Panasonic SD60 or (new) SDX1

[Eddict]

i was about to buy the SD60, an entry level camera for simple family footage, but i just noticed there is also the new SDX1.
it's sort-of-equal, except for the less zoom, but the extra 720p mp4.


can you give me some extra advice which one i should go for and why?
i'm quite new when it comes to camcorders...


the camera will probably be a PAL model, if i buy it in europe, but i also like to show my videos to family in NTSC country and they also have old SD tv, so no fancy 1080i for them.. so converting to DVD format will be not so great i assume.
what's the advice? leave in any standard video format (eg mp4) and let them watch it via laptop instead of dvd player?


regards and thanks!

[Guy Bruner]

HI Eddict and Welcome to CCUN!

I'm going to horrify some of the aficionados here and suggest you take a look at the Sony Bloggie Touch to shoot your family video.  It's a pocket camcorder that is getting some good press.  It shoots at 1080p30, 720p60, 720p30 and stills at 12, 8 or 2 MPXL.  Those are the US specs, but I suppose the frame rates will be different in Europe.  It sells for $200 in the US.

However, if you are planning to shoot sports events or other events that require zoom, or you want to use a mono or tripod, you won't like the Sony.  It only has 4x digital zoom and the picture degrades quickly.  In that case, I'd pick the SDX1.  It shoots formats mostly for playback on a computer or the Internet.

Keep in mind that video formats are different between the US and Europe.  Video you shoot with European format must be converted to the US format if you want your family to be able to view them on DVD.  That will require you to purchase a non-linear editor software and do some lengthy (timewise) recoding to burn it to DVD.  With sites like YouTube and Vimeo, it would be simpler to upload your videos there and let them watch them via computer.  That way you won't have to use DVDs or Flash cards at all.  If that is not an option, then just save the files to the DVD as an MP4 and let them watch on computer.

[Eddict]

hi Guy,
 
thanks for the suggestion, but i will stick to a Panasonic. 
 
so your preference for the SDX1 is purely based on the extra 720p/MP4 shooting mode?
do you know if they are technical identical, besides this recording format and the lesser zoom?
 
so if i do NOT convert it to DVD format (so no PAL/NTSC problems), do i still have a 'problem' with the SD60, which only shoots AVCHD format? or is the conversion from AVCHD to eg. MP4 quite easy?

[Guy Bruner]

Well, you can't go wrong with a Panasonic  .

so your preference for the SDX1 is purely based on the extra 720p/MP4 shooting mode?

Well, it makes it easier to upload the footage to a hosting site.  AVCHD is a form of MP4 which the hosting site transcodes to their version of MP4 for playback.  It might be that if the footage is in MP4 to begin with, less transcoding will be required so your original quality won't be affected.  But, that is just speculation on my part.  I don't upload too much so I can't speak from experience.  AVCHD requires a pretty powerful computer to play or edit.  MP4 is less burdensome.

do you know if they are technical identical, besides this recording format and the lesser zoom?

I don't know for sure.  But, you can likely compare their features on the Panasonic Global site.

so   if i do NOT convert it to DVD format (so no PAL/NTSC problems), do i   still have a 'problem' with the SD60, which only shoots AVCHD format? or   is the conversion from AVCHD to eg. MP4 quite easy?                            

As I said above, AVCHD requires a powerful computer to play or edit.  I recommend that you not send AVCHD to your family unless you are certain they have a newer computer with at least dual cores.  Conversion to MP4 is fairly straightforward if you don't mind doing the conversion over several hours.  There are free utilities out that do conversion to a variety of different formats.  SUPER is one that is pretty flexible.  But, having MP4 mode on the SDX1 saves you from the hassle.

[Eddict]

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Well, it makes it easier to upload the footage to a hosting site.

will do the hosting myself, so should be fine.

But, you can likely compare their features on the Panasonic Global site.

i can and i did ofcourse. most specifications are similar, but i also read somewhere that the SDX1 felt quite 'plastic' and that's something the specs won't tell you.
and i have no clue how the lenses compare, cause they are probably not the same..

I recommend that you not send AVCHD to your family

won't do for sure, will do MP4 (and very very maybe DVD format)

[gt1209]

Hi,


    I saw your post by accident when I was googling for a comprehensive sdx1 review. I decided to register and post my thoughts after I read your post.  Keep in mind that I'm a HW/SW engineer but I do not have any expertise on camcorders.


    I've been comparing Panasonic TM-55 (similar to SD60) and SDX1 for a week, and after looking through both spec sheets, I concluded that TM-55 is a better choice because both optical zoom and still pic specs are better, even though it doesn't support MP4.  I then gave Panasonic department a call on Sunday afternoon, and asked for their thoughts on this comparison. Their representative told me that their new and better hybrid O.I.S on SDX1 is the main feature (besides MP4) that sets it apart from the TM-55. He also mentioned that white/black was better on the SDX1 but I wasn't able to verify that from the spec sheet.


Anway, Costco is going to sell the SDX1 for $300 so I'm probably going to pick it up there, instead of from Panasonic's website.

[Guy Bruner]

Hi gt1209 and welcome to CamcorderUser.Net!  That's great info!  Thanks for sharing.

[Eddict]

I then gave Panasonic department a call on Sunday afternoon, and asked for their thoughts on this comparison.

very clever, just call them!    (simple and strait-fwd)
thanks for the extra information, i consider it as quite useful. will probably order the SDX1 asap...

[Eddict]

fyi; ordered the SDX1 yesterday. €349 (=$455 )
added the Sandisk SD Video HD Extreme 16GB and will probably order an extra battery (VBK360) later

[gt1209]

I just checked with the Panasonic website and it seems like the SDX1 price has increased from around $320 (when I checked on Sunday) to $450, which is right in line of what you've paid for.


I'll probably have to get an extra SD disk + battery as well. VBK360 isn't cheap, then again... nothing is.