Introduction

Audio

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The HDC-HS300 carries over the same excellent range of audio options that we saw on last generation's HDC-HS100. For audio recording, the HS300 comes equipped with a built-in 5.1-Channel Dolby Digital Surround microphone on the top of the camcorder, but also has a microphone input on the left side of the camcorder. There's an accessory shoe up top and a headphone jack for properly monitoring sound levels.

In addition to headphone monitoring, the HDC-HS100 has a mic level meter that appears on the LCD screen. Although this is a nice little tool to have, it doesn't contain enough steps for a truly accurate reading. Headphones are still the best way to attain a truly accurate reading.

The HDC-HS300 also has Zoom Mic capability, which enables the mic sensitivity to increase in tandem with the action of zooming in and out. A Focus setting concentrates all sound pickup on the area directly in front of the camcorder, which is ideal for talking head interviews. Lastly, Panasonic tacks on a Wind Cut feature for reducing noise on gently breezy days.

Compression & Media

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Video from the Panasonic HDC-HS300 is compressed in the AVCHD format. This is the same format used by most high definition camcorders last year, including Panasonic's high def lineup. When AVCHD was first developed by Panasonic and Sony, there was a lot of doubt as to whether the quality would live up to that of MiniDV's HDV format. Without bringing the HDC-HS300 into our labs, we can't really judge the video quality. However, results from last year's AVCHD lineup were more than satisfactory. It seems that the format is finally keeping pace with its HDV cousins.

There are four quality settings to choose from on the Panasonic HDC-HS300, each of which corresponds to a maximum bitrate and a resolution. The HA setting (17Mbps) and HG setting (13Mbps) record in full 1920 x 1080 at either 60i or 24p frame rates. The HX setting (9 Mbps) records full 1920 x 1080, but only at the 60i frame rate. The lowest setting, HE (6 Mbps), has a resolution of 1440 x 1080.

Media

The HDC-HS300 can record to either the internal hard drive or SD/SDHC memory cards. There is also a step-down model, the HDC-TM300, which is identical to the HS300 except it records to internal flash memory or SD/SDHC cards.

Editing

This year, Panasonic is emphasizing its new support for the Apple MacIntosh operating system, including compatibility with iMovie. Panasonic joins Samsung and Sanyo as the only major manufacturers promoting Apple support for their camcorder line.

The HDC-HS300 also ships with the HD Writer AE 1.0 editing software. This allows you to import video, perform simple editing, and output finished movies to high definition or standard definition DVD or memory cards. We haven't had the opportunity to test out the new software, but we hope that it's more detailed and intuitive than the version of HD Writer that shipped with last year's high definition models.

Manual Controls

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The HDC-HS300 includes a number of features that Panasonic groups into its Intelligent Auto (iA) mode. The star of the show is Panasonic's new AF/AE tracking technology. This feature was one of the driving forces behind Panasonic switching over to touch screen controls. With AF/AE tracking, the user selects a subject on the touch screen and the camcorder will adjust focus and exposure for that subject, even as the subject moves within the frame.

Another iA feature is Face Framing, Panasonic's face detection technology, which can be set to off, primary, and all. When set to 'all,' the framing can detect up to 15 faces in all.

The last element of Panasonic's iA technology is the Advanced O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization), which can be selected for use with video or still photography.

Low Light Modes

The HDC-HS300 includes a rather drastic low light mode called 'MagicPix' as well as an auto slow shutter mode. Auto slow shutter allows the user to adjust shutter speed down to 1/30 when recording in 60i and 1/24 in 24p.

Scene Modes

Another iA feature is Intelligent Scene Selector, which asks the camcorder to analyze the shooting conditions and automatically switches the camcorder into the appropriate scene mode. A scene mode can also be selected manually when not in iA mode. Options are represented by common icons, but you can also bring up tool tips that will explain each available scene mode. Choices include: Portrait, Snow, Twilight, Sports, Spotlight, Beach, Fireworks.

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****Zoom**

Zoom on the HDC-HS300 can be controlled by three different methods: the tradition top-mounted zoom toggle, a secondary zoom toggle located on the LCD panel, and the lens ring. This year, Panasonic has moved away from the sliding zoom switch and has integrated a more familiar rocking zoom toggle. The new toggle is much more responsive than the old design.

