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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.Canon HF20 Comparison
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12.Sanyo VPC-HD2000 Comparison
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13.Sony MHS-CM1 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
Panasonic HDC-HS20
Previous: Part 12
Sanyo VPC-HD2000 ComparisonNext: Part 14
Conclusion
Panasonic HDC-HS20 versus Sony MHS-CM1
• The Sony is significantly cheaper and less feature-filled than the Panasonic
• Panasonic is the better performer in most regards, especially in motion
• Both are easy to use, but the Panasonic has more beginner-friendly bonus features
If you're left wondering whether the Canon HF20 is worth the £250 you would have to pay above the price of the HS20, also consider whether the HS20 is worth the £350 you would have to pay above the Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1. For video performance, the HS20 certainly outperforms the Webbie in nearly every regard. The Webbie is quite a bit sharper, but the motion artifacting is pretty atrocious compared to the relatively clear video of the HS20. Even the huge 1/2.5-inch sensor does no better at producing brighter footage in low light. While both are easy to use, the HS20 comes packed with all those great iA technologies, like AF/AE Tracking.
If you're trying to decide between the Sony MHS-CM1 and the Panasonic HDC-HS20, you probably aren't all that interested in manual image adjustments like shutter speed and gain, but remember that you can always shoot in auto mode on the HS20; you can't add manual controls to the Webbie. For £350, you'll have incredibly superior video quality and the opportunity to learn more advanced videography in the future.
| Comparison Specs | ||
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| Panasonic HDC-HS20 | Sony MHS-CM1 | |
| Price | £549 | £199 |
| Primary Recording Media | 80GB Hard Drive | Memory Stick PRO Duo |
| Secondary Recording Media | None | 12 MB of internal memory (mostly used for internal software) |
| Image Sensor | 1/6-inch CMOS | 1/2.5-inch CMOS |
| Effective Pixel Count | 1.17 megapixels (video) 1.17 megapixels (stills) |
2.07 megapixels (video) 2.07 megapixels (stills) |
| Mic Input | No | No |
| LCD/Viewfinder | 2.7-inch LCD with 230,400-pixel resolution |
2.5-inch LCD with 153,000-pixel resolution |
| Weight | 327g (including battery) | 210g (including battery) |
| Dimensions | 67 x 64 x 127mm | 43 x 61 x 105mm |
| HD | Yes | Yes |
| Optical Zoom | 16x | 5x |
| Frame Rates | 1080/60i, Digital Cinema (24p) (not natively progressive) |
1080/30p (native progressive) |
| Image Stabilisation | Optical | None |
| Scores | ||
| Panasonic HDC-HS20 | Sony MHS-CM1 | |
| Colour | 7.87 | 7.04 |
| Noise | 9.9 | 5.27 |
| Video Sharpness | 7.97 | 11.66 |
| Low Light Sensitivity | 0.97 | 0.45 |
| Low Light Colour | 3.72 | 7.03 |
| Low Light Noise | 12.95 | 7.08 |
| Ease of Use | 7.25 | 6.0 |
| Battery Life | 87 min, 46 sec | 124 min, 16 sec |
| Stabilisation | 5.60 | 0.0 (no stabilisation feature) |
| Close-Up Colour Comparisons | |||
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| Ideal | Panasonic HDC-HS20 | Sony MHS-CM1 | |
| Red |  |
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| Skin Tone 2 |
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| Battery Life Comparisons |
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