Customer Reviews

Panasonic HDC-SD600K 3MOS High-Def Camcorder with 35mm Wide-Angle Lens and 18x Intelligent Zoom (Black)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As others have mentioned this is an Amazon exclusive and could be considered a "baby TM700K." It does lack the manual features and accessory shoe. It is also NTSC and does 60P (to answer someone's question). The issue with the 1080 60P is it is supposedly only compatible with the included Panasonic software. That is my biggest complaint, it's essentially useless at this point (I would leave the door open for future compatibility, but not much). I know when using VLC or WMP 12 it definitely stutters. And that's not a drive or computer limitation but a limitation of the AVCHD codec (from what I gather, anyways). It's a shame it can't be set for 720/60P as that would actually work fine. This model also has the wide angle lens, which is definitely better than my Canon cams (HV30, HF200) but not entirely satisfactory to me. Low light noise is minimal, at least for a camcorder in this price range and it definitely looked better than my Canon's. The fan, which seems to be at the top of everyone's worry list doesn't seem to bother me. I haven't noticed it. It does seem like a dumb design to require a fan on a consumer camcorder in this day and age. Admittedly, I haven't taken any video in silence, mostly focusing on the kids (where silence doesn't exist). It's essentially identical to the PAL version in almost every regard (other than the fact it has 60P vs 50P) and also has the same horribly inadequate documentation. The Digital Cinema mode isn't even mentioned in the manual.

Overall, it's not a bad camera. I can't say for sure the 3MOS makes any appreciable difference other than it seems like it does better in low light. Video quality is what you'd expect for a camera in this price range, good. Occasionally there are some oddities when it is selecting white balance (ie a blue tungsten hue at times) but it corrects itself after a few seconds or camera angle movement. I really like the OIS (image stabilization). It definitely does quite a bit better than other camcorders I've owned.

Photo quality is probably equal to a low to mid range point and shoot. But I didn't buy it to take pictures so it doesn't bother me.
I'd bump it up a star if someone knows how to get the 60P video to work without stuttering (and not using Panasonic's software).

UPDATED WARRANTY INFORMATION (12/30/2010):
Since there seems to be so much confusion and misinformation about warranty issue surrounding this camcorder, I decided to update this review to include the correct warranty information. I have personally spoken to Pansonic and confirmed the US warranty. To check if you have a US version of this camcorder model (NTSC recording format), remove the camcorder battery. Under the battery, there is the official camocorder model # imprinted. If this model # reads, HDC-SD600P, you have an official US version, with US warrnaty. If your camcorder model # reads HDC-SD600GK, you have a UK version (PAL recording format) and your warranty probably will not be valid here in US or might have a hard time getting warranty services.

Warranty Information: This camcorder carries 1 year parts and 90 days labor warranty. Battery itself carries 10 days parts warranty only. To obtain warranty services, please contact 800-211-PANA. Please note that there is also a postcard included in the camcorder box itself for warranty registration and for extended warranty purchase discount through Pansonic directly.

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ORIGINAL REVIEW (12/25/2010):
Why did I purchased this camcorder? Well, if you have a house full of kids, you know how important it is to preserve those precious childhood memories. I have upgraded my CRT TVs to LCD TVs, simple cell phones to iPhones, VCRs to Blu-ray DVD players, but since last 10 years, I had not upgraded my camcorder. I used the same standard resolution Digital 8, cassette based camcorder since 2001. It was time to finally take a plunge and upgrade to a newer technology.
I had been doing my research about digital camcorders with HD recording capabilities. I had set my budget to around $700, to purchase camcorders with decent balance of price vs. features. I wasn't expecting to pay any more and at the same time, I didn't want to cut corners on some basic features.
I researched Sony (too expensive at comparable features), Canon (wide angle is a joke), JVC (reliability issues) and finally I settled for this camcorder model, when Amazon offered it in its Gold Box deal. I waited through Thanks-giving, Black Friday and finally in December, I found this deal here at Amazon.
When I purchased this camcorder model, I couldn't find much information about this model, due to the fact that it was recently released in USA (even though it is offered for sale in UK and other European countries). Basically this camcorder is same as HDC-TM700 series camcorder, minus the few minor features (such as no built-in storage memory, no mic input, no manual focus, no 5..1 digital surround sound recording). Take away these few features and you have a camcorder that is cheaper by almost $450. Perfect compromise considering the fact I don't intend to use these features, while saving extra $450.

