Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 2.9 x 2.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0011FTKFY
• Item model number: HDC-SD9
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,196 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

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  Camera & Photo > Camcorders > High Definition

• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 24, 2008

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 features Advanced O.I.S. and the 3CCD camera system. Advanced O.I.S. prevents blurry images caused by unsteady hands as you shoot, so images are clear, sharp and beautiful when displayed on a big TV screen. The 3CCD camera system is used in most professional broadcasting equipment because it draws out the full potential of full-HD..

The SD9 includes Face Detection functionality. Face Detection automatically locates any faces in the picture, adjusts the exposure, contrast and skin tone to achieve optimal results. This ensures that your subjects will always have clear, attractive expressions. The Intelligent Shooting Guide also helps you to make fewer shooting mistakes.

Panasonic HDC-SD9 Highlights

High Quality Picture and Sound

Digital Cinema Mode

• Progressive 1080/25p Set the SD9 to Digital Cinema mode and shoot in the progressive 1080/25p format (25 pictures per second). Progressive scanning captures clear, vibrant images with intricate detail. You also get faithful images with an appealing film-like quality.
• Digital Cinema Color with VIERA This mode automatically switches the camcorder to the optimum setting for the Digital Cinema Color of the VIERA plasma TV series. Colors recorded in this mode look richer than those recorded using the conventional Panasonic standard. For example, the subtle shades of red and gold in flowers, and the greens of leafy trees are remarkably true to life.

3CCD Camera System Most professional broadcasting cameras use the 3CCD camera system, with its superior color reproduction. In a 1CCD system, all of the incoming light information is processed by the same CCD. The more advanced 3CCD system uses three distinct CCDs for processing, so there is absolutely no light loss. The 3CCD camera system draws out the full potential of full-HD image quality.

Advanced O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) Panasonic's Advanced O.I.S. uses gyro-sensors to detect hand-shake, then shifts a lens and adjusts its optical axis to compensate. And Advanced O.I.S. checks and compensates for hand-shake around 4,000 times per second. Advanced O.I.S. enables finer, more effective hand-shake compensation. Also, because the system is optical, no image quality is lost. With Advanced O.I.S., you'll capture images that are clear, sharp and beautiful on a big TV screen.

Leica Dicomar Lens Leica AG of Germany is the manufacturer of fine cameras and lenses favored by photographers everywhere. The Leica Dicomar lens featured in the HDC-SD9 was developed specifically for full-HD camcorders, these lens systems are made using a multi-coating process that prevents light reflection and glare, which can make colors bleed and images appear washed out. It also prevents rings of light, or "ghosts".

HD Crystal Engine Panasonic took the advanced imaging circuitry used in our professional equipment and adapted it for home use in the HD Crystal Engine. The result is a high-speed processing unit that can handle the huge volumes of data captured in high-definition video recordings. The HD Crystal Engine also incorporates a new system that improves resolution and reduces noise while achieving a more compact size and lowering power consumption.

5.1 Channel Surround Sound and Zoom Microphone and Focus Microphone Each of the five built-in microphones of the SD9 works individually to record sounds from the front, sides, and back. When viewed on a system with Dolby Digital 5.1-channel sound, the real-life acoustic field brings even greater power to images such as festival parades, concerts, or birds in nature.

• Zoom Mode In Zoom mode the microphones are linked to the lens action. When you zoom in on a subject, the microphones focus on the sound in that same direction, minimizing the capture of incidental sounds.
• Focus Mode Regardless of whether the lens is zooming or not, the microphones pick up only the sound of the subject in front of the camera, minimizing all surrounding sounds.

10x Optical Zoom Distant subjects can be enlarged so they appear to be right up close. This allows dynamic shots of both motion and still pictures.

Tele Macro Using the zoom at full magnification, you can shoot macro close-ups while maintaining a distance of 50 cm from your subject. This makes it much easier to capture extreme close-ups without your body or camera casting a shadow on the subject and while keeping the background in soft focus. High Picture Quality (16:9, 2.7-inch LCD Screen This model offers the high quality wide images that make for beautiful, dramatic viewing on a wide-screen TV. The image is processed on 16:9 area of the CCD. Because the image decoded has the same proportions as your wide-screen TV, there is virtually no picture quality degradation. You get beautiful images and all the excitement and dynamism on either a wide 16:9 screen TV or a conventional 4:3 TV. This model also features a high-density, 300,000-dot, wide 2.7-inch LCD, making it easier to frame shots when you're shooting in 16:9 mode. You can enjoy shooting wide, and viewing wide.

