Panasonic debuts HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700 1080p camcorders (updated)
By Paul Miller 
posted February 9th 2010 11:00PM
posted February 9th 2010 11:00PM
Still have pricing on the brain? Panasonic is spilling the price beans on its HDC-TM55 ($530), HDC-HS60 ($700), HDC-SD60 ($500) camcorders, plus even the piddling little SDR-HD85 ($350), SDR-T50 ($270) and SDR-S50 ($250) shooters. All of these were announced back at CES and will be available by the middle of March.
Update: Amazon UK has revealed a price and expected arrival date for the HS700. Priced at £1,199 ($1,873), the camcorder is listed as scheduled for a March 1 release, so there won't be much of a wait for the wealthy among us [Thanks, Ron].
PANASONIC'S NEW 3MOS HD CAMCORDERS PRODUCE TRUE-TO-LIFE COLOR AND EXCEL IN LOW-LIGHT ENVIRONMENTS
New 35mm Wide-Angle Leica Lenses, 18x Intelligent Zoom and Manual Controls Make HS700 and TM700 Perfect for Professional-Quality Video Shooting
SECAUCUS, NJ (February 9, 2010) – Panasonic today introduces two additions to its 2010 line of camcorders, the Panasonic HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700, both Full High Definition (HD) 3MOS camcorders with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The new Panasonic HD camcorders combine 1080/60p recording – allowing them to capture expressive video without detail loss or Moiré pattern – with an advanced 3MOS system that produces vivid, true-to-life colors and excels in darkly-lit environments. The new HDC-HS700, records both to its large 240 GB* Hard Disk Drive or to an SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card. The HDC-TM700 has 32 GB of built-in memory as well as capability to record to SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards, and is the successor to last year's popular and award-winning HDC-TM300. Both models have a 35mm wide-angle Leica lens and a manual ring for creative flexibility.
"For video enthusiasts looking for a feature-rich, high-performing, yet affordable High Definition Camcorder, Panasonic's new TM700 and HS700 3MOS models will be a hit this year," said Chris Rice, Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Last year's TM300 was extremely popular and won several honors and awards for its video quality and performance, so with the improvements we have made with the TM700/HS700, including extended zoom, wider-angles and a more advanced image stabilization system, we are excited to give consumers the ideal tool they need to capture their memories with superb quality."
The high-sensitivity 3MOS system provides an effective video image pixel count of 7,590,000 pixels (2,530,000 pixels x 3) and separates the light received through the lens into the three primary colors – red, green and blue – processing each independently. The sensor shoots 14.2-megapixel still images (in Still Image mode) and 13.3-megapixel still images from recorded video. Even with this high pixel count, newly developed technology increases sensitivity and reduces noise by one-half to achieve vivid images with minimal noise. As a result, Panasonic's 3MOS system enables excellent color reproduction, high resolution, rich gradation, and lets the user capture vividly colored images in bright or darkly-lit places.
The Panasonic HDC-TM700 and HDC-HS700 HD camcorders feature the newly designed, large-diameter F1.5 (46mm) Leica Dicomor lens, which provides the superb image rendering and not only suppresses ghosts and flare, but also minimizes the distortion and degradation of contrast and resolution. In addition, its 35mm** wide-angle capability makes it ideal for many different shooting situations, such as self-portraits, group photos, and landscape shots.
Both models feature a 12x optical zoom lens, which is further enhanced by Intelligent Resolution Technology to extend the zoom to an 18x Intelligent Zoom. The Intelligent Zoom corrects image degradation in ordinary digital zooming, extending the camera's zoom ration to approximately 1.3x, while maintaining the image quality, thus delivering stunningly clear full-HD images***.
Both models feature a 3.0" touch-screen LCD that allows users to navigate by selecting icons on the display. These models also have a manual ring allowing creative flexibility, so users have intuitive control of the zoom, focus, aperture, shutter speed and white balance. An Electronic View Finder, earphone terminal and microphone terminal allow for even more control. The HDC-HS700 records to its 240 GB HDD, which can store 102 hours of recording (in HE mode). When combined with Panasonic's new 64 GB SDXC Memory Card, the camcorder provides an additional recording time of 27 hours and 30 minutes. The HDC-TM700 has a 32 GB built-in memory for 13 hours and 40 minutes of recording (in HE mode).
