The AVC codec is capable of 24Mbps maximum, but Panasonic has stuck with 13, presumably to save storage space and battery life. Panasonic has sensibly bundled a 4GB card with the SD1, which is enough for 40 minutes of footage at the best quality setting, 13Mbps CBR. However, this is the same res as used by HDV, so it’s not a backwards step. Panasonic says the reason for this is that Full HD would put too great a strain on the processor causing too much heat and reducing battery life. The actual resolution of captured footage is 1,440 x 1,080, which of course doesn’t match the horizontal resolution of full HD (1,920 x 1,080). The benefit of AVCHD is that it enables very high resolution images to be captured and stored in relatively compressed small format, making the use of flash memory practical. Rather than MPEG2 or DV, this codec employs H.264, as used in devices such as the Apple iPod and HD DVD and Blu ray discs. What enables the use of SD cards is that Panasonic employs the new AVCHD codec, developed jointly by Panasonic and Sony. One thing I noticed immediately was that it’s virtually silent in operation as you would expect from a device with no moving parts, which makes a pleasant change from the motor noise I’m used to from my own DV camcorder, which at three and half years old suddenly feels old and clunky compared to the Panasonic.
The next standout feature is being able to capture sound in 5.1 and finally the capture has Panasonic’s well regarded Optical Image Stabilisation system to reduce the effects of camera shake.
This should help it deliver far greater detail and colour accuracy. While HDV is a great format, I’ve always felt that it almost anachronistic to be using tapes in 2007 when it has been outmoded in every other sphere.Īnother important selling for SD1 is its use of 3CCDs, rather than the single one found on most consumer level camcorders. However, while the HD1 and HD3 record onto MiniDV tapes the Panasonic HDC-SD1 records onto SD card. It’s not the first consumer level High Definition camcorder on the market, with Sony’s HDR-HD3 being its second stab at the market. The Panasonic HDC-SD1 camcorder is such a device – a camcorder that can capture images at 1080i resolution without the need for tapes. Once in a while we get to try out products that aren’t just interesting or cool but mark the start of a revolution.
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