Panasonic HDC-SD600K 3MOS High-Def Camcorder with 35mm Wide-Angle Lens and 18x Intelligent Zoom (Black).

When I first stumbled upon this mysterious
"Amazon Exclusive" camcorder I was a bit
mystified - I could find no information about it on
the US Panasonic site, nor was there any mention
of it on cnet or any of the other major review
sites.
What I eventually discovered was that the SD600
is a best-seller in the UK but hasn't been available
in the U.S. before now, which explains why
finding detailed info. and reviews on it was
somewhat difficult. For those who want detailed
info. (including manuals) you can to go to the
Panasonic UK website (panasonic.co.uk).
To save you some time, the HDC-SD600 is
basically the same camcorder as the HDC-TM700
with just a few exceptions. The optics of the two
camcorders are identical (3MOS, 1080/60p
recording, 12x optical zoom, 14.2 MP stills, 35mm
wide-angle lens, etc.), and by stripping the
TM700 down a little - removing a few "minor"
features - they were able to take a pretty good
chunk off the TM700`s price tag (currently a
difference of about $275).
The major differences between the two models
are as follows: First, there is no built-in memory
with the SD600 so the lower price immediately
becomes somewhat less impressive considering
you need to factor in the cost of an SD card into
the final price - around $100 for 32GB (which is
what's built-in to the TM700). The second
difference is that the built-in microphone of the
SD600 is two-channel stereo vs. the 5.1 surround
on the TM700. Third, and possibly most
importantly, there are no jacks (nor is there a
seat) to attach an external microphone or
headphones. The lack of a mic. jack could be a
deal breaker depending on how much of a
stickler you are about the sound of the fan which,
as in the TM700, is sometimes audible when
shooting in very quiet locations. With the TM700,
users are able to work around the fan noise by
attaching an external microphone and that's not
an option with the SD600, which is definitely
something to consider. The fourth difference is
the lack of a view-finder and lastly there is no
manual control of the focus ring and iris, etc. as
there is on the TM700.
The fan noise has become the TM700`s Achilles'
heel, as you can see by reading the customer
reviews on it here and elsewhere and the fan
installed in the SD600 is the same. Just to let you
know, the fan IS audible in footage shot in quiet
locations...however I do wonder if the noise is
something I would have noticed had I not been
told about it.
Hope this helps and that no one else will need to
spend the better part of a day (as I did) finding
information about this camcorder!