Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Panasonic HDC-TM700K Hi-Def Camcorder with Pro Control System
Rating: 4 out of 5
Currently 4.0/5.0
My family has used the same Sony Digital Hi-8 camcorder since 1999. So, when it was time to upgrade to a new camcorder, I had to do a huge amount of research to just understand how much the technology had changed in ten years. I purchased the Panasonic HDC-TM700K in July 2010 for $719.00 on sale at Amazon.com.
I wanted a camera that I could "point and shoot" and not have to fuss with adjusting the settings to get a great picture. The Panasonic HDC-TM700K has a great "iAuto" feature that takes excellent video in a variety of conditions. For my purposes, it has been more than adequate for family movies. I am sure as I get more comfortable with the camera I will explore more of the settings, but for now the iAuto feature allows me to take excellent movies without having to adjust the settings.
My home movies shot on this camera are absolutely beautiful. The difference between my old camcorder and the Panasonic HDC-TM700K are unbelievable. It is almost like watching a professionally-shot movie. I have been so pleased at how crisp and clear the picture and color have been on my home movies. Also, the battery usually lasts for well over an hour.
The camcorder also takes still pictures, but I have found that it does not produce high-quality images. I still carry my digital camera to take still pictures because I print out a large number of digital photographs.
I really like this camcorder, but there are definitely some "cons" that have been a little frustrating to deal with. The biggest issue is, there is a bit of background noise that shows up on during playback. I think it is possibly the camera's fan. This is not a huge issue, but I wish the sound quality was better. Also, occasionally they color will randomly change on the picture. For instance, while making a video outside at my daughter's birthday party, the color tone shifted abruptly from one second to the next for no apparent reason.
Overall, this is a good camera that produces beautiful movies.