Panasonic SD900 vs HC X900

Have a look in the Camera-Menu, you may be on "Vivid" mode - or you could try "subtle" etc.
Failing that (& for the previous stuff) you can turn down colour in the Edit.
IMHO. You should try to get your vids on a bright day to match broadcast TV of the similar scene....otherwise you'll have so may variable life will become confused ( well, fo me anyway).
 
Late comments on my recently purchased SD900. Quite enjoying it - seems minute after my old NV-DS38. There's a small hand loop on the RH side - but no strap to go around your neck - and more importantly nowhere to attach a strap.

The auto lens cover is snazzy - but I feel it still needs an old fashioned lens cap to protect the slender blades of the auto cover.

Finally, the Lens Hood is far to shallow to be effective.
 
Last edited:
The auto lens cap has the advantage you can't lose it...and it doesn't rattle against the casing while filming. These are the reaons lens caps are not used. Yes I'd agree about the depth of a lens hood, but on pro-cameras you have to attach a bellows unit and adjust it for each lens setting, so the lens is protected from extraneous light.

VOYAGERX: camcorders often have "overcooked" colours - that's what the average bod wants ...but you can turn it down in the Menu (look for Nautral, or Subtle), or in the Edit, where it is possible to compensate for time-of day, artifical lighting (to an extent). That way your audience can see dreamy colours, like pastels, or "cinema" - but you need to set-up your monitor to make sure you are consistent.
Turning down the TV is not really the best place to correct this - you need to use an Editor to make the movie interesting and adjust colour/contrast/etc.

Beware of cheap Editors (basic, Easy types) where they have limits on their functionality. Do you wan tot do Editing, I suppose I should have asked.
 
I would be very grateful if somebody who has a X900 could answer the following two questions, since these were for me the main two shortcomings of the SD900:
1. Can you change the sound recording level while shooting (in REC mode)? You can't do it with the SD900, you have to stop, go into the menu etc.
2. Does the manual Iris work smoothly or still stepwise, like on the SD900? It's annoying when it shows the picture getting brighter or darker in steps.

Thank you very much.
 
chrishull3
I look at the Canons and wonder why the price hasn't come down (they're not exactly new-models, are they).
What's your take, compared with the Pana 900 models?


Low Light and Bright-light:
Computer shopper does suggest Low-light with the Pana 900 (and 700/800's) is a bit noisy - a factor of the combined 3-sensor area - good for accurate daylight colour (which most people experience on holiday), but not so good indoors - but you have to draw the line somewhere.
CS also suggest there is a green cast even in daylight, this may be setting-up (so why, I wonder?), but you may be able to correct it with an R-filter. In the days of film I used an R-filter on my nikon zoom as I thought it benefited . .. it's very subtle. However most Editors permit a "global correction"
CS doesn't appear to review camcorders over £1k so that excludes the "better" Canons. They did like the new Sony, but that's even more than the Pana900.

The Prosumer Canon XM2, mentioned earlier, is likely to be well-ahead of modern consumer kit . . . the only snag being use of tape and SD (4:3) format. I understand the XM2's lens is quite something - and so it should be for nearly £6k when new. even now it will set you back £1k5-ish.... I have serious doubts it's a good-buy at that price, although the quality (which I've seen) is spectacular . . . and not to be confused with modern highly-compressed and enhanced stuff, that we consumers accept.
Another bonus is it uses CCD, so these should be better for high-speed objects.
Having manual exposure control certainly helps and I quite like the LANC option - it just makes the footage smoother . . . IMHO.

However, I'm considering a SDHC camcorder - and that includes Canon G10, maybe XA10 - etc.
 
Last edited:
Can the battery of the SD900 be used with the X900 too?
Thanks a lot.
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom