Panasonic HDC-TM700

Auto Mode (10.55)

iA mode is the camcorder's dedicated auto mode.

The HDC-TM700 has an interesting set of automatic controls that are part of Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) system. Among these features is the TM700's AF/AE tracking system that allows the camcorder to 'lock on' to a subject while focusing and exposing them properly as they move about the frame. This tracking feature works basically the same way it did last year on the Panasonic HDC-HS300, which means you can continue to track people and things that move out of the frame, but only if they re-enter the frame after a few seconds.

Also part of the HDC-TM700's iA controls is a feature called Intelligent Scene Selection. This setting enables the camcorder to automatically select a scene mode to utilize based on the lighting conditions within the frame. Sometimes we liked the way Intelligent Scene Selection worked, but we also found it a bit unwieldy to use in mixed light situations. The camcorder would occasionally switch back and forth between scene modes too frequently when we filmed indoors in low light—often resulting in unwanted changes in shutter speed and exposure levels.

The camcorder's basic auto controls appeared to be relatively effective. Autofocus worked quickly and the camcorder's tele macro setting allowed for simple focus on extremely close subjects. Auto exposure transitions were very gradual on the HDC-TM700, which we liked, although some users may prefer the quicker, snap-like exposure adjustment you find on other camcorders. On occasion, we noticed the camcorder taking a generous amount of time to white balance its image properly—particularly when we shot indoors under mixed lighting. Once the camcorder's auto white balance kicked in, however, the colours looked well-balanced and accurate.

Zoom (10.0)

There are actually three ways to zoom on the HDC-TM700. The first, and most obvious, is by using the zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder. The toggle is built well and it is pretty easy to use for controlling zoom. The toggle also allows for variable zoom speed control—the harder you push the toggle, the faster the zoom will be.

Another way to zoom is by using the manual lens ring on the front of the camcorder. This method may be preferable for people who are used to using DSLR cameras or professional video equipment. The quicker you turn the lens ring, the faster the zoom will be. We should note that the lens ring can always be used to control zoom in Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, but it can also be used in manual mode as long as no other function is assigned to the lens ring.

The zoom toggle is a convenient way to zoom on the TM700...		... but you can also use the lens ring.

The last way to zoom with the TM700 is also the least effective. There are two zoom buttons on the bottom of the LCD panel that allow you to zoom in and out when pushed. We're not crazy about these buttons because they don't allow for variable zoom speed control and they simply aren't very well designed. We recommend sticking with the toggle or lens ring.

Zoom Ratio (4.34)

The lens on the HDC-TM700 has a 12x optical zoom, which is an average zoom ratio for a high-end HD camcorder. The camcorder also includes an intelligent zoom that can increase magnification up to 18x. It was hard to notice any image degradation when using intelligent zoom, but we should reiterate that it is not an optical system—it is a new technology that is similar to the advanced zooms you see advertised on other camcorders.

Along with the optical and intelligent zooms, the HDC-TM700 also has a huge digital zoom option that can be set to 30x or 700x. We don't recommend using this setting, though, as it will severely degrade the quality of your recorded video.

Zoom Comparisons
Wide Angle	Mid Zoom	12x Optical Zoom

Focus (7.5)

Manual focus on the HDC-TM700 can only be set using the lens ring. The lens ring works well in this situation, but we're actually somewhat surprised Panasonic got rid of its touch screen control option—not that we're really complaining. Panasonic also changed things a bit in regards to its manual focus assist. The TM700 features a peaking system in which fine, blue specks appear while you attempt to focus manually (only with MF assist turned on). There is no magnification assist option on the camcorder and you cannot change the colour of the specks used for the peaking feature.

Manual focus adjustment on the Panasonic HDC-TM700		The lens ring is a valuable tool for adjusting focus.

Exposure (6.6)

Exposure, which should be the simplest of manual controls to access, is buried in Panasonic's picture adjust submenu where it is called 'brightness.' Alternately, you can adjust exposure by manipulating the aperture or shutter speed, but we think some users prefer the simplicity of a basic exposure adjustment. We wish Panasonic would make this option more accessible.