Following items are included in the box,
1) Camcorder
2) Battery
3) Battery Charger/Adapter
4) AC Cable
5) DC Cable
6) USB Cable
7) AV Multi-cable
8) Stylus Pen
9) Lens Hood
10) Remote Control
11) CD with Drivers/Software etc
12) Manuals

First impression: This camcorder is very tiny, has a very small foot print, and aesthetically it is very pleasing. It weighs only 0.85 lbs with battery and SD card installed. Wow, what a relief!! It grips comfortably in your palms. I was able to record straight 30 minutes of a birthday party video, without any fatigue, a task impossible to accomplish with my old digital 8mm camcorder. In spite of its light weight, it has a solid-built feel to it. It does not feel cheaply built or flimsy.

Operation: I used 8GB SDHC card for my recording purposes. I was able to record close to 45 minutes of video clips (at 1080i/60p) and few pictures, taken at 14.2 Megapixels. I got around 80 minutes of recording time on a full battery charge. I think taking pictures with flash probably reduced that overall video recording time proportionately. Touch screen based control options are more than sufficient and they work well. Touch screen control feature itself works very well. Screen itself can be rotated 180 and folded back in to the camcorder body. Touch screen also displays operational messages. For example, when you zoom in too fast, or move camcorder around too fast, it displays the warning. 18x intelligent zoom works very well. If you feel adventurous enough, you can enable digital zoom as well and get up to 700x zoom range, though its usability is questionable, unless you are using a tripod (tripod mount is at on the bottom side).
I am very pleased with the still picture quality at 14.2MP. Pictures are sharp, bright and clear. There are no detectable distortions, or chromatic aberrations that I can tell (but then again, I am not a professional videographer). Flash works adequately, just don't expect miracles in low light situations. Built-in OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) does the magic every time.
Transferring pictures and video recordings is a snap using the supplied software. My Vista and Windows 7 (both 64-bit OS) systems were able to recognize the camcorder instantly (after installing the drivers and the software). You can also access the camcorder storage media and transfer/copy/delete pictures and videos manually.
After transferring the video files, it played at full 1080/60p resolution without any jerking motions, frame freeze or skips. I am not sure why other reviewers had a problem, may be their system is not as "powerful".
If you plan to record videos for playback via other DVD players, you need to use the included software to convert 1080/60p format to AVCHD format (which the included software does it for you). If you have a Panasonic DVD player, you might be in luck, since newer Panasonic DVD players support playback of 1080/60p recording. Simply copy your original 1080/60p recording on to a USB flash drive and insert in to one of the USB ports of your Panasonic DVD player. 1080/60p native support is now-a-days included in newer versions of Sony and Panasonic DVD players.

Conclusion: Overall, it is very nifty, capable, and powerful camcorder, with perfect balance of price and features. It is light weight, supports latest HD recording standard (1080/60p) and doubles as an excellent camera. Most of the avid home-users will not have much to complain about this model. To take full advantage of 1080/60p recording capability, make sure you have plenty of light. And to play full 1080/60p video, make sure you have a PC powerful enough CPU, enough memory, powerful GPU, and updated drivers and players. I used VLC player version 1.1.5 and didn't have any playback issues at all.

Pros:
1) Excellent price
2) 1080/60p recording rate (with choice of lower recording rates)
3) Excellent recording quality
4) Excellent camera picture quality
5) Compact, light weight, easy to operate
6) Excellent price
7) Functional out of the box, up and running in few minutes (assuming battery is charged)
8) Excellent Optical Image Stabilizer, works perfectly

Cons:
1) No HDMI to HDMI cable included
2) Included software is not best suited for editing/playback etc
3) Slightly expensive accessories

Please note, I am not taking in to consideration lack of mic input, 5.1 recording, manual focus etc. Because I already knew about it and didn't care for it.

Warranty Information: This camcorder carries 1 year parts and 90 days labor warranty. Battery itself carries 10 days parts warranty only. To obtain warranty services, please contact 800-211-PANA or [...]. Please note that there is also a postcard included in the camcorder box itself for warranty registration and for extended warranty purchase discount through Pansonic directly.

When calling Panasonic tech support, please mention the correct model # for this camcoder, which happens to be HDC-SD600K. It was originally advertised by Amazon as HDC-SD600 (which is the PAL model sold in UK) and later was modified by Amazon as HDC-SD600K, which is the NTSC model, meant to be sold here in USA. This may be the reason, Panasonic tech support informed customers that it is not covered under US warranty.

Well, I am sure this camcorder will be discontinued soon with the new models released. But I want to clarify a few things. I have recently heard people saying on various sites

First, some people have been saying":

"The Panasonic SD60k is only 50 dollars more and offers a better set of features, zoom, etc." This is ill informed. This camcorder has 3X the sensor chips a lower Fstop (that means brighter video), a genuine Lecia Dicomar lens (not generic pany) and the crystal engine pro processing engine (superior processing engine).

This is a completely more advanced piece of technology. The SD60 is a midrange, this is the toprange flagship consumer camcorder. Yet the midrange is STILL 50 dollars more. If you think about this you will see how ridiculous it is. Get this one instead.

