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Panasonic HDC-HS100

alaTest has collected and analyzed 62 reviews from magazines and websites. People really like the resolution and size. The image quality and portability also get good feedback, but there are some less positive views about the battery and features. Views are divided on the value for money.

usability, portability, image quality, size, resolution

design, features, battery

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Panasonic HDC-HS100 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 85/100 = Very good quality.

See all Panasonic Camcorders

Review analysis

(Based on 62 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (30% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (37% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (18% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (12% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (4% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Usability
  Show positive (73%)Show negative (5%)(Show all)
Portability
  Show positive (85%)None yet(Show all)
Image quality
  Show positive (63%)Show negative (4%)(Show all)
Value for money
  Show positive (25%)Show negative (29%)(Show all)
Design
  Show positive (29%)Show negative (43%)(Show all)
Size
  Show positive (82%)None yet(Show all)
Resolution
  Show positive (33%)None yet(Show all)
Color
  Show positive (31%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)
Viewfinder
  Show positive (40%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
Features
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
More features

Showing 54 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews
Showing 1 - 37 of 54 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (8)

Consumer review by:

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

alaTest has collected and analysed 9 user reviews of Panasonic HDC-HS100 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.9/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.1/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.co.uk.

value for money, usability, design, build quality, portability

78% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

This summary is based on the products: Panasonic HDC-HS100EBK Full HD Camcorder With New 3MOS Sensor System Records Direct To 60GB HDD or SD Card • Panasonic HDC-HS100EBK Full HD Camcorder With New 3MOS Sensor System Records Direct To 60GB HDD or SD Card

Consumer review by:

Amazon.com review summary for Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 18 user reviews of Panasonic HDC-HS100 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.com.

portability, image quality, usability, resolution, color

design, value for money

72% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

This summary is based on the product: Panasonic HDC-HS100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 60GB Hard Drive & 12x Optical Zoom

Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

Panasonic wisely halved the price of its formerly top-of-the-line twin AVCHD camcorders, the hard-drive-based Panasonic HDC-HS100 and flash-based HDC-SD100, after they'd only been on the market for about six months. Though they provide a decent manual...

Full set of manual controls; EVF

Middling video quality; some annoying design quirks

Though it has a nice feature set for the price, the Panasonic HDC-HS100 doesn't deliver the quality of video you expect from an HD camcorder in its price segment.

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100 HD Camcorder

 

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

Best-in-class handling and manual control

Flawed low-light performance ; Oversaturated color

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...

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

In our roundup of high-definition camcorders for our December 2008 print issue, we called the Panasonic HDC-HS9 a disappointment, mainly because of its lackluster image quality. I'm glad to say that the newer Panasonic HDC-HS100 HD camcorder is a...

Best-in-class handling and manual control

Flawed low-light performance ; Oversaturated color

Offers great usability and control, but its image quality is merely decent.

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100 Camcorder Review - Panasonic Hybrid Camcorders

 

The Panasonic HDC-HS100, though it was announced only a few weeks ago, is an anticipated camcorder. Many years ago, Panasonic ruled the roost for power users and budget videographers. The Panasonic PV-GS400 was the king of them all, so loaded with...

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

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...

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,...

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

The Panasonic HDC-HS100, though it was announced only a few weeks ago, is an anticipated camcorder. Many years ago, Panasonic ruled the roost for power users and budget videographers. The Panasonic PV-GS400 was the king of them all, so loaded with...

Read the full review

Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100 camcorder

 

The Panasonic HDC-HS100 camcorder is a better camera than it's predecessor the Panasonic HDC-HS9, with improved image quality and greater usability. H...

Compact size, lots of manual controls, optical image stabiliser

Unwieldy joystick interface, sub-par image quality, too expensive for what it offers

If the images from Panasonic's HDC-HS100 equalled its great handling and usability, this model would be a clear winner. The HS100 provides the best controls we've seen in a small HD camcorder, but the images lag behind those of AVCHD camcorders such as...

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100

 

The recent wave of affordable, tapeless HD camcorders has been very welcome, but somewhat lacking in features for video users previously accustomed to such things as manual focus rings, microphone inputs, dedicated outputs and viewfinders. Panasonic's...

The definitive high definition camera? A serious camera at an accessible price.

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100 HD review

 

However, the £799 Panasonic HDC-HS100 has only narrowed, not closed, the image-quality gap between its own video and that of the top HD camcorders in its class. If you disregard image quality, the HS100 is a clear winner - but it's hard to ignore a...

If the images from Panasonic's HDC-HS100 equaled the camcorder's great handling and usability, this model would be a clear winner. The HS100 provides the best controls we've seen in a small HD camcorder, but the images lag behind those of AVCHD...

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Expert review by:

Panasonic HDC-HS100 review

 

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...

Manual lens ring ; Clever automatic settings ; Excellent video

Some grain in low light

iA Intelligent Auto mode detects the scene in front of the camera, switching between landscape mode and so on, activating portrait mode and face recognition if it spots a face. We found this to be pretty reliable. Low light mode activates in darker...

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Product Specifications

HDC-HS100 is the AVCHD camcorder with a 3MOS system which provides superb video image quality. The hybrid HDC-HS100 records to both SD Memory Card and to its internal hard drive. It includes manual functions for the user wanting more precise control over zoom, focus, iris, shutter speed and white balance and also includes Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, an intuitive set of technologies that automatically activate, making video shooting an easy, seamless process.

Audio Input

Microphone Operation Mode:Surround
Microphone Technology:Electret condenser
Type:Microphone

Battery

Battery Form Factor:Manufacturer specific

Camcorder Features

High Definition Video Support:1080i
Low Lux / Night Mode: Yes
Widescreen Video Capture: Yes

Camera Flash

Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Type:Built-in flash

Digital Storage Media

Type:Hard disk drive

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:5.4in
Height:3in
Weight:14.8oz
Width:2.9in

Display (Projector)

Diagonal Size:2.7in
Diagonal Size (metric):6.9cm
Display Form Factor:Rotating
Technology:TFT active matrix
Type:LCD display

Header

Manufacturer:Panasonic
Model:HDC-HS100/HDC-HS100-K
Packaged Quantity:1
Product Line:Panasonic

Lens System

Lens Aperture:F/1.8-2.8
Max Focal Length:35.4mm
Min Focal Length:2.95mm
Optical Zoom:12
Type:Zoom lens

Miscellaneous

Color:Black

Optical Sensor

Camcorder Effective Still Resolution:0.52Megapixel
Camcorder Effective Video Resolution:520Kpix
Camcorder Sensor Resolution:610Kpix
Optical Sensor Size:1/6"
Optical Sensor Size (metric):4.2 mm ( 1/6 ) / 4.2 mm ( 1/6" )
Optical Sensor Type:3MOS
Sensor Qty:3CMOS

Optical System

Built-in Optical Image Stabilizer: Yes
Image Stabilizer:Optical (Advanced O.I.S.)

Storage Floppy Drive

Type: None

Video Input

Analog Video Format:NTSC
Digital Video Format:AVCHD
Digital Zoom:700
Face Detection: Yes
Media Type:Flash card / Hard disk drive/Hard disk drive
Shooting Modes:Digital photo mode
Still Image Format:JPEG
Type:Camcorder

Viewfinder

Viewfinder Color Support:Color
Viewfinder Type:LCD
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