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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 HF S21 Comparison
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12.Sony HDR-XR520 Comparison
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13.Panasonic HDC-HS300 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Specs and Ratings
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16.Comments
Panasonic HDC-TM700
Previous: Part 2
Colour & Noise PerformanceNext: Part 4
Low Light Performance
Motion & Sharpness Performance Summary
• Panasonic's new 1080/50p mode produced excellent footage in our motion test.
• The HDC-TM700 also can record with a regular 50i frame rate or its Digital Cinema 25p setting.
• Footage looked impeccably sharp on the HDC-TM700—particularly when we shot using its 1080/50p setting.
Motion (10.9)
One of the most exciting new features on the HDC-TM700 is the 1080/50p record mode. This mode produced spectacular footage in our motion test that looked far better than anything we shot with the TM700's 50i or 25p record modes. Part of this enhanced performance stems from the fact that the 50p mode records video progressively rather than interlaced, which results in smoother motion. The other reason that the 50p footage looks so good is that the setting has a very high bit rate of 28Mbps (compared to 17Mbps for the TM700's highest-quality 50i setting). (More on how we test motion.)
The HDC-TM700 also has a Digital Cinema 25p mode, which was featured on all of Panasonic's HD camcorders from last year. This mode produces a film-like aesthetic, but we don't think it works as well as the 25p mode offered on the Canon HF S21.
| Panasonic HDC-TM700 | Canon HF S21 | Sony HDR-XR520 | Panasonic HDC-HS300 | |
| Frame Rate(s) | 50p, 50i, 25p (Digital Cinema) | 50i, PF25 |
50i | 50i, 25p (Digital Cinema) |
| Artefacting | Almost no artefacting noticeable in 1080/50p mode, but 50i settings show some artefacting. | Minimal artefacting; one of the best consumer camcorders in this category | Some artefacting was present, but still a very good performance. | Slightly more artefacting than the competition. |
| Smoothness | Extremely smooth video, particularly when using 50p mode. | Motion video was very smooth, although not as good as the HDC-TM700's 50p setting. | Smoothness was on par with the HF S21 and HDC-HS300. | Video was as smooth as what we saw on the Canon HF S21. |
| Trailing | Trailing was noticeable in all shooting modes. | Some trailing was present, but it wasn't a big problem. | Similar performance to the Panasonic HDC-HS300 | More noticeable trailing than other high-end models, but still very good overall. |
| Frequency Interference |
We noticed some interference in the black and white pin-wheel in our test. | Some minor interference with tight vertical and horizontal lines. | A bit more noticeable interference than Canon HF S21, but just by a hair. | Most lines looked straight and crisp, but there was some interference. |
| Slow Motion Mode(s) |
Time Lapse Record | None | Smooth Slow Record (240 fps, three seconds of low-quality footage) | None |
We really can't say enough about how good the HDC-TM700's 1080/50p mode looks. In our motion test, the 50p mode produced much cleaner footage than the TM700's 50i setting (the 50p mode had particularly less artefacting). Now, the Canon HF S21 also did extremely well in this test and it also includes a plethora of frame rate options—but no 50p mode.
| Panasonic HDC-TM700 click here for large HD version |
Canon HF S21 click here for large HD version |
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| Sony HDR-XR520 click here for large HD version |
Panasonic HDC-HS300 click here for large HD version |
Video Sharpness (13.57)
The HDC-TM700 did spectacularly well in our video sharpness test. The camcorder measured a horizontal sharpness of 1000 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 900 lw/ph. The impressive vertical sharpness is what stands out here, as no other consumer camcorder we've tested has been able to crack the 600 – 700 lw/ph barrier. What we found on the HDC-TM700, however, is that the camcorder's 1080/50p setting was able to produce a sharper image in our vertical testing. We're not sure why this is, and there are probably other aspects at play here, but it was clear in our testing that the HDC-TM700 had a better vertical sharpness than any other camcorder we've tested. (More on how we test video sharpness.)
When we tested the HDC-TM700 using its 50i setting, the camcorder produced a vertical sharpness of around 650 lw/ph, which is identical to what the HDC-HS300 earned. So, if you want the sharpest image possible from the HDC-TM700, you should use its 1080/50p settings—the only problem is this footage is nearly impossible to work with or edit on a computer.
| Video Sharpness Score Comparison |  |
Compare the Panasonic HDC-TM700 to the Canon HF S21 |
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Compare the Panasonic HDC-TM700 to the Sony HDR-XR520 |
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Compare the Panasonic HDC-TM700 to the Panasonic HDC-HS300 |
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