Introduction

The HDC-TM700’s sister-model, the HDC-HS700, should have similar performance to the TM700, as the main differences between the two camcorders are price, size, and storage media. The HDC-HS700 retails for $1399 and records to a huge, 240GB internal hard drive (as well as having a memory card slot).

Design

Front

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Back

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Left

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Right

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Top

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Bottom

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Size & Weight Comparison

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In the Box

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Performance

Color

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The Panasonic HDC-TM700 did an impressive job with our bright light color test. The camcorder held a slight edge over last year's HDC-TM300 from Panasonic by registering a color error of 2.92 and a saturation level of 98.39%. These are among the best scores we've seen from a consumer HD camcorder. More on how we test color.

Looking at the Color Error Map above you can see the HDC-TM700 had no problem rendering blue and purple tones accurately. In fact, the camcorder ran into very little trouble with any of the color patches on our test chart (the red tones were the most inaccurate, but even they were pretty good). We're also impressed with the picture adjustment options available on the HDC-TM700. Along with a color depth setting is a new WB shift feature that allows you to make the color tones hotter (more red) or cooler (more blue). You can see sample images of these settings below.

The Panasonic HDC-TM700 rendered colors that looked warmer and more vivid than the Canon HF S21. Overall, there wasn't too much difference between the colors captured by the TM700 and the TM300, however, and the Sony HDR-CX500V managed to produce a very saturated image as well. Since determining color quality has a lot to do with personal preference, we recommend you decide for yourself what looks the best by checking out the color comparisons below.

While the Panasonic HDC-TM700 produced the most accurate colors in our bright light testing, some people may prefer the color quality from other camcorders. We must say, however, that the TM700's images looked very good on our HDTV and the colors had a lot of pop and depth. Still, most high-end HD camcorders do very well in this test—we just happen to prefer the warm, saturated colors of the TM700 over the competition.

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Low Light Color

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The HDC-TM700 measured a color error of 4.96 in our low light test, which is a nearly identical score to last year's HDC-TM300. The shocking part, however, is the fact that the TM700 had a much better saturation level of 80.92%—compared to the TM300's 65.09%. This stronger saturation level really makes the TM700's low light image look a whole lot more pleasing. More on how we test low light color.

You can see from the images above above that the HDC-TM700 captured a fairly dark picture in low light. The colors, however, still look very strong and vivid. As for color accuracy, the HDC-TM700's score is decent for a camcorder of its class. We found very little color accuracy difference between shooting with the HDC-TM700's 24p Digital Cinema mode and shooting 60i or 60p footage. (The saturation level was roughly 84% when shooting with the 24p mode and the color accuracy was 5.19.)

Looking at the comparison images below you can see the HDC-TM700 has a brighter image than the Canon HF S21 and its colors are much deeper than what the TM300 produced in our low light testing. The HDR-CX500V also produced a decent low light image, but it had a cooler tone than what we saw from the HDC-TM700.

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Noise

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The Panasonic HDC-TM700 averaged 0.47% noise in this test, which is a very strong performance. The Sony HDR-CX500V and Panasonic HDC-TM300 both had slightly higher noise levels than the HDC-TM700, and the Canon HF S21 did the worst job in this test. More on how we test noise.

The crops above are useful for comparing sharpness and detail levels across these four high-end models. Each of the camcorders shown above did an exceptional job in our bright light testing and each managed to capture a very sharp image. The Panasonic HDC-TM700 actually did the best in our sharpness test, however, and you should be able to see a bit more detail near the bottom of its vertical trumpet in its cropped image above. The Canon HF S21 also captured a very sharp image, but it didn't do as well in our video sharpness test (continue onto the next section of this review to read more about sharpness).

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Low Light Sensitivity

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The HDC-TM700 did reasonably well in our low light sensitivity test. The camcorder required 11 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor—a slightly higher amount of light than its predecessor, the HDC-TM300, required. Still, this is a better score than both the Canon HF S21 and Sony HDR-CX500V achieved in the same test. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

We also tested the HDC-TM700 using its 24p Digital Cinema mode, and we found the camcorder required 8 lux of light to reach the same levels. We could not test the camcorder's sensitivity using its 60p mode, but we didn't notice any difference between light levels in 60p and 60i when we looked at the footage with our naked eye.

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Low Light Noise

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The HDC-TM700 performed exceptionally well in our low light noise test—just like the camcorder did in our bright light testing. The camcorder averaged 0.6875% noise in low light, which is less than half the amount of noise we measured on the Canon HF S21's image. It is also only slightly more noise than the camcorder measured in our bright light test. Just look at the crops below—it is difficult to see any noise or discoloration in the HDC-TM700's image. Using the TM700's 24p mode in low light enabled the camcorder to capture an image with slightly less noise. We measured 0.5275% noise when shooting with the 24p mode in this test. More on how we test low light noise.