Other features of the Panasonic HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700 include:
Power O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) – Uses gyro sensors to detect hand-shake to reduce blurring. When the camcorder is held, it moves at low frequency due to the breathing of the operator or other slight movement. POWER O.I.S. corrects even the slightest movement approximately five times more effectively than the previous version.
iA (Intelligent Auto) – Function that automatically selects the most suitable shooting mode at the press of a button, and this year iA adds Face Recognition, which finds the faces of registered people and automatically optimizes the focus and exposure for them. In addition, the camcorder continues to track this subject as the person moves anywhere within the LCD frame. Up to six faces can be registered.
Smile Shot – Feature that automatically takes a still photo during video recording when it detects a smiling face.
5.1-Channel Surround Sound System with Zoom Microphone – Uses five microphones so when voices/sounds recorded from front, right, left and back are played back on a 5.1-channel home theatre system, viewers are surrounded by clear, detailed sound. The Zoom Microphone lets users zoom the sound only to hear the subject while continuing to record a wide-angle shot.
Wind Noise Canceller – An evolution from the previous wind noise reduction system, this advanced function automatically detects and suppresses wind noise only, to ensure only the natural sounds of the shooting environment remain.
Auto Power LCD – Automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD screen according to the shooting environment. In dark places, the screen brightness is reduced to 1/3 the normal level to minimize the possibility of disturbing nearby people. In bright outdoor places, the screen brightness is increased to twice the normal level.
Pricing and availability for the Panasonic HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date. Both will be available in black.
* GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Usable capacity will be less.
** 35mm-lens equivalent.
*** Approximately 810 TV lines. 1920 horizontal pixels x 1080 vertical pixels.
Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.
About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a market and technology leader in High Definition television, is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company's Eco Ideas programs. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.
For more than 20 years, Panasonic has been proud to support the Olympic Movement as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category and, beginning in 2009, in the Digital Imaging category as well. Panasonic has also renewed its partnership with the International Olympic Committee for an additional eight years through the 2016 Summer Games. For more information, visit http://panasonic.net/olympic/.
New 35mm Wide-Angle Leica Lenses, 18x Intelligent Zoom and Manual Controls Make HS700 and TM700 Perfect for Professional-Quality Video Shooting
SECAUCUS, NJ (February 9, 2010) – Panasonic today introduces two additions to its 2010 line of camcorders, the Panasonic HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700, both Full High Definition (HD) 3MOS camcorders with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The new Panasonic HD camcorders combine 1080/60p recording – allowing them to capture expressive video without detail loss or Moiré pattern – with an advanced 3MOS system that produces vivid, true-to-life colors and excels in darkly-lit environments. The new HDC-HS700, records both to its large 240 GB* Hard Disk Drive or to an SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card. The HDC-TM700 has 32 GB of built-in memory as well as capability to record to SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards, and is the successor to last year's popular and award-winning HDC-TM300. Both models have a 35mm wide-angle Leica lens and a manual ring for creative flexibility.
"For video enthusiasts looking for a feature-rich, high-performing, yet affordable High Definition Camcorder, Panasonic's new TM700 and HS700 3MOS models will be a hit this year," said Chris Rice, Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Last year's TM300 was extremely popular and won several honors and awards for its video quality and performance, so with the improvements we have made with the TM700/HS700, including extended zoom, wider-angles and a more advanced image stabilization system, we are excited to give consumers the ideal tool they need to capture their memories with superb quality."
