Panasonic HDC-HS300 Camcorder Review

Panasonic HDC-HS300 versus Sony HDR-XR520V
• The Sony has a huge, 240GB internal hard drive (double the capacity of the Panasonic). • Both camcorders did very well in our testing, but the Panasonic had better scores in most categories—except for noise. • The Sony lacks many common manual controls, including shutter speed, aperture, audio levels, a 24p record mode, and gain. • Both camcorders include viewfinders and utilize touchscreen LCDs.
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The Sony HDR-XR520V is a solid camcorder and it put up similar numbers to the Panasonic HDC-HS300 in our testing. The Sony didn't fair nearly as well in low light sensitivity or bright light color, but it did have lower noise levels than the Panasonic and nearly identical video sharpness. The optical image stabilization worked very well on both camcorders and each camcorder includes an electronic viewfinder in addition to an LCD screen. The Sony does offer more storage space with its 240GB internal hard drive, but the 120GB drive featured on the Panasonic HDC-HS300 is also quite sizable.

The real difference between the two camcorders comes down to manual controls. The Sony HDR-XR520V doesn't allow for direct control over shutter speed, aperture, gain, and audio levels—each of which can be manipulated on the Panasonic HDC-HS300. The Panasonic also has a 24p recording option, which is absent on the HDR-XR520V. Both camcorders have well-implemented tools for making manual adjustments (a lens ring on the Panasonic and a control dial on the Sony), but its the amount of controls that are absent on the Sony that will likely scare off some would-be consumers.

Both camcorders utilize LCD touchscreen systems and offer a number of automatic controls that are simple to use. The iA features on the Panasonic HDC-HS300, however, bring automated controls to a whole new level. The AF/AE tracking, as well as its one touch spot focus and exposure features are impressive and useful for beginners. We also found the Panasonic to have simpler menus and more tools geared towards giving assistance to novice camcorder users. The Sony, on the other hand, does feature a large, 3.2-inch LCD screen, which may be something that is very attractive to beginners.

Overall, the Panasonic is the clear winner here. Both camcorders did very well in our testing, but the enhanced set of manual controls on the HDC-HS300, as well as its simpler design for beginners, gives it the edge.

	Comparison Specs
	Panasonic HDC-HS300	Sony HDR-XR520V
Price	$1399.99	$1499.99
Primary Recording Media	120GB internal hard drive	240GB internal hard drive
Secondary Recording Media	SD/SDHC memory card	Memory Stick Pro Duo card
Image Sensor	Three 1/4.1-inch CMOS	1/2.88-inch CMOS
Effective Pixel Count	2.07-megapixels (x3) video 2.65-megapixels (x3) stills	4.15-megapixels video 6-megapixels stills
Mic Input	Yes, 3.5mm	Yes, 3.5mm
LCD	2.7-inch with 230,400-pixel resolution	3.2-inch with 921,000-pixel resolution
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Weight	520g with battery	590g with battery
Dimensions	73 x 70 x 141mm	71 x 75 x 137
HD	Yes	Yes
Frame Rates	1080/60i, 24p (digital cinema mode)	1080/60i
Compression	AVCHD	AVCHD
Maximum Bitrate	17Mbps	16Mbps
Optical Zoom	12x	12x
Stabilization	Optical	Optical (with two settings: standard and active)

Low Light (60 lux) Comparison
Panasonic HDC-HS300	Sony HDR-XR520V

Bright Light Color Scores