Panasonic HDC-SD9

I choose the camera for it's size, brand and lens quality. I did not intend it for serious video recording, but rather for incidental personal/sightseeing type shots. Due to it's small size, I've found so far that it's extremely easy to pan too fast and be shaky. It's takes some effort to hold the camera steady, flat and not pan too fast. But, it has some very good qualities, it's very light, with lots of options, and again, you can't beat the size. I carry the camera in a fanny-pack type camera bag that has two pockets for extra lenses. As the Nikon D60 I have has two lenses and one is always on the camera, the Panasonic HDC-SD9 fits perfectly into the other lens pocket. Now, I'm ready to shoot either still shots or video. Of course, the HDC-SD9 can also take tons of still shots, but not to the quality of the Nikon D-SLR. I guess the only negative things I can say about the Panasonic unit is that it is almost too small for my big hands and I find holding it and accessing the contol buttons just a wee bit awkward.

This hand held and powerful video camera is perfect for getting good internet quality recordng while eing non-intrusive.

Cámara de altas prestaciones.Muy ligera.Fácil uso.Es de lo mejor que hay en este momento en cámaras de alta definición.

Panasonic has taken a very good product then spoiled the customer relationship by forcing you to buy Panasonic batteries. If you are like me (and you probably are if you are reading this on Ebay) then you probably pick up a couple of extra batteries here for very low prices, e.g. $10 to $15 each. No can do with the Panasonic SD9. Panasonic uses a proprietary "smart chip" in their batteries and the camcorder will not accept anything without it. The clone makers don't have this chip so instead of picking up a cheap clone, Panasonic extorts you for $100 per battery. Because the SD9 uses SDHC cards, you have to spend quite a bit of cash on media and don't (as least I don't) have $200 extra bucks to pick up a couple of battery spares.

I've looked up batteries for the similar Canons and Sonys (SDHC cards/AVCHD)here on Ebay and found that cheap clones are available for them. Purchasers should factor that into the buying equation when considering the Panasonic SD9 versus other camcorders.

It's a shame because otherwise the Panasonic SD9 is a very nice camcorder.

Tiny, can't get any smaller..Quick and sharp focus...Great Colours..I love the ad-hoc help function and suggestions (it reminds you that you need to turn off special modes and suggest others). Very quick start up, and shuts off automatically when you close the LCD monitor or put your hand down (handy features !). Good sound quality... Good battery performance, more than 100 minutes !

The still photo's are not bad at all, but you may need to reduce the flash power a bit..it is adjustable. If you are playing these pictures on your TV or laptop, these could be better than a good still camera, but it is a different story if you plan to print them.

Great Price also, but you need to buy 8 or 16 GB SDRAM, HDMI cable and may be a second battery

I read many comments of the ergonomics and ease of use: It may not be the best but did not really bother me at all. Also, there were comments of the absence of external mic jack and mini accessory shoe. I never used these on my older Sony anyway. I'd rather reduce the size and weight than having these. If you really need a video flash you can get a very low cost self-powered LED flash attaches to the tripod mount, you may use this once every year in the birthday party, so don't invest much

I'm happy that I got everything that I wanted: The size, the full HD, the 3CCD colours, the quick focus, the manual mode and standard HD video formats. The only compromise, is the low light performance vs size. Colours and focus is not that good in low light but you may be able to get around that with manual focus and larger Iris (I'm yet to try that)

There were not many choices if you want all of these. Sony is using non-standard video format and no 3CCD. Canon did not have a 3CCD model either, although it has everything else and low light performance seems to be better, but the price and size were larger. JVC had a 3CCD full HD model, but hard disk based not SDRAM, also it was again much larger and expensive. Second best choice would have been the Canon. By the way, Canon and Sony have 3CCD models on their professional range only

Remember, the hard disk makes the camera much larger and heavier as you need larger battery, it is far much less reliable than SDRAM. It has the capacity, but It is a good discipline to unload your files to a larger disk or DVD every now and then rather than keeping all your memories in the Camera. It would be a great loss if the hard disk fails or the camera gets stolen. Also, the mechanical movement of the hard disk (or tape) is a source of trouble and noise that gets pick up by the integrated microphone. I think most camera's will be memory based in a year or so (as the price of RAM drops every day). You need a high end PC with lots of RAM if you plan to do some serious video editing and change video formats

Overall, I give this camera 9 out 10

It's my first camcorder since 1995, and without a doubt the picture is far superior to the old analog 8mm. I wanted to be able to document any special or unusual events and sights, and I figured I'd skip the whole mini-DV thing and go for a not-too-expensive 1080 HD model.

What I like about the Panasonic HDC-SD9:
The SD9 may not rate as highly as some Canon models, for example, but I saved some bucks and am pleased with the image quality. The range of features is adequate, and functions such as quick start and Pre-record, which can help you catch sudden happenings, can really come in handy. I often take the camera out on my bike rides, and if I'm in a hurry, I can stuff the petite Panny in my pocket and pedal to a nearby location for a better angle.

Complaints:
Mainly, the camera's small size and light weight are conducive to shaky images at higher zoom, even though the optical stabilization is very good. I'm experimenting with ways to steady my movies. And the controls can be awkwardly small. Also, to enter 24p mode, you must turn off digital zoom, but to do so, you have to exit the menu and go into another menu. A simple thing is made needlessly complicated. The camera should simply ask whether or not to turn off the d. zoom and thusly save you time.

Overall, I think the SD9 is a good way to get into hi-def videography. Some TV programs labeled "HD" don't look as good as what this tiny cam can deliver.