Posted on Friday, 15th August 2008 by Sam
Do you still remember when camcorders required a VHS tape and a nickel-cadmium battery that’s about a size of a remote and twice as thick? I sure do. They were big, bulky and half-way through the tape you had to change batteries.
Video camcorders have evolved from that to miniature versions that took minitapes, then to cameras that are about the size of your hand and need MiniDV tapes. Now, there are no more motor’s in the camera and all videos are now stored 
onto digital memory, and are about the size of your palm.
Panasonic took this one step further and produced and SD9 and the SW20. Both cameras takes SD cards, have no moving internal parts, and has more battery life then our VHS ancestors.
Panasonic decided to grace us with two of their new camera out on the market now: The HDC-SD9 and the SDR-SW20. They say SD9 can shoot full HD video and the SW20 can be used anywhere.
Let’s put them to the test.
Quick Specs:
SD9
- Takes SD/SDHC cards
- Records in Full HD 1920X1080p @ 24fps
- Advanced O.I.S (image stabilization)
- Face Detection
- Pre-Record Function
- MSRP: $899.99
SW20
- Takes SD/SDHC cards
- Waterproof up to 1.5m
- Shockproof up to 1.2m
- Dustproof
- 0.6s startup time
- MSRP: $449.99
Aesthetics
Both cameras are very clean looking and easy to hold in your hand. The SD9 had more buttons then the SW20, but that’s to be expected of a HD camera versus an underwater camera.
The SD9 was shaped like a regular camcorder, so there’s no variation in stability and holding it a certain way. Buttons are a tad bit small, but all are labeled clearly and are easy to understand.
On the flipside, the SW20 had the strap on the bottom, so it was a little awkward to hold if the strap is tightened. I found that it’s optimized for the palm to be on top of the camera, and the fingers to grip the bottom. The strap can also be configured to be locked around the arm, and the the camera held like a flashlight. Since the camcorder also has a rubberized finish, there were times when it slipped out of my hand (on dry land).
Overall, the SD9 takes the lead in the handling factor. It was easier to hold and you got more control.
The camera’s don’t have viewfinders, as with most consumer/prosumer don’t use them, they stick with live viewing on the LCD screen.
Usability
Overview / General Usage
The SD9 and the SW20 were very simple to use out-of-the-box. All that was needed to be done was to charge the battery, and away you go.
The SD9 had more submenus and features compared to the SW20. This is acceptable since this camcorder took full HD videos. Menu navigation wasn’t hard, but the navigation joystick was hard to work at times.
Meanwhile, the SW20 had a very clean style with the buttons that are flush. The directional pad was much larger and much easier to press then the SD9. Menu navigation was pretty much on par with the SD9.
The two cameras were pretty simple to operate, and one can operate it with little to no instructions. I’ve actually never personally owned a camcorder, and I found both were very easy to pick up and go.
Battery
The two cameras took two different batteries. The SD9 used a square 7.2V 1320mAh pack and the SW20 had a rectangular 3.6V 1000mAh rocking. The SD9’s power pack is charged in a separate charging cradle while another cable powered the camera. Conversely, the SW20’s battery was charged in the camera and the extra power cable power the camera while charging the battery. Full charge on both cameras took about 3 hours to charge.
Flash
For dark conditions, the SD9 had a very, very, VERY bright flash built into the front of the camera that could light a pitch black room. Unfortunately the flash is just a flash, so in video mode, the camera could not use it as a light. The SW20 does not have a flash nor light.
Software / Picture Files
The SD9 records in Sony’s M2TS format. The camera does support mass storage mode, but one cannot easily view it immediately on their computer. The camera comes with HDWriter software which helps you transfer it to your PC and other storage mediums (directory structure is a little cryptic) or directly burn to DVD. A 15 trial version of Pinnacle Studio 11HD is included with the camera, but you have to pay to unlock the version.
The SW20, on the other hand, records directly to MOD files which can be easily played on Windows Media Player, and doesn’t need any special software. A small video editing software called MotionSD STUDIO is included with this cam.
After spending $900 on a camera, I personally would have like to get some software that’s bundled with it.
Video Quality
The SD9 recorded in Full HD quality, and the videos were crystal clear. There were four modes of quality, from extended recording time, to low, medium and high quality.
The SW20 had three record modes of High (XP), Medium (SP) and Low (LP). There is slightly more grain as you go down in quality, but there isn’t a noticeable loss in sound.
Record times were unfortunately very low. I had a 4GB SDHC in both cameras, but I could only get 30 minutes of record time out of the SD9, and about 50 minutes out of the SW20. In order for higher video recording, you would need to spend a lot of money for the addition SDHC card. I would recommend either a 12GB or 16GB for both.
Stress Test / Sample Video
Instead of the traditional way of recording sample video, I decided to use the SD9 to record the SW20 while it was getting beat up.
Since the SW20 claimed it can withstand dust, drops and water, I decided to put their money were their mouths were. Without further ado:
Test #1 - Sand
SW20’s Point of View:
Test #2 - Shock
Test #3 - Water
SW20’s Point of View:
QED.
Conclusion
The Panasonic SD9 and the SW20 both had very bold claims, and I’m happy to say that they lived up to them.
The SD9 recorded images and sounds that were crystal clear, the camera was easy to operate and fun to use. Although the high pricetag might detract some consumers away from it, it’s definitely a very good choice and worth considering when in the market for a handheld. HD is new era, and when more and more TVs and computers that can accept HD input directly, this area of media will take of like a rocket.
The SW20 is spectacular. Picture quality is great, the camera is rugged and it can even survive a washing machine. I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone that’s looking for a good quality camera for a fair price - a family of 4 kids, to vacationers in the Caribbean, and even field surveyors.
Pros
HDC-SD9
+ Amazing picture quality
+ Light, easy to handle
+ Supports HD compliant hardware immediately
SDR-SW20
+ Durable
+ Great price
+ It went through a washing machine!!
Cons
HDC-SD9
- High price
- Cryptic file system
- Requires large SDHC cards for decent amount of video
SDR-SW20
- Unconventional handling method
- Camera can slip out of hand
- Dual recording buttons can hinder performance
Tags: Panasonic, SD9, SW-20, SW20, Washing Machine
Posted in Digital Imaging Reviews, Digital Memory, Reviews | Comments (1)
One Response to “Panasonic HDC-SD9 and SDR-SW20: Awesome Picture Quality and Sheer Ruggedness”
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August 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Dude a washing machine!?!?!?! That camera is Bad Ass! You definitely put it through its paces and it came out on top!
This definitely gives me faith in the promises Panasonic makes about their products. I love it!