Digital Trends

This new Panasonic is part of a wave of high-definition camcorders making their significant presence known. Why do I say “significant”? Well, friends, it’s the start of new era in home video making as standard definition takes a back seat to high-def as HDTV goes totally mainstream. Who in their right mind wants to view lesser quality home videos when sparkling 1080i images are readily available at their fingertips? We’re the first to admit this new camcorder wave is very expensive compared to models that cost 300 bucks. But standard definition Mini DV camcorders cost $3,500 when they arrived in 1995 so you know what’s going to happen. If you’re into saving memories—and most camcorder purchasers do it for just that reason—new baby, great vacation, the urge to create your own “Borat”—whatever, seriously think HD instead of SD.

Sony pioneered consumer high-def video—and is slowly bringing the price down. This trend will continue now that Canon and Panasonic have entered the field. Still figure spending at least a grand to play this game. That said the $1,499 Panasonic HDC-SD1 is amazing (due in March). It’s the first camcorder to record high-def to SD or SDHC memory cards—other models use tape and hard drives; and it uses the AVCHD codec like competing Sonys. Since there are barely any moving parts, the -SD1 is as compact and lightweight as can be. You really have to go to a store and handle it. You’ll be just as knocked as I was when I first used a prototype last December. Since this is a very high-end Panasonic, the camcorder uses three CCD chips to record HD video and has Mega O.I.S., the company’s phrase for optical image stabilization. Given all these features, I made myself a pain in Panasonic’s butt at the January Consumer Electronics Show in order to get one of the first production models. They delivered and now it’s my turn to deliver a review…