Review: Panasonic HDC-SD100 AVCHD Camcorder


The battle for HD supremacy rages on as Panasonic launches a solid-state full-HD camcorder with the kind of features we’ve long been asking for. But what’s all this about 3MOS?


Image of Panasonic HDC-SD100 with LCD open
SimplyDV was the first UK website to bring you news and pictures of Panasonic’s two new fully-featured AVCHD camcorders following the announcement to European technology press over in Monte Carlo back in July 08 (see our news story).

On that occasion, we were also able to shoot lots of test footage with both the HDC-SD100 and its sister model, the HS100. We’ve had a couple of weeks to play with the SD100 and we’re no less impressed with the product than we were over in Monaco. One of two additions to the company’s impressive and hugely-popular HD camcorder line-up, the HDC-SD100 offers completely solid-state recording and playback of 1920 x 1080/50i high definition movies and digital stills images to high capacity SD cards. Its sister product, the HDC-HS100, adds to this capability by offering recording and playback using an internal 60GB hard disc drive as well.

At first glance (and from a distance), the SD100 bears many similarities of the company’s HDC-SD9 model, but closer inspection reveals several welcome new features - the kind of things we’ve long been campaigning for. Until recently, features like external microphone inputs, headphone outputs and manual focus rings have been things that solid-state camcorders - especially those of an AVCHD flavour - have been lacking, but Panasonic has now put that right with its two new models. What’s still lacking is an important set of features that can be found on competitors’ models, such as equivalent models from Canon, but more of that later.

First Impressions


Yes, the HDC-SD100 does indeed resemble the HDC-SD9 in more ways than one. However, look more closely and you’ll see that it has not only a large, knurled focus ring around the lens but also a handy switch near the front (as pictured) which enables us to very quickly switch from Auto to Manual in order to make adjustments to focus and zoom. That’s good. Below it, the SD100 provides quick access to Menu functions, which means that you no longer have to grope around trying to activate a menu when you have the least time in order to make a change to settings. The button’s right there where you need it. Nice.

Image of lens and manual focus ring on Panasonic HDC-SD100

Panasonic has also been consistent in changing the placement of the supplied Li-Ion VW-VBG130 battery pack as well; now, it simply slots into a recessed area at the back of the main body, and you don’t have to open the 2.7” LCD monitor screen first to gain access to it. For those who require such things, there’s also a 0.44” colour LCD viewfinder - the first on an SD-card-only Panasonic AVCHD camcorder, although it’s in a fixed position so it’s debatable just how useful it will be for the majority of users.

Open the inside and the arrangement of sockets and controls is much the same as you’d find on the HDC-SD9, with the exception that Panasonic has now given menu control and settings confirmation by way of a tiny pad that toggles in any one of four directions in order that you can make menu choices and change values manually. Selecting a particular value means pressing it inwards. Is it better? It’s difficult to tell.

All in all, the first impressions to be gained the moment it’s removed from its box are favourable; it looks and feels the business, so let’s see what’s under the hood.

Features


In a move that represents a significant departure from the norm by Panasonic, the company has now opted to include not CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensors (for which it is a market leader and has an excellent reputation) but MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensors instead. Not only that, but unlike every other camcorder maker Panasonic has chosen to include three MOS sensors in each of these two new models - one to handle each of the red, blue and green image channels. The sensors themselves are 1/6th inch chips, each providing a total resolution of 610,000 pixels. This results in an effective resolution of 520,000 pixels for both movies and digital still pictures as recorded to SDHC flash memory cards whose maximum storage capacity is currently 32GB.

The SD100 uses the impressive MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 CoDec (compression/decompression) system to save 1920 x 1080i movie clips to SD card using the following settings:
Picture sequences are recorded as 1080/50i (interlaced) frames by default, but a Progressive Frame 25P mode (in PAL TV territories such as Europe, otherwise 60i/24P in USA, Japan, etc) is available as a menu-selectable option. Audio compression is achieved by the use of Dolby Digital (Dolby AC3)/5.1ch (built-in microphone), or 2ch stereo sound using the external microphone input socket.

Image of Panasonic HDC-SD100 frontal with LCD closed

Using a 16GB SDHC Class 4 memory card, it’s possible to record approximately 2 hours of full-specification AVCHD at the HA setting. This increases to 2 hrs 40 mins (HG), 4 hrs (HX and 6 hrs (HE) respectively. Use of a 32GB SDHC card (the maximum possible under the current AVCHD specification), it would be possible to record 4 hours at the highest quality setting and 12 hours at the lowest. A 4GB card will give 30 mins at the highest setting and 1 hour 30 mins at the lowest. At the time of writing, no card is included with the camcorder although individual resellers might opt to offer their own incentives.

A welcome feature is a Leica Dicomar 12x optical zoom lens (focal length 2.95mm to 35.4mm), a filter ring whose diameter is 37mm (for attaching lens filter elements) and Panasonic’s famed Advanced Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), which is always a bonus. If you’re keen on further extending the zoom capability beyond the optical zoom limit, there’s the option of either a 30x or 700x Digital Zoom too.