I personally owned the SDX1 (the midrange class camcorder for 2011) and the SD600 at the same time so I ran side by side video comparisons, which I presented to my wife to see if she could tell the difference. We bust out laughing the difference was so obvious, and she never mistook the SD600 for the SD60, not even once.

I have also heard

"This camcorder does not have enough zoom." With high definition, it is much harder to get larger zoom and KEEP high definition. Thus, at the max zoom of 18X you will still have HIGH DEFINITION video at 1080p60. Unlike an SD camcorder, which only has to maintain SD video. You can still zoom digital zoom, and because it is in HD with so much more detail the video will still be much higher than normal SD for a fairly good bit of zoom range. In addition, 12-18times is more than enough for any reasonable application for which you would need to view something in high def. If you can see the hairs on the eyebrows of your daughter on stage that is close enough. The SD60 offers a bit more zoom, but thena gain you loose on color, sharpness, low light, in conversion assist, Mbs (17 vs 28) and overall video quality. Is a few X zoom really worth all that and more?

I have also heard:

"Software is not compatible." This is simply not true. The software is now, it wasnt in jan 2010. However, the camcorder has a conversion assist feature which cuts down the conversion of 1080p60 footage by 35X for me...so...after I convert to 1080i60 or SD for family without blu ray players I have no problems at all.

If you do not know what I am talking about, you need to learn. Interlaced video is when the video is filmed at two seperate moments in time then combined into one frampe. 1080p60 is progressive, which means each frame is filmed as one complete frame. Much higher quality overall.

I have also heard

The fan is loud.

Hogwash. Unless you are filming indoors of birds out your window you are very unlikely to notice it. In addition, the autofocus on the SDX1 was ALMOST just as loud as the fan. Both only noticable in that one condition for me. Maybe in a quite woods filming birds it would be a little irritating. But even then there is usually enough background noises, crickets, etc, that the gain on the mic sets itself such that I am not able to hear it.

I have also heard.

"The fan introduces an additional moving part which may fail."

True, but then again panasonic only offers a 90 day labor warranty. So you really should buy with a credit card that doubles warranty, and consider a third party warranty that will also cover Accidental damage. Then the fan is a non issue anyway.

I have read a lot of other...stuff...out there, by misinformed people.

This is an amazing camcorder. Amazing video. Very functional. I was shocked by how good it is. And for about 60% less than any camcorder of even comparable video quality, it is a no-brainer purchase.

I have been using Panasonic camcorders for a long time. Before HD, I had a PV-GS400 camcorder which was also great. Hence I decided to go for Panasonic again. However some of the features on GS400 or (its new brothers in the HD world) were not as important to me. I am an amateur videographer and don't need the focus/manual control ring so often. Hence I was willing to sacrifice that (and the viewfinder, which I rarely used on my GS400) in the HD version. I still get the superior quality of the 3 sensors and the optical image stabilization with this camera but the price is certainly very very attractive. With HDC-SD600K Panasonic has found the right balance of great quality and affordability for an amateur like me. I have used this camcorder for a few weeks and I am impressed with the video quality. I also took some night shots in Las Vegas with this camera (still photos) and they came out great with very accurate colors. Of course still pictures won't compare to a DSLR in quality, but I like the convenience of having a small unit to carry and shoot both photos and videos.

Panasonic has confirmed that they will honor the warranty as stated in the user manual if the camera is purchased new in the US.

after 2 month searching for camcorder between sd60 & Samsung h200 & Sony cx110,,
i found Sd600 in good price 499 dollar in amazon.
what i like
1- 3coms sensor : for better color & sharpness
2- 14.1 mega pixel still photo : no need for digital camera
3- time lapse recording
4- full HD recording 60p & 24p recording
5- leica lens
after 1 day of test the indoor is perfect also in low light :).

We purchased this camera before a family vacation in February. It is small, lightweight and fits even better in the hands than the much touted TM700. The camera is pretty easy to use, but definitely a read of the owners manual was a big help! The LCD is not a big as on some newer cameras, but was big enough to check videos on playback, and the LCD image quality is sharp and bright. This camera has a manual focus (but NOT a manual focus ring)---manual focus is done via the touchscreen, which doesn't really work that well. It is OK by me, becuase I don't really plan to use manual functions very often. We filmed several days of skiing in Colorado at altitude and below 0 temps in the automatic settings mode at 60p. The playback quality on a large HDTV is absolutely amazing! We watched our ski videos upon our return and on the same TV, then viewed a family member's recent home videos from a standard def camcorder. The IQ difference was HUGE!!!! The videos produced by the SD600 were sharp, crisp, and vivid with detail and color.

