I bought this Panasonic 3-D camcorder based on the fabulous features it shows in the description.Zoom 12X with 18X capability and High Definition full 1080P.
It has many features usually found on Professional models but when you connect the supplied 3-D attachment the buck stops here, or should I say the value.
When shooting 3-D you do not have HD-1080P. In fact, your shooting in 3:2 instead of 16:9 which means the High Definition quality is gone and you have a black border surrounding the screen.
There's no Zoom.
The Fuji W3 may only be 720P but at least if has a 5X optical zoom and plays in 16:9 format.
The Fuji W1 and W3 both shoot 16:9 3-D still photos.
Even the cheaply made Aiptek 3-D camera takes photos and Video in 16:9 format and it's only $200.00 but the quality is really bad.
As for the Panasonic. it does not shoot still photos at all in any format with the 3-D attachment.
I am lost for words on how Amazon and especially PANASONIC avoids any mention of these facts.
They certainly lead the consumer to believe the fabulous features of the camcorder are available while shooting both 2-D and 3-D.
There should be a big warning: THE FEATURES OF THE HDC-SDT750K CAMCORDER SHOWN IN THIS DESCRIPTION DO NOT FUNCTION WHEN SHOOTING 3-D.
Also, Panasonic should not claim that the consumer will be able to shoot 3-D video just like Hollywood with this statement:
POWERFUL TRUE TO LIFE 3-D VIDEO JUST LIKE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES.
This is false because the depth of the 3-D does not come even close to reality of a really devoted 3-D camera such as their professional model or the old Toshiba.
Panasonic makes a great professional 3-D camcorder priced at $21,000.00 and they could make a consumer model for much less by merely making a 3-D camcorder specifically designed for 3-D only.
My old Toshiba 3-D camcorder works great because it's devoted to shooting only 3-D and the lenses are farther apart so it has the proper depth of field.
It's too bad Toshiba was ahead of it's time with limited resolution of standard VHS tape.
I will say when shooting close ups the Panasonic does a great job with 3-D but beyond 20 to 30 feet the 3-D is more like 2-D.
One other positive feature is that after you put your 3-D video on a disc it will play directly on your 3-D TV just like a Bluray 3-D movie, but only in 1080i 3:2.
When will Sony come out with a real consumer 3-D camcorder like Toshiba did 20 years ago?
What are you waiting for SONY.
UPDATE 11/25/10
If you own any laptop or computer with NVIDIA 3-D you will not want this Panasonic 3-D camcorder because it is not compatible with NVIDIA 3-D.
The best 3-D camera you want is the AIPTEK 3-D camera priced on Amazon at only $189.00.
It's a cheaply made camera and the quality is not as good as Panasonic but Aiptek includes NVIDIA 3-D in their softwear. (PLease read my review on the Aiptek 3-D camera)
It's really an insult for Panasonic to allow this cheaply made Aiptek from China to be ahead of one of the biggest consumer electronic company in Japan and the world.
Please read my important update below dated 9/4/11
IMPORTANT UPDATE 5/15/11
I finally got the new Sony HDR-TD10 3-D camcorder I've been waiting for so long (Priced at $1,498.00) and what a disapointment.
It will not allow 3-D copying to disc like this Panasonic.
The Sony direct DVD copier does not recognize the SD memory card from Sony's new 3-D camcorder but the Sony direct DVD copier does recognize and copy the SD card from this Panasonic camcorder and makes an instant 3-D AVCHD copy ready for immediate viewing on any 3-D TV with a Bluray 3-D player, just like a Bluray 3-D movie. Sony does not allow any copying in 3-D, you cannot view 3-D in a computer designed for 3-D viewing such as the Toshiba laptop with Nvidia 3-D or any of the Acer 3-D laptops.
In fact, the only way you can watch 3-D with the new Sony is to watch your 3-D video directly from the camcorder with the HDMI connection.
You can transfer your 3-D video to an external hard drive but then must return the 3-D video to the camcorder in order to watch it in 3-D.
Sony praises the fact that when you shoot 3-D video you're able to watch what you shoot later in HD 2-D and so when you do transfer your 3-D videos to a computer you can watch it in 2-D. BIG Deal!
If I want a High difinition 2-D camcorder I can get one for a lot less then $1,498.00, even a model made by Sony.