Zooming with the lens ring seems alluring in practice, but the HS300 is riddled with the same problem we saw on the HS100: the placement of the flash interrupts a smooth 360-degree turn of the ring. Considering there are just two features attached to the lens ring now, it's disappointing that the manual zoom isn't integrated better.

When zooming, the LCD screen provides both the exact zoom ratio (in whole numbers) and a progress bar to give you a sense of where you are in the zoom range.

Zoom Ratio

The Panasonic HDC-HS300 comes equipped with a 12x optical zoom and 30x-700x digital zoom.

Focus

The HDC-HS300's manual focus lens ring is an exact replica of the excellent focus tool on last year's HDC-HS100 and SD100. Near the front of the lens is a switch for toggling the lens ring's function between zoom and focus. Now that the other manual controls have been all but removed from the lens ring, switching between zoom and focus is easy and intuitive.

While focusing, the HDC-HS300 offers the same excellent assistance tool that we saw on last year's models. 'MF Assist' enables a blue box to appear whenever you're in Manual Focus mode. The box will display a zoomed version of the center of your screen, allowing you to better focus on your subject. We found this to be very handy, but it can be turned off in the Administrative menu.

Using the ring for focus is an elegant process—far better than the joysticks or touch screens seen on the competition. It allows you to make very fine adjustments or smoothly transition from one focus to another. Combining this with the MF Assist tool makes for a robust manual focus experience.

Exposure

Exposure is controlled in the same way that it was on last year's models. Simple exposure adjustments and direct aperture control are both possible on the HDC-HS300, though each is implemented differently. Exposure is available under the 'Picture Adjust' option in the Record Setup submenu. We were, again, disappointed to see such a simple option buried in the menus. Canon gives you up to 23 increments of exposure control just three button pushes away. The HDC-HS300 gives you just 11 increments (a scale from -5 to +5) and the option inside a submenu, which is on the second page of a submenu.

We had hoped that Panasonic would move Exposure control onto its multi-function lens ring, but the company has instead removed controls from the ring during LCD operation, leaving only focus and zoom and moving everything else to touch screen controls.

The HDC-HS300 also has Backlight Compensation and an intelligent contrast control (iExposure) feature that adjusts for scenes with high contrast, to prevent blown out highlights and blocked shadows.

Aperture

Aperture, referred to as 'Iris' by Panasonic, is no longer primarily controlled by by the multi-function lens ring. When the LCD is open, the iris appears as an option within the Function menu, which is adjusted via the touch screen. When you've exhausted your options for aperture by bringing it to a fully open position, you can further boost the exposure by increasing gain (explained in the Gain section, below). If you'd like to use the lens ring to adjust aperture, you'll need to close the LCD and use the viewfinder instead.

Though we weren't using a final version of the product, we imagine iris control will look very similar to the interface on last year's model. On the HDC-HS100, the left side of the screen, displayed the shutter speed, aperture, and gain, all next to a live histogram, which gives a very convenient overview of exposure for the entire shot. In the center of the screen was a small square, which indicated the luminance for that portion of the shot in a percentage from 0 - 100%. This built-in light meter and histogram were very handy for getting the perfect exposure for your shot. If you find them distracting, the histogram and luminance meter can be turned off.

The aperture range includes: f/1.8 (Open), f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, and f/16.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed can be independently adjusted from within the Function menu. This was one of the features that used to be controlled via the multi-function lens ring and is now operated mainly by the touch screen. The default shutter speeds available include: 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, and 1/8000. The touch screen is an adequate method for adjusting shutter speed, but we miss the responsiveness of using the lens ring—and the ability to adjust shutter speed without blocking the image on the LCD with your fingers. You can still use the lens ring to adjust shutter speed, but only when you close the LCD and use the viewfinder.

There are also two settings that can open up a slightly wider range of options for shutter speed. Turning on Auto Slow Shutter will provide you with an additional option of a 1/30th shutter speed. Switching to 24P Digital Cinema mode will add 1/48th as an option. If you have both Auto Slow Shutter and 24P Digital Cinema mode activated, you can access the lowest possible shutter speed of 1/24th.

White Balance

White balance has also shifted from the lens ring to the Function menu of the touch screen. Entering this feature will allow you to access a variety of pre-programmed white balance settings. Options include: Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Indoor 1 (incandescent), Indoor 2 (color fluorescent), and Manual. Removing the manual white balance from the lens ring was a move in a very positive direction, as last year's HDC-HS300 was convoluted and unintuitive. Like shutter speed and iris, you can adjust white balance with the lens ring if you close the LCD and rely on the viewfinder instead.

