Panasonic HDC-SD100 Flash drive based SD camcorder
Sum and Substance:
Thumbs Up:
Full manual controls, has Electronic View Finder (EVF)
Thumbs Down:
Video quality is not impressive.
Inside the Trunk:
Infrared remote control, USB cable, Component video cable, A/V cable, 8 GB memory card.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
Panasonic HDC-SD100 is a 1080i camcorder, has 700x digital zoom, optical sensor size is 1/6”, optical sensor type 3MOS, has optical image stabilizer, minimum illumination is 1 lux, minimum shutter speed is 1/24 second, maximum shutter speed is 1/8000 second. Flash modes include red-eye reduction, flash off mode, fill-in mode. White balance presets include sunlight, outdoor, indoor, cloudy.
Effective still resolution of the SD100 is 0.52 megapixels, images are stored in JPEG format. The maximum image storage resolution is JPEG 1920X1080. The camcorder has 2.7 inch TFT LCD.
The SD100 has zoom lens – 2.95 mm – 35.4 mm – F/1.8-2.8, lens aperture is F/1.8-2.8, focal length is 2.95 mm – 35.4 mm, 12 optical zoom, minimum focal length is 2.95 mm, maximum focal length is 35.4 mm, lens manufacturer is Leica.
Additional features include Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording, Display brightness control, Backlight compensation, USB 2.0 compatibility, PictBridge support, Histogram display, Built-in speaker, Face detection, Direct print, DPOF support.
Connectors on the SD100 include Headphones, Microphone, HDMI output, Component video output, Composite video/audio output and USB.
The supported OSes are Apple Mac OS X 10.5, Apple Mac OS X 10.4, MS Windows Vista, MS Windows 2000, MS Windows XP. The camcorder is powered by li-ion rechargeable battery.
Razzle Dazzle:
SD100 is quite similar to the hard disk based HS 100. The absence of the hard disk changes the look a bit but the buttons and the features are quite similar. This device is 2.5 inches wide, 5.4 inches long, 2.8 inches tall and weighs about 13.2 ounces which is light again thanks to the absence of the hard disk. We found the HS100 comfortable to hold because of the upward curve that makes the photo button and zoom switch easier to reach.
Inside Dope:
HDC-SD100 is the latest offering from Panasonic after the HDC HS 100 which was hard drive based and the HDC-SD100 which was based on flash drive. Panasonic has been quick in bringing out this device, it is being only six months since these two models have been launched. The twin camcorders gave a decent performance, with the three CMOS chips but they weren’t the best compared other brands in this price range.
The capture and optical systems are quite identical along with features like 3 1/6 inch MOS chips, 12x f1.8-2.8 zoom lens and video resolution of 520,000 pixels. The HS100 has a slot for SDHC card along with an internal memory of 60 GB unlike SD100 which has no internal memory, just a SDHC card slot. The incorporated flash drive changes the look of the SD100 but other than that, the built in features are the same. The highest resolution for videos is 1920X1080 (1080i), 30 frames per second at 17 Mbps. 7.5 minute of videos takes 1 gigabyte and the bundled 8 GB card can be used to record an hour of video at the highest setting. A more economical mode has 13 Mbps which needs a gigabyte of space for a 10 minute of video.
The camcorder was easy to hold owing to a slight upward curve to the device’s back which the photo button and zoom switch easy to reach. We also liked the fact that Panasonic gave us an Electronic View Finder, something that lots of manufacturers are skipping. The toggle switch right next to it lets you jump between the EVF and the LCD. For switching on the device, all you do is open the LCD.
Many controls for the SD100 are housed on the recess of the LCD like optical image stabilization button, navigation joystick and menu button. Outside the cavity there are buttons 3 second prerecord and Intelligent Auto and below is SD card slot, headphone jack and component video-out connector. The HDMI and USB connectors are inconveniently placed at the back of the battery, which means you will have to remove the battery, plug the device into AC power outlet to use them. We found this to be the most irritating feature on the SD100.
The front of the device has a covered microphone jack and video light and on the top of the lens there is a 5.1 surround mic. There is a switch, right next to the lens, for toggling between manual and auto modes. There is a zoom ring with a button for iris controls, shutter speed and white balance. For instance, if you want to adjust the shutter speed, you press the button once and then cycle through the options.
Though the button is hard to press, the ring is responsive and smooth we found it confusing to the jump back and forth between iris, shutter speed, manual zoom, manual focus, etc on a single control. You might use the ring to adjust something only to realize that you are using some other control instead. Joysticks are easy to use but this was pretty bad, when we moved it up, it gave the same results as navigating it to the left and when it was pushed it down it gave us the same options for right side push. The joystick is recessed which makes it a big difficult to use.
The SD100 starts up pretty quickly, all you have to do is open the LCD flap. The display is 2.7 inch big which is common for this class but we were delighted to find that this screen had a better resolution. The EVF is coarse but we thank Panasonic for giving us one, most manufacturers skip it. The options for iris and shutter speed are flexible and broad just like an entry level model. The shutter speed goes as high as 1/8000.
The zoom, both switch and ring are easy to control and are relatively precise. The device focuses well in bright conditions but doesn’t perform equally well in low light environments.
SD100 has improved video quality but still cannot with giants like Sony and Canon. The three CMOS sensors are incapable of delivering 1080p full HD videos and all you get is 720p resolution. The videos appear smeary and soft, the details aren’t sharp enough. On the bright side, the low light clips are noise free.
Nitty Gritty:
Panasonic HDC-SD100 has good set of features considering the price it is being offered for; it also has an EVF which is rare in such camcorders. However, the video quality could have been better; it still cannot compete with what other manufacturers are offering.
