Panasonic HDC-HS100 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: This Panasonic high-def camcorder offers great usability and control, but its image quality is merely decent.

Pros: Best-in-class handling and manual control

Cons: Flawed low-light performance ; Oversaturated color

Verdict: On the software side, Panasonic bundles HD Writer 2.6E, a limited but functional Windows-only editing application. Mac users can edit the HS100's AVCHD video with iMovie '08. On either platform you'll want to use a computer built around a 2-GHz Intel ...

Review summary: The Panasonic HDC-HS100 is a fairly compact camcorder that still satisfies the demands of a video enthusiast. While the storage capacity (a 60GB internal hard drive) remains unchanged since the HDC-SD9, most of the internal features have been updated ...

Verdict: While the HDC-HS9 was designed for consumers looking for a compact, easy-to-use camcorder, the HS100 is built for semi-pros and people who want true control over their footage. The camera doesn't have the video quality of new models from Canon, Sony, ...

Review summary: The Panasonic HDC-HS100 is a fairly compact camcorder that still satisfies the demands of a video enthusiast. While the storage capacity (a 60GB internal hard drive) remains unchanged since the HDC-SD9, most of the internal features have been updated ...

Verdict: While the HDC-HS9 was designed for consumers looking for a compact, easy-to-use camcorder, the HS100 is built for semi-pros and people who want true control over their footage. The camera doesn't have the video quality of new models from Canon, Sony, ...

Review summary: The Panasonic HDC-HS100 ticks just about every box for a camcorder. It's compact but still grippable, while boasting a roomy hard drive. It sports a number of high-end features while still being a piece of cake to operate and benefitting from ...

Pros: Manual lens ring ; clever automatic settings ; excellent video

Cons: Some grain in low light

Verdict: Ticking every box -- compact frame, large capacity, high-end features -- the Panasonic HDC-HS100 delivers excellent high definition video in a package both acessible and powerful. The manual lens ring and viewfinder are nice touches in a very polished ...

Award: Recommended!

Review summary: James takes a closer look at Panasonic's hard disk-based HDC-HS100 camcorder.