Focus Assist This function enlarges the center of the image, making it easier for you to get a clear, sharp shot when focusing manually.

Composition Guide Lines With wide LCD monitors, it's hard to keep images perfectly level. The HDC-SD9 solves this by displaying horizontal and vertical Composition Guide Lines that make it easy to keep the subject straight and level.

Shooting Functions

Can detect up to five faces at once

Face Detection The SD9 introduces face detection functionality for recording moving pictures with a camcorder. It's difficult to shoot scenes with deep shadows or large differences between light and dark areas. The subject often looks too dark, and faces can be hard to see. Panasonic solves this problem with Face Detection, a function that automatically adjusts the exposure according to the ambient brightness, so faces are bright and easy to see. When the camcorder detects a face in the scene, a square frame appears around it in the LCD monitor and the exposure is adjusted to correct the brightness level. The skin tone is also smoothed. Face Detection can detect up to five faces at once. With Face Detection - offered for the first time for recording moving pictures with a camcorder - Panasonic makes it easy capture beautiful faces even in dim or backlit scenes.

Intelligent Shooting Guide The SD9 features the Intelligent Shooting Guide. This function detects when shooting conditions are poor--such as when the camcorder is panning too quickly or tilted, the user's hand is swinging, the subject is backlit, or the lighting is too low-and displays operating advice in the LCD. Users become aware of a potential problem before they shoot, rather than later when reviewing or playing back the recording. This gives them a chance to correct the settings and get good, error-free results every time.

Intelligent Shooting Selection Playback While the Intelligent Shooting Guide helps prevent recording errors, this playback function makes recordings more enjoyable to view. It automatically skips over any shots that have serious errors, such as hand swing, fast panning, out-of-focus images or shots of the ground taken when the user forgot to turn the camcorder off. You see only the good, error-free shots.

Records 3 seconds of footage before you start shooting

Pre-Rec Function This clever new function records three seconds of images even before you actually begin shooting. The images are held temporarily in the camcorder's internal memory, before recording onto the SDHC/SD Memory Card begins. This helps ensure that you won't miss the start of a moment you want to record, such as when an event begins all of a sudden. For example, if you're waiting to snap a shot of a jumping dolphin, you can press the REC button after you've made sure that the dolphin has cleared the surface of the water. The camcorder will record the entire scene, from the instant of the dolphin's jump until it disappears again into the sea.

Intelligent Contrast Control By detecting the intensity of the ambient light and adjusting the exposure accordingly, Intelligent Contrast Control prevents blown highlights and blocked shadows. This helps render natural-looking, highly nuanced images with proper contrast. Even when you're shooting directly toward the light source--a very challenging situation in photography--Intelligent Contrast Control lets you capture clear images with enhanced depth.

Power LCD Extra lets you adjust the LCD brightness in two steps by simply pressing the Power LCD button. Plus 1 mode increases brightness by 80% for easy outdoor viewing, and Plus 2 mode emphasizes contrast when shooting in strong sunlight conditions such as when skiing or at the beach.

Wide Viewing Angle The new LCD has a highly detailed, 300,000-dot display, which places it in the top class of the industry, and a viewing angle of 170-degrees, both vertically and horizontally. Images are clear and bright even when viewed from an angle, so everyone can gather around the LCD to enjoy on-the-spot recordings. The wide viewing angle is also great for taking high- or low-angle shots.

Easy On/Off Easy On / Off reduces the time required for operating the camera. When you open the LCD, the power turns on. Shut it and the power turns off.

Quick Start This Quick Start mode helps shoot videos on the spur of the moment. This mode lets you shoot those not-to-be-missed scenes just 0.6 sec from the time the power is turned on.

