Customer Reviews

Panasonic HDC-HS300 HDD HD Camcorder (Black)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This the first review I have felt was worth the time to do. I have have worked in several fields of photography over a 37 year career that include motion picture, commercial catalogs and aerial mapping. I am also an avid amateur nature photographer. I lost count of how many film and video cameras I have purchased over the years. My last camera was a JVC model GR-DV3000 and 3.5 years old. It was a very good camcorder. I read several reviews on the Panasonic DHC HS300 before purchasing it. I is an outstanding piece of engineering. It work great right out of the box. I purchased the camera on July 6 and used it extensively on a recent trip to Las Vegas. The results from daylight and night time shooting is superb.

Pros: There are so many good features it is difficult to determine where to start. Switching from Video to Stills is easy and smooth. The touch screen is a big plus in navigating through the various menus. For the advanced user the are numerous manual options to chose from. The 10..6 megapixel stills are better that my 8.2 megapixel Canon D20 digital still camera. I purchased a 16 GB Transcend SDHC card to compliment the 120 GB internal hard drive. I used both the hard drive and the card in Vegas. It is very easy to transfer files from one to another. The video and still files work well with editing software. I use CyberLink Power Director 7 Ultra. Cables are provided to link up to HD TVs and pro logic receivers with the HDMI mini. Other cables are also provided. The thumb nails provide easy access to the video clips and stills.

Cons: The camera button and touch screen might pose some difficulty for a person with large hands. In this case the stylus to navigate the touch screen is necessary. Do not buy the filter sets that use a reduction ring from 43 mm to 37 mm. You end up with vignetting at the wide angle setting. I purchased Tiffen 43 mm filters. The additional Tele and Wide angle lenses are not worth the money. There is no neck strap or case available for this camera. Therefore I purchase a Lowpro gadget bag. It can be used as a fanny pack this a belt.

Conclusion: A bit pricey but Panasonic has put together a great overall package.

I've had this camera for about 2 months now and I'm very happy with it. This camera really shines in so many ways: stunning picture quality, ultra portable, lots of pro-type features and controls, fast and easy to use with a PC (unlike the HDV camcorders like the HV20, HV30, HV40 from Canon which still use tapes and require a slow capturing process). I was going back and forth on either purchasing this camera or the new Canon HV40 model, but ultimately I decided on the Panasonic HDC-HS300 as I really liked the picture quality, preferred not having to deal with tapes, and I really wanted a true focus ring which the HDC-HS300 offers and the Canon does not. The one thing I don't like about this camera is that it doesn't have native 24p mode. It has a 24p digital cinema mode which can be enabled in the recording menu options but it works via a 60i wrapper (this is quite common with video cameras). That means you'll want to remove the "2:3 pull-down" caused by the 24p conversion process with something like Neo-Scene/Cineform (which is windows software for around $100 and is extremely effective - you will want this software any way if you own an AVCHD camera). However I feel that Panasonic should really have included native 24p as a feature on this camera, it would have been easy enough for them to do. Although in the grand-scheme of things, that is a small price to pay for the excellent quality you can get from this camera, at an excellent price-point and the improved workflow that recording to internal hard drive or optional SD cards provide (also the 24p digital cinema mode on this camcorder still looks great despite it not being true "native 24p").

Let me give you some quick tips for using this camera: attempting to directly edit the AVCHD .mts files this camera creates is a bad idea. It will eat-up far too much of your computers resources and it is just not worth the extra headaches. As the more experienced video pros will tell you, AVCHD is an acquisition format and is not meant to be edited directly. So instead what you will want to do is buy yourself a copy of Neo-Scene software for about $100 and use the convert feature to convert your .mts files to .avi files and then edit the cineform converted .avi files (import the .avi files into your timeline). These will run much better on your PC and the Cineform software is highly regarded with video pros for excellent quality and ease of editing.

For those of you who want to use this camera just to shoot home videos or other personal stuff, you can easily record your video to SD cards (this camera has the capability to record to either the internal hard drive or SD cards) and then you can watch the footage directly from the SD card on most of the currently available blu-ray players. This makes for a very convenient way to record/watch your home movies. This is a great feature and sure to be popular with home-movie enthusiasts.

For those who are thinking of using this camera for indie movie making, note that the lens attachment is 43mm (same size as the popular canon hv line of HDV camcorders). This means it is compatible with lots of different tiffen filters, with 35mm adapters like the Letus35 mini/Jag35, and other add-ons that are commonly available to hop-up a high-quality consumer video camera to use the accessories of more professional type cameras. However if you are considering the HDC-HS300 you may want to consider the new Panasonic HMC40 as well, which is also new and basically the same camera but with some additional features enabled (24p native and others) but has a more professional looking form-factor/body.

