Panasonic HDC-SDC750 Cam (My Review)

[glenpinn]

hi everyone, i would just like to offer up a Review about my new Panasonic HDC-SDC750 Cam that i recently purchased at one of our big retailers for $849au (in australia)

these were selling for $1499 but because most consumers are now buying the cheaper $400 HD cams, this store decided to clear our their stocks of higher end cams and wont be stocking them any more.

http://www.panasonic.com.au/Products+Archive/Camcorders/3MOS+Full+High+Definition+Camc...DT750/Overview
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Panasonic-HDC-SDT750-Camcorder-Review.htm

basically using the camcorder for family stuff, and have used it recently to film some kids parties, a couple of social events at my daughters college, and i filmed a garden wedding for some friends who couldnt afford to have it done professionally, and for what it is, this cam did a pretty good job in its stock format, outside wedding footage was very good, and under the flood light at night during the very informal garden reception (inside a marquee) it performed quite adequately without an onboard light.

the camcorder shoots in various formats, however i only use the 1080/50p mode which shoots in AVCHD (m2ts) format @ approx 26000br.

the cam only uses 1x 64gb external storage card (no onboard storage) so i also bought 2x Sandisk Extreme SDXC 64GB 45mbs Class 10 memory card, and also 3x panasonic VBG260 2800mAh 3 hour batteries for shooting while away from mains power.

i do not intend using the 3D lens on this cam, i didnt buy this cam for its 3D ability, and its just pointless even bothering about it as we do not intend buying a 3D TV and glasses just to watch it on, and apparently the 3D footage is pretty crappy according to everyone who has tried it.

3 of my pet gripes about this cam

1. it only has a single card slot that takes up to a 64gb memory card, which on its own can shoot 5.5 hours of continuous 1080/50p footage, however a cam of this quality and price range should have 2x 64gb card slots so while filming on the primary storage card you can have another card in the other slot that would automatically take over if the first card was filled up while shooting a scene, so you need to be careful because you need to turn the cam off to put another card into the slot.

2. the microphone is horrible, sounds very tinny, and its mounted on top of the camera and not on the front which is where i thought an onboard mic should go, plus it is 6.1ch and i prefer stereo audio, so i will be buying an external mic to clip onto the mounting bracket, which will then drop the recorded audio to stereo.

3. the top mounted "Zoom" button once again panasonic still doesnt seem to think needs improving on, and on this cam, the zoom button protrudes completely and is very easy to bump, and i would prefer if they recessed the button half way into the top body so it doesnt protrude like it does right now, or at least make it a bit more similar to my old NV-GS70.

things i like

1. i love the feel and weight of the camera.
2. the auto focus seems reasonable, im pretty happy with it if not panning very fast.
3. picture quality and color i am very happy with.
4. image stabilization (especially in zoom mode) seems pretty decent compared to other HD cams i have used
5. no real gripes with the location of any of the other buttons and dials.

list of accessories i want and will need advice on what particular brand and/or model to buy for this camcorder.

1. video light of some sort (any recommendations appreciated)
2. external microphone (any recommendations appreciated)
3. some additional lenses if there are any available (any recommendations appreciated)

4 sample clips taken outside my home just walking around and panning/zooming.

1. http://www.mediafire.com/?3m9e5srjdnq89gd
2. http://www.mediafire.com/?0bsbpgan14vhlma
3. http://www.mediafire.com/?5wo0c328be2mdy6
4. http://www.mediafire.com/?8ud6z5oamggz4sy

4 sample clips filmed inside my home during the daytime.

1. http://www.mediafire.com/?o6ldhiw40919uz4
2. http://www.mediafire.com/?9bme6lg4n9gy400
3. http://www.mediafire.com/?6x3hiy1y2gtpcgm
4. http://www.mediafire.com/?wz9hi2ucw5r3949

apologies for the file sizes, they are not that bad given they are actual clips shot from the cam.

[glenpinn]

Hmmmm ok no replies, ok well if anyone reads this, can they please help me find an External Mic for this cam

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/350025-External-Mic-for-Panasonic-HDC-SDC750-Camcor...26#post2193026

[julitomg]

Hi

Thanks for your review. I think it´d be nice if more members could post here at VH their own camera reviews, their experiences with them in their particular uses, what accesories are buying (or wish to buy), etc...
And for your microphone needs, here´s a quick list of camera mounted microphones just to give a general idea. Í´m also looking for a mic to mount on my camcorder (also a Panny) and haven´t used any of the mics in the list, also it´s from an american store (B&H) but they have full specs and lots of actual consumer reviews. I´m listing from lower to higher prices:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/400052-REG/Sima_MZM1_MZM_1_Mniature_Zoom_Microphone.html
This Sima mic is very cheap, its performance/quality is very likely to be also very cheap, probably only good for a very casual user who wants to pay the bare minimum.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/664439-REG/Audio_Technica_ATR6250_ATR6250_Stereo...Recording.html
This Audio-Technica should be superior in almost every aspect to the Sima, probably not a bad choice for amateur/home use.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/518701-REG/Audio_Technica_PRO_24_CM_Pro_24CM_Stereo.html
This is a more compact unit and perhaps better suited for a small camcorder.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/444022-REG/Azden_SMX_10_SMX_10_Stereo_Microphone.html
This Azden mic uses a AAA size battery (while the Audio-Technica PRO 24 uses a watch or button cell battery with a probably shorter working time)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/363083-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_VideoMic_Camera_Mounted.html
This is a very good mic (highly recomended around here), better specs and of course a higher price. Also, it´s a true shotgun (super-directional or super-cardioid) mic while the others in this list are just cardioid (uni-directional)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/534023-REG/Sennheiser_MKE_400_MKE_400_Compact_Video.html
Another super-cardioid from one of the best profesional micorphone companies. You can´t go wrong with either the Rode or the Sennheiser but price could be a consideration.
Good luck

[glenpinn]

Hi Thanks for your review. I think it´d be nice if more members could post here at VH their own camera reviews, their experiences with them in their particular uses, what accesories are buying (or wish to buy), etc...
And for your microphone needs, here´s a quick list of camera mounted microphones just to give a general idea. Í´m also looking for a mic to mount on my camcorder (also a Panny) and haven´t used any of the mics in the list, also it´s from an american store (B&H) but they have full specs and lots of actual consumer reviews. I´m listing from lower to higher prices:

Good luck

thx for the great reply, and could i ask if you could also add your post to my Mic thread (link is in my 2nd post) given that thread is dedicated to finding a mic for this cam, but leave your post in here as it might be helpful to others.

the unfortunate thing with camcorder accessories is that they are horribly expensive to buy here in australia, even cameras are way more expensive here in australia.

i want to get a video light, light bracket, wide angle lens, lens filters, and probably a shogun mic all at the same time from the same store (most likely from usa because its much cheaper)

i already have 3 long life batteries and 2x 64gb SDXC cards for the cam.