Panasonic's HDC-SD600K Camcorder offers up 1920 x 1080p high definition recording, SD/SDHC/SDXC storage, and a plethora of additional features and functions for one outstanding value. You'll be shooting high def video, capturing up to 14.2MP stills, and getting as much help as you need from the camera's extensive menu of assist functions. Features like 18x Intelligent Zoom, Digital Cinema Mode, and Powered Optical Image Stabilization are just a few of the ways the SD600K helps you capture beautiful footage, that will become cherished memories.
At the heart of the SD600 is the camera's 3MOS image sensor, Panasonic's proprietary CMOS sensor. The 3MOS works together with the company's Crystal Engine PRO to capture stunning video and still images. Of course, every camera also needs a lens to make the magic happen, and Panasonic gave this cam a 35mm wide-angle Leica Dicomar lens for bright, clean HD images. Other image capture tools in the SD600's core arsenal include Intelligent Resolution Technology and a generous 2.7" touch screen LCD for composition and review of your footage.
No matter if you're capturing video or still images the HDC-SD600 records to SD/SDHC/SDXC flash memory cards. Compact and lightweight, these cards hardly take up any space at all in your camera bag; and they're super-easy to upload to your computer for editing and sharing with the included HD Writer AE2.1 software once the shoot is over. The camcorder also features connection to optional DVD burners for sharing your memories with friends and family on hard copy.
As previously mentioned, the features and functions of the SD600 are numerous. There's a way to make all your photos and videos look great! For example, using the Smile Shot still image function, you can be sure not to miss your subject's smiles. The function automatically takes a picture while you're shooting video, when your subject's present their best smiles. Smile Shot gives you options too - you can set the function to snap a photo when a certain person smiles, when a whole group smiles, or to capture the smile of a moving subject!
Additional useful, and fun, functions include time lapse recording, Face Recognition and Face Detection, assorted scene modes, and Pre-Rec, among many others! Even if you're just beginning your adventures with video, the HDC-SD600 is there to provide all the help you could need!
3MOS Sensor
The SD600 employs the 3MOS Sensor, with its three-sensor configuration. This provides a resolution of 7.59 million effective motion image pixels (2.53 million x 3). The 3MOS Sensor splits the light information captured by the lens into the 3 primary colors - red, green and blue - and processes each color with its own individual sensor. This reduces light loss compared to the 1MOS sensor, and renders colors, details and gradation all with intricate detail and natural beauty. This superb color reproduction maximizes the inherent quality of Full-HD progressive images. New technology to raise light-gathering efficiency has also improved sensor sensitivity and cut noise in half compared to Panasonic's 1MOS sensors. This gives you bright images with minimal noise even in low-light situations. Unlike conventional camcorders, where the colors in shadow areas easily fade, even the finest details come through in vivid color, and noise is reduced by half. The expressive power of the advanced 3MOS Sensor renders both bright and dark scenes with the rich, luscious colors that HD offers
1080/60p Recording
The SD600 uses the progressive method to record twice as much image data as the interlace method. Whereas interlacing requires two images to produce a complete picture, the progressive method records a single image as a complete picture. Plus, the 60 Progressive Recording of the SD600 produces 60 images per second. This extremely dense image information creates intricate detail and silky smooth motion. Even when subjects move quickly, afterimages are minimized to create more natural images. The progressive method is most effective when shooting designs where moire patterns tend to occur, or when capturing scenes during sports events where the subjects are intensely moving around. Also, the recorded images displayed clearly even when they are made into still images, so it is possible to preserve stunning photos when clipping them from videos
Leica Dicomar Lens
Panasonic HD camcorders use Leica Dicomar lenses, which are renowned for their ability to render sharp images and excellent shading. They also suppress ghosting, flare, and distortion at the image edges. Even in strong sunlight, these lenses maintain high contrast and resolution. A bright F1.5-F2.8 lens with a 46mm filter diameter has been created for the SD600. Efficient light collection allows the new lens to capture bright, clear images even in dim lighting or at high shutter speeds. This high-end lens brings out all the beauty of HD images
Crystal Engine PRO
The new Crystal Engine PRO instantly processes the huge amount of data that goes into HD images, and further enhances HD quality. It produces smooth, high-resolution zoom shots even when the range exceeds the limit for optical zooming. Crystal Engine PRO clearly delineates even the tiniest details of your subject, with extremely natural beauty. Noise Reduction (NR) Technology minimizes noise when recording in low lighting conditions, and Intelligent Resolution Technology ensures sharp and crisp pictures, resulting in bright and beautifully colored motion images
