Performance

Video Performance* (9.0)*

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 features three 1/6-inch CCDs, each with a gross pixel count of 560,000. The effective pixel count of each chip is 520,000. These are the same specs as the previous generation HDC-SD5, but a downgrade from the first generation HDC-SD1. The SD1 offered three 1/4-inch CCDs. That larger chipset has been shifted over to the Panasonic pro division, which manufactures the AG-HSC1U, a near identical version of the tiny camcorder. The company also recently announced more details on a shoulder-mounted version called the AG-HMC70.

The HDC-SD9 was tested in the lab by shooting a DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde color chart at an even 3000 lux. In a side-by-side with the SD1, Panasonic appears to have boosted the color saturation. This will likely please more consumers, but the color accuracy has veered off course. Perhaps the company feels that if people like the form factor, but are intent on accurate color, they can pick up the AG-HSC1U, a product of Panasonic’s pro division.

The Sony HDR-CX7 definitely appears sharper appears less saturated, while maintaining a healthy color balance. On the whole, it’s a preferable image to the HDC-SD9. The JVC GZ-HD3 could not produce a decent manual white balance in our 3000 lux test, which therefore skewed the colors. However, if it can’t white balance under ideal conditions, we wouldn’t expect it to do better in your living room. In terms of sharpness and noise, the Panasonic HDC-SD9 looked better.

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 also features two additional shooting modes, Digital Cinema color and 24P Digital Cinema color. There’s a problem right off the bat with these two settings. Why isn’t there should be an option to record in 24P without the Digital Cinema color? We don’t know, but Panasonic saw fit to make it so.

Digital Cinema is Panasonic’s branding term for xvYCC (also commonly called by the Sony-branded x.v.Color), the emerging color standard for HD recording and playback devices. xvYCC can be implemented in different ways, and here is what’s wrong with Panasonic’s approach. If your HDTV doesn’t support xvYCC, don’t be surprised. Most of them don’t, though they will in the near future. Secondly, Panasonic stated that unless you own a Panasonic HDTV, you may not see all the benefits in color. Thirdly, if you shoot video on the SD9 in Digital Cinema color then play it back on a non-xvYCC TV, your picture will look horribly oversaturated. Of course, Panasonic states this in so many words in the manual, but it doesn’t make the pill any less bitter. At least when you do the same thing with a Sony camcorder, the video only looks a little saturated.

Out of the lab, in indoor shooting (1080/60i), we were pleased to see that our complaints about motion trailing in the HDC-SD1 have been addressed to some extent in the SD9. Rather than long, flowing trails from everything that moves in the frame, you get a ghost image of each subject that lingers on the screen for less than one second. Clearly, Panasonic has improved their CCDs and processing, but it still hasn’t created a product that can do the job effectively. Initial testing on the new Canon HF10 has showed that it does not suffer the same problem.

In outdoor shooting, the Panasonic HDC-SD9 showed the same tendency for oversaturation that we saw in the lab. The compression artifacting is apparent, even in bright sunlight. While the picture looks good to the extent that all HD looks pretty good, it could have been better. You’ll definitely see the artifacting around areas of contrast, where pixels are incorrectly colored. On the plus side, we were impressed with the way the camcorder could handle motion under bright sunlight. This is the where the promise of AVCHD finally starts to surpass HDV. Horizontal and vertical motion were clean. For instance, freeze frames of cars traveling about 15mph showed near-perfect sharpness. If the resolution of the chips were better, we could have even identified drivers. Shooting identical footage with the Canon HF10 showed the same results for motion, but with increased sharpness all around.

Shooting in 1080/24P mode, the indoor/outdoor strengths and weaknesses of 60i were magnified. Indoor 24P Digital Cinema mode looked abysmal. There was so much stuttering and ghost images it looked like a special effect from an early music video (Metallica’s Enter Sandman comes to mind). Shooting outside, especially on a tripod, the effect was rather nice. Sure, you get the stutter, but without the ghosting.

In summary, the HDC-SD9 is definitely an improvement over the first generation SD1. As the next test shows, HDV camcorders still hold the upper hand in overall resolution. Among the HDC-SD9’s closest competitors, the Sony HDR-CX7 looked sharper, the JVC GZ-HD3 looked worse, and the Canon HF10 (our next camcorder up for review) looks to be an excellent performer that will likely surpass the Panasonic SD9 in performance.

Video Resolution* (18.0)*

The video resolution of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 was tested by shooting a DSC Labs video resolution chart at an even, bright light, then viewing the recorded video on an HD monitor. This test measures the resolution of the outputted video as a consumer will see it, rather than the idealized resolution numbers that manufacturers often tout. The HDC-SD9 was able to produce both a horizontal and vertical resolution of 600 line widths per picture height. The results were identical to the first generation Panasonic HDC-SD1, despite the fact that the SD1 recorded in 1440 x 1080 that was anamorphically stretched for playback, and the SD9, which records in full 1920 x 1080 at a higher bit rate.

These results indicate that an increase in bit rate and even an increase in outputted resolution have no bearing on this test if the base pixel count remains the same. Though the surface area on the SD9’s chips are smaller than the SD1, both have a gross pixel count of 560,000. This will certainly make for some interesting ammo for those who pride themselves on fighting manufacturer propaganda.

Low Light Performance* (2.65)*

The low light performance of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 was tested in three stages. First, we shoot the DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde color chart at an even 60 lux and 15 lux, then compare the images with competing camcorders.