Gain

Panasonic is the only manufacturer of consumer camcorders to offer a manual gain control. As with the HDC-HS100, gain is part of a larger feature called 'Iris,' which combines aperture and gain to give the user greater control over the light in their footage. Unfortunately, combining these two features into one means that you can only increase gain once the aperture is fully opened—you won't be able to increase depth of field and gain at the same time. You won't find this kind of limitation on pro camcorders, but it's meant as a protective measure to prevent the user from making their footage too grainy.

Despite the minor limitation, it is nice to have gain control. The live histogram and luminance tools are available and in very dark scenes (where one would usually want to boost gain), you'll want the aperture fully opened anyway. Available gain settings include: 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB, and 18dB.

Color & Image Control

Other Manual Controls

The HDC-HS300 has a number of manual controls, all hidden in various levels of the menus and submenus. It's not an intuitive system, especially for beginner wanting to experiment with a variety of manual adjustments. You'll find manual options in the Funtion menu, the Record Setup submenu, and the Picture Adjust submenu of the Record Setup submenu.

Still Features

The HDC-HS300 offers a surprisingly robust range of still features. Panasonic has really upped the ante this year to release a genuine video-still hybrid. Users can do simultaneous still capture while in video mode, though only in the 16:9 aspect ratio with 8.3 or 2.1 megapixels. You can also create a 2.1-megapixel still picture from an already recorded video clip.

In dedicated still photo mode, however, the HDC-HS300 really shines. There are ten different sizes available, all the way up to 10.6 megapixels. There is a self-timer, flash with adjustable brightness, redeye reduction, and auto focus assist lamp.

The flash on the HDC-HS300.

Handling & Use

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There are a lot of proponents of touch screens in the camcorder industry; as more consumers become comfortable with a touch screen interface, it becomes more intuitive to simply touch the option you want on the LCD. For Panasonic, the incorporation of the touch screen feature came hand-in-hand with a new flagship feature: the AF/AE Tracking tool. There are things we don't like about touch screens (like greasy fingerprints and lagging interfaces), but we can't deny that they are generally easy to use.

For a high-end high definition camcorder, the HDC-HS300 does seem to be easy to use. The lens ring is a natural method for controlling focus or zoom and the Intelligent Auto (iA) mode can take control of all the shooting specifics for a more streamlined experience. The mode dial makes it simple to switch between video, still photos, and playback. The only real drawback to the HS300's user experience is the convoluted menu system. Focus and zoom are on the lens ring, white balance, shutter speed, and iris are on the Function menu, and a slew of other options are in Record Setup, while three others (sharpness, color, and exposure) are buried even further in the menus.

Handling

The lens ring and viewfinder make the HDC-HS300 larger than most consumer camcorders on the market today. However, these features also make the camcorder more appealing for experienced videographers. Despite the slightly increased size, the HDC-HS300 handles very well. The hand strap is comfortable and stable and the extendable viewfinder makes shooting on a bright day a much more pleasant experience.

The various buttons and switches are sturdy and responsive. The lens ring and zoom toggle are particularly smooth and just plain fun to use. We can't help but be disappointed that the other manual controls are only available on the lens ring when you shut the LCD and use the viewfinder alone. The big question, of course, is whether Panasonic's new touch screen will live up to expectations. The model we used was a little finicky and showed a great deal of lag when cycling through menus, but we hope to see these wrinkles ironed out when the final model ships.

Portability

Measuring 70mm x 73mm x 141mm (2.75 x 2.88 x 5.54-inches) and weighing 460g (1.01lb), the HDC-HS300 is essentially the same size as last year's HDC-HS100. The added bit of length is thanks to the extendable viewfinder. This is not the type of camcorder that can be pocketed easily, but expensive camcorders deserve a camera bag anyway. Since the HDC-HS300 records primarily to an enormous internal HDD, there's no need to clutter the bag with DVDs and tapes. You will need to tote the AC adapter around no matter where you go, thanks to the DC jack being lodged within the battery chamber. You can't operate the camcorder and charge the battery at the same time.

Battery

Battery life on hard drive camcorders tends to be significantly shorter than on solid state camcorders—we'll have the final word on battery life when we've gotten the HDC-HS300 into our labs. The biggest disappointment with these Panasonic camcorders is the inability to operate the camcorder and charge the battery at the same time. We're happy to see the AV ports removed from the battery cavity, but we'll still wait with baited breath for Panasonic to remove that DC input as well.