OK, So I have used this camcorder for about 1 week. I think the outdoor shots taken with this camcorder are top notch and look fantastic. I play them back via my PS3 using the USB port and a SD card adapter on my 46" Mitsubishi LCD TV. I also converted the videos to Apple TV format and they still look great. The indoor shooting seems to be best when you switch to manual. I would say these videos are good but not great. I had a Sony TRV38 before and that camcorder was worse indoors than the HS300. Keep in mind that I'm comparing the outdoor shots to indoor ones and all camcorder will be better outside. I will also say that they are still better as far as clarity and color than my old DVC camcorder. I will update this review once I have some more footage shot. The transfer from hard drive to SD card works well. I converted a 30 minute Christmas morning video on my MAC in less than 20 minutes using the SD card to transfer. So far I'm pretty please with using Imovie 09 to work with the files. Even though I have not used it very long I would have no problem recommending it to a friend,

Panasonic did an incredible job of bring HD quality to a portable camcorder. The camera itself is pretty small making it very portable. The wind buffer is very good and filters out most if not all of the wind. It has a feature for when you are trying to capture a time senistive event that when applied that when you push the record button the camera actually captures about 15 secs prior to you pushing the button. The quality of the videos are unmatched and the best part of the camcorder is that it takes excellent still photos and I find it easier to take still pictures than many digital point and shoot cameras. Very good value for its cost. Only negative is the battery life could be a little better and the record and zoom button placement a little akward if you have bigger hands. Everything else is grat.

The picture quality is amazing for the price. This is replacing a professional 3-chip camera we originally purchased for commercial production. This camera could be used for either home or broadcast production.

The tiny form factor didn't prevent Panasonic from giving the user manual control over most camera functions. The menu system is similar to many professional cameras, but uses a touch screen instead of a mini-joystick. We found the touch screen easier to use. The low light performance is excellent, especially given the small size.

Reading the manual before use is a must for this model. Most of the interfaces are hidden behind panels. Some of the panels have a flimsy feel to them. The single manual ring does limit what you can control at one time, but this should not be a big problem for most users.

The face detection system works well as does the auto-focus. The auto white balance is among the best we've seen.

This is my trusty buddy that I shoot everything with. It's so easy to use!

However, it has so many settings on it that it confused me when I first started using it. The videos are heavily compressed, so if you're filming in a dark room, you'd better hit the iA (intellegent auto) button and let the camera make it's determination as to what the best setting is.

I love the fact that I can take over manual focus and make the background blurry and the subject clear and it also has a grid helper, so that I can shoot using the Rule of Thirds more easily.

I didn't like the fact that it doesn't have a firewire port. Actually, that's a huge inconvenience that I was not expecting. It may be because I (unexpectedly to me) received the Japanese version of this camera. It has some strange port that they don't use here in America.

I've used this camera along with my Canon T2i to take nice scenes. Using Adobe Premiere Pro, I was able to color match the footage to/with the phenomenal T2i and just get amazing footage. The footage straight out of the camera is far too dull.

I've added a UV filter and a lens hood and the footage is much better, but still no where near a digital SLR. That being said, it's far easier to use.

I hated this camera when I first got it, but that was my own fault for not reading the manual like I usually do. Now I love my little buddy! READ THE ENTIRE MANUAL!

Please note: If you try recording straight out of the box in a low light situation, you're footage will look like it was shot with a cell phone! However, with the right setting you'll get good results. Add a good video light and you'll have no problems.

You may also want to purchase an extended battery. I got two batteries, plus a charger on amazon for some ridiculously low price. Maybe $30. I can shoot for six hours plus now.

This camera can be used for the videographer who's aspiring to become an indie filmmaker. This flagship camera ( Flagship Camera is a camera that looks like a consumer camera, but has functions needed for a prosumer user.) Shoots in cinema 24p mode, the focus ring a huge plus. Although if you decide to add a follow focus the lcd screen gets in the way. Great for the filmmaker on a budget. First appearance looks like a typical generic Walmart consumer camera. The final video presentation looks like it was shot with a $3k -$6k shoulder mount camera. I love to transform this little camera into a beast. Connecting a shotgun boom mic, matte box, rail & rod system, 35mm vibrating adapter, follow focus, and shoulder rig it's real transforms into.....The Little Big Beast.

Here's my evaluation.

I produce weddings, special events reality shows, and web interviews. The typical consumer loves to see a large size camera in the videographers hand. I've used the Canon XL 1 for two years now. Everyone is amazed at how large the Canon XL 1 is and how it looks so expensive with a professional appearance. BUT, questions about the final quality are addressed when it comes to crispness, sharpness, and of course some consumers go as far and ask "why isn't your camera HD."?

Now when most clients see me with the little Panasonic camera they seem a little concerned that it's not big. BUT, when they see the final results they forget about how little the camera was and immediately notice the crisp clean quality of the video footage. So if anyone should continue to ask the age old question "does size really matter"? No, this little Panasonic will have everyone wanting to see more of the outstanding quality.

A must buy!!! Samples of the quality can be viewed below.

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My Camcorder worked great until it broke after 7 1/2 months of light use. I then sent it to be repaired and I am still waiting for it to be returned after 2 1/2 months, which will be after the warranty expires. When I called their repair facility in San Carlos, CA,I was given short status reports after phoning and when I sent emails they never replied. In frustration I contacted Panasonic and they gave me the exchange facilities phone number to call, but they never returned my calls. I still have no idea when or if I will see my camcorder, or if it does arrive how long it will work. My trust in them has diminished, leaving me wishing I had purchased a different brand of camcorder.

The camera itself is ok. However the software that comes with it is terribly poor. It's like a piece of junk from the 90s. Just search using an online engine about "HD Writer AE" and you'll see all the problems people are having. I will never buy anything from Panasonic again.

I personally do not have this model but I friend of my does and I have tried a couples of times so I will focus only in what I have used and note.

Plus:

* Huge capacity

* Vast of manual controls

* Nice looking

* Perfect for outdoor activities

Cons:

* touch screen might pose some difficulty for a person with large hands

* the editing software need some improvements

* Low light performance is not the best

Overall it is a real good HD machine!!!