At 60 lux, the HDC-SD9 showed very quickly that it is not a low light champion. We could have guessed this from the small 1/6-inch size of the CCDs, but here’s the confirmation. At 60 lux, the image became quite fuzzy and lost a lot of fine detail. This may be because the in-camera sharpening was less effective in low light. The hard numbers (which we’ll get to later) suggest that the color accuracy was not far off, but to the eye it’s obvious that a lot of color information was lost compared to the bright light test. We hypothesize that the completely oversaturated colors that we saw in bright light were meant stave off color loss in low light, which would be inevitably bad due to the small imaging chips. So in a Panasonic SD9 3000 lux/60 lux side-by-side, of course it looks like the camcorder lost a lot of color. It did, but in doing so, the color became more accurate. We should also note that the RGB values showed that the camcorder could not perform a perfect manual white balance under these conditions, and skewed the image slightly towards the green.

Comparatively, the first generation Panasonic HDC-SD1 looked much sharper. We’ve provided these 100% close-ups to confirm how much better the 1/4-inch chips look than the 1/6-inch chips. There’s not a whole lot of difference in color, but a hell of gap in sharpness. This is likely a function of the pixel count and not noise, but the overall degradation in quality between generations is more apparent here in low light than in bright light.

The Sony HDR-CX7, a flash memory camcorder with the same form factor as the SD9, produced a sharper image with more noise and higher saturation levels. The JVC GZ-HD3, a slightly larger camcorder that records to card and an HDD, scored very similarly to the HDC-SD9. The overall 60 lux image was exposed more brightly, and there was more in-camera sharpening to increase the appearance of resolution, but the noise and color accuracy were quite similar to Panasonic’s. In a side-by-side, the JVC image looked less preferable because it had a grainier quality.

As expected, the switch to 24P saw some improvement in low light, but it also blasted the saturation into the stratosphere. These colors may look better on a compatible Panasonic HDTV, but they look terrible on our non-xvYCC monitors. And because there is no way to activate 24P mode without engaging the "Digital Cinema" color, we did not use this as a basis for comparisons, or for the Imatest testing (later in this section).

Finally, the camcorder gives the option for manually boosting the gain. In auto mode at 60 lux (in 1080/60i mode), the gain was already pushed to 15 lux. A manual increase to 18dB definitely helped the cause without adding a noticeable amount of noise.

At 15 lux, the Panasonic HDC-SD9 choked, not uncommon for 1/6-inch chip camcorders. There was very little usable information in this camcorder. 24P Digital Cinema color more did a little to help, but not much. The Sony HDR-CX7 performed much better, due to its larger imager. The JVC GZ-HD3 did as badly as Panasonic.

The second stage of our testing involves shooting the X-Rite Color Checker chart at an even 60 lux, then exporting frame grabs to Imatest imaging software for data on color accuracy, noise, and saturation. According to Imatest, the Panasonic HDC-SD9 produced a color error of 11, which is good for a camcorder with such small chips, but average when compared to most HD camcorders. The noise was very low, only 0.645%, far below that of Canon and Sony, but about the same as the JVC GZ-HD3. This may give a very loose indication that 3-chip camcorders produce less noise, or that Panasonic and JVC have superior noise suppression, but more testing would have to be done along these lines. Finally, the saturation measured 73.47%

The third test involves lowering the light in a slow and steady manner until the camcorder can produce a maximum exposure output of 50 IRE (as expressed through a waveform monitor). The results were not unexpected, but disappointing. The Panasonic HDc-SD9 was only capable of producing 50 IRE at 24 lux. This was the same as the JVC GZ-HD3, but the Sony HDR-CX7 did it at 17 lux, the Sony HDR-HC9, and the Canon HG10 at 8 lux (the Canon HF10 has yet to be tested).

In summary, the Panasonic HDC-SD9 is not a low light performer.

Stabilization* (8.9)*

The HDC-SD9 is equipped with Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). From what we’ve seen from Panasonic in the past, their OIS is among the best of the best. The HDC-SD9 is no exception. In 2007, Panasonic debuted a new and improved system that promised an 8x faster response than previous models (up to 4000 corrections per second)

We tested the HDC-SD9’s shake resistance at two speeds: Speed One and Speed Two. Speed One is a simulation of typical stationary handheld shake, while Speed Two is more along the lines of a bumpy car ride or light jog down the street, camcorder in hand. At Speed One, the HDC-SD9 exhibited an 87.5% shake reduction and a 93.3% shake reduction at Speed Two. This is one of the best performances we’ve seen yet, and certainly goes a long way in giving credence to Panasonic’s claims of an improved OIS.

Wide Angle* (9.6)*

We tested the HDC-SD9’s maximum wide angle measurement using a vertical laser. The camcorder was tested with OIS off and the zoom pulled back fully. Footage was then interpreted on an external monitor to account for the LCD cropping. The HDC-SD9 displayed a maximum wide angle measurement of 48 degrees, which is about average.

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (7.0)*

The Panasonic HDC-SD5 is Panasonic’s third generation camcorder to use AVCHD compression, and many improvements have been made since its inception in 2006. The first generation was limited to 13Mbps 1440 x 1080 video that was anamorphically stretched for playback. The second generation increased the resolution to 1920 x 1080 in its highest quality, but kept the bitrate at 13Mbps. This latest model increases the max bitrate to 17Mbps.

Manufacturers are already pushing the idea that AVCHD camcorders offer comparable quality to tape-based HDV camcorders. That may be true in a lab where a camera system is connected directly to a computer that performs side-by-side compression algorithms. Out here in the real world where people work with a completely sealed, out-of-the-box camcorders, our side-by-side testing has shown that AVCHD is better than it’s ever been, but still not superior to HDV.