25 FPS High Speed Burst Shooting This function lets the camcorder snap up to 25 consecutive 2.1-MB-resolution still images in a second, or up to 72 consecutive shots in 3 seconds. You can use it to analyze a golf swing, tennis stroke or other motion. You also can use it to get good shots of subjects in fast motion. Just fire off a number of shots without stopping, then keep the best ones and delete the rest.

One Touch Navigation and Joystick Control The joystick makes the camera much easier to use, letting you control all basic operations. Just watch the image in the monitor and follow the instruction guide. You can handle a number of operations quickly and easily.

• Direct Mode Switch Just switch the button with your fingertip to select the icon that corresponds to the mode you want.
• Simple Joystick Operation Press the center of the joystick to display icons on the screen.

Quick Search and Access with Thumbnail View The camera's LCD screen displays a list of the recorded scenes for quick and easy searching. An index tab lets you switch between motion and still image thumbnails for fast retrieval of specific scenes. You can also do some polished editing using only the camera.

Anti Ground Shooting The O.I.S. linear motor system can detect when the camera is in an unusual shooting position - such as when you've inadvertently left it on in recording mode. In these cases, the camera automatically stops recording, saving both battery power and disc space.

Color Night View / High 5 Lux Sensitivity

• Color Night View for shooting in dim light Color Night View gives you smoothly flowing pictures even in dark places, where it's normally difficult to capture good shots.
• High 5 Lux Sensitivity for sharp, clear images even in dim lighting. The new digital signal processor reduces noise to allow shooting all the way down to 5 lux illumination. You get natural-looking shots even in dim rooms or at dusk.

World Timer Handy for travelers, this function makes it easy to set the camcorder time when you cross time zones and again when you return home. Simply select your destination from the displayed map, and the camcorder is automatically set for that time zone. The time for two different places can be set--such as home and destination--and you can switch between the times by simply pressing a button.

Auto Lens Cover When the power is turned on, the lens cover automatically opens. When the power goes off, the lens cover closes. You don't have to keep removing and replacing a lens cap--or worry about losing it.

Editing and Networking

Connecting to an HDTV via an HDMI cable Just connect your camcorder to an HDTV and you're ready for high-definition viewing. If your TV is HDMI compatible, a single HDMI mini cable is all you need.

Direct viewing with SD Card slot Simply take the SDHC/SD Memory Card from your SD9 camcorder and slip it into the card slot on your TV and you're ready to view full-HD images recorded in the AVCHD format.

Using a DVD Burner to Create and Play Back DVD The SD9's USB Host function lets you connect directly to a DVD burner via a USB cable. You can then copy recordings from the SDHC/SD Memory Card to a DVD disc, maintaining their original Full-HD format, by simply pressing a button. Included Software The SD9 also comes with software that makes it easy to edit your recordings using a PC. When editing, mistaken photos such as shots of the ground or shots with hand-shake can be automatically cut to speed up the process. After editing, you can copy the results to a DVD disc in either the AVCHD or the MPEG2 format. Choose the one that best suits your playback equipment or how you intend to use your recordings. This easy-to-use software gives you more creative ways to enjoy the recordings you make.

Optional Accessories and Products

• Panasonic DIGA DMR-EZ475VK - DVD recorder/ VCR combo - black
• Panasonic 16GB Memory Card
• Panasonic VW-BN1 DVD Burner
• Search for Panasonic VIERA TVs

Product Description

Use of the super-small SDHC/SD memory card helped Panasonic to create the world's smallest and lightest 3CCD full-HD camcorder. The SD9 fits comfortably in the hand and can be used for long periods without causing fatigue. Panasonic full-HD camcorders record horizontal pixels at an HD resolution of up to 1920 pixels, which results in a total of around 2,070,000 pixels. And with progressive scanning, our hi-def camcorders provide twice as much data per picture as conventional interlace scanning. This means you get breathtaking images with exceptional resolution and detail. Combine that with a 1080/24p format, which lets you capture scenes with a rich, film-like quality, and you can see why Panasonic full-HD camcorders take visual expression to the next level. With Face Detection  offered for the first time for recording moving pictures with a video camera  Panasonic makes it easy to capture beautiful faces and clear backgrounds even in dim or backlit scenes. This new function, which can detect up to five faces at once, automatically adjusts the exposure and smooths skin tones according to the ambient brightness, so faces are bright and easy to see. The new Intelligent Shooting Guide function helps you get magnificent shots by displaying a text message in the LCD monitor, telling you which settings are best for the current shooting conditions. With Intelligent Selection Playback, poor or inadvertent shots (such as shots of the ground or overly dark scenes) are skipped and all normal scenes are played while viewing. Panasonic's Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) suppresses the effects of hand shake as you shoot. The system uses gyrosensors to detect hand shake, then shifts a lens and adjusts the optical axis to compensate. This all happens a remarkable 4,000 times per second. And because the system is optical, no image quality is lost. Thanks to Advanced O.I.S., the images you capture look incredibly clear, sharp and beautiful on a big TV screen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

