/H.264 1920 x 1080i (60 fps) |
| Still Image Resolution | JPEG: 5 Megapixel |
| Audio Format | 2-Channel Stereo |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Display Type | LCD |
| Screen Size | 2.7" |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | Optical |
| Lux |
4 (1/30 low light scene mode) 1 (Color Night Rec) |
| Built-in Mic | Yes |
| Built-in Speaker | Yes |
| Built-in Light/Flash |
Light - Yes Flash - Yes |
| Accessory Shoe | None |
| Tripod Mount | 1/4" |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Inputs | None |
| Outputs |
1x HDMI C (Mini) 1x USB 2.0 1x A/V 1 Please Note:A/V=A/V multi interface close |
| Microphone Input | No |
| Headphone Jack | No |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Battery | Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack |
| Power Adapter | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 2.03 x 2.58 x 4.37" / 5.16 x 6.55 x 11.10 cm |
| Weight | 0.56 lb / 254 g |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 39 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
97%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Zoom range/performance (39)
- Easy to use (31)
- Great picture quality (21)
- Image stabilization (21)
- Large clear LCD (16)
Cons
- No external mic input (8)
- Poor still image (5)
- Poor in low light (4)
Best Uses
- Home movies (26)
- Travel (24)
- HD shooting (15)
- Weddings (12)
- Low light (7)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual user (23), Enthusiast (5), Semi-pro (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (26), Yes (5)
Most Liked Positive Review
Great entry-level HD camcorder
I'm a photographer and haven't had much experience with camcorders. In fact this purchase was our first digital camcorder.
My criteria was simple: HD capable, compact, image stabilization, and uses ...Read complete review
I'm a photographer and haven't had much experience with camcorders. In fact this purchase was our first digital camcorder.
My criteria was simple: HD capable, compact, image stabilization, and uses a standard memory storage format. My wife's criteria was even simpler: easy to use. We tried a number of units at our local electronics store and found the Panasonic was the right way to go.
We liked that the lens is a little bit wider than some of the competition. For our needs that works quite well, most of our recordings are indoors. I also liked that it stores to SD cards, instead of some proprietary storage media. My wife has no problem using it, you simply open the screen and it is ready to go. Hit the record button and you are recording video, it really couldn't be easier.
It records video in AVCHD format. I'm not too familiar with video editing software yet. We've imported the video into iMovie but I haven't worked with it much yet. One nice feature for watching video is that we can take the SD card out and put it into our Panasonic Blu-Ray player...the video clips show up and we can play and view them on our TV.
I was a bit dismayed that this camcorder only went to 1080i, but the 1080p video takes up twice the space. It seems that in order to get 1080p capability, you need to pay another hundred or two more. 1080i is good enough for our needs now.
Overall I'm very pleased with this purchase and would not hesitate to recommend this camcorder to others.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Frustrating menus; mediocre picture
After reading many reviews, I expected a camcorder that was point-and-shoot with excellent picture and good stabilization firmware. What I ended up with was a camcorder that took many seconds to get ready to ...Read complete review
After reading many reviews, I expected a camcorder that was point-and-shoot with excellent picture and good stabilization firmware. What I ended up with was a camcorder that took many seconds to get ready to take a picture, and that was not intuitive at all on setting record modes. And when I filmed, the image quality and colors were mediocre.
The touchscreen interface is very slow and doesn't make much sense, at least to me. A simple dial would have been better and much faster.
It's not obvious when you're recording, not recording, set to video mode, or set to still picture mode. The touchscreen interface offers little clue as to what mode you're in. There's no big red LED, for example, for "I'm recording now." This is bad when you're on the ski slopes, trying to capture video of your kids, and discover you've been paused the whole time you thought you were shooting.
Because switching picture modes is difficult or not intuitive, the color or lighting of the image can be way off when you film. Although the camera offers different modes for low light, snow, etc., switching is slow. The touch screen is impossible with gloves on and slow even without. I missed more pictures than I captured.
The use of two separate buttons for record versus take still picture seems wrong too. When I had the camera in the wrong mode (like set to snap rather than film), I should have at least been snapping stills when I wasn't taking video. As it was, I kept pressing the "record" button and nothing happened.
(I know this is "operator error," but I've had many camcorders and cameras and this was the first time that I had no feedback that I was making a mistake.)
The camera only records in 1080i. You can't drop it down to a non-interlaced mode. That means you can't take a clear still from a motion video without software interpretation, so the quality of what you extract suffers.
