I had a few conversations with a Tweep (@SeerMax) about good camcorders, and she was interested in picking up the Panasonic HDC-HS250-K HHD HD Camcorder (with 120 GB drive). I wasn’t familiar with this camcorder, so I thought I’d take a look at this camera. Holy cow.. is this a nice unit!

This is going in a different direction than the mini-camcorder or shoot-and-share camcorders I’ve been talking about lately. SeerMax and I initially talked about the quality and durability of the more consumer/convenience based camcorders and it was agreed that the durability is often questioned. When we start to go to higher-end equipment and up to professional grade equipment, we definitely see improvements in the craftsmanship and inclusion of upper-end components that make these units last longer and perform better. Obviously, I need to put a gigantic asterisk next to this, since it always depends on the camera, the brand and model you get as well as what you’re exposing the gear to.

This camera looks absolutely fantastic and having a 120 GB drive is nice. It shoots in true 1080p HD and can shoot 11MP still photos. I saw one mention where it was advertised that it can do time-lapse, and apparently, this is not true. If anyone else can comment on this, that would be great.

Currently this camera lists at $899.95, but at the time of this post, you can purchase this camera for $762.26 after savings and you can also get a FREE Polaroid ProGo Printer!

User Reviews Send this to a friend
Panasonic HDC-HS250-K HHD HD Camcorder (Black)
	Manufacturer: Panasonic Customer Rating:   List Price: $899.95 Sale Price: $779.96 Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Now
Product Description
12x optical zoom 30x-700x digital zoom3MOS produces extremely accurate images with superb rendition of light and rich color expressionsiA (Intelligent Auto) for smart control automatically chooses the optimal camera settings and activates correct functionsAdvanced O.I.S. suppresses hand-shake by adjusting the optical axis at 4000k per second2.7" wide LCD monitor1920 x 1080 full HD recording resolution5.1-channel Dolby Digital audio recording with zoom and focus microphoneStill image resolution up to 3984 x 2656 (10.6MP)Mini HDMI video component and 2.0 hi-speed USB outputs2 3/4'' W x 2 7/8'' H x 5 1/16'' DIncludes Li-Ion rechargeable battery AC adapter video component/AV/USB cables IR remote control and software
Product Details
AVCHD is a standard developed jointly by Sony and Panasonic for HD digital camcorders. 120 GB Shock-Mounted Hard Disc Drive: Panasonic SD card/hard-drive camcorders are ideal for travel Built-in SD / SDHC Memory Card Drive: SD memory cards are incredibly versatile 3MOS Camera System (3 x 3.05 Megapixels): The HS250 features three of Panasonic's new 1/4.1-inch 3,050,000-pixel MOS sensors. Shoot in Lighting as Low as 1.6 Lux: You can shoot clear shots in lighting as low as 1.6 lx. With the 3MOS Sensor
Video Reviews
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Customer Reviews
Great camcorder for the price!   Review Date: December 7, 2009 Reviewer: Mad Mom, Ohio I bought this camcorder primarily to videotape my daughter's gymnastics meets. I have recorded two so far and the video quality for those is excellent. The lighting in both cases was bright flourescent lighting like you would find in a high school gymnasium. I made a brief test video in my kitchen at night with just one light on and it wasn't so great. I don't know if this would be a great camcorder for birthday parties and that sort of thing. For that you would be better off getting a camera with 720 HD like the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 for less than half the price. It takes great video in a variety of lighting, but it cannot handle some of the very fast action of gymnastics without blurring. But that's another review! Pros: - Very large (120gb) built-in hard drive. - Available SD/SDHC memory card slot. - Great video in bright indoor or outdoor light - the same video quality as the HDC-HS300 that costs over $1000. - Very easy to use - my 8-year-old was taking pictures and videos and playing them back with no instructions. - Video is very easy to import to iMovie '09 on my iMac - I just attach it using the included usb cable and a window comes up allowing me to choose the clips I want to import. - The image stabilization works well - smooth footage without a tripod. - Zoom is very smooth and adequate. - Great price if you can get it for under 600 dollars. - Display shows how much battery life (in minutes) and how much recording time is remaining. Cons: - Lacks an electronic viewfinder and an external microphone jack - to get those you need the HDC-H300. - Probably not great for low light indoors. - The battery charger/AC adapter are a bit strange but you can live with it - you have to remove the battery to put in the AC/Adapter but the battery will not charge while you are using the adapter. - Battery life is not very long (about 90 minutes) and extra batteries are pricey - this is the case for most HD camcorders. - Like probably every HD camcorder, the included software is not so great (although I don't need it for my iMac) and you will have to invest in expensive software to edit the video using a Windows PC. I researched extensively and for my needs this is by far the best camcorder for the price. It would also be great for videotaping any sports, including indoor sports like basketball. Update: I've been using it for about two months now. When recording indoors (convention centers, gymnasiums, etc.) the video has good resolution, but often a strange color cast, especially at the start of recording. I don't know if other cameras would be better in this kind of light with subjects that are far away. Small Camcorder packed with features   Review Date: January 10, 2010 Reviewer: MaChiBLue, Chicago I bought this camcorder for my father, after some extensive research on camcorders this one seemed to be the best bang for the buck. I was considering some Sonys and Cannons, but in the end this Panasonic beat the rest in terms of price and features. For comparison, my aunt bought the Sony camcorder I was considering, and I am glad I didn't go with Sony. The UI was dreadful compared to the Panasonic, and the video quality was noticeably worse. Overall I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. Great Price with all The Bells and Whistles   Review Date: December 9, 2009 Reviewer: T. West, Huntington NY Excellent picture quality 1080 p tons of features, but make sure you pick up the camera kit. It includes the extra battery and you save dollars. You wont be disapointed. regular customer   Review Date: May 2, 2010 Reviewer: George Chacko, usa Its a beautifull camera by made in japan. the quality is great it is HD and ease of use. Ifeel like better than sony quality . A great HD camera.   Review Date: May 3, 2010 Reviewer: Sean P. Walton, South Bend, IN USA We bought this on sale for about 50% for our WDW trip this summer. The camera is easy to use, and portable. We can't wait to try it out.

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