Aperture (9.75)

Panasonic is one of the few manufacturers to offer complete manual aperture control on its consumer camcorders (called 'iris' on the TM700). The TM700 has a host of aperture settings and they can be set using the touch screen interface or the lens ring. One thing we don't like, however, is that manual gain control is tied to the aperture—but we'll talk about this issue more when we discuss gain control further down on this page.

You'll notice that when you change the aperture setting on the HDC-TM700 the displayed f-stop value doesn't always change. This means there are a number of f-stop settings in between the numbers that are actually listed on the screen. The same thing applies when you adjust gain and shutter speed manually.

Aperture control on the Panasonic HDC-TM700

Aperture Control Comparison Panasonic HDC-TM700 Manual Aperture: f/1.5 (open), f/1.7, f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, f/16 Canon HF S21 Aperture Priority Mode: f/1.8, f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.4, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.7, f/8.0 Sony HDR-XR520 None Panasonic HDC-HS300 Manual Aperture: f/1.8 (open), f/2.0, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.3, f/4.0, f/4.8, f/5.6, f/6.8, f/8.0, f/9.6, f/11, f/14, f/16

Shutter Speed (10.0)

Manual shutter speed is available for adjustment on the HDC-TM700, and, like aperture, it can be set with the lens ring or using touch screen buttons. The camcorder has lots of shutter speed options, particularly very fast shutter speeds (up to 1/8000 of a second). There's only one slow shutter option—1/30 of a second—and you can only pick that shutter speed manually if auto slow shutter is turned on.

Shutter speed control on the Panasonic HDC-TM700

Shutter Speed Control Comparison Panasonic HDC-TM700 Manual Shutter Speed: 1/50, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, 1/8000 (plus 1/25 with Auto Slow Shutter) Canon HF S21 Shutter Priority Mode: 1/6, 1/12, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000 Sony HDR-XR520  None Panasonic HDC-HS300 Manual Shutter Speed: 1/50, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, 1/8000 (plus 1/25 with Auto Slow Shutter)

White Balance (9.0)

The HDC-TM700 has a decent set of white balance presets and it has a manual white balance setting as well. The manual setting is simple to activate and it seemed to work perfectly well in our testing. The camcorder also has a WB Shift setting, which is found in the picture adjust submenu (the same place you have to go to adjust exposure). You can shift the colour temperature using this option towards red (negative values) or blue tones (positive values).

White Balance options on the Panasonic HDC-TM700

White Balance Control Comparison Panasonic HDC-TM700 Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Indoor 1, Indoor 2, Manual, WB Shift Canon HF S21 Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Sony HDR-XR520 Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, Manual, WB Shift Panasonic HDC-HS300 Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Indoor 1, Indoor 2, Manual

Gain (4.0)

You can only set gain manually on the HDC-TM700 if you first open the aperture all the way (gain control is tied to aperture on the camcorder). This definitely limits the versatility of the TM700's aperture control, as it means you can't really play around with depth of field unless you're shooting in a bright location. When you do open the aperture all the way, the camcorder allows you to set gain from 0dB to 18dB in various increments (see table below).

Gain control is tied to aperture on the TM700.

Gain Control Comparison Panasonic HDC-TM700 Set only when aperture is fully open: 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB, 18dB Canon HF S21 AGC Limit can be set to: Auto, 0dB - 24dB in 1dB increments Sony HDR-XR520 None Panasonic HDC-HS300 Set only when aperture is fully open: 0dB, 3dB, 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB, 18dB

Colour & Image Controls (7.5)

Other Manual Controls (5.0)

Manual Controls Summary
Control	Panasonic HDC-TM700	Canon HF S21	Sony HDR-XR520	Panasonic HDC-HS300
Focus	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Exposure	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Aperture	Manual	Aperture-priority	No	Manual
Shutter Speed	Manual	Shutter-priority	No	Manual
White Balance	Manual, WB Shift	Manual	Manual, WB Shift	Manual
Gain	Manual (with aperture opened fully)	AGC Limiter 1dB - 24dB	No	Manual (with aperture opened fully)