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 offers the best motion rendering we’ve seen to date from an AVCHD camcorder. The compression artifacting seemed to be lower, as well, though the net effect was lessened due to the lower resolution of the SD9’s CCDs. To date, AVCHD camcorders using a single, large imaging chip have always produced sharper looking images. Much interest is centered on our next camcorder for review, the Canon HF10, which offers both the single, larger chip and a 17Mbps bit rate.

There are four quality options for the Panasonic HDC-SD9’s video: HA (17Mbps), HG (13Mbps), HX (9Mbps), and HE (6Mbps). The first two settings record in 1920 x 1080 and can capture in either 1080/60i or 1080/24P. The third setting, HX, records in 1920 x 1080, but cannot capture 24P. The lowest setting, HE, records in 1440 x 1080, and only in 60i.

Media* (6.0)*

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 records exclusively to SD and SDHC memory cards. SDHC cards as large as 32GB have recently been announced, but the specs indicate that the SD9 may only be compatible with cards up to 16GB. No card ships with the camcorder.

Card media has the advantages of size, shock and weather resistance, and easy replacement. Disadvantages are cost per unit (compared to tapes and DVDs) and limited capacity. If you want a really small camcorder, you’re going to want a card-based medium. Anything else requires a larger body.

*The SDHC card slot is located under

the battery slot. *

Editing* (4.0)*

Editing AVCHD footage has gotten much easier since its inception, as more manufacturers have signed on to support the format. The most popular consumer applications include Ulead VideoStudio, Pinnacle Studio, and Apple iMovie ’08. There has been some loose chatter on message boards that the HDC-SD9’s 24P video may be difficult to work with, particularly on iMovie ’08, but we have not verified that ourselves. Any comments from readers would be helpful in this area.

The camcorder ships with two discs. The first is HD Writer 2.5E for HDC, which provides basic abilities to import, edit, and export movies. Also included is a trial version of Pinnacle Studio Plus HD Edition. If you like it, you have 15 days of free editing, so stock up and save.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 has an easy to find full auto mode feature. Simply flip the switch in the LCD cavity from Manual to Auto. The automatic responses to changes in light and focus are good. The auto exposure adjustments take up to two seconds at their fastest. The gradual transitions do not move as gradually as Sony, which may disappoint some professional-types, but they’re not bad. The auto focus is good as long as the lighting is strong. In low light, the camcorder doesn’t struggle, it just gives up and finds something close to correct.

There are several one-touch features for correcting your image. The Intelligent Contrast feature was added in the second-generation HDC-SD5. This produced some small improvement in preventing blown-out areas, but not much. Also included on the camcorder are a Soft Skin feature for improving skin tones and Backlight Compensation, which boosts the overall exposure to draw out details in shadows. MagicPix, is one of Panasonic’s low light modes. It allows the shutter to dip down to incredibly slow levels to retain color. More useful is the Low Light mode, which allows the shutter to drop about as low as 1/30th.

Finally, the camcorder has a series of Scene modes (also known as Program AE modes by other manufacturers). The list is short, including only Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, and Surf & Snow.

Overall Manual Control (6.75)

The HDC-SD9, like all Panasonics, offers a solid manual control package, though this latest generation is diminished greatly by the company’s decision to move the joystick from the rear to the LCD cavity. We’ve also seen a trend since last year of competitors like Canon and Sony packing a lot more manual controls into their camcorders, giving Panasonic a run for their money. The Canon HV30 and Sony HDR-HC9, in particular, far surpass the HDC-SD9. In all fairness, both of these are tape-based HDV models, where a higher degree of control is the norm. Sadly, the industry standard dictates that owners of AVCHD camcorders care less about manual control and more about convenience. We say, why not have both?

The HDC-SD9 offers control over aperture (independent of shutter speed), shutter speed (independent of aperture), white balance, focus, gain, and the handful of one-touch controls described in the previous section. The camcorder also provides zebra patterns, color bars, and some assistance with manual focus.

What the camcorder lacks, compared to the competition, is noteworthy. Panasonic never includes a simple exposure control, a unified "make it brighter/make it darker" feature that beginners can understand. Every other manufacturer offers something like this. Instead, Panasonic offers the more powerful but more complicated set of independent aperture and shutter. We would love it if every camcorder owner knew how various f-stops affect depth of field, but that’s just not the case, and Panasonic is remiss not to concede to the novice.

The HDC-SD9 is clearly geared towards the point-and-shooter who favors size over control. In that regard the camcorder is a success. For those who need manual controls only occasionally, the SD9 should be fine. Power users will be sorely disappointed with the poor handling, but reasonably satisfied with the level of control.

*

Zoom (6.5)*

The zoom toggle on the Panasonic HDC-SD9 is fantastic, a big, fat, wide slider with an easily grippable surface. It’s perfectly positioned for the index finger and provides a smooth movement. When zooming, a progress bar appears in the upper right hand corner, along with a numerical indicator to tell you the exact zoom value. This is great if you want to set up a shot and repeat it later.

Unfortunately, the camcorder is not able to achieve a great crawl. At its slowest, you can get a reasonable crawl between 1x and 3x, but after that the zoom speed starts creeping up.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)

The optical zoom on the Panasonic HDC-SD9 extends to 10x, which is the standard for most consumer HD camcorders. The digital zoom can be extended to a conservative 25x or a ridiculous 700x.