Along with producing a relatively noise-free image in low light, the Panasonic HDC-TM700 also retained a very sharp image. You can see the effect of the high noise levels on the Canon HF S21 in the crop above by looking at the specks in the vertical trumpet. The Sony HDR-CX500V also managed a good image in low light, although its noise levels were still significantly higher than the Panasonic HDC-TM700. The TM300 produced a decent picture in low light, but it's image definitely was not as sharp as the HDC-TM700's.

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Low Light Color

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The HDC-TM700 measured a color error of 4.96 in our low light test, which is a nearly identical score to last year's HDC-TM300. The shocking part, however, is the fact that the TM700 had a much better saturation level of 80.92%—compared to the TM300's 65.09%. This stronger saturation level really makes the TM700's low light image look a whole lot more pleasing. More on how we test low light color.

You can see from the images above above that the HDC-TM700 captured a fairly dark picture in low light. The colors, however, still look very strong and vivid. As for color accuracy, the HDC-TM700's score is decent for a camcorder of its class. We found very little color accuracy difference between shooting with the HDC-TM700's 24p Digital Cinema mode and shooting 60i or 60p footage. (The saturation level was roughly 84% when shooting with the 24p mode and the color accuracy was 5.19.)

Looking at the comparison images below you can see the HDC-TM700 has a brighter image than the Canon HF S21 and its colors are much deeper than what the TM300 produced in our low light testing. The HDR-CX500V also produced a decent low light image, but it had a cooler tone than what we saw from the HDC-TM700.

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Motion

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One of the most exciting new features on the HDC-TM700 is the 1080/60p record mode. This mode produced spectacular footage in our motion test that looked far better than anything we shot with the TM700's 60i or 24p record modes. Part of this enhanced performance stems from the fact that the 60p mode records video progressively rather than interlaced, which results in smoother motion. The other reason that the 60p footage looks so good is that the setting has a very high bitrate of 28Mbps (compared to 17Mbps for the TM700's highest-quality 60i setting).

We really can't say enough about how good the HDC-TM700's 1080/60p mode looks. In our motion test, the 60p mode produced much cleaner footage than the TM700's 60i setting (the 60p mode had particularly less artifacting). Now, the Canon HF S21 also did extremely well in this test and it also includes a plethora of frame rate options—but no 60p mode. More on how we test motion.

Video Sharpness

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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 1080/60p 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.

When we tested the HDC-TM700 using its 60i setting, the camcorder produced a vertical sharpness of around 650 lw/ph, which is identical to what the HDC-TM300 earned. So, if you want the sharpest image possible from the HDC-TM700, you should use its 1080/60p settings—the only problem is this footage is nearly impossible to work with or edit on a computer. More on how we test video sharpness.

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Testing Samples

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Usability

Ease of Use

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Like its predecessors, the HDC-TM700 can be a simple camcorder to use. Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) controls are intuitive and function quite well for the most part—particularly if you're a beginner and all you want to do is point the camcorder and hit the record button. We like the sparse button layout on the HDC-TM700 and the touchscreen interface shouldn't be a problem for anyone to figure out.

While we didn't have an issue with the menu layout on the HDC-TM700, we did have a problem with some of the icons used on the camcorder's Function Menu. These icons were often difficult to decipher, which can make things difficult for someone who has never used the camcorder before. The info button featured in the TM700's menu system was a big help, however, and we even found ourselves using it when we came across a new feature we had never seen before. In addition to this info box, the HDC-TM700 also has a shooting guide feature that produces a pop-up screen alert when you pan too quickly with the camcorder. Unfortunately, we found this feature to be more of an annoyance than anything else.

The HDC-TM700 does have a quick menu feature that is available in both iA and manual modes. We like the idea behind the quick menu, but, again, some of the icons are difficult to understand because of their confusing labels. If you really want to learn all the ins and outs of the HDC-TM700 you'll probably need to spend a good chunk of time reading the instruction manual. The manual isn't bad, but we did find a few inconsistencies in how features are referred to.

Auto Mode

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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-TM300, 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 colors looked well-balanced and accurate.

Other Auto Features

Handling

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The HDC-TM700 is one of the most comfortable high-end camcorders we've ever worked with, which is the same accolade we gave to last year's HDC-TM300. The camcorder doesn't have a bulky hard drive taking up space on its right side, so the TM700 fits comfortably into your palm and its hand strap is strong and padded—although it isn't quite as large as the straps you'd find on Canon's or Sony's flagship models.

