Panasonic HDC-HS300 Camcorder Review

Product Tour Summary
• 12x optical zoom Leica lens, with a decent aperture range and 43mm filter diameter • Three CMOS sensor array, each chip measuring 1/4.1 inches with a gross pixel count of 3,050,000 pixels • The large bulk of the hard drive and overall aesthetic aren't really pleasing to the eye • The manual control lens ring and other switches/buttons lend the camcorder a more "pro" look than some of the competition
	Introduction	(Page 2 of 17)	Color & Noise Performance

Lens & Imaging System

The lens ring is one of the HDC-HS300's most prized features.

The Panasonic HDC-HS300 features the same lens as the Panasonic HDC-TM300, the sister model to the HS300. Both models represent Panasonic's top-of-the-line HD camcorders for 2009. On these high-end models, Panasonic includes its standard lens ring for making precise manual adjustments. While most manufacturers are designing consumer camcorders with one large sensor, Panasonic continues to utilize a smaller, multi-chip system that features three 1/4.1-inch CMOS sensors.

Front

						Lens ring controls multiple functions
	Flash for still photos
		AF Assist Lamp			f/1.8 lens with 12x optical zoom

Right

		The hand strap is wide enough, but not as comfortable as Canon's	Hidden behind the hand strap are the headphone jack and mic jack

Back

0.26-inch viewfinder with a 113,000-pixel resolution
			mode dial
			Record on/off
VW-VBG130  rechargeable battery pack

Left

AV-out port			optical image stabilization on/off	cooling fan
	card slot latch					component output
playback controls with secondary zoom and record on/off buttons			SD/SDHC card slot	USB		mini-HDMI

Top

Accessory shoe

Zoom toggle

Still photo shutter button

Intelligent auto mode on/off

Pre-record on/off

Built-in microphone

Bottom

	Battery release		Tripod mount

In The Box