Focus (5.0)

The manual focus on the 2008 HD Panasonics is among the weakest in the market, because even on their highest-end model – arguably the SD9 – you’re forced to rely on the joystick. To make matters worse, the joystick was moved from the rear, where it was easily accessible, to the LCD cavity. In short, you’ve been actively discouraged from manually focusing.

To activate the manual focus, push down on the Auto/Manual/Focus switch located in the LCD cavity. An icon will appear in the lower right corner of the screen, with directions to push the joystick left and right to shift focus. Panasonic did grace the camcorder with at least one blessing – their MF Assist feature. As soon as you hit the joystick to shift focus, a window appears in the center of the screen with an instant 2x digital zoom. This helps you get a closer look at your subject, and the assist function is not recorded to your final footage. It only appears on the screen. If you don’t like the MF Assist, if can be disabled in the menu.

Exposure & Aperture (5.64)

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 offers an aperture control that is completely independent of the shutter speed. Panasonic is the only manufacturer to offer this freedom in the consumer class. As mentioned earlier, however, the SD9 lacks a simple exposure control that beginners would find easier to operate. Every other manufacturer has something that allows you to bump the picture brightness up or down without requiring knowledge of specialized camera terminology. If the SD9’s design is any indication, the company is clearly moving away from the enthusiast market to the wider group of "lifestyle" videographers. They better get the tools to match.

To activate the aperture controlled (referred to as "Iris"), make sure the camcorder is in Manual mode rather than Automatic, and push in on the joystick. The small manual control menu will appear in the lower right corner on page 4/4. Settings include: f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, and f/16. Between each of these settings is a mystery increment that the camcorder does not acknowledge in the onscreen data. It does, however, clearly impact the exposure.

The aperture control

Shutter Speed (8.1)

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 offers shutter speed control independent from aperture control. To activate, make sure the camcorder is in Manual mode, then push in on the joystick. Like aperture control, scroll through to page 4/4, then select "SHTR." Shutter speed options include: 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000. This is a healthy range of options, but not the most extensive you can find. In a strange turn of events, Sony actually offers a better range on the HDR-HC9.

When the camcorder is in 24P Digital Cinema mode, the shutter speed options very little. The lowest speed is 1/48, then 1/100, then follows the order listed above.

If the Auto Slow Shutter option is activated in the menu, it has a two-fold effect. First, it allows the camcorder to automatically drop the slowest shutter speed in automatic from 1/60 to 1/30 (in 60i mode), or 1/48 to 1/24 (in 24P mode). Secondly, it adds those new low shutter speeds to the list when you’re setting a speed manually.

White Balance (5.5)

The white balance options are located along side the aperture and shutter speed. To activate, make sure the HDC-SD9 is in Manual mode, then push in on the joystick and scroll to page 4/4. The list of options here is short: Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, and Manual.

To make a manual adjustment, select the manual option (the icon is a rectangle over two triangles), then push up on the joystick. The screen will go black for a moment, and when it comes back, your image should be adjusted. This "blackout" period is reassuring, because you know you’ve actually done it correctly. Several camcorders we tested last year offer no such assurances. The SD9 performed manual adjustments well in bright to moderate light, but had a harder time in low light. Our low light tests showed that in environments as low as 60 lux, the camcorder could not perfectly balance the whites.

White balance controls

Gain (6.0)

Panasonic is the only consumer camcorder to offer manual gain. To access it, the aperture options must first be exhausted, meaning it must be open all the way to f/1.8 – indicated as "OPEN" by the onscreen icon. Continue to push the aperture to the right and the gain will start to kick in. Options include: 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB, and 18dB. Between each setting is a secret half-step increment that the camcorder refuses to acknowledge with onscreen data, even under severe torture. Beware that gain is a digital boost to the signal, so that as the signal is amplified, so does the noise within that signal.

Other Manual Controls (6.0)

24P Digital Cinema - These are actually two separate features. You can shoot in this combined mode, or you can shoot in Digital Cinema mode alone, but you can’t shoot in 24P mode alone. Digital Cinema mode is Panasonic’s term for xvYCC, which is an improved color standard for HD recording and playback. However, your HDTV needs to be xvYCC compliant, and you need an HDMI 1.3 connection. Also, by Panasonic’s admission, you will not see all the benefits of Digital Cinema color unless you own a Panasonic brand xvYCC TV (we’re still working out how and why this is the case).

We’ve gone into detail in the Video Performance section as to the quality of these settings. In summary, the Digital Cinema color will appear completely and outrageously oversaturated unless you have an xvYCC HDTV. The 24P motion looks terrible in low and moderate light, but decent in bright light.

Tele macro - The Tele macro setting automatically extends the zoom to its full 10x. If you really want to macro shoot, you’ll be better off using the zoom, focus, and exposure controls on your own.

Guide Lines - The Guide Lines tool has three settings. Horizontal creates three lines across the screen. Grid 1 creates two vertical and two horizontal lines to split the screen into nine sectors. Grid 2 creates a whole bunch of lines that splits your screen into too many sectors.

Zebra - The Zebra control creates black and white "zebra" patterns across overexposed areas of the screen. However, the camcorder does not indicate the threshold of exposure. Comparable Sony models give you the choice of 70 or 100 IRE. We’re guessing this is somewhere around 95-100 IRE.

Color Bar - The camcorder can create color bars (seven full field color bars) to help you adjust your monitor.

