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Hello !
I am planning to buy a new small AVCHD camcorder. There are three cameras that could catch my eye:
Canon HFS10 / Panasonic SD300 / Sony XR500/520.

I could find some first tests in video-magazines and at some internet forums. But everyone seems to get different results - very different results. So this makes it hard to decide which camera to buy - and I am asking you, if you already have seen those cameras in "real-life" or if you even own one of those cameras and want to share your opinion...

What I found out so far:
- The Canon does not have a viewfinder.
+ The Canon has internal + external memory.
+ The Canon has a 1/2 chip and should be good at low light conditions (though some people say the results are bad).
+ The Panasonic has a 3xCMOS chip.
- One of our customers said that the Panasonic delivers real bad results (almost no colors) in low light conditions.
+ The Sony has a large HDD and some more bells and whistles (GPS,...)

thanks for your opinions!
Volker

I am also thinking about buying a small camcorder, for travelling etc, and my first choice so far, is Panasonic HDC-SD300. I am not in a hurry, so I can wait for some months, until Sony is ready for new models.

For me, the best choice would be storing video on a memory-card, and only that! Because, in the german magazine VIDEOAKTIV DIGITAL (and for you, Volker, Heft 2/2009, Seite 43), you will find an article about a warning to use HDD-camcorders in altitudes above 3000 meters. But, in altitudes below that, they should work without problems. I am not so sure if this is so very dramatic, and I think Panasonic and Sony know what they are doing, better than me. By the way, filming from an Boeing 737 from an altitude of 10 000 meters is harmless. The air-pressure where we are sitting corresponds to an altitude of about 2500 meters.

I know that Panasonic SD300 and Sony XR500 have possibilities for HDD-recording, but also on memory-cards. But what is most important, so far, THEY BOTH HAVE A VIEWFINDER!!

VOLKER,

Canon HFS10..........I have my order in for this camera in my shop but I want to test the lowlight capability which is not getting good reviews with the pre-release models in HONG KONG. This makes sense because the pixels have been increased for higher resolution onto the same size 1/2.6 CMOS chip (not .7 like previous models) which will result in more light needed for a better low light picture. I am assuming the reason CANON increased the lens size (WOW 58mm filter) was to compensate in this area of low light by letting more light into the sensor. This is conjecture on my part w/o actually seeing the results. The AVCHD SHOULD work in the Generation 111 units via the RECORD USB window, bypassing Media Manager-again, only time will tell. NO EVF.


SONY XR500....this is a 120 HDD camera. Don't take it to the ALPS or any high altitude area. ALSO....don't take it to your local racetrack or even a marching band with loud drums. WHY? It is a mechanical HD-BOOM BOOM. HDD=Prone to break down......sooner or later. Problem with these kind of cameras is actually the lack of use-not using the HD enough.


Panasonic SD300..HDD camera with LARGE capacity.......ZOOM and IRIS via a TOUCH SCREEN. Keep your fingers nice and clean Has EVF.

What about the HDC TM300K?....this is coming out next month. 32 Flash......3chip but they are only 1/4 inch.......lowlight will be a problem.

Where does this leave you?

In the price range you are looking at for a single chip camera, I still think the best for your Euro is the HV-30, if you can find any left. Next month, the HV-40 will be available for about 400 dollars US more than the current $599 US dollar amount for the HV-30. Only difference is a CUSTOM BUTTON and 24P....I don't like 24P and I know you are not in favor of the jerkey non-video 24P "look" from our prior correspondence. ANyway...has an EVF but tape oriented.

In conclusion, you wrote that you want a memory-card camera. I think, most likely, the HF S-10 is the way to go. There is a less cheaper model by about $200 US that requires the user to purchase an external card as there is NO internal flash memory. The HV-30/40 is tape oriented so you may want to 'run" a hybrid system using the SONY FLASH DRIVE unit. I know it works with the XHA-1S models via firewire input to the FLASH unit in SYNCHRO mode.

Thank you for your input!

Where does this leave you?

Good question. I think I will try the Sony XR520 now. It supports a Hybrid recording to HDD and Memory Stick. So if I ever should take it to the Alps, I can use the Memory Stick as a backup device.

Admittedly, during the two months that I've owned it, my Sony HDR-XR520V has NOT been to the mountains some fifteen miles west where highways exceed 9000ft and Pikes Peak tops out at 14000ft. However, I plan to use it in the mounatains during the fall season when colors change.

The camera has several features that are particularly useful to me. For one I like the GPS feature. Another that I find useful is the ability to record for hours in the max resolution format.

Some dance recitals I record exceed and hour and a half before intermission and often last even longer during the second half. My DSR-250 covered these programs easily but packing and trasporting the gear became increasingly difficult after turning 80 several years ago.

The Sony HDR-XR520V will eliminate this issue.

I also liked the Canon HV-20 and HV-30, but had issues inserting and expelling the tapes on both cameras. Perhaps it was an age thing for me, because no one else reported this as a problem.

Thank you, Darrel for sharing your experiences concerning the Sony XR520 camera.
I have ordered it the other day and now I am waiting patiently for it to arrive.