The first 3D video camera that was released to the market was the Panasonic HDC-SDT750. This was around summer/fall of 2010. There is no doubt that it remains one of the best camcorders available in the market for that price category. That is considering its technical features as a regular 2D camcorder. But the question is, is it also an equally good 3D video camera? Especially in comparison to the Sony HDC-TD10 3D camcorder? With this Sony HDR-TD10 vs Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D video camera review, that’s exactly what we intend to answer!
The Sony HDR-TD10 vs Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D video camera review
Consumer level 3D camcorder technology is still in its infancy! There is plenty of room to improve, pretty much just like how it was when 3D TVs came out. 3D TVs have improved tremendously since those early days. This holds true with almost any technology, 3 dimensional or not!
The Panasonic HDCSDT750 is a 3D compatible camcorder. In other words, you need to attach a ’3D conversion lens’ for 3D functionality. However, attaching this conversion lens ‘imposes’ certain limitations on the lens specs. We have summarized these limitations on the table below. For a comprehensive review of the HDC-SDT750 and the comparison we did between this and other Panasonic 3D compatible video cameras, please see the article Panasonic 3D camcorder review.
Panasonic HDC-SDT750 Lens Specs – 2D vs 3D
| Feature | 2D Mode | 3D Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Optical zoom | 12X | 10X |
| Aperture | f/1.5 – f/2.8 | f/3.2 |
| Focal Length | 3.45 – 41.4mm | 2.5mm |
| Minimum Illumination | 1.6 lux (1/30 Low Light scene mode) 1 lux (Color Night Rec) |
28 lux (1/30) |
As you can see, there are some obvious deficiencies with the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 when it comes to recording in 3D mode and the Sony HDR-TD10 3D camcorder overcomes some of them. One of the main ‘complaints’ with the Panasonic 3D camcorder was the fact that it had no optical zooming when you’re recording in 3D mode. Even though it had an optical zoom of 12X, that could only be used in regular mode (2D mode) and not in 3D mode. This was one of the most talked about shortcomings of this Panasonic 3D video camera. The Sony HDR-TD10 ‘fixed’ this by coming with an optical zoom of 10X in 3D mode.
Following is a comparison of the lens specs at 2D and 3D video recording modes for the Sony HDR-TD10
| Feature | 2D Mode | 3D Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Optical zoom | 12X | 10X |
| Aperture | f/1.8–10.0 | |
| Focal Length | 2.9–34.8mm | 2.9 – 29mm |
| Minimum Illumination | Standard: 11 lux (1/60 Shutter Speed)Low Lux: 3 lux (1/30 Shutter Speed) | Same |
As you can see, the Sony HDRTD10 certainly has some richer features compared to the HDC-SDT750 when it comes to recording in 3D mode.
Following is a more comprehensive comparison of the technical features in 3D mode between the two video cameras
| Feature | Sony HDR-TD10 | Panasonic HDC-SDT750 |
|---|---|---|
| Optical Zoom in 3D | 10X | No optical zoom in 3D |
| 3D resolution | 1920 x 1080 (Double Full HD) | 960 x 1080 |
| Require additional 3D conversion lens | No | Yes (VW-CLT1) |
| 2 sensors | Yes. 2X CMOS sensors | No. A single 3MOS sensor |
| 2 processors | Yes. 2X BIONZ image processors | No |
| Aperture | f/1.8 – 10.0 | f/3.2 |
| Focal Length | 2.9 – 29mm | 2.5mm |
| Minimum Illumination | 3 lux (1/30) | 28 lux (1/30) |
| Manual Controls | Focus; Exposure | White balance |
| Image Stabilization | Optical SteadyShot™ Image stabilization w/ Active mode | We are not sure about this |
| Still images | Not available in 3D mode | Not available in 3D mode |
| Approx. Dimensions | 74 x 86.5 x148.5 mm | 66 x 69 x138 mm + 78 x 59 x 97 mm for VW-CLT1 3D lens |
| Weight | 740g with battery | 435g with battery + 195g for 3D lens |
| LCD Display | 3.5 inches; 1229K resolution; TruBlack™ technology | 3 inches; 230K resolution |
| 3D viewing on LCD screen | Yes, watch 3D video without glasses | No |
| Manual control of 3D depth | Yes | No |
In conclusion, the Sony HDR-TD10 produces better quality 3D videos. There is no argument about that. However, if you also want to pay attention to the 2D features, you may find that the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 is a better camcorder when it comes to recording 2D videos.