Shooting Guide - The Shooting Guide is a new feature on some of this year’s Panasonics. In essence, it’s like having a more experienced shooter telling you when you’re making mistakes and offering tips to improve the shot. Strangely, it doesn’t automatically correct, but it does help you find the tool you need to correct it with. Teach a man to fish, et cetera, et cetera…. It’s also a great way to indoctrinate shooters into "the Panasonic way to shoot" because many of the instructions are geared towards using the Panasonic-branded tools: use the Low Light mode, use the Intelligent Contrast tool, use the OIS. The other warning, merely common sense but nonetheless useful, is "camera is panning too fast."

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (7.5)*

There is no designated Photo mode on the HDC-SD9. This camcorder can only capture still images in one size—1920 x 1080 in Fine and Normal quality. If you plan on using the HDC-SD9 as an alternate digital still camera, you should probably just go out and buy a cheap one instead. Sony and Canon offer a lot more still features, including larger image resolutions and histograms. The best use of the photo feature on the SD9 is to create reference photos if you want to duplicate a shot later.

The HDC-SD9 has a Hi-Speed Burst mode in which images can be captured rapidly while the Photo Capture button is held down. A Red Eye Reduction feature is available and the HDC-SD9’s Photo Capture button is accompanied by a Shutter Sound that can be turned on or off. All Manual Controls are available, including Focus, Exposure, Shutter Speed, White Balance, and Gain.

A flash is located to the left of the lens, but you might experience off-center lighting because of its placement. Previous Sony AVCHD camcorders, such as the HDR-SR1, featured flashes mounted directly above the lens, which offered more even lighting. The HDC-SD9’s Flash can be set to Auto or On and the Flash level can be set to -, +/- 0, or + brightness levels.

The HDC-SD9 has a Self-Timer that can be set to 2 or 10 seconds, located in the third page of the Joystick menu.

The Picture menu can be accessed from within the Administrative Menu. Here, you’ll find the following options: Picture Quality, Hi-Speed Burst, Flash, Flash Level, Red Eye, and Shutter Sound.

Still Performance* (7.29)*

The still performance of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 was tested by shooting an X-Rite Color Checker chart at an even, bright light, then running the stills through Imatest imaging test for analysis on color accuracy, noise, and saturation. At best, the camcorder was able to produce a color error of 8.23, slightly worse than most of the Panasonics we tested last year. Noise remained low at 0.8725%, and the saturation measured 110.2%.

In order to get this best score, the camcorder was taken out of auto mode and the aperture was adjusted to f/3.4 and the shutter automatically adjusted to 1/50th.

In real world shooting, the HDC-SD9 held up decently against low-end point and shoot cameras. We did some casual side-by-side with the Panasonic DMC-LZ8 (both in full auto mode). While the low light abilities and dynamic range of the LZ8 were clearly better, the camcorder showed a better ability to fend off ghosting. The resolution was obviously better on the 8.1-megapixel still camera, but for stills destined for the web won’t see much difference.

Still Resolution* (5.45)*

The still resolution of the Panasonic HDC-SD9 was tested by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart at an even, bright light, then run through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder was able to produce a horizontal resolution of 553.8 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) – with a 14.2% oversharpening – and a vertical resolution of 493.7 lw/ph – with an 18.6% undersharpening. These scores were average for a camcorder with three small chips.

In order to get this best score, the camcorder was taken out of auto mode. The aperture was manually adjusted to f/3.4 and the shutter then automatically adjusted to 1/50th.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (6.75)*

Panasonics highly advanced camcorders in terms of Manual controls, so don’t expect the HDC-SD9 to be a cakewalk. You can set the camcorder to Auto mode, which disables the use of all Manual controls, but many menu options are still available—either way you’ll have to grow accustomed to piloting this camcorder. This is a good thing though—the HDC-SD9 will help you grow as a videographer. Focus, Aperture, Shutter Speed, White Balance, and Gain are all at the disposal of your thumb in the quick Joystick menu. With a little practice, you’ll be able to get the hang of manual image adjustment in no time. Although Panasonic made a very poor choice by stuffing the Joystick in the LCD cavity.

The HDC-SD9 utilizes one of the friendliest forms of media out there—flash memory. Just throw in a card, record, pop it out, and toss it in a reader and you’re ready to roll. Of course, if you want to edit videos, you’ll have to use a super power computer with an AVCHD-compatible editing program such as Ulead Studio 11 or Sony Vegas. Life is not so plush for this new codec yet, but by the end of the year we can expect to see more support for AVCHD. SDHC cards are damage resistant, extremely compact, and have a long shelf life. You won’t have to worry about finalizing a DVD or capturing footage in real time in a NLE with the HDC-SD9.

Handling* (4.75)*

Remember the ongoing "Quest for Smallness" instigated with the release of Panasonic’s first generation AVCHD flash camcorder, the HDC-SD1? Well, for a full year we’ve sat back and watched Sony and Panasonic battle it out like rabid, hell-bent lions in an electric cage. Sony’s answer to the HDC-SD1 was the HDR-CX7, which claimed to be the smallest AVCHD camcorder. Then, Panasonic bared its fangs and retaliated with the HDC-SD5, undercutting the HDR-CX7’s dimensions and weight significantly. At some point, Sony threw in the towel—there has been no update to the HDR-CX7 (though it’s expected some time in mid-2008). Just to be safe, Panasonic sliced about a centimeter off the length of the HDC-SD5 and shaved off about five grams to solidify its place in the world as the revamped HDC-SD9, the latest "World’s Smallest Full HD Camcorder." 