Sony does have nice 3-D quality with a little more depth but I'm sending mine back for a refund because of the lack of other features.
I hate to say it 3-D enthusisits but I now appreciate this Panasonic more then ever because it is the only 3-D camcorder which allows your 3-D videos to be copied and viewed on a Bluray 3-D player.
Perhaps Panasonic's claim that it's just like Hollywood 3-D movies isn't completely false after all as I previously stated in this review.
By the way, the new JVC 3-D camcorder is the same as the Sony. It will not allow any 3-D videos to be copies to a disc and the only way you can watch the 3-D video you shoot is with the camcorder connected to the TV with the HDMI connection.
I read this in a review posted at B & H. so I'll save my money for some one to do it right!
SPECIAL UPDATE JUNE 2011
I was curious about a cheap CODY 7 inch portable 2-D to 3-D DVD player actually manufactured by V-ZON model TF3DVD7019 so I decided to check it out for $118.00 here on Amazon.
I was expected to be disappointed and I was at first because it would not play any 3-D from the Fuji W1, Fuji W3 or of course any of the AVCHD DVD's from this Panasonic 3-D camcorder but was I surprised when I played a copy of a regular 3-D DVD made from this Panasonic 3-D camcorder that was not AVCHD.
It plays pretty good in 3-D.
There's a little ghosting now & then and there's no 3-D adjustments but it works!
I made the regular type of DVD without AVCHD by connecting the audio/video cable supplied with my Panasonic 3-D camcorder directly to the input of my DVD recorder.
If you attempt to make a copy with the Panasonic softwear you will only get 2-D if you choose to make a regular DVD copy. Only AVCHD copies are in 3-D.
I did notice slight pausing every few seconds when playing the DVD on the Cody player so more testing will have to be done but it's atill a way to view your 3-D videos when you're away from home.
Don't expect HD quality and keep in mind you must be directly in front of the Cody 7 inch screen in order to view 3-D properly.
I am not a big fan of CODY or V-ZON products as they usually bite the dust after the warranty is expired but I'll take a chance on this product because it's the only way to watch my Panasonic 3-D videos without a 3-D TV.
IMPORTANT UPDATE 9/4/11
You will be happy to know that the latest version of Stereoscopic player available from 3dtv.at features ways to view 3-D files from this camcorder and new Sony 3-D camcorders.
I have a Toshiba 3-D laptop and the Stereoscopic viewer has various options for viewing Side By Side 3-D including Nvidia 3-D which is installed in my Toshiba so for the first time I am now able to watch 3-D from this Panasonic camcorder on my computer.
Please see my other reviews.
It records to an SD card. It has HDMI output. It works. It takes nice stills. Not bad.
But the main reason to own this camera is that when you attach the front lens unit it engages the camera both structurally AND functionally. Functionally it shuts down EVERYTHING that isn't straight forward 3D. So don't worry about how to use facial recognition in 3D, you can't. But that's OK. Or is it?
I happen to know a whole bunch about 3D and especially 3D video as I have been doing it for over 20 years. That's right, and it matters. I'll explain as I go.
This camera is both a breath of fresh air and a cold shower.
To do real 3D you need two cameras each one assigned to one eye a right and a left properties of living human beings. The mechanism is thus subserviant to how human beings observe and react and perceive.
So to understand the problems imagine your subject a nice red car parked dead center on a very large lazy susan that extends many yards beyond the subject. On the far side of the lazy susan we have a microphone stand. near us on the near side of the lazy susan is a vertical coat rack. Both of these non car objects are there just to enhance the 3D experience.
What do we see? If we are looking at the car (the director's intention), then if we are really there where the camera would be, we see the car. Duh. But we don't really see the other two objects so well, they are blurry as they are out of OUR eyes focal lengths for looking at the car. Hollywood movie makers do this with normal movie making to bring the eye naturally to the point of the DIRECTOR'S interest.
Key concept : SHARED INTEREST You must share the interest of the director. Out of focus works well. That's how we see anyway. .. until we decide to check out the other stuff.
While looking at the car if we close one eye then swap to the other eye, the car does NOT move. Both images are nearly as one, just subtly altered by the angle, but not displacing as you blink R L R L...
