Introduction
Since the HDC-TM10 is expected to retail for the same amount as the HDC-TM20, the decision between the two camcorders comes down to size and design. The TM10 is more compact and portable, while the TM20 is larger but has double the internal memory. The HDC-TM10 comes in black or silver and is due to be available in September 2009.
Update: The JVC Everio GZ-HM200 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Mid-Range Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
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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For a mid-range HD camcorder, the Panasonic HDC-TM10 gave a typical performance in our bright light color test. Its colors weren't spectacularly accurate—the camcorder measured a color error of 4.65 with 84.9% saturation—but its image didn't look too bad. If you're looking for a mid-range camcorder with excellent color accuracy, the JVC GZ-HM200 and GZ-HD300 did far better than the HDC-TM10 in this test. More on how we test color.
Check out the color error map above. The long lines represent where the camcorder had trouble rendering colors correctly. You can see that the TM10 had problems all over the map. Purples, reds, oranges, and browns all show signs of significant color error. Only certain blues and greens were captured by the camcorder with strong accuracy. The Panasonic HDC-TM10 doesn't have any preset color modes (other than Soft Skin Mode), but it does have a picture adjust feature. With it, you can make adjustments to color depth, exposure, and sharpness. Below we have sample images with color set to +5 and -5, as well as a sample image of footage taken with Soft Skin Mode engaged.
Looking at the comparison images below, you should be able to notice some strong differences between the HDC-TM10 and the JVC GZ-HM200. The HM200 had far more accurate colors and you can really see a difference when you look at the blue patches on the right side of the chart. The HDC-TM10 doesn't look all that much different from the Canon HF20 and Panasonic HDC-TM300, however. The Canon HF20 had close to the same color error and saturation level as the TM10, while the Panasonic HDC-TM300 was a bit more accurate.
The HDC-TM10's image in bright light looked very similar to the Panasonic HDC-HS20 and HDC-SD20. Each of these camcorders is equipped with the same 1/6-inch CMOS sensor, but the HDC-TM10 has a slightly different lens. Since they all have the same sensor and pixel counts, these mid-range models from Panasonic are essentially all on equal footing. We did notice the TM10 preforming slightly worse in low light, however.
The close-up color patches above also do a good job comparing the color reproduction of the various camcorders. The Canon HF20 appears to be a bit brighter than the competition, while the GZ-HM200 captured the deepest, most vivid colors.
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Low Light Color
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The Panasonic HDC-TM10 did not produce a very good image in our low light testing. Its poor color error of 7.21 reflects this, as does its low saturation level of 41.6%. The camcorder's low light image was washed-out, dreary, and its colors lacked any sort of punch. This poor low light color score isn't that surprising when you consider how bad the camcorder's low light sensitivity results were. More on how we test low light color.
Above you can see how washed-out the TM10's colors were in low light. The color error map shows that the camcorder had problems with every single color in our test chart. There were no colors that were reproduced with strong accuracy. The comparison images below give you a better idea of how well the TM10 stacks up against the competition. The JVC GZ-HM200 also has a washed-out low light image and its color error wasn't very good either. Still, it put up significantly better numbers than the HDC-TM10. The same thing goes with the Canon HF20, which produced a very dark image in low light, but with better color accuracy and more saturation than the TM10.
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is one of the best overall low light performers we've tested this year. Its color rendering wasn't tremendously accurate in low light, but it was still far better than the HDC-TM10. The crops in the low light noise section coming up will give you a better idea as to how this set of camcorders compare to each other.
Noise
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The HDC-TM10 measured low noise levels in our bright light test, which is a trend we've seen in most Panasonic camcorders this year. The camcorder's noise measurement of 0.5575% is lower than what we measured on the Canon HF20 by a wide margin. It's also very close to the noise levels we measured on the JVC GZ-HM200 and Panasonic HDC-TM300 in bright light. More on how we test noise.
Besides showing presence of noise, artifacts, and discoloration, the crops above put each camcorder's sharpness ability on full display. The Canon HF20 and Panasonic HDC-TM300 are the clear front runners in sharpness, with the Canon HF20 having the slight edge. Both the Panasonic TM10 and JVC GZ-HM200 have quite a bit of blur in their crops, although the HM200 produces a lot of discoloration in the vertical trumpet.
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Low Light Sensitivity
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This year, we've been seeing worse low light sensitivity scores on most new camcorders. This is likely due to the increased pixel count on new models, which increases sharpness, but worsens a camcorder's low light capabilities. The Panasonic HDC-TM10 required 30 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor—a mediocre score at best. Of course, the JVC GZ-HM200 wasn't far behind, as it required 29 lux to reach the same light level. More on how we test low light sensitivity.
We didn't think this would be the case, but the Canon HF20's 22 lux performance is actually not that bad compared to the competition. Most HD camcorders we've tested this year have had low light sensitivities ranging from 15 - 35 lux. This makes the Panasonic HDC-TM300's performance all the better. No camcorder has done better in our low light sensitivity test this year. Only the Sanyo VPC-HD2000, as well as the Panasonic HS300 (the TM300's sister model), were able to match the low light sensitivity results of the HDC-TM300.
We also tested the TM10's low light sensitivity using its 24p Digital Cinema mode. Using the 24p mode, the camcorder needed 25 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on the waveform monitor—still a very poor performance. It is interesting that the Panasonic HDC-TM10 put on a worse performance in its test than its cousin models, the HDC-HS20 and SD20. The smaller lens on the TM10 must have something to do with its lackluster performance, since all of Panasonic's mid-range models have the same CMOS sensor and effective pixel count.
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Low Light Noise
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The HDC-TM10 did a good job in our low light noise test. The camcorder managed to keep noise levels down to 0.8075%, which is lower than both the JVC GZ-HM200 and the Canon HF20. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 measured roughly the same amount of noise as the TM10 in our test. More on how we test low light noise.