After that history lesson, you’re probably wondering how this little piston feels in the hand. First off, don’t be intimidated by its size. The HDC-SD9 may seem like a stabilization and handling nightmare, but once you slide your hand into the ergonomic landscape that is the right side, you’ll soon abandon your initial reaction. This camcorder stays glued to your hand. It doesn’t flop to the side like some Canons and it conforms to the natural curvature of the hand. The hand strap is on the cheap side and lacks sufficient padding, but you won’t notice it as much since the HDC-SD9 is so darn comfortable. The one problem you’ll run into is overshooting the top with your fingers. The onboard microphone will fall victim to a muffling pinky finger, and you’ll have to shift your entire hand down just to align your thumb with the Record Start/Stop button. All in all, for a camcorder this small, it feels great in the hand.

One particular revision is not so welcoming. We’re talking about the relocation of the beloved rear-mounted Joystick from the back to the LCD cavity on the left side. The new Joystick is smaller, more stunted, and more stubborn than Panasonic’s rear-mounted joysticks of the past. The Joystick itself is sharp – it actually hurts! It will leave an actual imprint on your finger, which is not a plus in the Handling world. In addition, you have to reach your finger in front the LCD screen to use the Joystick, which can block the screen. Once you get the hang of the new Joystick and its location, it won’t seem as bad, but shooters who have used Panasonics in the past will lament the loss.

 

Panasonic has carried over their preposterous port placement in the battery cavity, as well. This design leaves us baffled every time we get in their latest camcorder. What is the point of stuffing the DC and HDMI jacks behind the battery? You have to disrupt your shot to connect the power and you can’t review your footage on an HDMI-compatible monitor unless you have the power supply. On the bright side, Panasonic’s Zoom toggle is chunky and smooth compared to most miniscule rocking levers characterized by Sony, Canon, and JVC camcorders. The HDC-SD9 also includes a designated OIS button, which saves you the time it takes to forage through the menu.

Overall, this trend towards constantly shrinking the size is starting to hurt the usability. Soon the shooter will be expected to host some of the ports on their own hands just to save a few measly millimeters.

Menu* (6.5)*

Panasonic’s menu system is a force to be reckoned with, and the HDC-SD9 is a proud heir of those clean, concise menu interfaces we’ve seen throughout the years. Options are logically placed within their categories and Joystick navigation is rapid. Unfortunately, the HDC-SD9’s Joystick is located in the LCD cavity instead of the back, like almost every Panasonic within previous years. This stunts the ability to shift quickly and blocks the LCD screen. Nevertheless, the menu system will get the job done more painlessly than a touch screen.

The Joystick menu is highly useful for quick image adjustments. To access the Joystick Menu, press the center of the Joystick. When in Manual/Manual Focus mode, the Joystick Menu will offer the following options:

 

 

In order to access the Administrative Menu, press the Menu button located below the Joystick. The Administrative Menu contains the following options:

 

Portability* (8.25)*

As outlined in the handling section, the HDC-SD9 is the smallest "Full HD" camcorder on the market. This little bugger will fit in a large pocket or purse, but there will be a minor bulge factor to account for. The HDC-SD9 measures a petit 65mm x 67mm x 126mm (2.56 in. x 2.638 in. x 4.96 in.) and tips the scale at 337g (.743 lbs.). A small camcorder bag will suffice.

The other benefit is the HDC-SD9’s media. SDHC cards are among the smallest removable storage solutions out there. While tapes and DVDs have a tendency to bulk up the bag, you can fit an SDHC card in your wallet. Extra batteries are always a good idea, so be sure to stock up.

**

LCD and Viewfinder*** (5.0)*

The HDC-SD9 is equipped with a 2.7-inch wide LCD screen that extends 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. The LCD screen has a 300,000 pixel count which attributes to a crisp, vibrant display. You can adjust the brightness and color of the LCD screen using LCD Set, found in the Setup Menu, but why would you want to fool yourself? That’s what Exposure and White Balance are for. What’s the point of dialing a beautiful image on the LCD and then playing it back later only to find that it is the more underexposed, dark piece of cinematic garbage you have ever shot? There is also a Power LCD Extra which brightens the screen +1 and +2 brightness levels. Yet another pointless feature. The Power LCD Extra feature automatically engages when the camcorder is connected to the external power supply, so be sure to turn it off immediately when you plug in.

Due to the very small nature of this camcorder, there is no viewfinder on the HDC-SD9.

**

Battery Life*** (11.9)
*We tested the life of the HDC-SD9's VW-VBG130 rechargeable Battery Pack by recording continuously in manual mode with the LCD flipped open and OIS disabled. Record quality was set to HA1920 (highest). The HDC-SD9's battery lasted 119 minutes and 8 seconds (1 hour, 59 minutes, and 8 seconds), which is a strong performance. The HDC-SD1's battery lasted 97 minutes and 2 seconds (1 hour, 27 minutes, and 2 seconds) while the Sony HDR-CX7's battery lasted 101 minutes and 14 seconds (1 hour, 41 minutes, and 14 seconds).

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (5.5)*

For a camcorder that does not offer any external sound options, including a Mic jack or a hot shoe, the onboard Audio options are quite good. But before we dive in, let’s talk about the placement of the onboard microphone, which is located on the top of the camcorder. The HDC-SD9 is the smallest "Full HD" camcorder, which allows for the possibility of the shooting hand scraping the microphone. An abundance of onboard audio options is great, but it’s all completely worthless if you’ve laid a menacing pinky over the microphone during the entire duration of your recording. Be wary of your grip on the HDC-SD9.