The two objects jump right and left or left and right, what's far goes one way, what's near goes the other. THINGS NOT IN SHARED INTEREST JUMP SIDEWAYS, one way for far the other way for near. It is as if you turn that lazy susan a bit one way then back the other way. What is at center does not move much but the far & near objects go in opposite directions as you oscillate the platform.
Now, as seen in 3D video, if somebody does something really bizzarre with that far microphone and you want to check it out in life your eyes NOW converge on that far location and the car becomes a jumpy object. But if the director's interest remains on the car then your desire to check out that far thing has your eyeballs going nuts. YOUR point of interest won't stop jumping left and right as if you can't converge. You are relying on the convergence of the video system which is not attuned to your new curiosity.
Guess what? This camera does NOT converge. Cold shower time. But the breath of fresh air: to converge really I had to use two cameras that were mounted to control them to converge and which put out a dual video monitoring stream one each with a video marker at dead center and mixed with a video mixer to overlay the two views and keep the two cursors superimposed on the intended object of interest. Both f-stops had to adjust depth of field in unison. Do you know how much junk you need to do that? How heavy all that stuff is?
So they compromised they even tell you this as a big HINT as to how to get nice 3D (withn this unit). Have your subject at 4 to 5 feet away. PERIOD. The camera has an amazingly sharp super depth of field which can make you really sick if you are shooting one thing and somebody far away is doing something distracting. There is no getting near and far out of focus. Everything is in focus. That can make you sick as your eye will wander through all the tid bits but only that fixed spot 4 feet away does not jiggle. The facial recognition, which COULD HAVE been used to focus and converge is not used at all. The lenses are what they are. One fixed point of interest. If you want to be interesting then you have to be at that point of convergence.
So after the birthday party at the gymnasium with kids having a ball on parallel bars, jumping into the pit, skinning the cat, walking the bar .. all in 3D.. how did the begoggled grandparents react that night?
WHOA! THAT'S GREAT! It was a hit. No doubt about it.
Panasonic made compromises, but they enabled the process, with constraints, at a price real people can afford. I can't imagine what the pro 3D camera will cost (which handles all the stuff above). Just don't tell me.
Buy Panasonic HDC-SDT750, High Definition 3D Camcorder Now
After attaching the 3D lens you lose the function to zoom, take photos. The video quality is not good in 3D.I bought this Cam only for it's 3D capability, and i am very disappointed.
But I have to mention that as a 2D Cam you have every thing a super quality and features.
Read Best Reviews of Panasonic HDC-SDT750, High Definition 3D Camcorder Here
This is my fourth camcorder (2 Sony's and 2 Panasonics) and first HD. It is equal to or exceeds my expectations for the picture quality. The audio, from the embedded microphone, is pretty good too. I can't say I'm crazy about having to access so many settings via the touchscreen, but it works. Other reviews have covered the camera adequately, so let me talk a minute about the "deal".This is virtualy the same camera as the Panasonic TM700, except 1) it has no internal RAM (32GB, worth about $50); 2) it includes the 3D lens and firmware (the MSRP for just the lens is $500); and it supposedly has slightly better image stabilization. The TM700 lists for $1300 and is selling for around $900-1100. The SDT750 lists for $1400 and is selling for $700-800. It looks like the 3D version isn't selling too well (not too many folks have 3D TVs to display it on). So buy the SDT750 even if you don't need/want 3D and get the equivalent of the TM700 at a huge discount. The newer Panasonic camcorders that support 3D don't include the lens, so I'm going to try to sell mine for a couple of hundred dollars, further lessening the real cost.
Want Panasonic HDC-SDT750, High Definition 3D Camcorder Discount?
I'm a professional videographer and I was looking into buying the Panasonic TM900 or TM700 because of its great low light and 1080/60p abilities that are very uncommon at the moment in the camcorder world. Then after researching those cameras I came across a review of the SDT750 and it turns out its almost exactly the same camera as the TM700, the only difference is that it has a slightly better powered stabilization system and it it comes with the 3D adapter. However it also lacks the 16gb of internal memory so you have to buy that separate, but for the difference in price between the 700 and the 750, the 750 is way more value for your dollar. I'm 100% satisfied with this purchase. For those who are looking to do some extensive editing look into Adobe Premiere or Sony Vegas, because right now those are the only two editors that support the 1080/60p format from this camera.
No comments:
Post a Comment