*The battery compartment doesn't hold any AV ports,

but it still has that pesky DC input hidden in there.*

LCD & Viewfinder

The HDC-SD300 again sports a 2.7-inch LCD, which flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. Resolution is 230,400 pixels, which is actually slightly less than the 300,000-pixel resolution from last year's model. There are two settings that will allow you to alter the display: an LCD Set function for adjusting the color or brightness of the screen and the Power LCD Plus feature for brightening the LCD screen up to two steps. Either setting will alter your perception of what your images look like, so it may interfere with attaining the most accurate shot possible.

The big change this year is Panasonic's switch over to touch screen controls, which will likely grease-up the screen. It's a problem we've seen with Sony for years, but in the wake of so many new touch screen consumer tech devices, maybe people won't be as bothered.

Panasonic also returns with a viewfinder for the HDC-HS300. The viewfinder does not pivot, but it does extend outward. Videophiles can rejoice, as the viewfinder will come in handy on outdoor shoots when the sun is blasting a glare on the LCD screen. Using the EVF is also the only way to get those manual controls back onto the lens ring.

 
Menus

Menus are now operated entirely by touch screen. Unfortunately, Panasonic hasn't done much to improve the organization of the menu system. Some features are located in the Function menu, while others are in the main menu. Within the main menu, there is a Record Setup submenu, which holds further submenus. There is also a quick menu that has some of the more popular functions, though all are represented by inscrutable icons.

 

Playback & Connectivity

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The HDC-HS300 has the same playback mode as its predecessor. An Index screen will appear containing a series of icons representing individually recorded video clips. In order to access stills, select the photo tab via the touch screen. An identical screen will appear, only with icons that represent still images.

An Intelligent Scene Detection mode is available, which functions by automatically weeding out all scenes that the camcorder deems are unusable (poor exposure, shaky, out of focus, etc.). This is useful for scenes that were accidentally recorded while walking around, unaware that the Record button was engaged. You can also browse for scenes by Date, which will come in handy if you have hundreds of clips to wade through.

Connectivity

The HDC-HS300 has a wide variety of available ports. The most exciting feature, however, is Panasonic's better-late-than-never decision to move the HDMI and USB ports into the LCD cavity. Hiding them under the battery was one of our least favorite features of the 2008 lineup.

Other Features

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Fades

To bypass basic post production transitions, you can apply Faders to your video clips. Choose between black or white fade-ins and fade-outs.

Auto Ground Directional Standby (AGS)

You know those times when you think the camcorder is in standby mode, but it's really recording your entire foot travel route in all its jittery and seizure-inducing glory? When Auto Ground Directional Standby (AGS) mode is activated, the HDC-HS300 will automatically power off when it senses a drop from its typical upright recording position.

Pre-Record

To prevent missing out on golden footage, or at least the first three seconds of it, select Pre-Record. When Pre-Record is engaged, the HDC-HS300 will continuously record three second loops of video to an internal cache, in a cyclical process. When the Record button is pressed, the last three seconds of video are tacked onto the beginning of the new clip.

Advanced O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization)

Part of Panasonic's iA technology is their optical image stabilization, which reduces the effect of hand shake while capturing video or still images.

 

Conclusion

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Panasonic has definitely packed in some intriguing new features. The AF/AE Tracking tool seems to be a good motivator for the switch over to touch screen controls and the new sensor shows real promise of fixing the noise woes from last year's HDC-HS100. We can't help but be surprised (and relieved) to see that Panasonic finally removed the HMDI and USB ports from their hidden location within the battery cavity.

These improvements, however, are not without their disappointments. One of the best features from last year's HDC-HS100 and HDC-SD100 was the multi-function lens ring, which controlled zoom, focus, white balance, shutter speed, and iris. This year, the lens ring only controls zoom and focus if you're using the LCD. Sure, there were some aspects of the lens ring that weren't well incorporated, but the ability to operate manual adjustments via the lens ring was a powerful tool for experienced users—a tool that's now only available when the LCD is closed and you use the viewfinder exclusively. Moving these options onto the touch screen seems to be a real downgrade, providing a more intuitive yet less precise and responsive experience. The touch screen on the show floor model was sluggish and the menus were poorly organized. Hopefully the HDC-HS300 will feature performance improvements that make up for changes to user interface.

 

 

 

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