The HDC-SD9 has a 5.1 channel surround sound microphone that allows you to record in three different settings: Surround, Zoom, and Focus. Surround recording uses four discreet microphones, two front-facing and two rear-facing, then digitally creates a composite fifth channel. The Zoom setting allows focuses on sound near the front of the camcorder when zoomed in and sound farther away from the camcorder when zoomed out. This is useful for capturing action that covers most of the recorded frame. The Focus setting concentrates on the front of the camcorder and is ideal for interviews.

You can also set audio Levels on the HDC-SD9—Auto Gain Control (AGC), Set+AGC, and Set modes. AGC is simply the camcorder’s auto mode, meaning the camcorder automatically adjusts the sound levels, which is useful for most situations where sound levels are unpredictable. Set+AGC is used to set the recording dB level for sounds that are a bit harsher, yet AGC is still present to reduce the amount of sound distortion. The Set mode is used when you want to record sound in its most natural form—AGC is entirely off and you will have to rely on the HDC-SD9’s level meter. The level meter essentially emulates a dual-channel meter found on prosumer and pro camcorders. The downside is that it’s really hard to monitor because there are not enough segments in the meter to allow for a fluid motion. Readings will be jumpy, so if you haven’t gotten used to the HDC-SD9’s levels meter, keep it in Auto (AGC) for now.

When you select Set+AGC or Set, a screen appears containing individual level meters for each of the five surround sound microphone segments—Center, Front Left, Back Left, Front Right, and Back Right. A horizontal slider bar allows you to shift the dB input level up or down from -30 to +6 using the Joystick.

Lastly, the HDC-SD9 is equipped with a Wind Cut function, but after all of this onboard Audio control, a Wind Cut function is about as useful as wearing a helmet in a tornado.

Playback* (4.25)*

Playback on the HDC-SD9 is simple. Just shift the Mode Switch to the far left and a screen containing up to 8 icons at a time will appear. You can scroll through the icons using the Joystick and arrange them by Date. You can also select the Intelligent Scene function, which displays only scenes with proper exposure, focus, etc. In order to select a scene or image, press the center of the Joystick and the video clip or still will fill the entirety of the LCD screen. Video Playback controls are governed by the Joystick and clip volume is adjusted using the Zoom toggle. For images, the Joystick controls Slideshow and selects previous and next pictures.

Playback mode in action

The Video Playback menu is accessed by pressing the Menu button and contains the following options:

 

In Photo Playback, the Administrative menu contains the following options: 

 

 

Connectivity* (4.0)*

Panasonic fails to excel in the port placement department. We’ll start off by addressing the two terminals hidden behind the battery. The DC and HDMI jacks are only available when the battery is absent from the battery chamber. This means that you have to disrupt a shot to connect the external power supply. If you want to review footage on an HD monitor using an HDMI cable, the power must also be plugged in. Furthermore, Panasonic needs to update its AC adapters—it is composed of too many parts and you cannot charge the battery while the camcorder is connected. What is the busy shooter supposed to do if they need to review footage and charge the battery at the same time? JVC, Canon, and Sony are miles ahead in this regard.

The only other ports found on the HDC-SD9 are located within the LCD cavity behind a rectangular plastic door. Here you’ll find the A/V out, Component, and USB jacks. The HDC-SD9 is devoid of a Mic or headphone jack and an accessory shoe. The HF10 proudly sports all three, which goes to show that Panasonic is more concerned with size than features. The right side of the HDC-SD9 is just begging for more connectivity, but Panasonic drops the ball here.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 ships with the following items:

-VW-VBG130 Battery Pack

• AC Adapter

• AC Cable

• DC Cable

• Remote Control

• Button-type battery

• AV Cable

• Component Cable

• USB Cable

• CD-ROM: Pinnacle Studio 11 Trial and HD Writer

You’ll need a couple SDHC cards and since the HDC-SD9 is capable of recording two hours of video in the highest quality on a 16GB SDHC card, that would be a wise investment. A 16GB SDHC card runs anywhere from $100-200, depending on where you get it—online is the best bet.

Other Features* (5.0)*

*Fades - *To spice up that honeymoon footage, why not throw a romantic fade or tow in the mix. Located in the Video Menu, you can choose between Black and White.

*Auto Ground Directional Standby (AGS)- *To prevent 45 minutes of shaky, gravel and ant documentation, turn on Auto Ground Directional Standby. When the HDC-SD9 is left recording and the camcorder senses that it has dropped below its normal horizontal recording level, it will automatically shut off, saving you the battery life and gigabytes you need for those endangered species on the rest of the trail.

Pre-Record - The golden shot of that monster truck crash will not go unrecorded if you select and implement the Pre-Record function correctly. When activated, Pre-Record constantly records three seconds of footage that is stored to an internal cache. The moment you hit the record button, those three seconds are added to the clip. As long as the camcoder is pointed towards the action, your slow reaction time in hitting the record button is corrected for.

Intelligent Scene Detection - It's inevitable--you're going to amass a mountain of scenes, some good, some bad, and some completely worthless. When you select Intelligent Scene Detection in Playback, the camcorder displays only scenes it deems with proper exposure, focus, and composition. This is a handy weeding tool, unless your bag is bad cinematography.

