Panasonic HDC-HS300 HDD HD Camcorder

2 Comments

1. J. Monty says:

   November 22, 2009 at 7:00 am

   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.
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. A. Killinen says:

   November 22, 2009 at 7:52 am

   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.
   Rating: 5 / 5