Intelligent Resolution Technology
The Intelligent Resolution Technology incorporated in the new Crystal Engine PRO uses edge detection technology to confirm the edges of objects within the image, then emphasizes the edges for optimal clarity. For example, it brings crisp definition to patterns and the outlines of objects like flowers. Conversely, it reduces noise and enhances the natural smoothness of parts without edges, like the sky. The increased sharpness is especially effective for images with delicate details. This highly advanced technology maximizes the beauty of HD images
18x Intelligent Zoom
The SD600 features a 12x optical zoom and an Intelligent Zoom function that goes all the way up to 18x. When using Intelligent Zoom, Intelligent Resolution Technology lets you shoot at high zoom rates while preserving image sharpness even combining the digital zoom. You get crisp images of highly detailed objects - without the blurry edges
35mm Wide Angle Lens
The 35mm wide-angle lens on the SD600 fits more people and more of the background into the frame than a conventional 44.9mm lens. This is especially handy when you want to take a group photo in a small room
Digital Cinema Mode
Progressive 1080/24p
Set the HD camcorder to Digital Cinema mode to shoot in the progressive 1080/24p (24 pictures per second) format. Progressive scanning captures clear, vibrant images with intricate detail. You also get faithful images with an appealing film-like quality
Digital Cinema Color with VIERA Selecting the Digital Cinema Color mode makes it possible to shoot film-like images that are ideally suited to the Digital Cinema Color of VIERA plasma TVs. Colors recorded in this mode look richer than those recorded using the conventional Panasonic standard. For example, the subtle shades of red and gold in flowers, and the greens of leafy trees are remarkably true to life
Still Picture Recording at 14.2MP
Still Picture Recording mode lets you shoot with a maximum resolution of 14.2MP. You can also simultaneously record still images and video at 13.3MP
Scene Mode
Automatically selects the most suitable shutter speed and aperture for the shooting location and situation
Scene Modes: Sports, portrait, low light, spot light, snow, beach, sunset, fireworks, scenery, night scenery, night portrait
Soft Skin Mode
When this function detects skin tones, it softens the focus in that area. This has a skin beautifying effect, which makes wrinkles and lines appear less noticeable. When turned on, this function makes blemishes and moles look less conspicuous, while preserving resolution in areas of the picture outside of the skin
Tele-Macro
You can shoot macro close-ups while maintaining a distance of 27.5" from your subject. In addition, using the zoom at full magnification makes it much easier to capture extreme close-ups without your body or camera casting a shadow on the subject and while keeping the background in soft focus
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
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
Power Optical Image Stabilization
The popular O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) function that detects hand-shake while shooting and corrects the optical axis to minimize blurring has evolved into the new POWER O.I.S. It features more powerful hand-shake detection and a greatly improved corrective capability. When shooting, hand-shake often comes on gradually due to factors like breathing rhythms or the surrounding wind. While this kind of low-frequency hand-shake went undetected with conventional O.I.S., POWER O.I.S. has a variety of new functions that detect even the slightest shake. It suppresses hand-shake with approximately five times* the corrective capability. And POWER O.I.S. also works for zooming, which is highly susceptible to hand-shake, and for both high and low angle shooting, where hand-shake often creeps in. It's an optical system so there's no image degradation, which means that you capture all the natural beauty that the lens has to offer
AF/AE Tracking
Touch the LCD screen to indicate the subject, such as a person or an animal that you want to focus on, and let AF/AE Tracking do the rest. The camera locks on the subject and follows it around, keeping it in sharp focus and properly exposed. It keeps tracking even if the subject turns to the side. This advanced function makes it easy to get a continually clear, beautiful shot of the subject in the scene you care most about
Intelligent Scene Selector
The Intelligent Scene Selector function analyzes the shooting situation and automatically switches the camcorder to the suitable scene mode that will give you optimal results
Portrait This mode captures faces beautifully. With Soft Skin mode, complexions are automatically enhanced to make faces attractive Scenery This mode is ideal for shooting wide landscapes and sweeping vistas, such as at the ocean or in the mountains. It balances the exposure over the entire frame to prevent brighter parts of the image, such as the sky, from being washed out or having blown highlights Spotlight The camcorder automatically uses this mode for scenes with particularly strong contrast, such as when you're shooting a spot lit area on a darkened stage. It captures the well-lit subject perfectly and prevents washed-out areas Low Light In dim lighting, the camcorder automatically switches to a slower shutter speed so that images across the entire frame are bright and easy to see