We bought a 32 mb class 10 SD card and didn't even fill it half way in 1 weeks worth of ski videos in 60p mode. I was worried about running out of memory, but that will not be an issue. I bought a back up 16 gb SD card and a second (generic) battery. Everything works like a dream! We can't wait to take this little gem along on our BIG overseas vacation this summer!

A concern I had was dealing with 60p mode when transferring videos to a backup (I don't want to keep buying expensive SD cards!). I had read lots of video enthusiasts reviews that were having trouble processing the camera's 60p files. I guess if you plan to do LOTS of video editing and use elite software, be prepared to have a super fast computer and high end conversion/editing software. However, for the average home user, like myself, the included software from Panasonic was simple and easy to use. The included software can 1) download a direct copy of the videocamera's files AS IS to your computer's hard drive; 2) it can burn the 60p file to a BluRay disc or AVCHD disk (requires compatible bluray or avchd player)--I don't have a bluray burner, so can't evaluate this 3) Directly downconvert the camera's original 60p file to HD DVD format on a STANDARD DVD--there is a VERY slight loss of IQ in this downconversion, but I was extremely pleased with the results (they were still WAAAY better than the standard def video of an older camera)----we used this function & were able to play the disc created by the HD writer software on our PS3 and in a standard DVD player hooked to our HDTV. and4) the software can downconvert the camera files directly to a standard def DVD (although, I can't imagine why you'd want to do this!). The software really was simple to use. The downconversion process does take a while (about 1.5 hours for about 20-30 min of video. This is a faster time estimate, since we used the camera's onboard downconversion. I haven't tried it, but I understand the downconversion takes longer if you copy the camera's files to your computer first and then try to downconvert the files already on the computer. The included HD writer software from Panasonic does allow some very simple editing, such as ordering of clips, adding titles, etc. If you plan to do more, check into higher end software, but be advised that not all products easily handle the 60p format.

This is one excellent AVCHD camcorder.
1080 60p video quality is stunning.
Price/performance value is incredibly good.
I like the stills too.

However:

There is no warranty from Panasonic at the moment for those cam models.
Call Panasonic Tech Support at 1-800-211-PANA (7262) and chat with them regarding
warranty and tech support for this model.
Your US warranty card means NOTHING at the moment as far as Panasonic is concerned.
It might change in the future if quite a few of the buyers and maybe Amazon itself will speak up, but as of now
Panasonic USA does not want to know anything claiming that it is "European model".

I am very happy with the cam, but warranty issue is really irritating.

Update 12/31/2010: Seems like Panasonic finally has decided to honor the warranty on the camera, so I changed rating from 4 to 5 stars.

ive had many HD camcorders the past few years i get the lastest every year but this one takes the cake at this price they are giving these away!!!! just a year ago this video quality was a $1500 camcorder the video quality at 60p is like watching a HD cable broadcast
did some dog videos had some snowflakes fall on the dog you can see every detail of the snowflakes crystal pattern! i never had a camcorder like this and as for playback i have a i5 laptop and i have no problem running full HD 1080p 60fps on windows media player under windows 7 32 so i dont know what that other reviewer is talking about he must have a old pc. the still images at 14mp will replace your still camera looks like im not replacing this one for years! in the end this is a must buy!!

Up until a month ago, I wasn't even in the market for a new camcorder. Two years ago I got a Sony HDR-HC3 Mini-DV HD camcorder and have been very happy with it. When I saw the SD600 for $399, I became interested and started to do some research. I was very impressed with the features, particularly the 3MOS imaging system, the 1080/60P capability and the OIS. For 30 days I researched and read online reviews and found them overwhelmingly positive. When the camera price dropped to $299, I had to buy it. At that price, this camera is an absolute steal and in my opinion is even worth spending $399 or $499 that many reviewers paid. The move to flash memory from Mini-DV was itself worth the upgrade, but the quality of the video is the real selling point for this camera. I'm far from a professional videographer, I just wanted to capture my son's sporting events and memorable occasions in the best quality possible. This camera certainly fits the bill. I was concerned with the relatively small optical zoom (12x optical/18x izoom) but have determined that it is more than enough for 99% of what I'm going to shoot. Additionally, the wide angle ability is much more convenient and useful than I had thought. Playing the video back with the camera connected to the TV via HDMI (cable not included) is a breeze and looks fantastic (Blu-ray quality). Playing back on the computer using WMP 11/Windows 7 Home Premium was also very easy and I had no issues with stuttering video, but I have a quad-core computer with a high end video card. Additionally, I was also able to edit the clips using Windows Live Movie Maker. I was not able to play the video back using Windows Vista Media Player and assume the same will be true with Windows XP. I haven't used the included software yet, so I can't comment on that. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone looking to upgrade to HD or flash memory. For the price, you won't come close to this camera's specs anywhere else.