New 25x optical zoom / 35x Intelligent Zoom

In spite of the compactness of these camcorders, the lens covers a wide shooting range from 35.7mm wide angle to 25x optical zoom. In addition, the Intelligent Zoom, which is made possible by Intelligent Resolution Technology, provides a super-powerful 35x zooming capability. It achieves stunningly clear FHD images even at high zoom levels.

New POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabiliser)

The O.I.S. - which uses gyrosensors to detect hand-shake and moves a corrective lens to adjust the optical axis and eliminate blurring - has further evolved. When a camcorder is handheld, it moves slowly at low frequency due to the breathing or other movement of the operator, no matter how hard the person tries to hold the camcorder steady. While the conventional O.I.S. system could not sufficiently eliminate this low-frequency hand-shake, the new POWER O.I.S. is able to correct it about five times more effectively. The new O.I.S. also features an Active mode to ensure clear, beautiful images across the entire range from wide angle to telephoto. As it is an optical system, there is no image degradation.

New Wind Noise Cancelling feature

A new feature in 2010, Wind Noise Canceller automatically isolates and suppresses wind noise only, so natural ambient sounds and voices are still recorded. This is ideal for recording in locations such as a beach, and in a wider variety of weather conditions.

SDXC/SDHC/SD Memory Card

Recording The HDC-SD60 is highly resistant to knocks and bumps because it records onto SDXC, SDHC or SD Memory Card and so has no drive mechanism. This high level of durability, combined with the compact size and lightweight body (weighing only 255g) makes the HDC-SD60 ideal for travel or simply shooting on the go.

New Crystal Pro Engine

The new Crystal Pro Engine at the heart of Panasonic's FHD camcorders instantly processes the huge amount of data that goes into FHD images, and produces clear, crisp motion images. It produces smooth, high-resolution zoom shots even when the range exceeds the limit for optical zooming. Crystal Engine Pro clearly delineates even the tiniest details of your subject, with extremely natural beauty. New Noise Reduction (NR) Technology minimises noise when recording in low lighting conditions, while Intelligent Resolution Technology ensures sharp, bright, beautifully coloured images in both moving and still image recording.

1.0-sec[i] Quick Power-On Helps Catch Sudden Shooting Opportunities

Switch the power on and the SD60/HS60 is in recording standby and ready to shoot in just 1.0 seconds. When combined with Quick Start mode, the camcorder can start up in just 0.6 second[ii]. In addition, with Eco Mode, the power automatically turns off when the camcorder is not operated for five minutes, reducing energy wastage and conserving battery power.

5 Microphones and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound

The HS60 is equipped with five electret condenser microphones. The center mic helps capture the sound source and distance accurately, so you get a more 3-dimensional effect than you get with conventional systems, which capture all sounds from the front. You get a realistic sound space that's a perfect match with the true-to-life HD images.

Creating and Playing Back DVD Discs with One-Touch Ease

Connecting the HDC-HS60 via USB cable to the optional VW-BN2 DVD Burner and pressing a single button is all it takes to copy recorded video clips from an SDXC/SDHC/SD Memory Card or hard disk to a DVD disc (DVD-RAM/DVD-RW/DVD-R/DVD-R DL) in either AVCHD or MPEG-2 format. Select the AVCHD format for HD playback on a large-screen TV using a Blu-ray Disc™ player. Or choose MPEG-2 for easy playback using a DVD player. This makes video archiving and playback far more convenient.

Quick Data Copying

Recorded videos can be copied from an SDXC/SDHC/SD Memory Card to the HDD/built-in memory, or vice versa, inside the camcorder. The user can select from three copying methods - Copy All copies all motion and still images, Select Copy copies only selected scenes, and Copy by Date copies only images recorded on a specified day.

New HD Writer AE 2.0 Editing Software for PC

Data can easily be edited on a PC using the included HD Writer AE 2.0 editing software (for Windows OS). The software features a "smart wizard" that starts up to provide an easy on-screen guide as soon as the camcorder is connected to a PC. The camcorders can also transfer video data to a Mac computer so they may be edited in HD image quality using iMovie software.

HD Writer AE 2.0 allows easy uploading of video clips to the YouTube[i]website. After shooting, simply connect the camcorder to a PC via a USB cable, to easily upload your favourite video clips to YouTube[ii].

Using HD Writer AE 2.0 software together with the camcorder's Intelligent Shooting Selection Playback function, scenes determined to be seriously flawed (for example, from overly severe hand-shake or backlighting) are automatically extracted. The user can then delete them easily.