HD images contain 6 times as much information as standard images. HDTV has 1,080 horizontal scan lines, SDTV has 480. That translates into much higher resolution and much finer detail. With HD images on an HDTV, pictures are so clear and sharp that you can see textures. The shift in the industry from SDTV to HDTV is well underway. For shooting once-in-a-lifetime scenes that you want to capture in full beauty, an HD camcorder is the best choice.
For videos of important moments you want to preserve, you want high image quality. That's what Panasonic's 3MOS System delivers, with a combination of optical technologies that further enhance the quality of full-HD images. The 3MOS System produces extremely accurate images with superb rendition of differences in darkness and light, rich color expression, and a full 1,080 lines of horizontal resolution. This advanced technology helps turn once-in-a-lifetime moments into vivid, beautiful images.
There's nothing more disappointing than shooting a once-in-a-lifetime event on video, only to discover that the images are blurry or poorly exposed because of backlighting. Panasonic's iA helps avoid problems in difficult shooting situations by automatically making the optimal camera settings and activating certain functions. For example, iA now includes AF Tracking, a function that "locks" on and follows a subject as it moves, so images are sharply focused and properly exposed. This technology is a huge help for everyone.
Panasonic's advanced O.I.S. helps suppress the effects of hand-shake as you shoot, for both motion and still images. This system uses gyro sensors to detect even tiny amounts of hand-shake, then shifts a lens and adjusts the optical axis to compensate - all at an astounding 4,000 times per second. It also covers approximately 3 times the stabilization area of the previous SD9 model. Because the system is optical, there's only minimal loss of image quality even when viewed on a large-screen TV. In addition, to shoot high-resolution still images, the normal O.I.S. Mode 1 is joined by an O.I.S. Mode 2, which has a higher stabilization capability. The O.I.S. corrective lens shifts and stabilizes the image the instant that the shutter button is pressed, to enable greater precision in stabilization. You get all the beauty and minimal blurring.
The time lapse function uses longer frame intervals than standard shooting. You can use this function to capture shortened or condensed footage of events that actually take place over a much longer time period. For example, time lapse recording is ideal for shooting a flower in the process of blooming, or a long, slow sunset. With time lapse recording, you have an interesting video technique to explore. The maximum continuous recording time is 12 hours.