Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I was thrilled with how small this camera is. It fits in your hand as if it were a half full 12 oz. can of soda. It's very light, but the fortunately the image stabilization makes it shoot like it was a heavier camera.
I ran into an issue with iMovie '07 (part of Apple's iLife '08) that caused the screen to stretch wider, making people look fat. This will likely be resolved soon by Apple, and for now I've taken to using the 1440 X 1080 resolution which imports just fine.
I've also fitted a 37mm mount size aftermarket wide angle lens which really helps for shooting indoors. Some have complained that the video is a bit more grainy while indoors and in darker conditions than the HD1, but I can't complain.
So far, the battery life seems to run an hour and 10 minutes, which is better than the 55 minutes it's rated for.
This camera does not include an SD card, so you'll want to pick up a 4GB (40 minutes) or 8 GB (80 minutes) card. I got the class 6 version of those SDHC cards for a faster transfer. I think I might stick with the 4 GB size in the future so I can easily burn the files to a blank DVD which holds 4.7 GB. Also, make sure you have a card reader that supports SDHC. It also doesn't include an HDMI cable, so pick one of those up if you have a TV capable of HDMI. Belkin makes the least expensive cable at $20.
And finally, if you're a Mac user, you should know that only the Intel Macs (that have been out since January of '06) support the AVCHD editing.
Some have complained about the low light grain that this camera tends to have. I've noticed it as well, and apparently the HD1 is slightly better indoors. But this wasn't a huge issue for me.
The only thing that would make this camera perfect for me would be an external mic input.
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Panasonic HDC-SD5 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image StabilizationThe HDC-SD5 hi-def camcorder can copy recordings from the SD Memory Card to a DVD disc, maintaining the original full-HD format, or use the included software to burn a full-HD recording from an SD Memory Card to a DVD disc on your PC.Images recorded by conventional HD camcorders have only 1,440 horizontal pixels, while full-HD camcorders have 1,920; that's about 30 percent more recording pixels! The result is a level of detail and resolution that goes beyond anything you've ever experienced before. And because full-HD recordings contain a vast amount of picture information, they look beautiful not only on high-definition TVs, but on standard-definition TVs as well.Camera shake happens. Unsteady hands, shooting while in motion: these factors can reduce the quality of your video. But Panasonic has developed its best-ever built-in Optical Image Stabilization, which compensates for hand-shake and helps keep your videos crisp, steady and blur-free.The HDC-SD5 comes with a world-class Leica Dicomar lens, fashioned specifically for high-definition digital camcorders. The superior craftsmanship of Leica's advanced lens system captures stunning images and colors that look magnificent in HD. Combined with Panasonic's advanced 3CCD system, which uses three separate sensors to capture and process light, you can relive your memories in lifelike detail on your HDTV screen.
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