The touchscreen interface on the TM700 is mostly unchanged from Panasonic's previous models. It works relatively well, but it doesn't have the fun swiping features that Canon implemented on its new touchscreen models. Panasonic did increase the size of the LCD on the HDC-TM700, but we're disappointed that the screen was only bumped up to 3 inches (that's just' 0.3 inches larger than last year's HDC-TM300). The new flagship models from Sony, Canon, and Samsung each feature 3.5-inch LCDs, and the extra real estate does make using the touchscreen a whole lot easier.

On the bright side, we do like the manual lens ring and the electronic viewfinder on the HDC-TM700. Anyone who is accustomed to using a professional camcorder should cherish these features. We're also pleased to see Panasonic made a minor adjustment so you can now use the lens ring to set focus, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, or gain while the LCD is open (on the TM300 you could only set these things with the lens ring if the LCD was closed). This is a simple fix, but it makes the lens ring a much more versatile component.

The HDC-TM700 is sparsely littered with buttons, so the camcorder shouldn't look too daunting to inexperienced users. We like all the buttons except the poorly-designed buttons on the base of the LCD panel. These buttons are too small and don't offer nearly enough haptic feedback when you press them. We do have good things to say about the TM700's quick menu, however, which offers easy access to some of the more popular menu options on the camcorder (the quick menu button is located on the base of the LCD panel).

Portability

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The HDC-TM700 has nearly identical proportions to last year's Panasonic HDC-TM300. This makes it one of the smaller and lighter flagship models on the market, although the Sony HDR-CX500V is slightly more compact. The main thing to note is that the TM700 is a heck of a lot lighter and smaller than the Canon HF S21—and it feels much better in your hand due to its smooth, ergonomic right side.

One complaint is that Panasonic didn't include more internal memory on the HDC-TM700 (a number of new flagship models offer 64GB of internal flash memory). We would have also liked to see a second memory card slot like Canon put on the HF S21, but this addition isn't a necessity. Panasonic continued its trend of putting the DC-input inside the battery compartment, which means you must remove the battery in order to run the camcorder on wall power. We have always hated this setup and we wish Panasonic would put its DC-input in a more accessible location.

Battery Life

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The HDC-TM700 lasted for 107 minutes in our battery life test (1 hour, 47 minutes, 15 seconds), which is basically the same thing we got out of the HDC-TM300 and its provided battery. This is a fairly average score for a high-end HD camcorder, although you can look at the chart below to see the Canon HF S21 did much worse (and the Sony HDR-CX500V did much better). More on how we test battery life.

The HDC-TM700 can accommodate larger battery packs, but its battery compartment is designed in an odd manner. Batteries load sideways into the compartment (instead of vertically like on most camcorders) and the battery release switch is located inside the LCD cavity. This design isn't necessarily a flaw, but it does seem awkward that you must open the LCD panel every time you want to eject the battery.

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LCD & Viewfinder

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Panasonic bumped up the size of the LCD on the HDC-TM700 to 3 inches, which is just 0.3-inch upgrade over the LCD on the HDC-TM300. While we do like the bigger screen, this is simply not enough of an improvement—particularly when compared to the 3.5-inch screens featured on the Canon HF S21, Samsung HMX-S16, and Sony HDR-CX550V. With touchscreen technology being all the rage it is really useful to have a larger screen at your disposal, and Panasonic has clearly fallen behind the rest of the pack in this category.

Also disappointing is the fact that Panasonic did not increase the pixel count on the HDC-TM700's LCD. So, the camcorder has a larger screen, but it is stuck with the same 230,400-pixel resolution that was featured on all of Panasonic's HD camcorders from last year. This resolution pales in comparison to what is offered on the aforementioned flagship models from Canon, Samsung, and Sony.

We like the electronic viewfinder on the HDC-TM700, but it's design isn't anywhere near as comfortable as the large viewfinders featured on prosumer and professional camcorders. The TM700's viewfinder can extend roughly 1/2 an inch out from the camcorder, but it cannot pivot or swivel. It does have a diopter adjustment dial on its left side, and its screen is 0.27-inches in size with a 123,000-pixel resolution.

Stabilization

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The HDC-TM700 is equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS) and the feature was very effective in reducing the shake in our stabilization testing. The OIS on the TM700 has two settings—standard and active—as well as a number of settings available in still image mode (we only tested video stabilization, however). In our low shake test, the camcorder's active OIS worked best by reducing 80% of the shake (standard mode reduced 69% of the shake). In our high shake test, however, the standard OIS was more effective than active mode, as it reduced 65% of the shake (active mode cut the shake by 52%). More on how we test stabilization.

