Panasonic HDC-TM300

The next generation in camcorders is here. Now you can record in glorious high definition, and the Panasonic HDC-TM300 is one of several on offer from the lovely people at Panasonic. This is a mid to top end unit, and it is quite pricey. However, it is one of the latest on offer and the lab coated technical people at Panasonic have gone to great pains to rid their camcorders of some of the more irritating technologies, like their CMOS sensors which were always disappointingly low resolution, and brought in some bang up to date replacements, including the introduction of a touch screen. This means that we were eager to get our sticky hands on the HDC-TM300 and have a play so we can let you know what we think, and you can decide whether this could be the camcorder you are looking for or whether this just doesn’t make the grade for you.

Panasonic HDC-TM300 Camcorder

Design

This is one of the smaller camcorders on offer from Panasonic, although not the smallest. It weighs less than 1lb which is a definite plus when you are out and about, and at 2.83″ x 2.75″ x 5.54″ is sure to fit neatly into a pocket or bag, so this really is portable. Looks wise, it is nothing spectacular. It is neat and tidy, with a hand strap on one side and the open out screen on the other side. The unit is black but we feel somewhat spoilt by the vast amount of information and branding that is printed on it, as this actually gives it a much older look. For a modern camcorder we think they could have done better. The black and red together just made us think of the older brick styling and we were frankly disappointed.

Actual user review:
“I bought this HD video camera and so far I am really enjoying it. I wanted a 3 CCD Camera for the longest time and I think 3 chips give better color depth than single chip ccds. This particular camera is HD specifically AVCHD and gives me full 1080 X 1920 in the AG mode. The video quality is fantastic when I connected it to my Sharp HD LCD TV. I shot in low light and the video is fine, In the daytime low light is better than night time low light; the best is outdoors daytime, especially the spring colors came out pretty good. The touchscreen is pretty good for choosing the clips I want and deleting the clips I don’t want. There are lots of features in the main menu and the quick menu is good for choosing the recording mode such as high res etc. The camcorder is pretty light and my 10 year old daughter feels it is pretty light and she too loves it. I like the lens as it is bigger than the lens on cheaper cameras and it closes automatically – no more losing the lens cap!” – H.Hayman (NJ,USA)

Functionality

Putting our views on looks aside, we were keen to test the functionality, as this is of course the important bit. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 has an internal 32GB memory which is pretty impressive, and we certainly wouldn’t expect to see any less for this money. There is an SD slot, meaning that you can get even more memory when needed or separate your recordings into categories depending on what suits you best. It doesn’t however come with a card, so you will have to buy one if you need it.

We were a little disappointed with the touch screen as it failed to respond to our pressing even when we started to jab at it in frustration, yet other times it responded to the lightest touch first time. However, once we wrestled the touch screen into the settings we wanted we were away, recording in fantastic high definition, which really is an excellent idea and we are glad that manufacturers are releasing cameras with HD capability. The 3MOS that replaced the much hated and slated dubious CMOS is actually excellent, so we are very glad they replaced it. The images certainly were captured with outstanding clarity and resolution, making excellent definition between the light and the dark, and not losing detail in shadowy areas.

The Panasonic HDC-TM300 features iA which translates to ‘intelligent auto’, and we can only assume there is a little ‘i’ and a capital ‘A’ because someone in marketing thinks it looks cool. We didn’t buy it – we just thought it was a bit odd! However, that said iA is responsible for automatically changing some of the settings to make sure you are filming in optimum conditions. It features a tracking function which can ‘lock on’ to the subject and follow them, which definitely improves the recording and means that you are less likely to end up with poorly lit images in a dull background. The playback leaves you smiling rather than disappointed that the moment has passed, and the recording you have is less than satisfactory.

Conclusion

Overall we really enjoyed playing with the Panasonic HDC-TM300, and this is certainly a vast leap in terms of performance for Panasonic. For once it seems a manufacturer actually listened to its critics, as all the things we loathed about the older Panasonic camcorders have been removed. If they could improve their touch screen and drag their styling up into the 21st century then this really would be bang on the money. As it stands, this isn’t going to win any beauty contests; however, we would probably buy it if we happened to have the spare cash, as the actual video recording capabilities are excellent. That is, unless something a little bit sexier caught our eye and lured us away, especially if the performance was comparable.

Average User Rating:

• “I bought this camcorder to replace a Sony DSR-PD170. I needed to switch to from miniDV/DVCAM to HD, and in the process I wanted to go to flash media. There are very few choices right now. This is the only 3-sensor consumer camcorder using flash media I could find. The quality is good, and I would say it’s at the top of the consumer camcorder heap at this point. AVCHD is great for good quality with a very small file size, but make sure your editing software can handle the MTS format. Panasonic supplies a utility that gives you some preformatting options when you download your video from the camera, but I’m not using it. So is the Panasonic HDC-TM300 a pro camcorder? Not hardly. Is it a prosumer camcorder? Not really. But it’s a good choice if you want good quality HD video at a low price (compared to pro camcorders). The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is a really great consumer camcorder that’s well-worth the price.” – R.Reece (GA,USA)
• “This camera has amazing color saturation. The 3 chip sensor design can be attributed to that. I have 2 Canon GL-2 cameras and their color with the 3 chip design had awesome color. That 3 chip design is what pointed me to this camera as no other HD cameras by other vendors. The 10 mega pixel picture mode is nice too but is a little slow in processing the shot after the button is pushed. The camera is small and the only thing I added that makes it a little bigger is a wide angle view lens. I highly recommend this add-on because it does lack a wide enough angle for indoor shooting. The flash works great but not with the wide angle lens as it is so large that it covers the flash. Panasonic does not provide any AVCHD support for Mac (but does for Windows) in that there is not an app on the software CD that will transfer the video files to your computer. iMovie and Final Cut Pro/Express work for pulling in video but you cannot simply copy the media from the card to the hard drive.” – B.D.Lackey (CO,USA)

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