Panasonic HDC-SD80

Panasonic HDC-SD80

There's a lot to like about this little series of camcorders. But while the 16GB Panasonic HDC-TM80 and its similar kin, the no-internal-memory SD80 and 120GB hard-disked HS80 do provide a surprisingly full set of manual controls for the money, like every HD model we've seen with a sub-HD resolution sensor, the video quality just disappoints. This review is based on an evaluation of the TM80. It's fine in bright sunlight, when you're zoomed in to the subject. The video looks clean, though softer than I'd like, with edge artifacts. When you zoom out to a wider angle, though, you can tell that the low-resolution sensor simply can't resolve enough detail. And it's even noticeable played back on a big screen (such as the 47-inch Panasonic I used), which frequently obscures many of the artifacts. There's also quite a bit of aliasing (jaggies) on edges. Exposures are very good; though like all inexpensive models it blows out highlights, but without excessive fringing, and it handles backlit and other difficult scenes better than most. And while the colors aren't that accurate, they're certainly pleasing and saturated under bright conditions. Unlike its low-cost competitors, the TM80 and company have an onboard LED video light.