Panasonic HDC-HS300

Canon's high end consumer camcorder, the HF S100, is another good comparison model to the Panasonic HDC-HS300. The Canon records solely to SD/SDHC and does not contain any internal storage media. For this reason, it is $300 cheaper than the Panasonic HDC-HS300, although the two models offer similar recording quality and control options. In our testing, the Canon HF S100 had better video sharpness and stronger still image performance than the HDC-HS300. The Panasonic, however, excelled in low light performance—specifically in low light sensitivity, which was not a strong point on the Canon HF S100.

The Canon HF S100 has quite a few manual controls. It offers a shutter priority and aperture-priority mode, auto gain control limiter, a few colour and image controls, audio level adjustment, and a variety of manual focus assists. These controls can all be manipulated using a small control dial located on the front of the camcorder, which offers smooth, precise adjustment. The dial is not quite as well-designed as the lens ring on the HDC-HS300, however, and the Panasonic includes more manual control options overall—including direct control over aperture, shutter speed, gain, and numerous audio controls. While both camcorders offer a 24p record mode (in addition to regular 60i), the Canon HF S100 also includes a 30p mode for a slightly different motion aesthetic. One big omission on the Canon HF S100 is its lack of an electronic viewfinder, which may be a deal-breaker for many old-school videographers.

These two camcorders are both very strong contenders in 2009. We feel the Panasonic offers an easier experience for beginners due to its iA touch-screen functions and its informative menu design, but the Canon may appeal to users that don't have an affinity for touch-screens. If you're planning on filming a lot in low light situations, the Panasonic HDC-HS300 has a clear edge over the Canon HF S100. The Canon, however, did show enhanced low light capabilities when shooting with its 24p and 30p frame rates. It is a tough choice between these two models, but our testing suggests that the edge goes to the Panasonic.

Canon also sells an HF S10, a model identical to the HF S100 except it includes 32GB of internal flash memory and costs $1299.

	Comparison Specs
	Panasonic HDC-HS300	Canon HF S100
Price	£1,039	£1,100
Primary Recording Media	120GB internal hard drive	SD/SDHC card
Secondary Recording Media	SD/SDHC memory card	None
Image Sensor	Three 1/4.1-inch CMOS	1/2.6-inch CMOS
Effective Pixel Count	2.07-megapixels (x3) video 2.65-megapixels (x3) stills	6.01-megapixels (video) 8.02-megapixels (stills)
Mic Input	Yes, 3.5mm	Yes, 3.5mm
LCD	2.7-inch with 230,400-pixel resolution	2.7-inch LCD with 211,000-pixel resolution
Viewfinder	Yes	No
Weight	482g with battery	500g with battery
Dimensions	73 x 70 x 141mm	70 x 69 x 136
HD	Yes	Yes
Frame Rates	1080/60i, 24p (digital cinema mode)	1080/60i, 24p, 30p
Compression	AVCHD	AVCHD
Maximum Bitrate	17Mbps	24Mbps
Optical Zoom	12x	10x
stabilisation	Optical	Optical

Bright Light Comparison
Panasonic HDC-HS300 100% crop	Canon HF S100 100% crop

Low Light Sensitivity Scores