By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: Panasonic Australia today unveiled what it calls the world’s first 3D consumer camcorder. Priced at just under $2,000, the new camcorder is both a fully-functioning Full HD 2D video camera and a 3D recorder.
The 3D part of this camcorder — HDC-SDT750 — is actually just a removable lens. When placed on the camcorder proper, the dual lenses within record two different versions of the same subject matter, just as our eyes perceive vision. The camcorder then combines these two recordings into a single 3D video.
This user-generated 3D content can then be played back on a 3D TV either through an included HDMI cable or an SD card.
In addition to 3D shooting, this camcorder also features 5.1 stereo sound, a Leica Dicomar lens and Hybrid Optical Image Stabiliser. There’s also a pre-record function, in which the camera is actually continually recording three seconds before you start recording; a 1-second quick power-on; wind noise canceller; highlight playback function, for reviewing recorded images as quickly as possible; touch screen icons; time lapse recording; and a 50 frames per second high speed burst shooting.
At the launch press conference in Sydney today, Panasonic showed a 3D home movie recorded on this new camcorder. There is definitely an added depth to the footage this camcorder can record, and whilst there were no instances of objects appearing to come out of the screen towards the viewer, there was a heightened sense of reality to these videos.
Panasonic’s 3D camcorder will be on sale in late September 2010 for RRP $1,999.
Panasonic's new HDC-SDT750 camcorder with the 3D lens attached.
The 3D lens, as seen separate from the camcorder.
The camcorder without the 3D lens; Panasonic said this was still the best Pana camcorder on the market.