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Panasonic HDC-SD5
The fleeting lifespan of the Panasonic HDC-SD5 ($999 MSRP) – announced in July 2007 and the replacement announced in January 2008 –led us to believe that this second generation AVCHD flash camcorder was simply not what Panasonic wanted A lot if interesting developments were present for the first time: 1920 x 1080 "Full HD" recording, an improved OIS, and a smaller size than the first generation

The HDC-SD9 picked up on these trends, improving some and impoverishing others. Panasonic did some size and weight reduction, which required some ill-advised feng shui with the external controls. The HDC-SD9’s Joystick is located in the LCD cavity, killing the handling. The HDC-SD5’s Joystick resided in back, like the rest of the heroes we’ve seen from Panasonic. However, the HDC-SD9 flaunts an open battery design, while the HDC-SD5 featured a limiting enclosed design. The SD9 retains full 1920 x 1080 recording, but boosts the maximum bit rate from 13Mbps to 17Mbps.

The HDC-SD9 has 24P Digital Cinema Color mode, but its value is suspect. The color enhancement is only compatible with the latest HDTVs that support the xvYCC color standard. In addition, the 24P only looks decent in optimal lighting conditions, and there’s no way to shoot 24P without the Digital Cinema color engaged. Despite this, we still recommend sticking with the HDC-SD9 and salvaging 200 bucks.

Sony HDR-CX7
While Panasonic released a string of AVCHD flash camcorders, Sony produced only one model, released last summer. The Memory Stick PRO Duo recording HDR-CX7 ($1119.99 MSRP) looks like a stealth bomber, adorned in a glossy coat of black paint and sporting futuristic architecture. The HDR-CX7 is equipped with a single 3,200,000 pixel, 1/2.9-inch CMOS chip that performed like a star in bright light, but trailed off in low light. The HDR-CX7 feels great in hand, but lacks the breadth of manual controls found on the HDC-SD9. You’ll also have to deal with Sony’s touch screen interface, but the HDR-CX7 has a hot shoe and docking station. This is another close one, and it will probably come down to brand loyalty in the end. That or the fact that the HDC-SD9 is $400 cheaper than the HDR-CX7.

Canon HF10
The Canon HF10 ($1099 MSRP) is in the house and currently being tested. We know you’ve been waiting since its CES announcement to see what it can do, but until then, our judgments are based solely off of anecdotal results. The Canon HF10 is the HDC-SD9’s direct rival, but already it seems the HF10 has the lead out of the starting gate. The HF10 is equipped with a 1/3.2-inch CMOS chip with a 3,300,000 gross pixel count. It includes a Mic jack, Headphone jack, and hot accessory shoe and shoots in 1080/60i, 1080/30P, and 1080/24P. Right off the bat, the HDC-SD9 should be shaking in its boots, but we’ll give you the official word within the next week.

Panasonic HDC-HS9
The HDC-HS9 ($1099 MSRP) is what would happen if you slapped a 60GB HDD on the HDC-SD9. That’s the only difference in this cousin to the SD9, which was announced at the same time. You can expect the same performance, manual controls, and Joystick design from both camcorders. Although, handling the HDC-HS9 is easier because of its bulkier size. If you want more than just SDHC capacity but like everything else about the SD9, the HDC-HS9 is the way to go.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

Between the profoundly elaborate audio control, manual controls, and advanced options, the HDC-SD9 is not on the top of the "Friendliest Camcorders" list. The menu is straightforward, but the joystick used to navigate it is terrible. This is a camcorder to grow with.

Budget Consumers

The HDC-SD9 is the cheapest "Full HD" camcorder on the market. $800 is a steal compared to the first generation HDC-SD1, which retailed for $1400.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

The still features are limited here—1920 x 1080 is all you get. Sony and Canon will wet your still image whistle with larger picture resolutions and more advanced options.

Gadget Freaks

Gadget Freaks will swoon over the HDC-SD9’s tiny size, touting the "World’s Smallest Full HD Camcorder" wrestling belt all throughout Circuit City.

Manual Control Freaks

Panasonic never fails to deliver that standard bill of goods here—Focus, Exposure, White Balance, Shutter Speed, and Gain. However, the HDV camcorders of this year, including the Canon HV30 and Sony HDR-HC9, both offer more comprehensive packages.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

Based on the HDC-SD9’s video quality and AVCHD compression and compatibility, Pros will have to look elsewhere.

Conclusion

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 could have been the near perfect AVCHD camcorder, were Panasonic not so intent on following two noble yet discordant paths. On the one hand, they are determined to retain the "world’s smallest" title. On the other, they're trying to cater to the demand for higher bit rates and better AVCHD compression. They’ve achieved both, but it’s somewhat a pyrrhic victory, only meeting the needs of half the intended market.

The point and shooters who need portability are fine. They’ll love the SD9. However, the crowd that demands so loudly for improved quality is the same crowd that demands a fully-featured camcorder with expert handling. The outcome was foregone. You can only make a camcorder so small before all the buttons have to be moved around to inconvenient places, which is exactly what happened with the HDC-SD9. The once unbeatable handling from Panasonic has gone to the dogs with the stubby, physically painful (yes, actually painful) joystick in the LCD cavity.

We’d also hoped that the third generation AVCHD camcorders would be the ones to finally match HDV quality. Sadly, that is not the case, though the HDC-SD9 has the best AVCHD compression to date. The camcorder still produces slight 'ghost images' when subjects move across the screen, though not nearly as much as in previous generations. Blocky bits of compression artifacts are still apparent, to a greater degree than the best HDV camcorders this year. The Canon HF10, an AVCHD camcorder primed to be the SD9’s main competitor, is up next for review, and early signs indicate that Canon is once again producing the best looking video. Don’t forget Sony, either, which is likely to replace the aging HDR-CX7 sometime soon. While Panasonic will probably remain the world’s smallest AVCHD for a while, size is its leading quality, which may not be enough to suit the needs of all shooters.

 

 

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