Finally, the camera takes dreadful still photos. Seriously. Don't think about getting this as a good HD camcorder and using it as a decent still camera. You will definitely need a separate still camera. The feature-set promises a lot, but the quality is bad. You'll get far better still-photo results from a sub-$100 digicam.
The one defense of the camera comes from a co-worker who bought it at the same time I did. He recorded some tripod-mounted footage that looks and sounds great. He had to switch to manual settings and white-balance using a gray card he brought with him. Then it worked as advertised.
That's not quite the same as whipping it out to catch quick footage of your kids in action. Trying to do the latter was frustrating to say the least.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 39 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Poor In Low Light
- Poor Still Image
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- For personal projects
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
Foremost... I'm not a videographer. I needed a camera that was of decent quality, portable, and user friendly. After hours of research, this one seemed to be it. So far, I have no complaints. The video quality is fine for what I use it for: family memories and oddball projects. Though it does come with plenty of cables so be sure to purchase a bag if you're not really organized. Over all, I am pleased with my purchase.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Does not come with a bag
- No External Mic Input
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Needs Class 10SDHCSHXC
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I almost use it every day, quite easy to use. Haven't even learnt about any controls yet, just turning it on recording and turning it off. Works excellent, wonderful quality. Very happy with it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Long lasting battery very
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- Need alot memory
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
using on trips and home birthdays
it has the largest zoom i had seen
becuse of the resulotion it records it take alot memory. aproxmily 16gigs for 1.5 hour.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
Great video camera. I've only had it a few weeks, so I really haven't put it through its paces, but I really like it so far. Picture quality is nice and the image stabilization works well. I bought it primarily for home videos and it performs that role excellently. I love the small size, but my only complaint so far is the location of the record button. My hands are large and it would have been much better to have the button on top rather than the back. Overall, I highly recommend it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Picture Quality
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
Used for water skiing and parties. Good pictures so far except for moving fast as becomes a little pixellated
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- No External Mic Input
- Poor In Low Light
- Poor Still Image
Best Uses
- Home Movies
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
This is a solid consumer grade camcorder. It takes sharp video with low noise and good saturation out doors. When moving indoors the images become noticeably noisy, but this is expected due to the small sensor size. When the video is reduced and deinterlaced to 720p much of the noise goes away.
Another thing to watch out for is the dynamic range. It tends to blow the highlights in high contrast scenes.
Do not buy this as a substitute for a still camera. The iPhone takes better still photos.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
This is a great camcorder for the money. The unit is easy to use and compact. We have used the camcorder to film childrens basketball games. The camcorder performs well and the face recognition feature allows us to keep our son in focus throughout the game.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Great Zoom
Cons
- Complicated To Operate
- No External Mic Input
- Poor Image Quality
- Poor Sound
- Poor Still Image
Best Uses
- Tripod
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
After reading many reviews, I expected a camcorder that was point-and-shoot with excellent picture and good stabilization firmware. What I ended up with was a camcorder that took many seconds to get ready to take a picture, and that was not intuitive at all on setting record modes. And when I filmed, the image quality and colors were mediocre.
The touchscreen interface is very slow and doesn't make much sense, at least to me. A simple dial would have been better and much faster.
It's not obvious when you're recording, not recording, set to video mode, or set to still picture mode. The touchscreen interface offers little clue as to what mode you're in. There's no big red LED, for example, for "I'm recording now." This is bad when you're on the ski slopes, trying to capture video of your kids, and discover you've been paused the whole time you thought you were shooting.
Because switching picture modes is difficult or not intuitive, the color or lighting of the image can be way off when you film. Although the camera offers different modes for low light, snow, etc., switching is slow. The touch screen is impossible with gloves on and slow even without. I missed more pictures than I captured.
The use of two separate buttons for record versus take still picture seems wrong too. When I had the camera in the wrong mode (like set to snap rather than film), I should have at least been snapping stills when I wasn't taking video. As it was, I kept pressing the "record" button and nothing happened.
(I know this is "operator error," but I've had many camcorders and cameras and this was the first time that I had no feedback that I was making a mistake.)
The camera only records in 1080i. You can't drop it down to a non-interlaced mode. That means you can't take a clear still from a motion video without software interpretation, so the quality of what you extract suffers.
Finally, the camera takes dreadful still photos. Seriously. Don't think about getting this as a good HD camcorder and using it as a decent still camera. You will definitely need a separate still camera. The feature-set promises a lot, but the quality is bad. You'll get far better still-photo results from a sub-$100 digicam.
