Panasonic HC-V720

usability, price, portability, zoom, image quality

98% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

usability, portability, image quality, design, zoom

viewfinder

85% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

26x f/1.8-3.5 zoom lens. 20-megapixel still capture. Excellent image stabilization. 1080p60 video capture. Wi-Fi. Mic input.

Pricey. Limited battery life.

Video Quality and Conclusions The V720 uses an image sensor that is large for a camcorder. Others in this class use 1/5.8-inch sensors, but the V720 has a 1/2.3-inch chip, the same size that's found in point-and-shoot cameras. Video quality is...

It's hard to get excited about a camcorder that offers so few performance improvements, but bear with us, because the Panasonic HC-V720—like its predecessor—is a great deal.

Good image quality ; Comprehensive manual controls ; 5.1 surround sound

No headphone minijack

Aside from the single CMOS rather than three, the other key area where the HC-V720 offers a reduced feature set over the flagship HC-X920 is the lack of the multi-purpose lens ring. So most functions must be accessed via the 3in touch-screen LCD. There...

Excellent zoom ; Brilliant image stabilisation ; 1080p at 50fps ; Clever Wi-Fi features

Image quality could be better ; Menus often confusing ; Pretty expensive ; Limited controls for serious users

We like the Panasonic HC-V720, especially its Wi-Fi features, but we don’t like the cheap feel of the controls, particularly the zoom lever. We can forgive this, though, thanks to great image quality for the price, a 3MOS camera is far better but then...

Wi-Fi controlled via apps ; Arty effects and time-lapse mode ; Great zoom, even when hand-held

Short-lived kit battery

Top marks for footage, zoom and stabilisation, but bring a spare battery

More solid feel less plastic-y build than cheaper camcorder rivals, more comprehensive feature set

Broader dimensions means this unit sits less comfortably in the palm than narrower rivals, or is better suited to those with big hands

While the ‘core’ optical zoom here appears comparably modest at 21x, with a focal range stretching from a wide 28mm-729.6mm and a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, this can be digitally extended via what Panasonic calls its 50x ‘intelligent’ zoom, though...

Great to use fits my large hands.

None yet not had it that long.

Great to use fits my large hands

None yet not had it that long