Above you can see a clear difference between the high-end HDC-TM300 and the rest of the camcorders in this set. Both the Panasonic HDC-TM10 and the JVC GZ-HM200 produce incredibly blurred images in low light. Their images are so fuzzy that it is nearly impossible to make out fine detail such as text and lines. The Canon HF20 has a much sharper image, but it also has the most noise (roughly 2.5%, which is a lot). You can see this fine sheen of noise in the crop above. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 clearly has the best picture quality in low light of this set. It has little noticeable noise and its image is still quite sharp, despite the low light shooting condition. Of course, the HDC-TM300 is also a good deal more expensive than the rest of the models seen here (all of which are mid-range models, as opposed to the top-of-the-line TM300).
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Low Light Color
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The Panasonic HDC-TM10 did not produce a very good image in our low light testing. Its poor color error of 7.21 reflects this, as does its low saturation level of 41.6%. The camcorder's low light image was washed-out, dreary, and its colors lacked any sort of punch. This poor low light color score isn't that surprising when you consider how bad the camcorder's low light sensitivity results were. More on how we test low light color.
Above you can see how washed-out the TM10's colors were in low light. The color error map shows that the camcorder had problems with every single color in our test chart. There were no colors that were reproduced with strong accuracy. The comparison images below give you a better idea of how well the TM10 stacks up against the competition. The JVC GZ-HM200 also has a washed-out low light image and its color error wasn't very good either. Still, it put up significantly better numbers than the HDC-TM10. The same thing goes with the Canon HF20, which produced a very dark image in low light, but with better color accuracy and more saturation than the TM10.
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is one of the best overall low light performers we've tested this year. Its color rendering wasn't tremendously accurate in low light, but it was still far better than the HDC-TM10. The crops in the low light noise section coming up will give you a better idea as to how this set of camcorders compare to each other.
Motion
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The motion captured by the Panasonic HDC-TM10 was nearly indistinguishable from what we saw from the Panasonic HDC-HS20 and HDC-SD20. This means it looked smooth and crisp, but there was a lot of blur and some significant artifacting. The motion rendering looks good when compared to other mid-range models, but it cannot stand up against the the high-end camcorders from any manufacturer. The HDC-TM10 offers regular 1080/60i recording as well as a 24p option (called Digital Cinema Mode). The 24p recording isn't natively progressive, which means video is still captured interlaced (at 60i) and is converted using a pulldown system. With the pulldown, frames are removed in order to produce the look of 24p, without actually being true 24 frames per second. Most casual users won't mind the difference between true 24p and the converted option on the HDC-TM10, but it can be a huge issue for pros and videophiles. More on how we test motion.
Video Sharpness
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The HDC-TM10 didn't produce the sharpest image in our tests. This makes sense, as the camcorder is a mid-range model after all. The TM10 measured a horizontal sharpness of 600 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and a vertical sharpness of 550 lw/ph in our testing. These results are very similar to what we got from the JVC GZ-HM200 and other mid-range models from Panasonic (like the HDC-SD20 and HDC-HS20). The Canon HF20 was the big winner in this test, however. Surprisingly, it even outperformed the high-end Panasonic HDC-TM300 (although the TM300 also earned a very good sharpness score). 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 the HDC-SD20 before it, the HDC-TM10 is a very simple camcorder to use. Its auto controls work very well and it packs in a number of special features that are useful and fun for beginners. Most prominent is the AF/AE tracking (part of Panasonic's Intelligent Auto controls), which makes good use of the camcorder's touchscreen LCD. The feature allows you to touch a portion of the LCD screen in order to track your subject as he/she moves throughout the frame—all while the camcorder automatically adjusts exposure and focus accordingly. There are also plenty of scene modes, face detection options, and automatic settings on the HDC-TM10.
With the HDC-TM10's Intelligent Auto (iA) mode enabled, the camcorder is set in an entirely automated control. Intelligent Scene Selector, Intelligent Contrast Control, Face Detection, and Image Stabilization will all turn on in an effort to make the camcorder as easy to use as possible. The AF/AE tracking option works in both iA mode, or just regular auto mode.
Regular auto mode is the camcorder's default setting. Basically, it is the mode the camcorder is in if iA is off and manual controls are not engaged. With regular auto mode the camcorder entirely functions with auto controls, but none of the iA features are automatically selected. To enable manual controls on the HDC-TM10, you must press the Manual button on the inside of the LCD cavity. So, if you don't want to ever adjust things manually, you can simply stay away from that button.
Panasonic also has a useful Info button inside the menu system that is designed to assist users who are learning their way around the HDC-TM10. When the Info button is engaged, a message box pops up whenever you select an option from the menu. These message boxes provide information about the menu option being selected. A less useful feature is the Shooting Guide function. This option displays a message on the LCD screen giving you tips about how to shoot a good video. So, if you pan too fast the camcorder will let you know. The feature is more annoying than anything else and the tips it gives aren't helpful in any way.
Auto Mode is confusingly called Dual Shot mode
Menus on the HDC-TM10 share the same organizational structure as the rest of Panasonic's high definition camcorders this year. They are simple to navigate, but offer a wealth of options that could overwhelm the casual videographer. To make things even more intimidating, most options are distributed among three different places: the Function Menu, the main menu, and a number of dedicated buttons on the body of the camcorder itself.
The main menu is where the meat of your options reside. There are four choices in the main menu: two submenus for altering video or photo recording, a media select option, and a Setup submenu for administrative functions. Controls for video and photo recording are located in the Record Setup and Picture submenus. The former has six pages of options like scene modes, guide lines, recording quality, and Picture Adjust—the exceedingly inaccessible sub-submenu that contains the exposure tool. The latter is a simple Picture submenu for photo options. There are only two pages here, including features like hi-speed burst, self-timer, and flash options.
