Camcorders and Lumix

I won’t cover the camcorder session in too much depth as Riyad already has in this preview. To recap briefly, the HDC-SD1 is the star of the show using 3CCDs, and recording to SD cards using the AVCHD H.264 jointly developed between Sony and Panasonic.

While AVC-HD is efficient, it’s currently not editable by the major video editing suites, which is a bit of a problem. However, it was announced that Adobe and Pinnacle has announced plug-ins for its major applications this summer, which is great news.

The SD1 can also record 5.1 surround sound. The camcorder features five microphones rather than the four that Sony’s competing model uses, which Panasonic claims makes a big difference. We were shown a demo with a camcorder hooked up to a TV and a surround sound system. The scene was of a waterfall and in normal mode the recording had a pleasing ambience coming from the rears. However, when zoomed in, the sound zoomed in too, with the waterfall being picked out much more clearly, while the other sounds faded away. It’s very effective and really helps draw you in. It works as each microphone records everything and the sound is essentially mixed on the fly in combination with the zoom function. It’s clever stuff.



As you can see from the picture, Panasonic was also very proud of the portability of its new SDR-S10 camcorder. This is only a stand definition device but is very small and has a 10x optical zoom. Recording to SD card, it’s both impact and water resistant so you can take it to the beach with some confidence. Being barely visible in the hand and a 10x optical zoom should make it a favourite of voyeurs everywhere. Girls beware.

Lumix

Finally to Lumix, Panasonic’s range of cameras. Lumix has been achieving some impressive market share thanks to its good range of feature and price, though it has to be said that many of its efforts haven’t overly impressed our expert reviewer Cliff. Let’s hope its 2007 range does better. Esther Smirnovs, Panasonic Lumix Marketing Manager for Europe, made much of the fact that Panasonic’s Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) technology is available across it’s entire range and of Intelligent ISO Control, which automatically ups the ISO settings if it detects movement. Meanwhile the new Venus III image processor also promises improved pictures with reduced noise at higher ISO settings.

We were given an impressive demo of OIS at work, with two cameras mounted on small shaking platforms while we monitored the output on LCD screen. The OIS virtually eliminated the shaking effects.



Standout models include the TZ3 – with a 7.2 Megapixel sensor and a Leica DC lens that offers a focal range equivalent to a 28-280mm on the 35mm film camera. It also has an extra large 3in LCD, though that will shave off around 30 shots from the battery compared to the six megapixel TZ2 with its 2.5in screen.

The image below is of an exploded TZ3 in a cabinet. I have a feeling, this isn’t covered by the warranty.




Overall its was a very impressive showing from Panasonic, with the forthcoming 42in 1080p plasma, the HDC-SD1 camcorder, the DMP-BD10A Blu-ray player and the PT-AE1000E 1080p projector all being real highlights.