The high-sensitivity 3MOS system provides an effective video image pixel count of 7,590,000 pixels (2,530,000 pixels x 3) and separates the light received through the lens into the three primary colors – red, green and blue – processing each independently. The sensor shoots 14.2-megapixel still images (in Still Image mode) and 13.3-megapixel still images from recorded video. Even with this high pixel count, newly developed technology increases sensitivity and reduces noise by one-half to achieve vivid images with minimal noise. As a result, Panasonic's 3MOS system enables excellent color reproduction, high resolution, rich gradation, and lets the user capture vividly colored images in bright or darkly-lit places.
The Panasonic HDC-TM700 and HDC-HS700 HD camcorders feature the newly designed, large-diameter F1.5 (46mm) Leica Dicomor lens, which provides the superb image rendering and not only suppresses ghosts and flare, but also minimizes the distortion and degradation of contrast and resolution. In addition, its 35mm** wide-angle capability makes it ideal for many different shooting situations, such as self-portraits, group photos, and landscape shots.
Both models feature a 12x optical zoom lens, which is further enhanced by Intelligent Resolution Technology to extend the zoom to an 18x Intelligent Zoom. The Intelligent Zoom corrects image degradation in ordinary digital zooming, extending the camera's zoom ration to approximately 1.3x, while maintaining the image quality, thus delivering stunningly clear full-HD images***.
Both models feature a 3.0" touch-screen LCD that allows users to navigate by selecting icons on the display. These models also have a manual ring allowing creative flexibility, so users have intuitive control of the zoom, focus, aperture, shutter speed and white balance. An Electronic View Finder, earphone terminal and microphone terminal allow for even more control. The HDC-HS700 records to its 240 GB HDD, which can store 102 hours of recording (in HE mode). When combined with Panasonic's new 64 GB SDXC Memory Card, the camcorder provides an additional recording time of 27 hours and 30 minutes. The HDC-TM700 has a 32 GB built-in memory for 13 hours and 40 minutes of recording (in HE mode).
Other features of the Panasonic HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700 include:
Power O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) – Uses gyro sensors to detect hand-shake to reduce blurring. When the camcorder is held, it moves at low frequency due to the breathing of the operator or other slight movement. POWER O.I.S. corrects even the slightest movement approximately five times more effectively than the previous version.
iA (Intelligent Auto) – Function that automatically selects the most suitable shooting mode at the press of a button, and this year iA adds Face Recognition, which finds the faces of registered people and automatically optimizes the focus and exposure for them. In addition, the camcorder continues to track this subject as the person moves anywhere within the LCD frame. Up to six faces can be registered.
Smile Shot – Feature that automatically takes a still photo during video recording when it detects a smiling face.
5.1-Channel Surround Sound System with Zoom Microphone – Uses five microphones so when voices/sounds recorded from front, right, left and back are played back on a 5.1-channel home theatre system, viewers are surrounded by clear, detailed sound. The Zoom Microphone lets users zoom the sound only to hear the subject while continuing to record a wide-angle shot.
Wind Noise Canceller – An evolution from the previous wind noise reduction system, this advanced function automatically detects and suppresses wind noise only, to ensure only the natural sounds of the shooting environment remain.
Auto Power LCD – Automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD screen according to the shooting environment. In dark places, the screen brightness is reduced to 1/3 the normal level to minimize the possibility of disturbing nearby people. In bright outdoor places, the screen brightness is increased to twice the normal level.
Pricing and availability for the Panasonic HDC-HS700 and HDC-TM700 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date. Both will be available in black.
* GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Usable capacity will be less.
** 35mm-lens equivalent.
*** Approximately 810 TV lines. 1920 horizontal pixels x 1080 vertical pixels.
Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.
About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), a market and technology leader in High Definition television, is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company's Eco Ideas programs. Information about Panasonic products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.
For more than 20 years, Panasonic has been proud to support the Olympic Movement as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category and, beginning in 2009, in the Digital Imaging category as well. Panasonic has also renewed its partnership with the International Olympic Committee for an additional eight years through the 2016 Summer Games. For more information, visit http://panasonic.net/olympic/.
Didn't they hear? Canon 550D is $799.
