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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.colour & Noise Performance
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03.Motion & Sharpness Performance
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04.Low Light Performance
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05.Compression & Media
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06.Manual Controls
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07.Still Features
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08.Handling & Use
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09.Playback & Connectivity
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10.Audio & Other Features
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11.Sony HDR-XR520 Comparison
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12.Panasonic HDC-HS300 Comparison
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13.JVC GZ-HD320 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Specs and Ratings
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17.Comments
Canon Legria HF S100
Previous: Part 11
Sony HDR-XR520 ComparisonNext: Part 13
JVC GZ-HD320 Comparison
Canon HF S100 versus
• Panasonic HDC-HS300 comes with 32GB of internal flash memory
• Video performance is good on the HDC-HS300, with its strong point being low light.
• Uses touch screen LCD system for many controls, but also has a lens ring for manual adjustment.
The Panasonic HDC-HS300 is another high-end HD camcorder with great video performance. The camcorder comes with 32GB of built-in flash memory, which is a step-up from the memory-card-only HF S100. The HDC-HS300 is a better comparison with the Canon HF S10, the sister model to the HF S100, as it also comes with 32GB of flash memory. Both the HF S100 and Panasonic HDC-HS300 retail for around £1000. The HDC-HS300 is equipped with Panasonic's standard lens ring, making it one of the few consumer camcorders to still sport this classy feature. The camcorder combines a simple ease of use (it has lots of help and info features for beginners), with strong manual controls to create one of the better all-around camcorders we have seen this year. In video performance, the HDC-HS300 had overall a better low light performance than the Canon HF S100—specifically with low light sensitivity. The HF S100 has a slight edge in video sharpness, still image quality, and motion, but the Panasonic HDC-HS300 is not far behind. We think the HDC-HS300 is the best choice for beginners as far as top-of-the-line HD camcorders go, and its plethora of instant auto features, combined with lots of manual controls, make it a strong contender in 2009.
| Comparison Specs | ||
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| Canon Legria HF S100 | Panasonic HDC-HS300 |
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| Price | £1,100 | £1,039 |
| Primary Recording Media | SD/SDHC Card | 32GB of built-in flash memory |
| Secondary Recording Media | None | SD/SDHC Memory Card |
| Image Sensor | 1/2.6-inch CMOS | Three 1/4.1-inch CMOS |
| Effective Pixel Count | 6.01 Megapixels (video) 8.02 Megapixels (stills) |
2.07 Megapixels (x 3) Video 2.32 Megapixels (x 3) Stills |
| Mic Input | Yes, 3.5mm | Yes, 3.5mm |
| LCD/Viewfinder | 2.7-inch LCD with 211,000-pixel resolution |
2.7-inch LCD with 230,400-pixel resolution, |
| Weight | 500g (including battery) | 385g |
| Dimensions | 70 x 69 x 136mm | 72 x 70 x 141mm |
| HD | Yes | Yes |
| Optical Zoom | 10x | 12x |
| Frame Rates | 1080/50i, 25p, 30p (not natively progressive) |
1080/50i, 25p (digital cinema mode) |
| Image stabilisation | Optical | Optical |
| Scores | ||
| Canon Legria HF S100 | Panasonic HDC-HS300 | |
| Colour | 8.91 | 8.01 |
| Noise | 4.6427 | 11.89 |
| Video Sharpness | 11.32 | 10.97 |
| Low Light Sensitivity | 5.62 |
8.38 |
| Low Light Colour | 6.95 | 4.42 |
| Low Light Noise | 10.67 | 11.30 |
| Noise at 60 lux auto | |||
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| Canon Legria HF S100 100% Crop |
Panasonic HDC-HS300 100% Crop |
||
| Required Illumination* |
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| * the lower the lux required, the better the performance |
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