Panasonic HDC-HS100 review

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 new HDC-HS100 is an affordable, tapeless HD camcorder that provides all of these, and more.

Panasonic has long been known for using three separate image sensors in cameras where other makers would have made do with one, and here a trio of 1/6 inch, 610,000 pixel MOS chips and improved image processing create the company's best ever HD quality. In the audio department, the five element upward-facing zoom microphone provides very acceptable 5.1 channel surround sound.

The HS100 is a 'hybrid' camera, not because it's good for the environment or exempt from the Congestion Charge but because it can save AVCHD footage and stills either to its built-in 60GB hard disk, which is protected by G-sensor technology if you're clumsy, or to SDHC cards, which now go up to 32GB. You can even copy from one to the other. There's also a USB port to transfer content to PC. (The SD100 is a similar camera with SDHC only.)

If pro features are your bag, there's a full complement of HDMI, analogue and component video outputs, an accessory shoe and a large manual focus ring. To help everyone get great footage, Panasonic has also built in its own Advanced Optical Image Stabilisation; Intelligent Auto, where the camera continually computes the best shooting options; and multiple face detection, to keep focus on people. PreRec means that as long as you keep the lens pointed at the action, it won't matter if you press Record a few seconds late.

The HS100 delivers on its promises, complementing full HD 1920x1080 pictures and good sound quality with a great handling and a comprehensive set of features. You'd be pushed to find a better camera in this price bracket.