Face Detection
Face Detection automatically senses the ambient lighting and adjusts the exposure accordingly, so faces are bright and easy to see. The focus also prioritizes the faces, and skin tones are smoothed. Faces in the center of the frame serve as the reference for adjustments, but the function can detect up to 15 faces at once
Intelligent Contrast Control
Intelligent Contrast Control detects the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure accordingly, helping to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. You can capture natural looking, highly nuanced images with proper contrast
With a Special iA Mode for Still Images
The iA function is active even when the camera is in still-image mode. When the Intelligent Scene Selector detects the shooting situation, it automatically switches to one of the five Scene modes for still-image shooting, and optimizes the settings for the still image
On-Screen Assist
Ideal for making fine brightness adjustments that are difficult to see in the LCD. A handy guide for correcting the exposure is shown right in the monitor
- Zebra Pattern A "zebra pattern" is displayed in areas of the frame where the lighting is excessive and the image is over-exposed
- Brightness Level The light level is metered at the center of the frame and displayed as a percentage (%). This serves as a guide when you're shooting a subject that's backlit, or when you want to keep the light level the same even though the lighting conditions change
- Histogram The histogram displays in graph form the exposure and contrast conditions over the entire frame. This lets you determine fine gradation details that are difficult to tell by just looking at the screen
Smile Shot (Still Image)
The new Smile Shot function automatically detects subject smiles, and captures the best possible smile while you're shooting movies. It lets you easily catch those fleeting, easy-to-miss stills of a smiling subject. It will also optimize the focus and exposure for your subject's smiling face
- Capture the Smiles of Only Certain Subjects - Face Recognition Linked This function detects subjects who are registered in advance and automatically snaps the shutter to catch the subject's best possible smile. It's great for capturing the smiles of certain people in a group
- Capture the Smiles of an Entire Group - Face Detection Linked This function automatically snaps the people within the LCD frame smiles. It gives you shots of an entire group of people smiling, making it great for group shots
- Capture the Smiling Face of a Moving Subject - AF/AE Tracking Linked Simply touch a subject within the LCD frame. This function will then lock on and start tracking your subject. When the subject smiles, it'll automatically snap the shutter
Time Lapse Recording
The time lapse function uses longer frame intervals than standard shooting. You can use this function to capture shortened or condensed footage of events that actually take place over a much longer time period. For example, time lapse recording is ideal for shooting a flower in the process of blooming, or a long, slow sunset. With time lapse recording, you have an interesting new video technique to explore
Touch Screen Operation
Control settings are made by simply touching the 2.7" Wide LCD screen. Operation is intuitive and easy, and the large letters are easy to read. Shooting and viewing are simple and stress-free, even for beginners
1.0 Second Quick Power-On
Switch the power on when the camcorder is in standby mode in approx. 1.0 seconds - the SD600 is ready to shoot when you are. When the LCD is closed, the power automatically switches off. This fast startup and automatic shutdown also helps reduce battery consumption
0.6 Second Quick Start
Using Quick Start mode, you simply flip open the LCD and you're ready to shoot in just 0.6 seconds. When Eco mode is also used, the power turns off whenever the camcorder has not been operated for 5 minutes. This reduces wasted power consumption, and enables a longer battery life
Pre-Rec Function
This smart function records 3 seconds of images even before you actually begin shooting. The images are held temporarily in the camcorder's internal memory, before recording begins. This helps ensure that you won't miss the start of a moment you want to record, such as when an event begins all of a sudden. For example, if you're waiting to snap a shot of a jumping dolphin, you can press the REC button after you've made sure that the dolphin has cleared the surface of the water. The camcorder will record the entire scene, from the instant of the dolphin's jump until it disappears again into the sea
Auto Power LCD
The LCD brightness can be adjusted manually to suit the surroundings. In Auto Mode, the LCD brightness is adjusted automatically in 16 smooth steps depending on the surroundings. In darker rooms it adjusts to a lower brightness, making it easier to frame the shot. Outside, it adjusts to almost twice the brightness for easy viewing even on sunny days
Wide Viewing Angle
The LCD has a highly detailed, 230,400 dots display and a viewing angle of 170%, both vertically and horizontally. Images are clear and bright even when viewed from an angle, so everyone can gather around the LCD to enjoy on-the-spot recordings. The wide viewing angle is also great for taking high- or low-angle shots.
