Video Comparison: The Panasonic TM900 and LX7

Amost exactly one year ago I shot a video at the Union Square Market in NYC using the TM900.  It demonstrated the low-light and good-light abiltities of thecamcorder,  and has as of today around 6,300 plays on Vimeo.

Yesterday, I shot a video at the same place, under the same very bright (but more windy) conditions.

It is interesting to compare the two videos to see how they differ and what they tell us about the two cameras (same time of day, year, place, sunlight, photographer, use of ND filter (internal on the LX7)):

The TM900 video:

https://vimeo.com/21552224

(outdoors shots begin about 1/4 of the way from the start)

The LX7 video:

https://vimeo.com/57774112

Both were edited without conversion (only the title part and the two audio fades in the LX7 video required rendering besides the merges), and the originals can be downloaded.

Here is what I see:

1. The sharpness of the TM900 is really impressive (it is still one of the sharpest camcorders available) and there are no hotspots (because that is the way it was shot). However, you can see the limited dynamic range so that blacks are crushed and some colors (red/orange) are bit much.

2. The  LX7 video also has color pop and no hotspots but more shadow detail; it appears to have superior dynamic range under the same harsh sunlight, somewhat better color accuracy, and is less sharp. The shallower dof in some shots also helps give it a more pleasing look.

With the LX7 I could have used 'natural' film mode to get even better dynamic range, but at the expense somwhat of color pop - and fruit, flower and vegetable markets  are all about color.