155 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First impressions (4.75 stars, really, but I had to balance the other review), February 28, 2008

By	Maek (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I just received my camera today. Of course, I've been researching this little gem since it was first announced for production by Panasonic a few months ago. Along with that research, I've been playing with it now for several hours and I wanted to run by some first impressions:

Pros:

* Lightweight! Panasonic touts this as the smallest, lightest HD camera available for HD recording (as of 1/2008). That's certainly no joke. You're expecting this to weigh like a brick given it relatively compact size, but it's extremely light. I'm not expecting any arm fatigue here!

* Exceptional image quality. HD recording at 17 MBPS (variable bit rate) is exceptional and image artifacting that occurred in previous generations (SD1 and SD5) are pratically eliminated. I typically burn to DVD, but I'm assuming that image quality should be good considering my eventual plan on burning to Blu-Ray through Sony Vegas Pro. The video compression uses AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) which is based on the very efficient H.264 compression.

* Flash media storage. No more dropped frames/corrupted media on magnetic tapes! No limitations imposed by a fixed hard drive! No more wasted DVD media for footage that I want to edit anyway! More importantly for me, NO MORE MOTOR NOISE. Now I can film an art gallery in true silence. Also, with the only motor in the camera servicing the camera lens (which can't be heard at all), there will be considerably less wear and tear on the camera overall. The SDHC cards are pricey, but you can get an 8 GB SDHC Sandisk Extreme III card for about $[...] - $[...] through independent sellers on Amazon, although I suspect the price for this media will be headed down. I bought 3 that way. An 8GB card will store about 1 hour of video footage at the maximum bitrate setting. Note: It is IMPORTANT to get at least a Class 4 card to record at the substantially quick bitrates. Personally, I just went ahead and got Class 6 cards (faster) since it wasn't that much more. Pony up the extra cash for the SDHC cards - at the rate that I film, it will pay for itself after several usages. Try and make the same claim about using a tape more than 2 times without some noticeable degradation.

* Image advisor. Are you panning too quickly? Subject too dark? Too much backlight? Are you not holding the camera still (pops up if you have the image stabilizer off)? The advisor identifies these issues and brings a menu option up immediately to rectify the issue; all you have to do is simply accept the advice and you're good to go! I've exposed the camera to several unfriendly environments and the advisor was quick to chime in with problem identifications/solutions.

* OIS. The image stabilizer on this camera is exceptional...and I have NEVER said that about any stabilizer for cameras that I've owned in the past. Image stabilizers are typically exaggerated on most cameras (i.e., super steady-no-motion claims), but this one does a "wow" kind of job. At 4,000 times a second, the optical stabilizer does an impressive job at stabilizing an image even at the full 10x optical zoom. This is approximately 5 times faster than Panasonic's predecessor's. I've tried the system on and off and it's extraordinarily impressive. Don't expect the same results, however, on digitially enhanced zooming which I never use anyway.

* Pre-record. Ever catch yourself saying, "Man, I wished that I had hit record about a second sooner to catch my kid saying that!" Well, with pre-record enabled, the camera keeps the last 3 seconds of video buffered in standby mode so if you do hit record at the opportune time, you can "go back 3 seconds in time to capture what you might have missed!"

* Exceptional sound. Yep, the camera comes with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. I'm a bit of an audiophile, so I truly appreciate being immersed in a home movie environment that has sound around me as if I was still there filiming it. There are 3 options with the micorphone: surround, zoom mic, and focus mic. The regular surround options records all ambient noise equally, although you can actually change the gain, if you want. The zoom mic actually directs more input to the front microphone if you zoom in closer to an object further away; this allows you to "zoom" in on sound originating directly ahead. I haven't had a chance to fiddle with the focus mic, but I'm sure that it works just as well.