DSLR video is a nice secondary feature, but you don't seriously believe that the feature set compares to that of a dedicated video camera, do you?
@Evan I have a 500D for recording and I think it was very much worth it. I love it because it actually focuses on one thing and blurs the background for a more movie feel. You cant get that on most camcorders. Although the feature set is not much, what do you really need that isn't already on an editing program on a computer? [Final Cut, Vegas]
@Evan
Actually I do.
Many big commercials have used the 7D and 5DmkII. It's a far far better option than traditional cam corders. You get the sensor, and the lenses.
@BUNT2 I agree. Playback on my Mac seems so much like a commercial. Beautiful color, great focus, an all around good camera.
@BUNT2
Lol, well if you are going to compare apples to oranges maybe...but if you compare camera/lens setups in the same price range as the 5dmkii, the dedicated camera wins every time pal.
@Evan Sorry, but you are totally wrong. There isn't a single camera at that price point that comes close to the quality. That's why they're being used. The cheapest 'proper' video camera is the RED
@Evan
And what do you do for a job?
@BUNT2 A dedicated camcorder is still better for run and gun shooting.
@BUNT2
So, which features listed here does the Canon DSLR have again?
They seem like entirely different products.
@Badison
Well the features of this camera that a dslr doesn't have are:
Image stabilization = crap
5.1 sound = lol, again crap, that's a joke in itself.
1080 at 60p = actually really good - for slow motion only.
Other than that, canon is better at everything this offers.
@BUNT2
It sounds like you have an axe to grind.
This camcorder might not be for you, but I sure it will be fine for others.
Oh, and does the Canon have 240GB of built-in recording space?
This gives a nice upgrade path for people looking into 7D and 5D video.
@Steve Jobs Jr
Uh yea, for $300 I think you could get sufficient CF card storage.
@magic6435 = Dense.
@Evan
There's nothing in the dedicated video department that can offer the versatility of the 5D MKII at this price point. The assortment of lens options alone is enough to persuad anybody looking for creative control.
@andylaiphoto
7D makes more sense then a 5Dii for filming. Full frame is too big. Thats why the new rebel at a quarter of the price of the 5D is looking sexy
@BUNT2
Not sure where you get off calling someone dense. Maybe you like shooting video on a dslr, maybe you do it for a living, maybe you're spielberg.
But is it so hard to imagine that these camcorders are a better solution for someone else. You know, not you. (Even being dense is better than being inconsiderate.)
Ok, ok, I actually have a Panasonic camcorder, so deep down I'm probably biased, but I don't think 5.1 is crap (a bit gimmicky, but it does work), OIS does help because who shoots their holiday video with a tripod? It's easier to hold, *very* small/light, idiot proof for the non-techies, etc etc.
However, at this price, not doing 60p is not worth the upgrade.
@in5ane
You're right, I'm sorry dude.
@LloydChiro
While a DSLR can produce some great video, its incredibly limited in mobility. Just look at the engadget review of the 7D. sure the video looks great, but there is no way you can move around easily with that setup. Obviously nothing comes close to real film cameras at this price range. Hopefully RED will be driving down the price of their cameras in the long run, but the Scarlet is really for the indie crowd. How many consumers or even prosumers need to record at 4K? This camera is way overkill for most, it looks like it could a great bridge between casual camcorders and more professional rigs.
@BUNT2
How is that dense. Its seems like the perfect step from spending 1,800 on a 7D. You get to only spend 800 get used to filming with a dsrl add lenses and maybe a shotgun mic for that 3.5mm jack and then 6 months later upgrade to the 7D taking your lenses with you and maybe a zoom mic for your shotgun.
I was agreeing with you but now starting to wonder if your some kind of jerk who just wants to argue with everyone.
Can I get 1080/30P too? 60P is nice but not usually necessary and 24P doesn't play back without tearing on many TVs. 30P is the way to go a lot of the time.
@spin cycle
sorry for sounding like a "r-word" what the hell is all this p non-sense?
@dcoke
Frame rates
@spin cycle
The P stands for progressive.