For more administrative functions, you'll need to turn to the main menu's other offerings: Media Select and Setup. Media Select simply lets you choose between the built-in memory and SD/SDHC card. You will not find the Relay Record option here; if you want to automatically switch to memory card once you've filled the internal memory, that option is in the Record Setup menu—and only available if you've chosen internal memory in Media Select.
The Setup submenu has six pages of administrative functions, like date/time setting, alert sounds, and output options. This is also where you can go to adjust LCD brightness and menu language. (The North American NTSC model can be set to English, French, or Spanish.)
While the main menu is easy to navigate, it isn't always easy to find what you're looking for. We can thank Panasonic's multi-menu structure for this. You might spend five minutes poking around in the main submenus before realize that the option you seek is located in an entirely separate Function menu. Conversely, some options you expect to see in the Function menu are actually in the Record Setup submenu. Sound confusing? Sometimes it is.
The Function menu houses mostly manual image controls. It's access by touching the small F in the lower-let corner of the LCD. In Manual mode, these options are white balance, shutter speed, iris, manual focus, backlight compensation, intelligent contrast, faders, soft skin mode, telemacro, and MagicPix. When not in Manual mode, white balance, shutter speed, iris, and manual focus are swapped out for the new AFAE touch control, while the last six options are all still available. One of the frustrations with this setup is that you cannot simultaneously access manual white balance and AFAE. We wish Panasonic would make this excellent control available in both Manual and auto mode.
In addition to the options you'll find in the Function menu and the three submenus, there are a number of options arranged on the body of the camcorder: there are physical buttons dedicated to Manual mode, iA mode, Pre-Record, and image stabilization.
If you're starting to feel like the TM10 might be more than you can handle, there is good news for less experienced camcorder users. The HDC-TM10 has a shooting guide, which can be enabled to pop up little tips about shooting. There's also an Info button located in all the main submenus. If you highlight the button, then touch on any feature in the menus, a box will pop up explaining the purpose of this particular feature. The Info box can be a very handy tool for getting to know the options of the camcorder. Our greatest regret about this feature is that it is not available in the Function menu, where ambiguous icons could confuse beginners.
Auto Mode
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This year, we've written extensively about Panasonic's new Intelligent Auto (iA) features. The features are found on Panasonic's entire 2009 lineup and they include AF/AE tracking, Intelligent Contrast, Intelligent Scene Selection, and Face Detection. The iA controls on the TM10 aren't really any different than the earlier Panasonic models (the HDC-HS20, SD20, TM300, and HS300), so there's nothing brand new to discuss. Face Detection is what it is—it allows the camcorder to detect faces on the screen and automatically and to adjust focus and exposure accordingly. You can set the camcorder to detect all faces within the frame or just primary faces. According to Panasonic, up to fifteen faces can be detected in a frame.
The most interesting feature is the AF/AE tracking. With this, you manually select a subject on the screen (by touching a portion of the LCD), and the camcorder will 'track' this subject as it moves throughout the frame—adjusting exposure and focus along the way. Now, it doesn't work perfectly, of course. The HDC-TM10 has trouble retaining a track when the subject leaves the screen for more than a few seconds, and often the tracking will get mixed up if multiple people are moving around in the frame. Still, it is a pretty cool feature to play around with and we found the system to work fairly well in adjusting for various lighting conditions and focal lengths.
Intelligent Contrast and Scene Selection are far less exciting. The former allows the camcorder to adjust contrast levels so scenes aren't blown-out or overexposed, and the latter lets the camcorder automatically choose the best scene mode for your shooting conditions. With the iA mode engaged a few icons appear on the bottom of the LCD: AF/AE tracking, Backlight, Faders, and Telemacro. The Intelligent Contrast and Intelligent Scene Selection options are automatically engaged. Of course, you can use the camcorder in regular auto mode, without any iA controls. Just press the iA button to turn Intelligent Auto on and off.
In regular auto mode a number of icons appear on the bottom of the LCD screen—AF/AE, Backlight, Intelligent Contrast, Faders, Softskin, Tele Macro, and MagicPix. You can still use most of the iA features (like tracking and contrast), but you need to turn them on manually. To turn manual controls on, you must press the Manual button on the inside of the LCD cavity.
The HDC-TM10, as with most camcorders, has an Auto Slow Shutter feature that can be turned on and off. With it off, the camcorder won't use a shutter speed below 1/60 of a second (unless a special scene mode or MagicPix is engaged). A 1/60 shutter is generally the lowest speed you want to use if you don't want the image to be choppy or have a significant trailing effect. With Auto Slow Shutter turned on, the camcorder will go down to 1/30 of a second shutter speed. Here, the aforementioned trails and choppy motion are definitely noticeable, but the camcorder gets a significant boost in low light performance (because more light is hitting the sensor).
Low Light Modes - MagicPix is the HDC-TM10's special low light mode. With MagicPix engaged, it appears the TM10 boosts gain and allows the shutter to go down to drastically slow speeds (roughly 1/4 or 1/2 of a second). This means, if you shoot with MagicPix in very low light situations, your footage will have significant trailing and look choppy—but the image will be very bright. MagicPix also appears to reduce the LCD brightness because the camcorder assumes you're using the mode in near-darkness (where a bright LCD is not needed).
Scene Modes - The HDC-TM10 has a number of scene modes to choose from. You can select them manually in the menu, or, if you have Intelligent Auto mode engaged, the camcorder will pick them for you. The scene modes included are: Portrait, Snow, Sunset, Sports, Spotlight, Beach, Fireworks, Landscape, and Night. Night is different from MagicPix, as it essentially turns on the Auto Slow Shutter feature that allows the camcorder to use a 1/30 of a second shutter speed (but nothing lower).
The iAuto mode button is difficult to find, but when you do find it the option for turning on the mode looks like this.
