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Packed with a 120GB internal hard drive, HD video capability, and a host of controls and features, the HDC-HS300 (MSRP $1399) represents Panasonic’s top-of-the-line camcorder for 2009.
The touch screen on the HDC-HS300 is rather well designed and Panasonic has implemented a few “one-touch” features that work seamlessly with the system. The AF/AE tracking allows the user to touch a subject on the screen, with the camcorder then keeping that subject focused and exposed correctly as as he/she moves about the frame. This is just one of Panasonics Intelligent Auto (iA) features that is easy to use and should pique the interest of novice videographers.
The touch screen system also makes menus on the HS300 easy to navigate, including a helpful “Info” feature at the bottom of each menu, which allows the user to find out more about each setting available on the device.
Direct adjustments to aperture, shutter speed, exposure, and white balance can all be manipulated on the camcorder. There’s also gain control and a few picture adjustment settings that allow you to adjust the sharpness and color saturation of the image.
The HDC-HS300 can record HD video to either its internal 120GB hard drive, or to removable SD/SDHC memory cards.
The Panasonic HDC-HS300 displays good video quality all around—its colors are accurate, noise levels are low, motion and sharpness are good, and its low light sensitivity is certainly top-notch. The camcorder’s optical image stabilization is also highly promising. The HDC-HS300 can also take decent still photos, although it’s still image results were about average for a consumer camcorder of its class.
A top-of-the-line offering from Panasonic, the HDC-HS300 offers an excellent choice to beginners and an array of features for enthusiasts. It’s certainly one of the potential hits of the year.
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