5.1channel surround sound is captured and processed by the camcorder thanks to an upward-facing 5-element microphone that sits on the upper front of the body. This represents a re-introduction of a feature that we’ve seen come and go since the original HDC-SD1 AVCHD camcorder back in early 2007. The camcorder also sports an accessory shoe for the use of optional kit like a directional microphone or video light, and this can be found underneath a moulded flap on the roof of the camcorder. Unlike many comparable products, the SD100 makes it possible to manually switch between viewing on the LCD monitor or via the viewfinder thanks to a switch on the outer body. This accompanies another useful feature in the form of a large thumbwheel dial used to focus the viewfinder itself.

Other features found on previous models include Anti Ground Shooting (designed to put the cam in standby when you’re accidently recording the ground as you walk), Quick Power-On - to give you a 1.9 seconds “ready to record” status and also Panasonic’s “iA” mode. This Intelligent Auto mode makes optimal sett changes according to the varying objects in the scene -such as variable colout temperature settings or even when recording people’s faces. This works in conjunction with Panasonic’s Face Detection feature (see our HDC-SD9 review) which ensures proper image balancing when more than one human face is featured in shot.

Image of Panasonic HDC-SD100 showing image on LCD monitor

On-screen icons continue to assist users, especially when shooting under manual control. These are context-related in that they’ll provide you with the options you need when requiring manual Focus, Exposure or Audio level changes, and are used in conjunction with the tiny rubber cursor button. In addition to a microphone mini-jack socket on the lower front, left, of the body, the AV output jack can be switched to provide a headphones output via a menu selection. That makes it handy in monitoring incoming sound as recordings are taking place. As with the previous two SD-card models (the HDC-SD9 and the HDC-SD5), the SD100 provides the very useful Pre-Rec function. If you’re worried about something starting unexpectedly (such as a cannon going off or a football goal being scored) you can use the Pre Rec function to keep caching the last 3 seconds of whatever the camcorder is seeing whilst in standby mode; once the unexpected happens, simply hit the Pre Rec button and the camcorder will not only preserve what happened before you press the Record button but will then continue to record afterwards. That really is a useful feature that has come into its own among key SimplyDV staff who would otherwise be caught napping!

Connectivity


This and its sibling model offer a good range of connections to other devices. Firstly, it features both a HDMI socket and also a USB 2.0 socket, both of which are to be found behind the battery position at the rear. That entails removing the battery in order to connect them. It also forces the user to use AC mains power as well - no bad thing, especially when transferring clips from the SD card to a computer or other device. We’ve already mentioned the Microphone input at the front left, and for alternative HD playback using the triple Red, Green and Blue Composite (YPbPr) RCA phono connectors - for which a cable is supplied.

The AC mains adaptor doubles as a battery charger, and connects to the camcorder via the battery compartment using a type of plug not seen before on Panasonic HD camcorders. Batteries can be charging separately from the camcorder, something that’s very useful if more than one battery are employed since one can be in use whilst the other is charging.

Performance


It’s interesting to see a major shift, by Panasonic, in favour of using three MOS imaging chips as opposed to the more traditional CCD sensors that have been in use for many years - especially by Panasonic, which is a major manufacturer of such devices. MOS sensors are arguably more efficient users of power and have been proven to deliver surperb image quality in situations of optimum lighting. Where they are subject to criticism is in their performance under conditions of lower light - such as in underlit environments, such as homes at night and where domestic lighting is being used. In this situation, CCDs have been proven to produce more reliable and better resolved images. This does, of course, depend upon the actual size and resolution of the imaging chips in use, and in some respects three is better than one, but in the case of the HS100 and HS100 the 3MOS image sensors are only small (1/6th inches each, as opposed to the 1/3rd inch CMOS chips used by Canon in its latest models, such as the Vixia HF11) and this does tend to show some of the inadequacies inherent in their use.

Image of two female models on bike at Monaco harbur
Frame-grab from SDHC card clip taken at highest resolution 1920 x 1080/50i setting and reduced to jpg at size 650 pixel width only


In conditions of optimum lighting, the SD100 performs superbly. Of that there is no doubt. When using what was admittedly a pre-production model over in Monaco, the pictures being recording at the highest quality setting were fabulous; colour and contrast ratio is excellent, as was the ability to control basic manual functions on the camcorders themselves. However, bringing the SD100 inside and shooting in conditions of rather murkier indoor lighting did show up the limitations in terms of picture noise (quite prominent when displayed on a large HDTV display via HDMI connection). Audio was impressively good in situations where the wind wasn’t sweeping across the top of the camera body and hitting the upward-facing 5-element microphone cluster. Stereo separation is impressively good when played back on a decent audio system and also by headphones, although we weren’t able to test anything under surround sound playback conditions.

As with all camcorders and format that use either tapeless media to record and play back digital video, the SD100 displays mini thumbnails in the monitor screen in order to present the user with a choice of clips to playback, either directly in the LCD itself or via connections made with other devices. Selecting a clip for playback is as easy as using the cursor button to navigate left, right, up or down and clicking to make the choice. The use of this pad is a bit difficult at first, and in some respects it’s in the wrong place, but it’s just a question of getting used to its use. It’s possible to select any clip at random for playback, and it’s also possible to create a playlist as a means of grouping playback sequences of selected clips. Both new models allow the user to trim clips down (useful if you’ve shot too much and you only want to be left with a portion of a recording) as well as deleting clips either individually or all of the clips on the card.