Other Auto Features
Handling
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The HDC-TM10 is a good deal smaller than the average mid-range camcorder, so it handles a bit differently than the larger models from Panasonic (like the HDC-HS20 and HDC-SD20). The touchscreen operation and auto controls handle basically the same, however, so the TM10 doesn't really offer anything new on that front. The touchscreen is still awful for making precise adjustments, but it also still works very well with the AF/AE tracking feature and other 'one-touch' options like manual white balance. We can't recommend the HDC-TM10 to anyone who loves making manual adjustments because the touchscreen simply doesn't do the job. The lens ring on Panasonic's high-end models or the control dials featured on high-end Canons and Sonys offer a much better user experience.
The HDC-TM10 feels different in your hand because of its compact size. The construction of its right side is quite good. The surface feels smooth, comfortable, and the shape is ergonomic. There is a big problem with the TM10's hand strap, though. It has a horrible design, much like we saw on the JVC GZ-HD300 and HM200. The strap is flimsy, about as thick as a piece of paper, and doesn't feel comfortable on the back of your palm. It also doesn't provide much support, which is the primary function of the hand strap. In fact, some users may decide the camcorder is better off without any hand strap at all.
Since the TM10 is so small, there are also some issues with the placement of certain features and buttons. Most obvious is the built-in mic, which often finds itself completely smothered by your pinky finger when you wrap your hand around the camcorder (especially if you have big hands). This can result in muffling or unwanted noises being picked by the mic if you accidentally rub against it with your pinky.
The battery compartment design on the HDC-TM10 has its own issues. Since the battery loads inside the LCD cavity, there's no room for a larger, longer-lasting battery to be inserted. So, your basically stuck with the provided battery, unless you want to get a large one and not be able to close the LCD all the way.
The HDC-TM10 has some extra buttons on the base of the LCD panel that aren't present on the HDC-SD20 or HS20. The idea of these buttons is a good one—an extra way to start/stop record and zoom—but the button design is horrendous. We call them 'membrane buttons' because they are built into the body of the LCD panel. You must pinch them or use your fingernail to poke at them in order to press them fully. Essentially, they don't provide the haptic feedback a regular button gives you, so often you're left wondering if you pushed them hard enough.
These dedicated buttons give you quick access to aperture and shutter speed controls.
Portability
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The HDC-TM10 is one of Panasonic's smallest HD camcorders and one of the most compact mid-range HD models on the market. Since there aren't any special new features on the TM10, its size and design is probably its most exciting element. The camcorder weighs only 278g (0.61 lbs), which means Panasonic was able to shave off roughly 50g of weight from the bulkier HDC-SD20 (327g) to make the TM10. The SD20 is also a good 20mm thicker than the TM10, which makes the latter model far more portable. In fact, the HDC-TM10 is small enough to fit in a loose pocket, although it probably wouldn't be that comfortable. The camcorder can easily fit in a purse or small bag and it is light enough to take almost anywhere.
Still, the camcorder isn't as portable or as compact as a tiny budget camcorder like the Flip UltraHD. Its size, however, is actually quite comparable to Sony's ultracompact Webbie HD MHS-CM1 camcorder (the TM10 is a bit heavier and longer, though). So, the HDC-TM10 is really one of the lightest, most portable mid-range HD camcorders out there. The JVC GZ-HM200 has similar proportions to the TM10, but it's also a good 30g heavier. The HDC-TM10's 8GB of internal flash memory does help out with the camcorder's portability—you don't need to worry about finding a memory card if you're in a hurry. Everything you need to capture video is right in the camcorder itself.
Battery Life
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The HDC-TM10 lasted for 87 minutes, 31 seconds in our battery life test. This isn't a very good performance, especially since the compact design of the TM10 doesn't really allow you to upgrade to a larger, longer-lasting battery pack (the battery compartment is inside the LCD cavity). The TM10's battery life was also worse than what we tested on the JVC GZ-HM200 (112 minutes), Canon HF20 (98 minutes), and Panasonic HDC-TM300 (105 minutes). Not surprisingly, however, the Panasonic HDC-SD20 had a nearly identical battery life, lasting 88 minutes in our test. More on how we test battery life.
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LCD
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The HDC-TM10 features a 2.7-inch LCD with a 230,400-pixel resolution. This is the same LCD found on Panasonic's other mid-range camcorders (like the HDC-HS20 and HDC-SD20). The LCD uses touchscreen technology, which means the screen is likely to get smudged and coated with fingerprints fairly quickly. The camcorder does ship with a stylus pen that can be used with the LCD, but we doubt many users will bother. On a positive note, the LCD has a number of brightness options that can be adjusted to save battery life or customized to work best with your current shooting conditions.
The TM10 does not have an electronic viewfinder—it is really too small to accommodate one. Actually, most mid-range and low-end camcorders don't include viewfinders anymore. If you want a camcorder that has one, you'll have to go for the larger, high-end models from Panasonic (the HDC-HS300 and TM300), Sony (HDR-XR520V and XR500V), and Canon (HG20 and HG21).
On the bottom of the LCD panel are a set of buttons: Record On/Off, Zoom, Menu, Light, and Delete. Here, the TM10 borrows its design from the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and HS300, both of which have a similar set of buttons along the bottom of the LCD panel. The Panasonic HDC-HS20 and SD20, on the other hand, only have two buttons on their LCD panels—Menu and Delete. While the idea of the buttons is a useful one (having multiple buttons for zooming and recording is always a good thing), the design of the buttons is not very good. The buttons have very little give, so when you push them it is difficult to tell if you've pushed hard enough. We call this design 'membrane buttons' as they are built into the body of the camcorder, rather than protruding from the surface like a normal button.
Stabilization
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Strangely, the Panasonic HDC-TM10 actually did better in our stabilization test when using its regular optical stabilization setting (OIS). Testing the camcorder with its OIS engaged, the HDC-TM10 was able to reduce 51% of the shake in our low shake test. The camcorder cut the shake by 41% in our high shake test. The numbers were slightly worse with its Active stabilization mode turned on—43% reduction in low shake, 35% reduction in high shake. More on how we test stabilization.
