Buying HD HDD camera.

I have two Panasonic HD cameras that use SD cards. I love them both. I would highly recomend them. I have also used the Canon and Sony HDD cameras which are good to but my suggestion is the SD card camera. The technology of SD cards is quickly increasing. The SD card version ones let you swipe out the SD card if you run out of space. Also their is only a small SD card reader and the SD cards currently come in up to 16GB. The hard disks take up more room and you will never be able to upgrade size or if your out on a trip you cannot just insert another card. I am very pleased with my. I would suggest the HDC-SD9 (which I have) or if you prefer the same camera comes with a 60GB hard drive as well as the SD card reader. Its called the HDC-HS9. It is slightly more bulky but if you want a hard disk and more space than you should consider it. I was sligtly confused with your question because yo said you wanted a HD HDD camera but you mentioned the SD-9 which is a SD card camera.

Anyway good luck!

I’m sorry. I meant the Panasonic HDC-HS9 against the HG10. I don’t mind the extra bulk, but I’d rather have one HDD, than 4 SD cards.

I got a deal on a Sony HDR-SR7 while in Japan last fall. Its got a 60gb hard drive so it can store about 500 minutes of its highest quality video. I would definitely choose HD storage over any flash card based storage for both size and performance. The only downside with this unit is that the HD itself is not removable. Not sure what platform you’re on (Windows/Mac/Linux) but for the Mac side Final Cut Express and Pro support AVCHD now so there’s good editing tools out there for the format. I’m jaded against Panasonic simply because my last camcorder died within two days of the warranty expiring.

Yes…removable media is the direction the industry’s headed. Hard-drives are best considered a temporary consumer alternative; solid-state combined with the convenience of being removable make for the most flexibility and longevity (HDDs only have a purported lifespan of 3–5 years). Also, HDDs have moving parts, another point of failure (also why we are seeing the death of tape drives).

Certainly in the professional arenas of video production, that’s where HD acquisition is going and Panny’s pro broadcast video products set the standard for sure (HVX-200 is the mainstay for entry-level P2 removable media and Pro HD). Panasonic has some great products that use the AVCHD codec, both as a consumer and entry-level prosumer model (see above). Also equally impressive and lower in price is Sanyo’s VPC-HD1000 (Xacti); it shoots 1080i and 720p, and is significantly less expensive (it uses its own ‘flavor’ of AVC codec, but still based on the industry standard-H.264).

Seems like none of you prefer the Canon. I’m asking cause there has been many great great reviews on the HG10. While the HDC-HS9 Panasonic just came out, so there are little to no reviews. And the sonys….there are just way too many models from me to choose from. I certainly will not be going with the flash. I don’t like the idea of being outdoors, and running out of SD cards.

@ipodrulz: I shoot with 8GB Class 6 SDHC cards that come in at ~$60, and get 90min. at full res. 1080i. I carry two of them on full-day excursions, and have never filled up, even with no deleting of ‘bad/unusable’ footage…now 16GB are the norm (~$80), and Panny/Toshiba have just announced 32GB cards ($150). I just don’t see that being an issue anymore.

So, I’m guessing you don’t know the quality difference between the HG10 or the HS9. I’ll think about SD. I just hate the idea of having same footage on different cards, or that it costs 300$ more to get 64GBs.

wait one more month and go for the canon hf10….it is so choice. It will beat all the others in quality of picture, which should be the most important criteria!

Okay….so now you kinda have me intrigued on the SD cards. If I were to get an HD cam. which would you recommend? Something in the prosumer, price doesn’t matter.

Second on the HF10. Has both internal flash memory (16 GB), and a slot for SDHC for cards up to 32GB.