Review of Panasonic HDC-TM700K Camcorder - 1080p - 3.05 MP - 12 x optical zoom (reviews, electricity)
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I have been using camcorders since the time when you carried the VCR in one hand and the huge camera in the other. Believe me; things are much better now than when those pitiful videos of 240 lines of resolution were made. The Panasonic TM700K delivers a great high definition picture and it weighs almost nothing.
If you want to talk about the picture, the 60 frames per second take out most of the blur in moving pictures. The standard output for video is 30 frames, so there is a frame put in between every one of those making everything clearer, especially action shots.
I liked the old cameras that you could perch on your shoulder and you felt so much more in charge, but with the video stabilization of these small cameras, you can use one hand and get excellent steady shots.
This camera puts my old Sony HD camera to shame on picture quality. I am told that the lenses are one of the primary reasons for the excellent images it produces. Leica Dicomar lenses are designed for sharp images that suppress flare and ghosting. Whether the lighting is very bright sunlight or dimly lit nighttime, the camera maintains good resolution.
The fan noise is a quite loud and it would be a better product if this were improved. Some people might be able to overlook that in favor of the picture quality, but if you plan to use the microphone, it will pick up the noise and it is loud.
I don't know much about the technical aspects of video cameras; only what the end result turns out to be. It is possible to pay more than the $999 that this camera retails for, but for the home video buff, there aren't many cameras out there that can beat this one. Even the still shots with this camera are works of art that you can transfer to your own high gloss color prints.
The controls for the camera are clear and easy to understand, but they are so small you almost have to have a pen to keep from pressing more than one at a time. The battery is able to hold a charge for plenty of time, but you might want a backup if you are going to be away from electricity for some time.
Check out this Panasonic when you are ready to move up to your next digital video camera. The only real downsides are the fan noise and the size of the controls, the biggest being the noise of the fan.
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