Despite these surprising results with Active mode, the Panasonic HDC-TM10's OIS provides very good stabilization for a camcorder of its class. The Canon HF20 didn't do nearly as well, while the JVC GZ-HM200 had decent numbers—but it uses a digital stabilization system (which can cause image degradation).
Manual Focus
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The adjustment dial makes accurate focus adjustments easy.
Manual Exposure
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The manual exposure controls are only found on the Contour app, not on the camcorder itself.
Miscellaneous Controls
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Digital Cinema Color
This setting enables the camcorder to use the xvYCC expanded color gamut when recording video. The enhanced colors would only be noticeable when viewing footage on xvYCC-compatible televisions.
Tele Macro
Good for focusing on extremely close-up subjects. The focal distance is approximately 1cm to 1m.
Guidelines
Displays lines on the screen that help you frame the shot. Can be set as three horizontal lines, a 9-box grid, or a 60-box grid.
Audio Controls
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Even thought he Panasonic HDC-TM10 doesn't have an external mic or headphone jack, it does have quite a few audio features for its built-in microphone. The TM10's built-in mic sits above the lens, right near the front of the camcorder, and records 2-channel stereo. This placement isn't very smart, as your pinky finger will likely rub up against the mic when you grip the camcorder in your hand. Still, the TM10 is so small that there really isn't anywhere else for the mic to go (except maybe a front-mounted design like JVC does on its GZ-HM200 and GZ-HD300).
The audio features, all of which are accessible in the camcorder's Record Setup menu, are quite extensive for a mid-range model. First of all, the camcorder offers manual audio level control. The gain on the built-in mic can be set from -30dB to +6dB and two audio level displays appear on the screen (one for each channel) as you adjust the levels. In addition to this manual audio control, there's a wind cut feature that uses a high-pass filter to reduce the amount of wind noise and rustle picked up by the on-board mic. Lastly, you can turn on the zoom mic option, which allows the mic to focus the audio recording on whatever the camcorder's lens is currently zoomed in on.
Editing
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The Panasonic HDC-TM10 ships with HD Writer AE 1.5, a new version for the most recently released Panasonic camcorders. There aren't a lot of functional differences between this and the earlier version of the software. That includes the relative instability of the program; you may want to avoid using HD Writer if you're easily frustrated by error messages or compatibility issues. HD Writer is only compatible with Windows operating systems and was never a flawless experience.
It is a relatively straightforward program, especially if everything is working as it should. HD Writer lets you back your files up on your PC, burn a CD, or upload to YouTube. Remember that you can't just 'drag and drop' your files from camcorder to PC, so you'll want some kind of editing software to help you with the process.
You can also do some basic edits, such as trimming and adding transitions and titles. Neither this process, nor the upload to YouTube is as easy as what you'll find on the Flip video software.
Considering the frequent error messages we received when using this software, we suggest you just stick with whatever software might have come with your computer. If you're an Apple user, you won't have any choice... and you'll be much better server by iMovie anyway.
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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The Panasonic HDC-TM10 uses an MPEG4-AVC/H.264 codec to compress video. The codec is AVCHD standard compliant, which means the camcorder essentially records using AVCHD—just like most consumer HD camcorders. This is also the same system used on the Panasonic HDC-SD20 and HS20. AVCHD is very popular right now and most new editing programs can handle the footage. Files cannot simply be 'dragged-and-dropped' from the camcorder to your media player, however. You must import the AVCHD footage using an editing program, Panasonic's supplied software, or some kind of video conversion tool. AVCHD video can also be very taxing on your computer, especially if you have an older machine. If you plan on doing extensive editing with any AVCHD footage, we recommend you have a very robust computer to assist you.
The TM10 has four record settings, with each using a different bitrate to capture video. The camera tops out with a 17Mbps bitrate, which is a bit lower than what you'll see from some other manufacturers (both Canon and JVC offer 24Mbps recording, which is the highest bitrate available for AVCHD). The lowest quality setting on the TM10 captures video at a 1440 x 1080 resolution.
The regular record mode on the TM10 captures video with a 60i frame rate. There is a 24p option on the camcorder, but it is not a true progressive frame rate (just like all of Panasonic's HD models). The video is captured at 60i and converted in the camcorder using a pulldown. The footage is then outputted as 24p. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.
Media
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The 'TM' in the Panasonic HDC-TM10 stands for Twin Memory. This is because the camcorder comes with 2 media recording options. It has 8GB of internal flash memory, which can hold up to an hour of footage at the highest quality setting, and it also has an SD/SDHC card slot for recording to removable memory cards. Most internal hard drive camcorders (like the Panasonic HS20) also have memory card slots available as a backup if the hard drive is full. Panasonic's HDC-SD10 and SD20, however, can only record to memory cards and contain no internal memory whatsoever.
The Panasonic HDC-TM20, which is the same price as the TM10, includes 16GB of internal memory, although the camcorder has a larger body than the TM10. So, you get more memory on the TM20, but a smaller, more compact design on the TM10. Both camcorders have a Relay-record option that allows for seamless transition from internal memory to an inserted SD/SDHC card. This means if the internal memory fills up while your shooting, your clip won't have any breaks in it as it continues to record onto the memory card. The footage can be merged into one clip after recording is stopped. Relay-record does not work when going from memory card to internal memory.
According to Panasonic, the maximum record time for once scene is 12 hours. After one clip has run for that long, the camcorder automatically pauses for a few seconds and resumes recording on a new clip. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.
Slow Motion Modes
Still Features
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Even though the Panasonic HDC-TM10 can't capture high-resolution photos, the camcorder is equipped with a decent amount of still features. There are no photo size options on the camcorder—all images will be taken at 1920 x 1080 (except when using the 60fps continuous shooting mode). There are two quality options for still photos, Normal and High. To adjust the settings for still images, you just go into the camcorder's Picture Setup menu. There is no separate still image mode on the HDC-TM10. So, to snap a photo, you just press the shutter button on top of the camcorder. You can even take still photos while recording video by pressing down the shutter button after you've started to record video.