Cons:

* Battery life. According to the manual, the supplied battery can optimistcally handle 1 hour and 45 seconds of continuous record time (a full charge does register at 119 minutes). Realistically, the manual says, it would last about 1 hour, if you factor in zooming, switching it on but not recording for a few minutes between shots, lighting conditions (and compensation), etc.; Panasonic's predicted time is probably close. I would recommend getting the Panasonic VW-VBG260 battery from a 3rd party dealer which will last twice as long (got mine for $129.95 - Panasonic charges $169.95). You could get the VBG6 battery which lasts a LOT LONGER, but it requires a separate pack to carry the power supply since the battery is so large. Not worth the hassle, in my opinion.

* No viewfinder. Minor inconvenience for me, but I prefer the old style viewfinder. However, the camera is so small and comfortable that using the LCD screen works fine. I'm willing to concede that this is a non-issue.

* No accessory shoes. You want to hook up a camera light? Forget it - nowhere to put it unless you rig something to it (shoestring anyone?). Again, though, I'm fed up with trying to light a completely dark room and I find myself not really wanting it. That said, the low-light function on the camera as well as Magic Pix (full color in both modes, not the green washed out night vision with scary eyes!) does surprisingly well with 1 lux of light available.

Overall, the camera is extremely impressive for the price and the 3rd generation of HD cameras from Panasonic are a cost-effective way to enjoy high quality images. For standard DVD usage, this camera is more than perfect. However, as a caution, check that your video software is capable of using the AVCHD video format. It's still in its infancy, but an increasing number of software vendors are adopting it is a viable alternative. If you're serious about video editing, I would highly recommend Sony Vegas Pro Version 8.0 (current version as of 2/08) or later.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TINY and awesome camera, March 16, 2008

By	Derek Gregg (Huntington, WV United States) - See all my reviews

I got this camera as soon as it came out. I'm extremely happy with how small and light it is - i can carry it around in a coat pocket and record easily. The pre-record function is very nice, especially if you don't want to be recording all the time.

Video editing was a little sluggish, but that's not hte camera's fault - just takes a lot of muscle to edit HD video. I started out with the included software (Pinnacle 11 trial) with a Quad-core 2.4Ghz machine with 2GB of ram, 800mhz FSB, and the computer just about died. I upgrade the RAM to 3GB and it is still sluggish but works. So definately should make sure you have a FAST computer.

I would agree with other reviewers that having the HDMI port behind the battery is bad. Also, you ahve to have the camera on AC power to move video from the card to the computer. Otherwise, you can just unplug the SD card and plug it straight into the computer througha card reader - seems to be alot faster that way anyhow.

Battery life seems pretty good, especially since you are using the LCD screen all the time. Which, by the way, even in bright sunlight is very visisble.

Overall, very happy with the camera, and looking forward to taking lots of videos of our upcoming newborn. But i will definately be looking to upgrade the software package to get better editing.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT!, May 12, 2008

By	Nisim Heletz (Concord, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This camera is great! I have had this camera for 3 months... The highlights include great HD video quality, very straight forward usage, very good and easy SD to DVD transfer software and tiny size. You can take the SD card out and pop it right into your PS3 for immediate HD playback. You can also use the software to create same quality HD-DVDs on DVD-R-DL discs that hold 1 hour each. Buy the 8GB SD card to match 1 hour of DVD-R-DL. I thought that the price was good at $800 for this camera and now I see that it's less than $600. Buy it - you will want to send me a thank you note after you get it... (but it's really not me you should thank - I thank panasonic for coming up with this winner).

PS. While some people here complain about the low light performance, I think that they should really read the manual... They probably tried the Low Light mode (which really isn't very good)... they just need to switch to manual mode and open up the iris a couple of notches (1 switch move + 4 clicks) , it's very quick and easy to do with this camera and then the low light videos will be good and the camera will also stop playing with the white balance as is commonly an issue with indoor video camcorder shooting).