Archiving, editing and copying


Thanks to USB 2.0 connectivity (cable supplied) and also the ability to remove the SDHC card from the slot which is revealed by opening the LCD screen, it’s relatively easy to import all or selected clips (and digital stills photos) from the card to a Windows or Apple Mac computer, either for simple tidy-up editing and onward sharing or for more complex editing work.

In order that newcomers to HD video can work on their clip and share their movie projects by DVD disc, web video or even YouTube, Panasonic has included the latest update of its simple editing software called HD Writer 2.6E or HDC software, which comes with the product. This makes it possible for users to copy their movie clips and image data on a “as is” basis across to a Windows or Vista PC. It’s also possible to mae some simple changes to the clips on a simplified timeline and then save sequences in AVCHD format to a regular DVD disc, as well as being able to convert the HD clips into standard definition MPEG-2 clips or sequences for playback on regular DVD players or computer screens. Clips can be spilt, merged together or deleted at will and the results are reasonably good. At its simplest, the software is a very useful means to backing up the contents of a SDHC card to either the computer’s hard disc drive or to a DVD.

Alternatively, users might wish to consider the use of Panasonic’s VW-BN1 DVD Burner drive for these tasks independently of a computer (such as in a hotel room or office). The drive connects to the camcorder bia its USB Host function and is controlled by the camcorder entirely. Insert a blank DVD into the drive and use the camcorder’s menus to choose clips or playlists and then back them up to the disc. Playback is achievd to a HDTV via the camcorder, and Panasonic Viera HDTV display owners have the added option of using the Viera Link remote control to manage all devices under one roof.

Conclusion


It’s great to see Panasonic having responded to many suggestions and criticisms about the kind of features we’d like to see on a high definition camcorder at this price point, and there’s no doubt that the HDC-SD100 is a fabulous camcorder that will satisfy many a need out there in the market place. When recording in optimum lighting conditions, the pictures its 3MOS image sensor system produces are stunningly good. Manual controllability has come in leaps and bounds, thanks to the inclusion of the mic input, switchable AV/headphone output manual focus ring. Although we found the focus rung a tad unresponsive at the moment we needed to make fast adjustments (due to the servo-like way it operates) it’s still a bonus or which most serious users will be grateful. The addition of a viewfinder (even if it’s not adjustable to suit a variety of positions) will also be welcomed by some even if the images are rather small. It’s certainly of benefit to people who rely upon reading specs and who can’t always make out the text on the LCD screen!

Another important feature which is lacking on the HDC-SD100 is the convenience of LCD frame-side controls. We’ve long considered this to be a really useful facility with which to manipulate recorded clips and to browse settings and features using the mini-joystick control on models from Canon and Sony. Perhaps we’ll see such a feature on future Panasonic AVCHD models? Time will tell.

What’s quite surprising is that the 40x Digital Zoom is actually quite good; taking the zoom beyond the 12x range of the optical lens, the resolution of the image when magnified electronically is much better than it would be on an equivalent standard definition camcorder - due, of course, to the increase in the number of pixels available. This makes it possible to digitally zoom into or pan around a single image in an editing program (in our case, Final Cut Pro 6).

It’s under conditions of low(ish) light that we’re a bit more critical, however; MOS sensors are notorious for not producing images that are as well resolved as their CCD equivalents, but this is in part due to the smaller size (1/6”) sensors than those present on - say - Canon’s equivalent products like the Vixia HF11. However, such issues apart, the HDC-SD100 is a lovely camcorder to use. It produces images and 5.1 sourround sound that will impress many users and for that we have to give it a positive thumbs-up.

Footnote about computer editing systems: We installed the HD Writer 2.6E for HDC software on a custom-built Windows XP PC which utilises a AMD-AM2 64X2-6000 processor with 4GB DDRAM and a 500B SATA internal HDD disc (unpartitioned) and editing was a breeze using this and other popular AVCHD editing applications. Dual core processing (either Intel or AMD) is considered a must for efficient editing of AVCHD clips.

Image of iMovie 08 frame containing HDC-SD100 AVCHD video clips
Clips recorded with HDC-HS100 and HDC-SD100 imported via USB 2.0 card reader directly into Apple iMovie 08
But who’s the guy taking the picture of the guy taking the video?

The same clips were also imported to an Apple Intel iMac, 2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDRAM, 500 GB HDD, using iMovie 08 and Final Cut Pro 6 under Mac OS 10.5 Leopard with no problems whatever. We can confirm that clips shot with three product samples (2 HDC-SD100 and one HDC-HS100) camcorders have been trouble free on both systems.

Reviewed by: Colin Barrett, SimplyDV.

Copyright 2008. HDC-SD100 product images copyright of Panasonic UK. Other images copyright the author. No unauthorised reproduction.