Panasonic recently reduced the price of its just released Panasonic HDC-HS100. It seems that this mid-level camcorder wasn’t selling as well as predicted, just as many others have not been selling as well. The $1,000 price tag has been dropped to around $600, which may be a better price for this really amateur-geared camcorder.
The Panasonic HDC-HS100 is a 60B hard-drive based camcorder that comes with three CMOS chips, 520,000 wide resolution and a 12x FL. 8-2.8 zoom lens. While these features are very adequate, the video output quality is not up to par to gain the attention of true professionals. But, it may be a good starter camcorder for many amateurs. The highest video quality recording is at 1,920X1,080 pixel resolution and records at 30 frames per second. At the highest quality, you can get about seven and a half hours worth of video. It comes with the slighter larger and higher resolution 2.7 inch LCD screen.
Most of the features can be found within the LCD screen recess. The camcorder weighs about a pound, and its measurements are 2.9 inches x 2.9 inches x 5.4 inches. While it is heavier than many other camcorders, it’s easy to hold. But, if you need to quickly get to the HDMI and USB port, you may have trouble. It’s awkwardly placed behind the battery, which can be very frustrating. You will need to take out the battery to connect to these ports.
Usability and Overall Quality
If you’re planning on taking video, be sure to power-on the camcorder ahead of time since it takes a while to start up. The zoom works rather well, and the button is really responsive.
There are several buttons on the camcorder to change white balance, shutter speed and other controls. You will need to get used to these buttons since they’re a little strange at first. The way the buttons work are in a circular way via a joystick, which means you’ll have to manually move between the manual buttons, shutter speed and other controls.
While the feel and maneuverability of this camcorder is pretty standard, the video quality isn’t as crisp as many of its competitors. The pixilation doesn’t allow for true 1080pHD resolution. Video can be very noisy in low-light. For the money, it’s not a bad price for someone starting out. It’s got a lot of nice features, but it’s just not wonderful for anything more than standard video production or home movies.
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