1080/60p is 60 full frames a second.
1080/60i is 60 interlaces half-frames a second (doesn't look good on a computer)
1080/30p is 30 full frames a second.
1080/24p is 24 full frames a second (same frame rate as film, but many TVs can only properly render frame rates that divide into 60, so it isn't a good choice for many things).
1080/60p (or 1080p/60) has the most data and looks the best but is just too much data for many cases, so often it is overkill.
@spin cycle
How does 60p look best? It doesn't. It looks terrible. recording at 60p is good for slow motion.
STOP TALKING OUT OF YOUR ARSES EVERYONE!
@BUNT2 - haha - clearly your talking out of your arse!
60p looks excellent - whether you use it for slow motion or regular motion.
The only problem with 1080p60 is that most standalone media players can't play it UNLESS your media player is your computer (ie. your media center). Your PC can easily play back 1080p60. And it looks excellent.
Its best advantage is for fast motion. So your kids soccer games or when your kids are running around etc. And considering this is meant as a consumer cam and not a prof video advertisement on tv reproduction cam, its a great feature to have. Also keep in mind that most professional sports games are filmed in 720p60 ie. 1280x720 @ 60 frames per second. This is so that every frame is clear and that fast motion looks excellent.
Hope this helps people understand why 60fps is great, especially at 1080p.
@spin cycle
I agree, 24p just doesn't work for home movies. Most HD cams have done 60i for the past 3 years, so 30p should be doable.
I shoot most stuff 50i (pal land doesn't get 60i) and it still looks good on my PS3/HTPC. Way better than 24p, even on tripod, and I can always deinterlace if I need to export/burn for someone.
in5ane:
I use a Sanyo XACTI (VPC-HD2000) from time to time, it does 1080/60p,1080/60i and 1080/30p. So this camera should be able to do it too.
BUNT2:
60P is the highest quality, it contains the most information. The only justification for lower frame rates is to reduce the amount of data for practical sake (just like shooting at a low spatial resolution like 720p). Some people also for some reason think 24p looks better than 60p just because film is at 24 frames per second. I'm not sure how they convinced themselves of this, but I hope they are offered the option of 24fps so they can have what they want.
I'll wait for the cork model ;D
After fitting a bottle up there I gave up on corks
These cameras are useless without manual focus, and I'm not seeing that option here.
@CubeGuy Exactly why I love DSLRs.
@CubeGuy Actually, with the knurled ring around the lens, I wouldn't be surprised if that's the manual focus (or multi-function) ring. What *would* make it useless would be lack of a proper EVF, and that it has, like most flagship consumer models. Sadly, the trend is to leave it out on anything but the flagship model, meaning that you'll struggle to frame properly in sunlight and use up battery life quicker.
@CubeGuy From what I read on previous models, there is a multi-function ring that controls iris, focus, and zoom functions.
Great! A Panasonic camcorder!
Now I can film all of my precious moments and enjoy them on my Panasonic plasma complete with washed out night scenes!
@therealjustin nice try, but no.
In fact, it wasn't even a nice try. Mediocre at best.
@therealjustin
I don't get it. Background please?
@BUNT2
Glad you liked it ; )
I wonder if the black levels of the recordings these cameras make rise over time.
@sodaboy581
Again, laaaaame. Brand basher.
Just a guess, but I think most people that buy dedicated camcorders want autofocus. They don't want to lug around tripods and lenses and equipment they'll never use, just so others will see them as "professional". They simply want good vids of their kids at Disneyland and at the neighbor's birthday party and to have some fun with a hobby. Not too much to ask really.
Give us a way to pair two consumer HD cameras like these to shoot 3D footage. It can almost be done already (with manual adjustments), but still you need some connection to keep the frames exactly in sync between teh two.
That's what I am looking for: a small "3D" connector, that alows yout to put a wire between two cameras, and the one is a master (for sync, zoom, white balance, etc.) and the other a slave.
At B&H, the TM700 will cost you $1,000 and HS700 will cost you $1,400.