The camcorder has two high-speed burst options, one at 24fps and the other at 60fps. The 24fps burst takes 72 pictures at 1920 x 1080, while the 60fps option captures 180 stills at 1280 x 720. All these modes really do, however, is take three seconds of video and split up each frame into one photo. After you've used the mode, a menu pops up asking you if you want to save all the pictures or if you want to keep a select few. If you select all the photos, it will take the camcorder a few moments (roughly 20 seconds) to save all the images permanently.
Other still features on the HDC-TM10 include a built-in flash that is mounted on the front of the camcorder. The flash can be set to Off, Auto, or On, and it offers three levels of intensity. You can also turn on a red-eye reduction setting for the flash. Rounding our the still features are a self-timer that can be set to 10 or 2 seconds, and an option for turning the electronic shutter sound on or off.
The HDC-TM10 did a good job in our still color testing. The hard numbers were a color error of 3.49 and a saturation level of 105.1%, both of which are better than the camcorder managed in our bright light video testing. Even though the TM10's still images had good color accuracy, the resolution of the photos was quite small. The camcorder takes still images at a maximum image resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1.17 megapixels). (More on how we test still color.)
Out of the camcorders in this set, the HDC-TM10 had better color accuracy than both the JVC GZ-HM200 and Canon HF20. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was the best of the bunch, however, measuring a color error of just 2.65 in our still color testing.
The TM10 also had low noise levels in our still image testing. The camcorder averaged 0.45% noise in our testing, which is slightly less than it managed in our bright light video testing. This is also less noise than we measured with the JVC GZ-HM20 (0.82% noise), Canon HF20 (1.15% noise), and Panasonic HDC-TM300 (0.79% noise).
Even though the HDC-TM10 did very well in our still noise and color testing, the most important still image test is sharpness. This test determines how crisp and how much detail will be able to be captured by the camcorder's still photos. Since the HDC-TM10 only takes 1.17-megapixel photos, it isn't surprising that the camcorder put on a lackluster performance in our still sharpness test. The camcorder produced a horizontal sharpness of 603 lw/ph with 3.9% oversharpening and a vertical sharpness of 618 lw/ph with 6.4% undersharpening. The only good thing about these numbers are the low under/oversharpening results, which means the camcorder isn't going overboard with internal processing to make the images look sharper.
There are many camcorders on the market right now that can take very high-resolution photos. The Samsung HMX-R10, Sanyo VPC-CG10 and VPC-HD2000, and the JVC GZ-X900 are a few that have done quite well in our still sharpness testing.
Lens & Imaging System
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The HDC-TM10 has a slightly different lens than the Panasonic HDC-SD20, HS20 and TM20. It has a much smaller filter diameter (30.5mm instead of 43mm) and its aperture range is a bit different. It also has a manual lens cover on the side of the camcorder, as opposed to the automatic cover featured on the other models from Panasonic. The sensor and pixel counts on the HDC-TM10 are identical to those on the SD20, HS20, and TM20.
LCD
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The HDC-TM10 features a 2.7-inch LCD with a 230,400-pixel resolution. This is the same LCD found on Panasonic's other mid-range camcorders (like the HDC-HS20 and HDC-SD20). The LCD uses touchscreen technology, which means the screen is likely to get smudged and coated with fingerprints fairly quickly. The camcorder does ship with a stylus pen that can be used with the LCD, but we doubt many users will bother. On a positive note, the LCD has a number of brightness options that can be adjusted to save battery life or customized to work best with your current shooting conditions.
The TM10 does not have an electronic viewfinder—it is really too small to accommodate one. Actually, most mid-range and low-end camcorders don't include viewfinders anymore. If you want a camcorder that has one, you'll have to go for the larger, high-end models from Panasonic (the HDC-HS300 and TM300), Sony (HDR-XR520V and XR500V), and Canon (HG20 and HG21).
On the bottom of the LCD panel are a set of buttons: Record On/Off, Zoom, Menu, Light, and Delete. Here, the TM10 borrows its design from the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and HS300, both of which have a similar set of buttons along the bottom of the LCD panel. The Panasonic HDC-HS20 and SD20, on the other hand, only have two buttons on their LCD panels—Menu and Delete. While the idea of the buttons is a useful one (having multiple buttons for zooming and recording is always a good thing), the design of the buttons is not very good. The buttons have very little give, so when you push them it is difficult to tell if you've pushed hard enough. We call this design 'membrane buttons' as they are built into the body of the camcorder, rather than protruding from the surface like a normal button.
Connectivity
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The HDC-TM10 is one of Panasonic's smallest camcorders. Its design is quite different than its cousin models, the HDC-HS20 and SD20, and one of the significant changes is the placement of the ports and battery pack. The memory card slot on the TM10 is located on the top of the camcorder, to the right of the zoom toggle. While this placement is okay, we aren't crazy about the door mechanism that protects the slot. You have to awkwardly slide a button and pull up on the door for it to pop open. The hinges on the door don't feel to strong and its entire design seems week. We do like the fact that the card slot is on the top of the camcorder though, as it means you can change memory cards while the TM10 is connected to a tripod (something you couldn't do on the HDC-HS20 or SD20).
The rest of the camcorder's ports are located inside the LCD cavity (the area where the LCD rests when it is closed). Inside the cavity are the Component-out, mini-HDMI, USB, and A/V-out ports. All of them are protected by a thin, black piece of plastic that is tethered to the camcorder. The piece of plastic can be popped open by pulling on a nub located on the underside of the camcorder. This design isn't quite as good as the sliding door mechanism featured on the HS20 and SD20, but it's good to see Panasonic is at least protecting the ports on the TM10 with something.