AGS (Auto Ground-Directional Standby)
The O.I.S. linear motor system can detect when the camera is in an unusual shooting position - such as when you've inadvertently left it on in recording mode. In these cases, the camera automatically stops recording, saving both battery power and media storage space
60 Frames/Sec High-Speed Burst Shooting
This function lets the camcorder snap up to 60 consecutive still images in a second, or up to 180 consecutive shots in 3 seconds. You can use it to analyze a golf swing, tennis stroke or other motion. You can also use it to get good shots of subjects in fast motion. Just fire off a number of shots without stopping, then keep the best ones and delete the rest
Focus Assist
This function shows which subjects are in-focus by displaying their outlines in blue. You can easily check the focus on LCD when manually focusing, to ensure consistently clear, sharp images
Composition Guide Lines
With wide LCD monitors, it's hard to keep images perfectly level. The SD600 solves this by displaying horizontal and vertical Composition Guide Lines that make it easy to keep the subject straight and level
Face Highlight, Hightlight, and Time Frame Index
The index function has been enhanced with the addition of a feature that divides each recorded scene into a number of smaller scenes, and displays thumbnails for each. This makes it much easier to find a particular part of a scene without having to fast-forward
- Face Highlight Index The newly added Face Highlight Index selects scenes that have faces in them and displays them in an index format. This handy function lets you quickly find and view scenes that have people in them
- Highlight Index The camera automatically selects and displays the most exciting scenes. It determines the level of importance of each scene based on zooming and panning, and whether there are faces. This gives you an easy, convenient way to view all the highlights together
- Time Frame Index This mode divides each recorded clip into 3-second, 6-second, 12-second, 1-minute and 5-minute intervals, and displays them. This is convenient when you want to find a specific scene within a long clip
Color Night Rec/Color Night View
Leave the light off. Color Night Rec/Color Night View gives you images with color even in dim lighting
World Time
Setting the time is as easy as selecting a city from the displayed map. The World Time function lets you set the time for two cities, home and destination. You don't have to figure out the time difference at your destination, and it's easy when you get home
Auto Lens Cover
When the power is turned on, the lens cover automatically opens. When the power goes off, the lens cover closes. You don't have to keep removing and replacing a lens cap - or worry about losing it
New Highlight Playback
Select the days of the recordings you want to see, and this innovative function automatically selects the most exciting scenes, arranges them, and plays them, with music. It decides how exciting a scene is, based on zooming, panning, and scene changes, and whether there are faces. This gives you a quick, easy way to view the most exciting scenes all together. In addition, the newly added Face Highlight Playback mode detects the subjects who have been registered for the iA Face Recognition function, and plays only the highlights of scenes that include those subjects. This lets you easily select and play only the most exciting scenes, or the ones that include special people
Intelligent Shooting Selection Playback
The HD Writer AE2.1 software automatically detects and deletes scenes that are determined unnecessary by the camcorder (such as blurry images due to hand-shake, etc.)
Easy Connecting, Easy Viewing
Just connect your HD camcorder to an HDTV and get ready for an incredible high-definition video show. If your TV is HDMI compatible, a single HDMI mini cable is all you need. When using a video component cable, you need a separate audio cable
- VIERA Link Connect your HD camcorder to a VIERA or compatible Blu-ray Disc Player via an HDMI mini cable, and you can control both units in synchronized operation with a single remote control. This kind of simple, easy operation makes it enjoyable to view your recordings
- VIERA Image Viewer Just slip the SD card from your camcorder into the VIERA Image Viewer card slot on your VIERA TV, and you're ready to view full-HD moving images recorded
Archiving and Playback
The HD camcorders have a USB Host function that lets you connect directly to a DVD burner via a USB cable. Then just press a button and you can copy the moving images you recorded from the SD card, Built-in Memory, or HDD to a DVD disc
- Easy AVCHD to MPEG-2 Conversion You can make a copy either in the original high-definition AVCHD format, or in the standard-definition DVD-Video (MPEG-2) format. Choose the one that matches your playback equipment
- Saving 1080/60p Data with a PC Use the included HD Writer AE2.1 software to save Full-HD 1080/60p data onto a PC or an SD card
Playback with a DVD burner To view the disc you just burned, simply connect the HD camcorder to an HDTV via an HDMI mini cable
Editing, Archiving, and YouTube Uploading
HD Writer AE2.1 software, included with the camcorder, makes it easy to play or edit videos on your PC and have more fun when the shooting's done. Also, the ordinarily time-consuming task of converting and archiving data from 60p to AVCHD or MPEG-2 format can be easily done at high speed by connecting the 3MOS camcorder to a PC with a USB cable and using the camcorder's Conversion Assist function
- Importing When the camcorder is connected to a PC, the software automatically starts up. Importing data takes only a single click of the mouse
- Easy YouTube Uploading Encode to MPEG-2 with a single click, then upload with ease. This makes it easy to upload your favorite videos to YouTube, and share them with people around the world
- Highlight Playback Chooses the most exciting scenes and plays them all together, back by music
- Editing It's easy to add titles, rearrange scenes, provide transition effects, and edit images in single frame units
- Archiving Make a copy either in the original high-definition AVCHD format, or in the standard-definition DVD-Video (MPEG-2) format