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Home » Cameras » Camcorder » Panasonic HDC-TM300 » Video

Panasonic HDC-TM300 video review

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The Panasonic HDC-HS300 looked like a hard act to beat when we reviewed it, but the TM300 is an even more attractive package. The smaller video storage is balanced out by the reduced weight, and it's around £50 cheaper too. Although Canon's LEGRIA HF S10 and Sony HDR-XR520 are brilliant camcorders too, the former is considerably more expensive and the latter doesn't offer the TM300's manual control. If you're serious about your video making, the HDC-TM300 gets the balance just right between features, video quality and price. Read full review

Overall

9/10

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By James Morris
Reviewed 23 May 2009
Updated 26 May 2011

Price as reviewed

£879.95

  • Review
    • 1: Panasonic HDC-TM300
    • 2: Panasonic HDC-TM300
    • 3: Panasonic HDC-TM300
  • Video Review
  • User Reviews
  • Comments
  • Specs
  • 6 Photos
  • Reviewed by James Morris
  • 23 May 2009
Read the full Panasonic HDC-TM300 review
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Awards

  • Recommended by TR

Panasonic HDC-TM300 details

Value
8/10
Image Quality
10/10
Features
10/10
Overall
9/10

Price as reviewed

£879.95

Manufacturer

Panasonic

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Arash

5:56 PM on 23 May, 2009

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Hi James. Thanks for your thorough review. One question: Can you tell us which manual controls are deactivated/ unavailable when you use Digital Cinema mode? This was surprising to me, and I even downloaded the manual to see if there was any info on it, but to no avail. Thanks again!

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starbees

12:08 PM on 28 May, 2009

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Great review, very informative. Thanks. The question burning on mind and seemingly taking me back and forth in Deciding is:





If the price of the Panasonic HDC-TM300 where the same as the Canon HF S10 which one is better?





I am looking at purchasing one of these and live in China the price here for these cameras are very very similar not like in the UK, so it is not a clear cut decision.





Any thoughts and advice on this would be much appreciated. Great site, and great reviews - Thanks

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Louis4

8:16 PM on 29 May, 2009

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I was wondering the same thing as starbees. Which out of these two camcorders would you buy if they were the same price?

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James Morris

1:10 PM on 31 May, 2009

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Well, if they were the same price I would be very torn, and the choice would depend on my intended usage. Overall, the S10 shoots better video and has some compelling features. But its focus knob just isn't quite as friendly as a real lens ring. As I said in the review, you can't do focus pulling as a result - it's too slow and fiddly. So if you do want to perform this kind of camerawork trickery, the TM300 has to be your choice.

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philmurray

7:38 PM on 5 June, 2009

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Thanks for the review. I've downloaded the Operators Manual for the TM-300 and there are several warnings about NOT blocking the fan outlet. My understanding is that you cannot use the viewfinder (EVF) whilst the LCD is open. As one of the compelling reasons for purchasing this camera is the viewfinder, do you think that extended use of the EVF with the LCD closed i.e blocking the fan is likely to cause problems? Or is there a way of using the EVF with the LCD open?



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Thomas7

12:59 PM on 8 June, 2009

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Hello James,


Excellent review on all the camcorders I read thru on your site. I got this link from a friend & I read all the camcorder reviews posted since the beginning of this year. MUST say best of all the sites I had visited till date.


Back to my query, comparing the Canon LEGRIA HF S10 with Panasonic HDC-TM300GC, ignoring the price factor, please advise which one of these two are best on Features and Video Quality. I had been using the JVC GZ-HD6 since its launch & was quite happy with its video quality when compared with the models then launched by Sony, Panasonic & Canon. I badly need a switch-over from HDD to SDHC keeping rest of all the features at the optimum level. Greatly appreciate your assistance to give me just one shot… Go for “---“ Many Thanks & Regards, Tom.

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James Morris

12:01 AM on 10 June, 2009

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@philmurray As far as I know, there is no way of turning off the LCD when it is open. However, I've not noticed these camcorders getting very hot, particularly the TM300 - the Flash memory doesn't generate heat like a hard disk.





@Thomas Thanks very much for your kind words about our camcorder reviews! You won't entirely like my answer. From my testing, the Canon has marginally better image quality than the Panasonic, but the Panasonic has better features. It has a lens ring and full-sized accessory shoe. It's also cheaper in Europe. So if you want the best image quality and are willing to pay for it, go for the Canon. If you're willing to compromise on image quality (and, honestly, not very much) then the Panasonic TM300 would be the better (and cheaper) bet. Hope this helps!

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Thomas7

6:28 AM on 10 June, 2009

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Thanks very much James, I checked with both the agents here and the difference in price is just UKL50 more for Canon. I was a bit more concerned on night indoor / party recordings which from your review showed Canon better image quality where as Panasonic come with a 5.1 channel recording. James one last request, Is there any other model I should consider as the best performer under consumer camcorders before I finalize on Panasonic. Thanks & Regards, Thomas.

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James Morris

11:47 AM on 10 June, 2009

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@Thomas In this class, and restricting myself to models released this year, only Sony's HDR-XR520 is in the same league.

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Oleg

2:48 PM on 11 June, 2009

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Hi James,


Thank you for your very informative reviews. I am deciding between Panasonic TM 300 and canon HF 10.


Which of them would you say gives better overall video quality? I have red some bad reviews about Panasonic's low light performance... I really love Panasonic's look but all accessories are much more expensive that for older Canon... Which of them would you say lighter / handles better?





Thanks a lot.





Oleg

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