The TM10 is fairly unique in that it doesn't have a DC-input on the camcorder. Instead, to run the camcorder on wall-plug power you must insert the battery adapter into the camcorder (just like putting in the regular battery, only it is connected to a cable and plugged into the wall). This can be a minor nuisance, as it means you must remove the battery whenever you want to plug in the camcorder—but at least Panasonic gives you the option of running the camcorder on DC power, rather than forcing you to take out the battery and charge it every time the battery runs low (like the Sanyo VPC-CG10 and Sony MHS-PM1).
That's it regarding connectivity. The camcorder has no external mic, headphone jack, or accessory shoe. If you want those features, you'll have to look elsewhere.
Media
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The 'TM' in the Panasonic HDC-TM10 stands for Twin Memory. This is because the camcorder comes with 2 media recording options. It has 8GB of internal flash memory, which can hold up to an hour of footage at the highest quality setting, and it also has an SD/SDHC card slot for recording to removable memory cards. Most internal hard drive camcorders (like the Panasonic HS20) also have memory card slots available as a backup if the hard drive is full. Panasonic's HDC-SD10 and SD20, however, can only record to memory cards and contain no internal memory whatsoever.
The Panasonic HDC-TM20, which is the same price as the TM10, includes 16GB of internal memory, although the camcorder has a larger body than the TM10. So, you get more memory on the TM20, but a smaller, more compact design on the TM10. Both camcorders have a Relay-record option that allows for seamless transition from internal memory to an inserted SD/SDHC card. This means if the internal memory fills up while your shooting, your clip won't have any breaks in it as it continues to record onto the memory card. The footage can be merged into one clip after recording is stopped. Relay-record does not work when going from memory card to internal memory.
According to Panasonic, the maximum record time for once scene is 12 hours. After one clip has run for that long, the camcorder automatically pauses for a few seconds and resumes recording on a new clip. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.
Still Features
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Even though the Panasonic HDC-TM10 can't capture high-resolution photos, the camcorder is equipped with a decent amount of still features. There are no photo size options on the camcorder—all images will be taken at 1920 x 1080 (except when using the 60fps continuous shooting mode). There are two quality options for still photos, Normal and High. To adjust the settings for still images, you just go into the camcorder's Picture Setup menu. There is no separate still image mode on the HDC-TM10. So, to snap a photo, you just press the shutter button on top of the camcorder. You can even take still photos while recording video by pressing down the shutter button after you've started to record video.
The camcorder has two high-speed burst options, one at 24fps and the other at 60fps. The 24fps burst takes 72 pictures at 1920 x 1080, while the 60fps option captures 180 stills at 1280 x 720. All these modes really do, however, is take three seconds of video and split up each frame into one photo. After you've used the mode, a menu pops up asking you if you want to save all the pictures or if you want to keep a select few. If you select all the photos, it will take the camcorder a few moments (roughly 20 seconds) to save all the images permanently.
Other still features on the HDC-TM10 include a built-in flash that is mounted on the front of the camcorder. The flash can be set to Off, Auto, or On, and it offers three levels of intensity. You can also turn on a red-eye reduction setting for the flash. Rounding our the still features are a self-timer that can be set to 10 or 2 seconds, and an option for turning the electronic shutter sound on or off.
The HDC-TM10 did a good job in our still color testing. The hard numbers were a color error of 3.49 and a saturation level of 105.1%, both of which are better than the camcorder managed in our bright light video testing. Even though the TM10's still images had good color accuracy, the resolution of the photos was quite small. The camcorder takes still images at a maximum image resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1.17 megapixels). (More on how we test still color.)
Out of the camcorders in this set, the HDC-TM10 had better color accuracy than both the JVC GZ-HM200 and Canon HF20. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was the best of the bunch, however, measuring a color error of just 2.65 in our still color testing.
The TM10 also had low noise levels in our still image testing. The camcorder averaged 0.45% noise in our testing, which is slightly less than it managed in our bright light video testing. This is also less noise than we measured with the JVC GZ-HM20 (0.82% noise), Canon HF20 (1.15% noise), and Panasonic HDC-TM300 (0.79% noise).
Even though the HDC-TM10 did very well in our still noise and color testing, the most important still image test is sharpness. This test determines how crisp and how much detail will be able to be captured by the camcorder's still photos. Since the HDC-TM10 only takes 1.17-megapixel photos, it isn't surprising that the camcorder put on a lackluster performance in our still sharpness test. The camcorder produced a horizontal sharpness of 603 lw/ph with 3.9% oversharpening and a vertical sharpness of 618 lw/ph with 6.4% undersharpening. The only good thing about these numbers are the low under/oversharpening results, which means the camcorder isn't going overboard with internal processing to make the images look sharper.
There are many camcorders on the market right now that can take very high-resolution photos. The Samsung HMX-R10, Sanyo VPC-CG10 and VPC-HD2000, and the JVC GZ-X900 are a few that have done quite well in our still sharpness testing.
Other Features
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Pre-Record
The audio features, all of which are accessible in the camcorder's Record Setup menu, are quite extensive for a mid-range model. First of all, the camcorder offers manual audio level control. The gain on the built-in mic can be set from -30dB to +6dB and two audio level displays appear on the screen (one for each channel) as you adjust the levels. In addition to this manual audio control, there's a wind cut feature that uses a high-pass filter to reduce the amount of wind noise and rustle picked up by the on-board mic. Lastly, you can turn on the zoom mic option, which allows the mic to focus the audio recording on whatever the camcorder's lens is currently zoomed in on.
Video Light
A small LED light is mounted on the front of the camcorder to provide a boost in low light situations. The light can be turned on and off by pressing the Light button on the base of the LCD panel. It doesn't provide much added illumination, but it is better than nothing.
