jmosch
New member
It's an HD video camera that also happens to take a fine picture. The HD video quality that it takes via the AVCHD Lite codec is fantastic, and the ability to zoom during recording is a great feature.
It is a common complaint that AVCHD Lite is not supported by enough software. True. But Handbrake is FREE and it converts the Panasonic's .mts file to a standard .mp4.
If you want to see some HD samples, go to the user page for jmcu09 on YouTube. Any jumpiness on the HD version is YouTube's fault - they are fine in original format and in mp4 on my computer.
On the photo side, to this date, every picture that the camera has taken has been worth keeping. The camera's internal logic for exposure, etc. is very good. This is important because it lacks a lot of manual exposure settings.
Look at this lack of settings as a blessing in disguise. The camera is very good at getting the shot right on its own. So spend time finding the right shot, not tweaking settings.
I fully recommend buying this camera. Any problems below don't outweigh the good.
Problems:
1) As mentioned by others, in very bright and focused light the HD video exhibits vertical banding. Maybe it can be partially corrected in a firmware update.
2) I gave image quality a 4.0 because there's more grain than I'd like. As a plus, however, the grain actually looks better than most point-and-shoots, and doesn't fringe the colors like some cameras do.
3) Construction gets a 4.0 because the selector wheel and focus control seem a tad on the flimsy side. I'm sure they will hold up to regular use, but it's a little disappointing to see that on an otherwise nice metal body.
4) HD movie recording is a battery hog! I shot about 10 minutes of video and took 60 pictures on a full battery - that drained the camera to the last bar on the battery. Not sure how much time is left for that last bar.
It is a common complaint that AVCHD Lite is not supported by enough software. True. But Handbrake is FREE and it converts the Panasonic's .mts file to a standard .mp4.
If you want to see some HD samples, go to the user page for jmcu09 on YouTube. Any jumpiness on the HD version is YouTube's fault - they are fine in original format and in mp4 on my computer.
On the photo side, to this date, every picture that the camera has taken has been worth keeping. The camera's internal logic for exposure, etc. is very good. This is important because it lacks a lot of manual exposure settings.
Look at this lack of settings as a blessing in disguise. The camera is very good at getting the shot right on its own. So spend time finding the right shot, not tweaking settings.
I fully recommend buying this camera. Any problems below don't outweigh the good.
Problems:
1) As mentioned by others, in very bright and focused light the HD video exhibits vertical banding. Maybe it can be partially corrected in a firmware update.
2) I gave image quality a 4.0 because there's more grain than I'd like. As a plus, however, the grain actually looks better than most point-and-shoots, and doesn't fringe the colors like some cameras do.
3) Construction gets a 4.0 because the selector wheel and focus control seem a tad on the flimsy side. I'm sure they will hold up to regular use, but it's a little disappointing to see that on an otherwise nice metal body.
4) HD movie recording is a battery hog! I shot about 10 minutes of video and took 60 pictures on a full battery - that drained the camera to the last bar on the battery. Not sure how much time is left for that last bar.