The following table summarizes 2D capabilities of the two video cameras.
| Feature | Sony HDR-TD10 | Panasonic HDC-SDT750 |
|---|---|---|
| Optical zoom | 10X | 12X |
| Advanced zoom | 12X | 18X |
| Digital zoom | 160X | 700X |
| Full HD Resolution | 1920 X 1080 | 1920 X 1080 |
| Minimum Aperture | 10.0 f/ | 16.0 f/ |
| Maximum Aperture | 1.8 f/ | 1.5 f/ |
| Shutter speed | Self-timer: Approx. 10sec. (Still Image);Shutter Speed (Standard): 1/60-1/1000;Shutter Speed Auto Control Range: 1/8-1/1000;Shutter Speed (Smooth Slow Rec): 1/250 – 1/1000;Auto (Auto Slow Shutter OFF): 1/60 – 1/1000;Scene Selection: 1/8 – 1/1000;
LOW LUX: 1/30 – 1/1000 |
[60i / 60p] Auto Slow Shutter ON : 1/30-1/8000;video flash: 1/30-1/500 OFF : 1/60-1/8000;video flash: 1/60-1/500[24P] Auto Slow Shutter ON : 1/24-1/8000;video flash: 1/24-1/500 OFF : 1/48-1/8000;video flash: 1/48-1/500 |
| White Balance | Auto / Onepush / Outdoor / Indoor | Auto/Indoor1/Indoor2/Sunny/Cloudy/White Set |
| Manual Gain Controls | None | 7 manual gain steps |
| Scene Modes | Auto / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Sunrise & Sunset / Fireworks / Landscape / Portrait / Spotlight / Beach / Snow | Portrait, Snow, Sunset, Sports, Spotlight, Beach, Fireworks |
| Max Still Image Resolution(s) | 4:3 – 3072×2304 (7.1MP);16:9 – 3072×1728 (5.3MP); Pictures from movies 2.1MP | 4:3 – 4032 x 3024 (12.2MP);3:2 – 4608 x 3072 (14.2MP);16:9 – 4864×2736 (13.3MP); Pictures from movies 2.1MP |
| Simultaneous recording (Video/Still) | Yes | Yes; 13.3 megapixels (4864 x 2736), 8.3 megapixels (3840 x 2160) , 2.1 megapixels (1920×1080) [16:9] |
| Manual ISO | No | No |
| Continuous shooting | No | Yes |
| Face Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Smile Shutter | Yes | Yes |
| Golf Shot | Yes | No |
| LCD Display | Touch Panel; Grid display | Touch Panel |
| Audio | Zoom mic; 5.1 channel surround sound | Zoom mic; 5.1-channel Dolby Digital |
| Wind noise reduction | Yes | Yes |
| Outputs | HD output : HDMI Out (mini) (supplied); Component Video Out (Component A/V cable (sold separately))USB Port(s) : TypeA, mini-AB/USB2.0 Hi-speed (mass-storage/MTP)Headphone Jack : Stereo Minijack | HDMI Out (mini)USB2.0 Hi-speed |
| External mic input | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Remote | Included | Included |
| Built in Flash | Flash Compensation : Yes (3 steps)Approx. 11 7/ 8 inch – 59 1/8 inch | Yes |
Conclusion – The Sony HDR-TD10 vs Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder comparison
It certainly isn’t an easy one. The Sony HDR-TD10 dedicated 3D video camera has some clear benefits over the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 when it comes to 3D video recording features. However when it comes to 2D video recording, the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 has the upper hand. Therefore, this is our advice!
- If you already have a good quality 2D video camera and you’re exclusively looking to record 3D videos, go for the Sony HDR-TD10
- If you want one camcorder that will function as both a 2D camcorder and a 3D camcorder and you don’t mind sacrificing a little on the 3D features, go for the Panasonic HDC-SDT750. After all, you will predominantly be shooting 2D video and not 3D videos. The 2D videos you will shoot with this ’3D ready’ video camera will be as good as you will get from any regular camcorder available in the market while the 3D videos will have certain limitations. But you will also be saving around $750 because the Sony HDR-TD10 is priced at approximately $1,500.
Hope this Sony HDR-TD10 vs Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder review was useful to you. For more 3D camcorder reviews, please visit our homepage at http://3d-videocamera.org/.
This conclusion of ours is also consistent with that of Camcorderinfo.com
