Panasonic HDC-HS300

Still Features (12.21)

The still features on the HDC-HS300 aren't extensive, but there are a few options. The camcorder has 12 still image size settings and still photos can be taken in three different aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2, and 16:9). Since the camcorders gross pixel count is 9.15-megapixels (3.05 x 3 sensors), some of the HS300's larger still image resolutions are interpolated. The maximum photo size on the camcorder is 3984 x 2656 (3:2), but the highest native resolution is 3564 x 2448 (4:3). The camcorder can capture photos in video mode, but sizes are limited to either 3840 x 2160 or 1920 x 1080. Switching the HS300 over to photo mode (by using the mode dial on the back of the camcorder) and you get access to many more still-image options. 

The built-in flash

Regular still features like a self-timer (2 or 10 seconds) and a flash with optional red-eye reduction are available on the camcorder. The flash can also be set to one of three brightness levels. Strangely, the HS300 does have a burst feature (24fps or 60fps), but this is only available in video mode. It appears all the burst mode does is take one second of video and split it up into individual frames (either 24 or 60, depending on the option you selected).

You have access to the most photo controls when you put the camcorder into its dedicated photo mode (by rotating the mode dial on the back of the camcorder). Here you can adjust image size, quality, and change flash settings. There are also plenty of controls in the Record Menu that are applicable to still images. it is a bit confusing that you need to go into the Record Menu to select settings that are going to be used to adjust still images. This tends to give the impression that the camcorder can record video while it is in still image mode. We would have liked to see all the applicable still image options under one menu when you're in photo mode. Aperture, shutter speed, and white balance are controlled using the Function Menu, just as they are in video mode.

The Function Menu in still mode		The Record and Picture Menus in Still mode.

Still Colour (9.56)

Still image quality is improving rapidly on consumer HD camcorders. While most camcorders still don't provide you with the kind of quality you would get from a dedicated digital camera, things are looking quite good for people who like video/photo hybrids. The Panasonic HDC-HS300 managed to capture very accurate colours in our still image testing. Its colour error came in at 3.66 with a 96.97% saturation. These numbers are close to what we measured in our bright light video testing, which is a good sign. When you snap a photo with the HDC-HS300, the colours should look just as good as they do when you are recording video. (More on how we test still colour.)

The still photography colour error map: the length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular colour.

In the comparison images below, the HDC-HS300 and Sony HDR-XR520V appear to capture a similar photographic image. The Sony had slightly more accurate colours, while the Panasonic managed a bit more saturation. The Canon HF S100 and Sanyo VPC-HD2000, while both having a very sharp images, didn't quite have the colour accuracy of the other two camcorders. All of these camcorders, however, are capable of capturing above-average still photos.

Panasonic HDC-HS300 Still Colour Comparisons
Panasonic HDC-HS300	Sony HDR-XR520
Canon HF S100	Sanyo VPC-HD2000

Still Noise (4.09)

The HDC-HS300 averaged 0.87% noise in our still image testing. That's not bad, but it is worse than the camcorder measured in our bright light video test (0.40%). We would have liked to see noise numbers in that range here as well. In comparison, both the Canon HF S100 and Sony HDR-XR520V had higher noise levels in our still image tests, while the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 measured just a bit lower than the HDC-HS300. (More on how we test still noise.)

Still Sharpness (5.03)

The Panasonic HDC-HS300 can take photographs in a number of different resolutions. We did our still image testing with the camcorder set to its maximum photo resolution with a 4:3 aspect ratio. At best, the camcorder produced a horizontal sharpness of 2090 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) with 13.8% oversharpening. The vertical sharpness of that same image came out as 1148 lw/ph with 22.7% undersharpening. These are good sharpness scores, but other camcorders, like the Canon HF S100 and Sanyo VPC-HD2000, are capable of better numbers. New models from Samsung (the HMX-R10) and JVC (the GZ-X900) boast about having impeccable still image capabilities, but we haven't tested them yet. (More on how we test still sharpness.)