In the video below you can see the HDC-TM700's OIS in action. This is a very strong performance for a high-end camcorder, and the TM700's OIS worked quite a bit better than the OIS featured on Panasonic's mid-range camcorders. The only thing we found a bit strange was the discrepancy between active mode and standard mode in our two shake tests. We recommend trying out both settings before you start shooting, so you can see which works best for your specific shooting situation.

Manual Focus

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Manual Exposure

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Miscellaneous Controls

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Soft Skin Mode

This mode will soften skin tones, but it does so in a subtle manner.

Digital Cinema Color

Allows the camcorder to record using the xvYCC expanded color gamut. The enhanced color gamut will only be noticeable on an television that is compatible with xvYCC.

Intelligent Contrast

Corrects exposure levels on images with dark or overexposed portions.

Picture Adjust

This submenu has options for adjusting sharpness, color, brightness (exposure) and WB adjust. The options aren't easily accessible (it is buried in the main menu), but the controls here are very useful.

Guide Lines

Three different guide line displays are available: three horizontal lines, a 9-sector grid, or a 60-sector grid. The lines are only meant to assist with framing, so they won't end up in your recorded footage.

Tele Macro

Allows the camcorder to focus on subjects less than 70cm away from the lens.

Zebra Patterns

Displays striped patterns on overexposed portions of the frame.

Luminance Meter

A small box appears in the center of the screen that measures the luminance level for that portion of the frame (this option can be set to always appear or to only be active during iris adjustment).

Histogram

Displays a histogram chart on the LCD (can be set to always appear or to only appear during iris adjustment).

Audio Controls

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The HDC-TM700 is one of the best consumer camcorders on the market when it comes to audio features. First off, the camcorder is equipped with a top-mounted, 5.1-channel Dolby Digital microphone. Our only issue with this built-in mic is the fact that our pinky finger sometimes came dangerously close to touching the back edge of the mic when we gripped the camcorder. If you don't like having surround sound audio recording you can always switch the mic to record basic 2-channel stereo.

The camcorder allows for complete manual audio level adjustment (from -30dB to +6dB), and a basic audio level meter appears on the LCD when you set the audio levels manually. This manual audio control can also be used in conjunction with an external microphone that is connected via the camcorder's 3.5mm external mic jack.

In addition to all this, the TM700's built-in mic has options for zoom mic or focus mic. Zoom mic boosts the audio levels for whatever the lens is zoomed into, while brings up the sound on subjects near the front of the frame (surround sound is reduced with this function turned on). The built-in mic also has a new Wind Noise Canceler feature, which uses an entirely different technology than the Wind Cut option featured on previous Panasonic camcorders. The new setting uses noise canceling technology similar to what you'd find on noise canceling headphones, rather than simply implementing a high-pass filter like the Wind Cut setting did. Lastly, the HDC-TM700 has four bass settings for adjusting low frequency signals—0dB, +3dB, +6dB, or Lowcut.

Editing

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The Panasonic HDC-TM700 ships with HD Writer AE version 2.1 software. The software is essentially the same as its previous incarnations, but this new version does allow for importing 1080/60p footage. Having this feature is an absolute necessity as no other commercially available programs seem to be able to handle the 1080/60p footage shot with the HDC-TM700. If you want to get that 1080/60p footage onto your Mac, however, you're out of luck—HD Writer AE is only compatible with PCs.

If you want to edit the footage you shot using the HDC-TM700's 1080/60p setting, there is an option on the software that allows you to convert the footage to regular AVCHD. Unfortunately, every time we tried performing this action the software crashed after about 15 minutes into the conversion process.If you want to shoot 60p, you're probably better off just playing back footage through the camcorder. For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.

Features

Compression

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For regular 1080/60i shooting, the Panasonic HDC-TM700 uses AVCHD compression. This is the standard compression system for consumer HD camcorders, and it is used by nearly all of the major camcorder manufacturers (with the exception of Samsung and Sanyo).

However, when you shoot with the HDC-TM700's native 1080/60p setting, the camcorder uses a proprietary MPEG-4 codec that isn't really compatible with anything other than Panasonic's provided software. Yes, the video shot with the 1080/60p setting looks stunning when you play it back on an HDTV, but the only way you can really do this is by playing back the footage directly from the camcorder. We couldn't find any third party software that would import or recognize the 1080/60p clips shot with the HDC-TM700, although we expect this to change if 1080/60p recording becomes more prevalent in the future.

