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Panasonic HDC-HS300 Review

Author	James Morris
Published	7th Feb 2009
Manufacturer	Panasonic
Price	£851.30 (Exc VAT)
as reviewed	£979.00 (Inc VAT)
Latest Price	Click here

Features
Image Quality
Value
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Every other manufacturer has thrown in its lot, joined the crowd, and now uses a single, large CMOS sensor for high-end HD camcorder models. But Panasonic has continued its backing for the traditional, three-sensor approach to image quality. The HDC-SD100 and HS100 may have heralded an unexpected move from CCD to CMOS for Panasonic, but they still sported a trio. The HDC-HS300, our first taste of Panasonic's 2009 range announced at CES, sticks with the tripartite approach, too. But this time each one is bigger and of a higher resolution.

The previous generation of Panasonic 3MOS models used 1/6in sensors, each with less than the full pixel resolution required for Full HD. But the HS300 integrates three 1/4.1in CMOS sensors and each one has 3.05-megapixels. When shooting video, a letterbox of 2.05-megapixels within this is used, but still images get to use up to 7.95-megapixels.

So, on paper at least, the HS300 promises more detailed video and digital photography than any consumer Panasonic camcorder ever before. With a bit of interpolation, still images can be snapped at up to 3,984 x 2,656 pixels, although only when the camcorder is in photo mode. Otherwise, the upper limit is 3,840 x 2,160 pixels if you want to shoot video at the same time.

However, although the sensor system has had a major overhaul, the electronics behind it have remained essentially the same. Whereas Canon has updated its latest models such as the HF11 to support the top H.264 Main-Profile Level 4.1, which allows a 24Mbits/sec data rate, Panasonic has stuck with Level 4.0. This means the top data rate on offer is 17Mbits/sec, although we haven't been able to see much difference in quality between the two with consumer camcorders.

Since this is a Panasonic HDC-HSxxx camcorder, the HS300 uses a hard disk for recording. The capacity has been doubled over the HS100, from 60GB to 120GB, so now you can pack in 15 hours of footage even at the top quality setting. There's an SDHC card slot, too, and files can span between HDD and flash memory without having to stop the camcorder in between.

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Strutty said on 1st September 2009

As a very satisfied previous owner of an NV-GS400, I had been looking for an HD replacement for quite a while. I initially bought a Canon HF10, but found the video quality lacking,... more

Roy Philpott said on 10th September 2009

Can you tell me if it is possible to change the out put video from ntsc to pal or vice versa

Tony said on 13th October 2009

I need a Hi Def camcorder that will record OFF the Computer OONTO the camera Harddrive, then back again for making animated cartoons. Can anyone tell me if this can be done. I coul... more

Jack said on 30th October 2009

Hi James, I allready bought a HS300 in Summer this Year. Your review tell us all the benefits, they all true and I'm happy with the HS300, but I like to mention some cons:
A... more

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