We tend to spray the word “sexy” around like so much bodily fluid, but it is, we swear 100 percent true about the SD5. One of the smallest and lightest HD camcorders around, it still boasts a spec list that’ll make chunkier rivals wince, including 1920x1080 HD recording, three CCDs and a 10x zoom lens from Leica.
With a smart black body that’ll fit comfortably in the palm of any hand, it looks way tasty, while simple menus make for marvelously hassle-free shooting. The 2.7-inch LCD is also terrific, rotating through 270 degrees, and with a ‘Power LCD’ setting so it can be seen easily even on those insufferably bright days.
Hi-Def delight
You can fit a not-huge 40 minutes of 1080i HD footage on a 4GB SDHC card, rising to 90 minutes for standard-def footage. Hi-Def material, viewed through the miracle of HDMI – no cable included – is superb, so our only real complaint here is that you can only view it on a PC via the supplied HD Writer software.
If you’re looking for something that’s both tiny and Hi-Def, the only thing smaller – just – and of comparable quality is Sony’s HDR-CX6EK.
Panasonic HDC-SD5
Love Compact size. Great HD footage.
Hate Limited capacity. Only shoots in AVCHD.
WE saY A capable, consumer-friendly camcorder in a lip-smacking body.
4 stars
SCREEN 2.7 inches
LENS 10x zoom Leica
SENSOR Triple-CCD, 560 pixels
FORMATS AVCHD, recorded to SDHC card
BATTERy 90 minutes recording
SIZE/WEIGHT 74x67x137mm/400g
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