Using the 1080/60p setting on the HDC-TM700 is somewhat of a conundrum. The video recorded in the mode looks great, the setting offers a very high bitrate (28Mbps), and the image is recorded progressively rather than interlaced. The problem is, if you want to edit or import the video to your computer your only choice is to use the limited software that ships with the camcorder. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media

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The Panasonic HDC-TM700 contains 32GB of internal flash memory as well as a memory card slot. The card slot will accept SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards up to a 64GB capacity. This is a decent set of media options for a high-end camcorder, but we're surprised Panasonic didn't load the TM700 up with more internal memory. The new flagship models from Canon and Sony both offer 64GB of internal flash memory.

The chart below lists the approximate recording times (as provided by Panasonic) for the HDC-TM700. Notice how much space the 1080/60p footage takes up compared to the other settings. This is important to note because if you want to playback the 1080/60p footage on a television you'll probably want to do so by running the footage through the camcorder itself. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Slow Motion Modes

Still Features

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In addition to all this, the TM700's built-in mic has options for zoom mic or focus mic. Zoom mic boosts the audio levels for whatever the lens is zoomed into, while brings up the sound on subjects near the front of the frame (surround sound is reduced with this function turned on). The built-in mic also has a new Wind Noise Canceler feature, which uses an entirely different technology than the Wind Cut option featured on previous Panasonic camcorders. The new setting uses noise canceling technology similar to what you'd find on noise canceling headphones, rather than simply implementing a high-pass filter like the Wind Cut setting did. Lastly, the HDC-TM700 has four bass settings for adjusting low frequency signals—0dB, +3dB, +6dB, or Lowcut.

So, in reality, the largest non-interpolated images that the HDC-TM700 can capture have a 3600 x 2400 resolution (roughly 8.6 megapixels). The camcorder can take photos in a wide variety of sizes, and it can capture still images in three aspect ratios—4:3, 3:2, and 16:9. In addition to these size options, the camcorder has a built-in flash that has a number of intensity settings as well as red-eye reduction.

You can take photos with the TM700 in video mode, but you have more options when you switch the camcorder over to its dedicated still image mode. One new feature worth noting is the HDC-TM700's Smile Shot setting, which will automatically snap a photo when a person within the frame gives a big smile. This feature is identical to what Sony offers on the HDR-CX500V, although Sony allows you to set the smile detection sensitivity.

The HDC-TM700 put up very strong numbers in our still color test. The camcorder registered a color error of 2.61 and a saturation level of 100.9%—both of which are better numbers than the TM700 managed in our video testing. Most high-end HD camcorders do really well on this test, though, so the HDC-TM700's performance doesn't stand too far out from the crowd.

The weakest camcorder in this test was the Canon HF S21, but even its still image colors had above-average accuracy. We like the saturated tones produced by the two Panasonic camcorders, and the Sony HDR-CX500V's image looks very similar. While all of these camcorders shown below produced above-average still photos, their images are still not as good as what you'd get with a decent digital camera.

The HDC-TM700 wasn't fantastic in our still noise test, but it's results weren't too bad either. The camcorder averaged 0.81% noise in this test, which is roughly the same amount of noise we measured on the Sony HDR-CX500V and Panasonic HDC-TM300. The Canon HF S21 was the worst performer in this test, coming in with around 1.07% noise.

The HDC-TM700 ultimately disappointed in our still sharpness test. At best, the camcorder earned a horizontal sharpness of 1749 lw/ph with 3% oversharpening. The corresponding vertical sharpness was even lower on the HDC-TM700, coming in at 917 lw/ph with 20.8% undersharpening. These aren't good results compared to what the Canon HF S21 was capable of, and they show no improvement over last years HDC-TM300 (the TM300 actually scored a little higher than the TM700).

Lens & Imaging System

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The HDC-TM700 uses three CMOS sensors, which is what Panasonic has been implementing for quite some time on its flagship models. The three sensors are each 1/4.1 inches in size, and they give the camcorder a total pixel count of around 9.15 megapixels. New on the TM700 is the inclusion of a 1080/60p recording option—a feature that is not available on any consumer camcorders from Sony, Canon, JVC, or Samsung. (Sanyo is the only other manufacturer to make camcorders with a native 60p feature.) Panasonic also put a larger lens on the HDC-TM700 compared to last year's models. You can really see the difference with this new lens, as the HDC-TM700's wide angle measured a whopping 59 degrees in our wide angle test.

