Panasonic HDC-SD5 Camcorder w

Up until this camcorder I was recording off of the HDV format. With the emergence of Blue-Ray as the winner of the HD war, I decided to switch. After much research, I bought this model refurbished from Amazon Warehouse Deals. The first one arrived without a battery, so I returned it. The second one arrived in great condition (except for a tattered box) with all parts accounted for. This is my second transaction with Amazon Warehouse Deals for a refurbished product, and I think they offer great value if you can live with the fact that the box has been opened and may not be in the best of shape. I only shoot family events (vacations, birthdays, etc.) but I wanted to make sure that all of our personal, memorable moments could be viewed for years to come in as best quality as affordably possible. So, along with this camcorder I also bought a Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blue-Ray DVD player, plus the Panasonic VW-BN1 DVD burner. I couldn't be happier with my choice for all three. Now I hav... Read more

I bought this camera after much research. My previous camera was a Sony. I needed a camera that was compatible with Apple. It has mostly worked well. However, some video has not and I've had to rely on PC in order to download my video. I find Panasonic's customer support to be a bit lacking. I also had a hard time finding another battery to purchase. Every site that carried them was out of stock. Thankfully one was sufficient. I love the fact that I can leave the camera on and as long as the LCD screen is closed the camera is off. When I open the screen it turns on. Great feature. I was disappointed not to have a neck strap. I love the DVD burner. That was one of the main selling points for me. Travels well. The video quality is great but I haven't had much time to play with video I have taken. Video is definitely a memory hog. Be prepared to have room.

THIS VIDEO CAMERA IS THE BEST IVE EVER USED,TRUE BLU RAY HIGH DEF,BRIGHT COLOR AND CRISP PICTURE.I USE A 16GB SDHC CARD,YOU DO NEED A BLU RAY PLAYER FOR HD,BUT YOU CAN ALSO RECORD IN STANDARD 640X480 WHICH CAN BE WATCHED 0N ANY DVD PLAYER!GREAT VALUE UNDER $800.

The last camera I had has been collecting dust for years. Too boring to use on a regular basis. The Sony is officially retired. The colors, the definition, the ease of SD capture made it so easy. I have a new puppy and all of this recording in such great clarity has turned me back into a creative artist. And it's so easy to pop out the card and plug it into a reader, into my Mac and into iMovie or Final Cut. I got a 16GB SDHC card on Amazon, so the prices are good on those as well. And I've shot over an hour at a time with still plenty of room. Great! Nice thing is that every start stop is it's own scene. Sure DV cameras did this before, but with this, I can just selecdt and delete a scene just like a picture on a digital still. Just be sure your computer has the power to process video in ADCHD. For a Mac you need an Intel based machine and iMovie '08 or later or Any HD final cut. I don't know about a PC but check your specs. Overall, it's great and I waited since february, ... Read more

this is my first HD camcorder , at first i was confused between the canon HF10 and the panasonic HDC-SD5, to be honest am not photo expert, i want something light, small, comfortable and reliable for my travel in august to Munich and Paris. after i tested the camcorder , its very easy to use , almost no weight, after all am very pleased with the results , for both the pictures and the motion videos . add to that u will get every single wire or cable u need with this camcorder which u dont get with most of other camcorders. all u need is HDSC flash card and u are ready to get wonderful life memory videos .