Panasonic vs. Sony videocam

[Olivier Staiger]

I have been looking at the nice Sony Videocams
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...R_CX500V_HDR_CX500V_32GB_High_Definition.html
and so far I thought I would buy that one next spring, because of the excellent ratings, and the good low-light rating of 3 lux at 1/30 .

but now I just discovered this one from Panasonic :

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/597284-REG/Panasonic_HDC_TM300_HDC_TM300_32GB_Full_HD.html

and I find it even better , for roughly the same cost .

true, the screen is slightly smaller, but :

- it has a real viewfinder, not just the screen
- real manual controls, not just on touchscreen
- it uses SD card , not Memory stick ( I also have SD card on my Canon EOS and on my Asus Eee PC netbook and on y Sanyo Exilim EX F1 )
- it is a 3 - chip cam , 3 CMOS.
- Low light Lux is even better at 1.6 !!!
- it has a microphone input for external mic and a headphone jack
- time lapse recording


anyone here who has that Panasonic camera , or similar model ? ( there is also a model with no HDD, just recording on SD card. Or another that has a larger HDD.)
If you own that camera, can you comment the quality of video in low light ?

 

[D. Hayes]

Sony is showing on sale for $200 off making it $400 cheaper. $400 is a big deal to me so I'd have to go with the Sony. I Hope you can make a choice soon the sale ends on the 26th.

I'm speaking from an astronomy background here. Larger size sensors with the same number of pixels perform better than more compact sensors with that same number. The Sony 1/2.88 sensor has just over 2 times the area of the Panasonic 1/4 sensor. This larger area is going to be able to collect more photons thus giving a better image in lower light.

Course on the other hand with the Panasonic having 3 separate monochromatic chips should perform on par and perhaps somewhat better than Sony. Not sure if the difference is enough to warrant the $400 difference right now. When the sale is over my opinion would sway the other way.

 

[Steve Miller]

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22353&highlight=panasonic
Give this thread a shot as we discussed the sister camera (HDD version) there recently. Since the cameras are the same other than recording medium, you will find good opinions there. I would go with the Panasonic. You get what you pay for.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

How long does 32GB shoot? I guess I never pay that close of attention, but isn't uploading from HDV about 5min - 1gb? Seems whilie it would normally be suffice, only having 32GB would be pushing it on the really crazy days...

 

[Steve Miller]

I think that rating is at 720p, Dustin. My HDD version is 1 gb for every 2min of video at full 1080p HD. It's a hog for sure. If the SD card version is to be used, you will definitely want to add an extra SD card onto the pricetag.

 

[Chris C Sanner]

How long does 32GB shoot? I guess I never pay that close of attention, but isn't uploading from HDV about 5min - 1gb? Seems whilie it would normally be suffice, only having 32GB would be pushing it on the really crazy days...

32GB will be about 4 hours of video on the TM300's highest setting (similar for the Sony as well). Add in an extra couple of 16gb SD cards and you should have enough to shoot every chase day.

The Panasonic TM300 is winning several awards for being one of the best camcorder buys out there due to it's easy manual controls, smart design, and excellent video quality. The Panny has three 1/4" chips, which will outduel the Sony every day of the week. It also has more expansive manual controls. The Panasonic will have a slight, but noticeable edge in low light. And plus, like you mentioned, it has a Mic Jack, which is a HUGE bonus.

Honestly, the only reason to debate this would be the price difference and really, you get what you pay for. I'd recommend spending the extra money and not looking back Oliver.

 

[JeffGonzales]

I saw that the Panasonic TM300 has 3mos sensors. Does any one know the difference between 3mos and 3ccd? Im trying to compare this to the Panasonic HDC-sd1 which uses a 1/4 3ccd

 

[Chris C Sanner]

Jeff,

Here is a Google search with a lot more info than I could ever divulge:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=CMOS+vs.+CCD&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

There are a few important things to note. A lot of people dislike CMOS sensors because they have a rolling shutter effect which causes nasty artifacts with lightning and a jello type of effect on really fast pans. In my opinion, if you are worried about the latter you need to probably get some more camera skills However, the former is a valid concern but there are ways to work around it if you want to shoot lightning with your CMOS sensor camera, I've had some success myself with a couple of workarounds.

On average, CMOS censors do produce a nicer picture pound for pound than CCDs and I believe they might be more efficient in the whole process too...I'm not 100% sure on all of the details, but for general usage, CMOS chips are usually better although the difference isn't all that huge.

 

[Steve Miller]

I saw that the Panasonic TM300 has 3mos sensors. Does any one know the difference between 3mos and 3ccd?

3MOS is a combination of 3CCD and CMOS. There are 3 separate CMOS chips in a 3MOS. These are a tad smaller in size than a single CMOS-based camera but they each handle the processing of only one of the primary colors (a single CMOS processes all colors on one sensor). This allows for the lower light capability and all but eliminates the grain at these levels. There are other advantages, such as compression types and the fact that this is a FULL HD 1080p camera; not a consumer grade HD.
I am 100% thrilled with my HDC-HS300 and would recommend it to anyone who shoots in the conditions we do.

 

[JeffGonzales]

cool, thanks for the quick responses Chris and Steve

 

[Scott Weberpal]

Both the Panasonic and Sony models you mentioned only record at a 16 Mbps bitrate, while other models such as the Canon HF20 record up to 24 Mbps. If there's a significant amount of motion in the video, you'll definitely notice the difference.

You may want to consider the Canon Vixia HF S11 which has a higher recording bitrate and 1/2.6" CMOS sensor. http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ategoryid=177&modelid=19063#ModelTechSpecsAct

 

[Graham Butler]

All other "conversations" aside:

Having owned both Sony and Panasonic cameras in the past I can say that I will never buy a Panasonic again. The one I purchased, granted this was 6 years ago, had great reviews, was one of the top of the line consumer video cameras, and cost me $900. This thing had great color, CRAPPY low light (although rated same as the Sony), did nothing but eat tapes, and the build quality was questionable. I felt like it would not survive a drop where as the Sony has gone skittering across parking lots with no adverse mechanical issues.

The Panasonic may have the edge in the specs but personally I would not be able to buy it.

Graham