Panasonic HDC-SD80

Review: Panasonic HDC-SD80 (AVCHD)

With the camcorder market changing quickly, it’s the middle ground which is being fought over so intensely. Panasonic’s latest range of palm-sized camcorders offer comprehensive features and high definition movie quality at a modest price.

Panasonic HDC-SD80 - Available in red, silver, tan, black

Introduction

Unlike the company’s high-end AVCHD models that come with a price tag to match, Panasonic’s HDC-SD80 high definition camcorder is aimed at users who want high quality, a decent set of features at a size that will fit into a bag or pocket. Naturally, price is an important consideration, too.

Offered in a range of four colours – Red, Silver, Tan and Black – it’s small enough to fit into the palm of your hand yet manages to provide good access to controls. Used in fully Auto mode, it’s a snip to power it up, point at the desired scene and shoot. Switch to Manual control and you’re not overwhelmed with complex menus or controls. It’s a manageable camcorder that appears to do what the promotional copy says it will do.

Features

The HDC-SD80 is one of a family of three AVCHD models – the others being the HDC-TM80, which offers not only SD card recording but also has 16GB built-in memory, and the HDC-HS80, which contains a 120GB (gigabytes) hard disc drive in addition to the SD card slot. With the exception of the differences in media storage, all the variants are pretty much the same in terms of their functions and their specifications.

The HDC-SD80 is provided with a 1/4.1″ CMOS imaging sensor (the bit that generates the pictures); that’s relatively small but common on camcorders at this price point. It offers a total of 3.32 Megapixels resolution, which works out at an effective 1920 x 1360 pixels in AVCHD 16:9 widescreen mode or 1440 x 1020 pixels in good old-fashioned 4:3 mode. Its high definition recording mode is 1080/50i (60i in NTSC lands outside Europe) and not 50p (progressive frames) that an increasing number of HDTV displays seem to prefer.

Zooming can be undertaken to a range of 42x magnification – although the maximum optical zoom is 34x – with the added facility of digital zoom up to a staggering (but highly pixelated) 2000x zoom. It’s best at its basic 16.8x setting, but the 33.7mm wide-angle is a definite plus for getting in close to subjects (eg: people or tight places) whilst maintaining focus and decent framing.

Steady shots can be maintained when hand-holding thanks to the new Hybrid O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilisation); Panasonic produces what is arguably the best OIS in the business and the SD80′s doesn’t disappoint. It also provides a powerful anti-shake protection with OIS Lock. By selecting this feature in the LCD screen, the OIS Lock manages to minimise unwanted camera movement and maintain a degree of stability. It’s a good excuse for users not to learn how to hold a camera steadily!

Take your pick - Panasonic HDC-SD80 Colour Options

Operating Intelligently

Intelligent Auto (iA) is now a standard feature on Panasonic’s AVCHD models – and a welcome one. This automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode depending on the situation. Options include Face Recognition, Hybrid OIS, AF/AE Tracking, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection and Intelligent Contrast Control. When shooting digital stills, Smile Shot is handy in that it selects the most suitable frame when taking portraits such that you’re guaranteed a smile every time.

With AF/AE tracking it’s possible to lock a setting in by touching the screen; exposure, focus and white balance can be selected by touching the screen at the appropriate spot to store a setting. You can also select a person’s face in the frame in order that the camera will then keep it in focus as the person moves around the scene. Intelligent Contrast Control helps to maintain an proper balance between dark areas of the image (shadows, blackness, etc) and lighter parts (direct sunlight, reflections, etc). Each of these functions is activated by pressing the iA button.

Audio features

Whilst neither the HDC-SD80 nor its siblings offer the facility to plug in an external microphone or monitor audio with headphones, it does allow a reasonable level of control over recording. The stereo microphone is mounted under the lens rather than on the top of the body facing upwards. This is preferable since it doesn’t seem to induce as much wind noise. The Zoom Mic function is designed to follow the function of the zoom lens – zoom in and the mic will zoom in as well. It seems a good idea but in practice we’re not entirely convinced that it makes any difference. The audio is nice and clear, however, with good definition (for the price) and reasonable stereo separation. The Wind Cancelling feature doesn’t work as well as it should; shoot outside in windy conditions and you’ll still have to put up with the wind battering the mic pickups.

Conclusion

The HDC-SD80 is a modestly-priced model which – despite its small size – allows for fabulous movies in full high definition. Shooting at its highest AVCHD “HQ” quality setting, we were very impressed with the overall resolution and clarity of the pictures when shooting in good light. The definition drops off quite quickly when shooting indoors in less than optimum lighting but – to be fair – that’s to be expected from a small image sensor. Sound is perfectly acceptable when conditions are favourable, and the high level of control over a list of features and functions that are too numerous to mention here is to be commended.

If you’re looking for a higher degree of control and you have a budget to match, look further up the Panasonic AVCHD range. For families looking for a compact full-HD camcorder that ticks all the boxes then the HDC-SD80 is ideal. At its price-point, we think it’s an excellent mid-range HD camcorder that’s highly suited to families and budget users.

Summary: Panasonic HDC-SD80

• AVCHD Full-HD 1920 x 1080 recording
• 1080/50i (60i) interlaced field HD recording
• SDHC/SDXC Card recording/playback
• 35mm Wide-angle lens and Hybrid OIS
• Zoom microphone with Wind Noise Cancellation
• iA (Intelligent Auto) with face recognition
• Intuitive operation with touch-screen interface

Panasonic HDC-SD80 Camcorder Review by Colin Barrett, SimplyDV. Text copyright SimplyDV Ltd 2011. Image courtesy Panasonic UK, used by permission

See larger image Panasonic SD80 Full HD Camcorder - Black (SD Card Recording, x42 Intelligent Zoom, x37 Optical Zoom, Wide Angle Lens & iA + Face Recognition & New Hybrid OIS) (Electronics) List Price: £433.42 GBP New From: £225.99 In Stock Used from: £215.36 In Stock Release date February 7, 2011.