LCD & Viewfinder

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Panasonic bumped up the size of the LCD on the HDC-TM700 to 3 inches, which is just 0.3-inch upgrade over the LCD on the HDC-TM300. While we do like the bigger screen, this is simply not enough of an improvement—particularly when compared to the 3.5-inch screens featured on the Canon HF S21, Samsung HMX-S16, and Sony HDR-CX550V. With touchscreen technology being all the rage it is really useful to have a larger screen at your disposal, and Panasonic has clearly fallen behind the rest of the pack in this category.

Also disappointing is the fact that Panasonic did not increase the pixel count on the HDC-TM700's LCD. So, the camcorder has a larger screen, but it is stuck with the same 230,400-pixel resolution that was featured on all of Panasonic's HD camcorders from last year. This resolution pales in comparison to what is offered on the aforementioned flagship models from Canon, Samsung, and Sony.

We like the electronic viewfinder on the HDC-TM700, but it's design isn't anywhere near as comfortable as the large viewfinders featured on prosumer and professional camcorders. The TM700's viewfinder can extend roughly 1/2 an inch out from the camcorder, but it cannot pivot or swivel. It does have a diopter adjustment dial on its left side, and its screen is 0.27-inches in size with a 123,000-pixel resolution.

Connectivity

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The HDC-TM700 has all the ports you expect to find on a high-end consumer camcorder (although it's accessory shoe is not hot and it doesn't include a LANC terminal). Most of the camcorder's ports are inside the LCD cavity, and are grouped behind a rubberized, flip-down cover. Here you'll find an HDMI terminal, USB port, memory card slot, and dual AV/Component-out port. The rubberized cover does a good job protecting these ports and it flips down quite far, so it shouldn't be in the way even if you have multiple cables connected at once.

On the right side of the camcorder, just behind the lens, you'll find a small flap that opens up to reveal a 3.5mm external mic and headphone jack. Just like the terminals inside the LCD cavity, these two ports are well-protected, but the hand strap and port cover do get in the way when you have cables connected here.

Just above these two ports is the side-mounted accessory shoe slot. Unfortunately, to actually use a shoe-mounted device with the camcorder you have to insert the provided shoe adapter into this slot. The shoe adapter allows you to mount a device on the top of the camcorder and to the right of the lens (see the images below). We like this setup because it keeps the HDC-TM700 compact and it keeps your mounted devices out of the way. The problem, however, is that if you lose the shoe adapter, then you basically can't mount any accessories until you purchase a new one from Panasonic. Also, the shoe is not powered (it's cold), but it will fit any regularly-sized accessories.

The last port on the HDC-TM700 is the ill-placed DC-input, which is located inside the battery compartment. We hate this setup because it means you must remove the battery whenever you want to switch over to running the camcorder off of its AC adapter. This can be a problem if you're doing a long shot and halfway through you realize your battery is almost depleted. You'll have to stop recording for a minute, plug in your AC adapter, and start recording again—potentially missing out on capturing an important moment.

Battery

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The HDC-TM700 can accommodate larger battery packs, but its battery compartment is designed in an odd manner. Batteries load sideways into the compartment (instead of vertically like on most camcorders) and the battery release switch is located inside the LCD cavity. This design isn't necessarily a flaw, but it does seem awkward that you must open the LCD panel every time you want to eject the battery. Find out how the product:model/product:model performed in our battery life test.

Media

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The Panasonic HDC-TM700 contains 32GB of internal flash memory as well as a memory card slot. The card slot will accept SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards up to a 64GB capacity. This is a decent set of media options for a high-end camcorder, but we're surprised Panasonic didn't load the TM700 up with more internal memory. The new flagship models from Canon and Sony both offer 64GB of internal flash memory.

The chart below lists the approximate recording times (as provided by Panasonic) for the HDC-TM700. Notice how much space the 1080/60p footage takes up compared to the other settings. This is important to note because if you want to playback the 1080/60p footage on a television you'll probably want to do so by running the footage through the camcorder itself. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Still Features

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In addition to all this, the TM700's built-in mic has options for zoom mic or focus mic. Zoom mic boosts the audio levels for whatever the lens is zoomed into, while brings up the sound on subjects near the front of the frame (surround sound is reduced with this function turned on). The built-in mic also has a new Wind Noise Canceler feature, which uses an entirely different technology than the Wind Cut option featured on previous Panasonic camcorders. The new setting uses noise canceling technology similar to what you'd find on noise canceling headphones, rather than simply implementing a high-pass filter like the Wind Cut setting did. Lastly, the HDC-TM700 has four bass settings for adjusting low frequency signals—0dB, +3dB, +6dB, or Lowcut.