The one defense of the camera comes from a co-worker who bought it at the same time I did. He recorded some tripod-mounted footage that looks and sounds great. He had to switch to manual settings and white-balance using a gray card he brought with him. Then it worked as advertised.
That's not quite the same as whipping it out to catch quick footage of your kids in action. Trying to do the latter was frustrating to say the least.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Picture Quality
- Great price
- Great Zoom
Cons
- Battery Life
Best Uses
- Home Movies
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
WE USE THIS CAMERA FOR HOME VIDEOS
I WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW GREAT THE QUALITY OF THE VIDEO WAS
I LOOKED AT DIFFERENT SAMPLE VIDEOS ON UTUBE TO SEE DIFFERENT CAMCORDERS, LIKED THIS ONE BUT WAS EVEN MORE AMAZED WHEN WE GOT IT
GREAT CAMCORDER
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Movies
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I use the camcorder to do home videos of my children. So far it has done an outstanding job, especially outdoors and in adequate light. The video is really clear and the camcorder is simple to operate.
I've not yet burned a DVD of my videos so I do not know how they will look on the big screen. Overall, I've been pleased and I would recommend this camcorder to a friend.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
- No External Mic Input
Best Uses
- Home Movies
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I returned a Canon R10 to try this panasonic. We had an old DV panasonic that got stolen and loved it. This did not disappoint. The video quality is much better than the Canon (which is why we returned the Canon). Instant on is great for start up without missing much action, menu screen is much easier to work through and understand than the canon. Very small and convenient to carry. Wish it could handle a filter, and the software that it comes with is about as basic as it gets. I would still like to have seen better video quality but it beats the Canon hands down and for the price does a good job. Image stabilization is not quite as good as I would have liked, but adequate.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy import
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- No background noise
Cons
- No External Mic Input
- Poor In Low Light
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I use this product to make amateur films with my friends, and the HD quality is great. Full HD, with four available "formats" varying from higher video quality to higher recording time. very useful for what I use it for, I would recommend this to everyone unless they are looking for a more professional camera. for the average consumer, this is great for family vacations (video and photos). In low light, the HD quality is quite grainy, and when importing into a computer, make sure it is full HD or you will not get desired results. For those looking for professional audio, the sound is great but there is no external mic availability. Other than that, great camera with perfect features that match the description.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
Only had it a short while but it is very easy to use and the video looks great.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Movies
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
Great camcorder for the price
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I shoot surfing. This camera is great for the 25x zoom(optical) and manual settings.Way smaller than expected but still great quality!! for the price what a camera!!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- HD Shooting
- Indoors/Low Light
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I use it for geneal use especialy weather related events.Love compact size and easy to use. Thanks for B&H!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Zoom
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Movies
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
This will be used to record the family events, it's simple operation allows you to record and enjoy the event at the same time. A must for all the family outings.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
Easy to use, nice image stabilization and zoom. used for home movies..
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Good in Low Light
- Great Picture Quality
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
- Zoom range/performance
Cons
Best Uses
- Documentaries
- HD Shooting
- Home Movies
- Indoors/Low Light
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
The camera is very easy and light to hold. lots of recording options. beautiful picture and amazing sound. couldn't say it any better except its the best i've ever owned
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Good Image Stabilization
- Great Sound
- Great Zoom
- Large Clear LCD
Cons
- No External Mic Input
- Poor In Low Light
- Poor Still Image
Best Uses
- Home Movies
- Movies/Short Films
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic HDC-SD60 High Definition Camcorder (Silver):
I use it for casual recording mostly for shooting family day outs & for important events like birthday celebrations.
Enjoying the full HD and ease of copying the content from SDHC to my laptop.
The still picture resolution isn't that great which isn't expected anyway.
Can't get better than this at this price. Whole family is just loving it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
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Media
Recording media is not included, be prepared - always carry extra media.
- Price: $6.28
Batteries & Power
Don't get caught without power, always have a spare battery.
- Price: $44.69
- Price: $99.99
Bags & Cases
Carry, store, and protect all your equipment with a bag or case.
-
- Original: $15.49
- Save: $1.55
- Price: $13.94
What's in the Box
- AC Adapter
- Battery Pack
- USB Cable
- Stylus Pen
- A/V Multi Cable
- HD Writer AE 2.0 Software
- 90-Days Labor & 1-Year Parts Limited Warranty
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