So, in reality, the largest non-interpolated images that the HDC-TM700 can capture have a 3600 x 2400 resolution (roughly 8.6 megapixels). The camcorder can take photos in a wide variety of sizes, and it can capture still images in three aspect ratios—4:3, 3:2, and 16:9. In addition to these size options, the camcorder has a built-in flash that has a number of intensity settings as well as red-eye reduction.

You can take photos with the TM700 in video mode, but you have more options when you switch the camcorder over to its dedicated still image mode. One new feature worth noting is the HDC-TM700's Smile Shot setting, which will automatically snap a photo when a person within the frame gives a big smile. This feature is identical to what Sony offers on the HDR-CX500V, although Sony allows you to set the smile detection sensitivity.

The HDC-TM700 put up very strong numbers in our still color test. The camcorder registered a color error of 2.61 and a saturation level of 100.9%—both of which are better numbers than the TM700 managed in our video testing. Most high-end HD camcorders do really well on this test, though, so the HDC-TM700's performance doesn't stand too far out from the crowd.

The weakest camcorder in this test was the Canon HF S21, but even its still image colors had above-average accuracy. We like the saturated tones produced by the two Panasonic camcorders, and the Sony HDR-CX500V's image looks very similar. While all of these camcorders shown below produced above-average still photos, their images are still not as good as what you'd get with a decent digital camera.

The HDC-TM700 wasn't fantastic in our still noise test, but it's results weren't too bad either. The camcorder averaged 0.81% noise in this test, which is roughly the same amount of noise we measured on the Sony HDR-CX500V and Panasonic HDC-TM300. The Canon HF S21 was the worst performer in this test, coming in with around 1.07% noise.

The HDC-TM700 ultimately disappointed in our still sharpness test. At best, the camcorder earned a horizontal sharpness of 1749 lw/ph with 3% oversharpening. The corresponding vertical sharpness was even lower on the HDC-TM700, coming in at 917 lw/ph with 20.8% undersharpening. These aren't good results compared to what the Canon HF S21 was capable of, and they show no improvement over last years HDC-TM300 (the TM300 actually scored a little higher than the TM700).

Other Features

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Pre Record

This has become a common feature on consumer camcorders that allows you to capture a few seconds of footage before you press the record button. This feature can be useful if you're shooting a fast-paced sports game and don't want to miss an important moment.

Auto Ground Standby (AGS)

AGS will automatically stop recording if the camcorder is pointed to the ground for a period of time (a few seconds). This is meant to prevent unwanted recordings of the floor when you've forgotten to shut the camcorder off. While this feature can be useful, we did find it a bit annoying on occasion. For example, what if you actually want to shoot something that is on the ground... well, then you have to turn AGS off or risk having your recording automatically discontinued.

Fader

You can add faders to the beginning or end of your video clips during recording. Faders can be set to white or black on the TM700.

Time Lapse Record

You set a recording interval and the camcorder will capture one frame of video each time this interval comes up. Interval options are 1 second, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes. With this mode, thirty frames make up one second of video and the maximum recordable time is 12 hours. We like this feature, but it's really only useful for recording things like sunrises, sunsets, or blooming flowers.

Relay Record

You can set the HDC-TM700 to continue recording from the internal memory (after it fills up) right onto an inserted memory card without any loss of data. This feature is useful if you're recording very long shots and are unsure if you have enough space left for the clip to fit entirely on your internal memory.

Sony HDR-CX500V Comparison

In the head-to-head battle between the HDC-TM700 and the Canon HF S21 the results weren't even close—the Panasonic HDC-TM700 is the better camcorder by far. The Panasonic did better in our performance testing, has a more extensive array of manual controls, and it comes in with a much cheaper price tag than the Canon HF S21. We also found the HDC-TM700 to be more comfortable in our hand and we liked its relatively compact design.

Even though the HDC-TM700 is a much better model than the HF S21 overall, that doesn't mean the Canon doesn't have its benefits. We like the native 24p setting on the HF S21 and the camcorder has double the internal memory of the HDC-TM700. The Canon also has a larger, higher-resolution LCD than the HDC-TM700, and it did better in our still image testing. We also like the sleek menu design on the Canon HF S21 better than the simple, antiquated menu you get on the Panasonic HDC-TM700.

So, yes, the Canon HF S21 does have some exciting features, but none of them are impressive enough to outweigh the fact that the HDC-TM700 did much better than the Canon HF S21 in nearly all of our testing categories. The HDC-TM700's 60p mode looked superb compared to the HF S21's highest-quality record mode, and we were very impressed by the TM700's low light capabilities and image stabilization system.

Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

The HDR-CX500V was Sony's flagship model from 2009, so it is a bit outdated at this point. What this means is that you should be able to find the camcorder at a reasonable price (Sony just reduced the price from $1099 to $799). The HDR-CX500V is definitely not a superior camcorder to the Panasonic HDC-TM700, but its cheaper price tag makes it worth a look.

The HDR-CX500V has the same amount of internal memory as the Panasonic HDC-TM700 and both camcorders have a similar weight and size (the Sony is actually a bit smaller). The CX500V did fairly well in our performance testing, but it didn't come close to matching the overall numbers put up by the HDC-TM700. The HDR-CX500V also doesn't offer any alternate frame rates other than a low-quality slow motion mode.

The only huge benefit of the HDR-CX500V is its ability to record both HD and SD video. Most HD camcorders do not have this option, but Sony includes it on all of its consumer HD models. So, if you're not yet ready to fully commit to HD, then the Sony HDR-CX500V can be a good transition model to ease yourself from standard to high definition.

COMP 3

The HDC-TM700 is the replacement model for last year's HDC-TM300, which won our camcorder of the year award in 2009. The updates made by Panasonic on the HDC-TM700 make it a significantly better camcorder than last year's HDC-TM300, but the TM300 is still a strong model.

Unlike the Sony HDR-CX500V, however, the HDC-TM300 is hard to find at a bargain price—despite the fact that it is an outdated model. In fact, many retailers are still listing the HDC-TM300 with a higher price tag than the HDC-TM700. This is simply nonsensical because there is no reason you should buy the TM300 over the TM700 unless you're looking to cut costs.

So, what kind of updates did Panasonic make on the HDC-TM700? Well, for starters, the inclusion of a 1080/60p mode gives the HDC-TM700 something that almost no other consumer HD camcorder has. Panasonic also increased the size of its LCD (up to 3 inches from 2.7 inches), improved the versatility of the lens ring, bumped up the effective pixel count, and implemented a larger lens than what was featured on the HDC-TM300. All of these features, as well as improved video performance, make the HDC-TM700 a worthy successor to the HDC-TM300.

Conclusion

We are very impressed with the Panasonic HDC-TM700 (MSRP $999), and the camcorder appears to be in prime position to capture our coveted year-end awards—although we do still have a lot of 2010 camcorders to test from other manufacturers. So far, however, the HDC-TM700 has blown everything else out of the water in terms of video performance, and the camcorder showed significant improvement over last year's exceptional HDC-TM300.

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the TM700's 1080/60p record mode, and rightfully so. The mode records at a very high bitrate and it produced some of the finest video images we've ever seen from a consumer camcorder. The big downside, however, is that the TM700's 60p mode isn't compatible with most editing programs. Panasonic's provided software does allow you to view the 60p footage on a computer (PC only), but we couldn't get the clips to work with any of our third-party editing programs (like iMovie, Adobe Premiere, or Final Cut Express). So, if you shoot with the 60p mode on the HDC-TM700, you should be prepared for the difficulties of working with the footage.

The other updates made by Panasonic on the HDC-TM700 are less extreme, but are still nonetheless useful. Panasonic added a big wide angle lens to the camcorder, increased the LCD to 3 inches, and implemented a few new features and design improvements (like the ability to use the lens ring when the LCD is open). It appears that Panasonic also tweaked the color settings on its new models, as the HDC-TM700 managed more accurate and higher-saturated colors than last year's HDC-TM300.

Our only disappointment with the HDC-TM700 is the fact that Panasonic didn't increase the size or resolution of the LCD enough. We would have liked to see a 3.5-inch screen on the TM700, which is the size of the LCD on new flagship models from Canon, Sony, and Samsung. We also still aren't crazy about Panasonic's touchscreen LCD, but the presence of the lens ring on the HDC-TM700 make this criticism almost pointless.

Overall, the HDC-TM700 is a solid camcorder that is sure to be one of the best—if not the very best—camcorder of the year. If you can get around the fact that the 1080/60p footage is difficult to work with, then you're going to be pleasantly impressed by the quality the HDC-TM700 is capable of. The $999 price tag is also a very reasonable cost for such a top-notch camcorder, as it comes in significantly cheaper than the flagship models from other manufacturers.

If you like the idea of recording to an internal hard drive instead of flash memory, Panasonic also has the HDC-HS700. The camcorder is identical to the HDC-TM700 except it has a larger body and some other design alterations due to its 240GB internal hard drive. It also lists at a much higher cost (MSRP $1399).

Photo Gallery

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