Auto Ground Standby (AGS)
Do you ever playback your home movies only to find you've shot an hours worth of 'oops I forgot to turn the camcorder off?' Auto Ground Standby can limit this problem by automatically turning off when the camcorder detects a drop below its normal horizontal recording level (i.e. it is pointing towards the ground for a long time). Not a tremendously useful feature, but it can help save your battery life.
Faders
No camcorder would be complete without an option for adding fades to the beginning or end of your clips. On the HDC-TM10, faders can be set to black or white.
Relay Record
Enables the camcorder to continuously record onto an inserted SD/SDHC memory card once the internal flash memory fills up. This reduces the likelihood of a break in your footage occurring if the internal memory fills up. You cannot use Relay-Record when going from memory card to internal memory (only the other way around).
Canon Vixia HF20 Comparison
The GZ-HM200 is a very similar product to the HDC-TM10. The price is roughly the same ($579 for the HM200 and $599 for the TM10) and the two camcorders share nearly-equivalent dimensions. The HDC-TM10 is slightly lighter and thinner, but not by much—both camcorders are rather compact. One of the main differences is the 8GB of internal flash memory on the TM10, while the GZ-HM200 offers two SD/SDHC card slots and no internal memory. This means, theoretically, you could have two 32GB SD/SDHC cards loaded into the HM200, giving you a full media capacity of 64GB. Still, the lack of any internal memory means you must remember to bring a SD/SDHC card whenever you want to shoot with the camcorder.
While the HDC-TM10 uses a touchscreen interface, the GZ-HM200 has a somewhat unique system. It uses JVC's laser-touch strip, which can be very awkward and frustrating to use at first. It also results in the same imprecise control as Panasonic's touchscreen system. So, if you don't like touchscreens, you may not like the HM200's touch-sensitive strip either. We also like the fact that the HM200 doesn't have an enclosed battery compartment like the TM10. This means you can fit larger, longer-lasting batteries into the HM200. Trying the same thing with the TM10 means you won't be able to close the camcorder's LCD screen.
As far as performance goes, the two camcorders produced images with similar motion and sharpness. Both camcorders also weren't very good in low light. We give the edge to the GZ-HM200 because it had far better color accuracy than the HDC-TM10. In fact, it had one of the best color accuracies we've ever tested on a consumer camcorder. The Panasonic did have slightly less noise, but the difference wasn't as dramatic as the disparity in color error. One reason to go with the TM10 over the HM200, however, is the fact that Panasonic offers Optical Image Stabilization (with two modes nonetheless) vs. JVC's digital stabilization system.
Update: The JVC Everio GZ-HM200 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Mid-Range Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison
The Canon HF20 is about $300 more expensive than the HDC-TM10. What do you get for this extra cash? Well, the HF20 has 32GB of internal memory, a 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, and captured one of the sharpest images we've ever seen. In most performance categories, with the notable exception of noise, the Canon HF20 superseded the HDC-TM10 in our tests. So, if video quality is most important to you, the Canon HF20 is a better choice than the HDC-TM10.
Still, the HF20 has its share of performance issues. It isn't very good in low light and its noise levels are much higher than the competition. In bright light, however, it's one of the best mid-range camcorder we've reviewed—with top-notch scores in motion and sharpness. Despite its terrific bright light image, is it really worth spending close to $900 on a camcorder that has problems with noise and low light? You could spend just a little more and spring for a high-end model like the Panasonic HDC-TM300, Sony HDR-XR00V, or the Canon HF S100.
The Canon HF20 is heavier and larger than the HDC-TM10, but it's still fairly compact. We found the Canon HF20 a bit more difficult to use than the HDC-TM10. It doesn't utilize a touchscreen like the Panasonic camcorders do, and its manual controls can be a bit confusing and difficult to find. Still, if you don't like touchscreens, the Canon HF20 (and all Canon camcorders) offers a strong alternative.
Update: The Canon Vixia HF20 was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Mid-Range Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
COMP 3
The HDC-TM300 is Panasonic's top-of-the-line HD camcorder for 2009 (along with the HDD-based HDC-HS300). It's about twice as expensive as the HDC-TM10 and it has a much bigger frame. It also has loads of additional features not found on the HDC-TM10. In addition to all the iA options that make the Panasonic camcorders great for beginners, the HDC-TM300 includes a manual lens ring to appease more experienced and traditional users. The lovely lens ring makes the annoying touchscreen an afterthought, and it allows for precise control over focus, aperture, zoom, etc.
The HDC-TM300 has an electronic viewfinder—a feature that is becoming less and less common on consumer camcorders—and it's outfitted with a number of extra ports, like an external mic jack, headphone jack, and an accessory shoe. Under the hood, the TM300 has three 1/4.1-inch CMOS sensors, which means it has a much higher effective pixel count than the HDC-TM10. These extra pixels really show in performance, too. The TM300 did better than the TM10 in every one of our performance tests (although they had nearly identical results in our noise testing). The TM300 was particularly stronger in video sharpness and low light sensitivity.
The HDC-TM300 has 32GB of internal memory in addition to its SD/SDHC memory card slot. It is a light camcorder compared to many high-end models, but it is definitely a good deal bulkier than the HDC-TM10. You would not be able to carry the TM300 around in your pocket, while the TM10 would likely fit in most pants pockets, albeit snugly.
You get a significant boost in both performance and features with the HDC-TM300, and it is one of the best camcorders we've tested this year. If you have the cash to spend, and you don't mind a larger camcorder, the HDC-TM300 is a much better product than the HDC-TM10.
Update: The Panasonic HDC-TM300 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
Conclusion
The Panasonic HDC-TM10 is a decent camcorder for what you pay for, but there are better mid-range models out there. Its sub-$600 price tag is attractive, as is the camcorder's wide range of features and manual controls. It also performed decently in our bright light video tests. Still, we found that models like the JVC GZ-HM200, the Canon HF20, and the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 performed better. One of the TM10's biggest weaknesses was in low light, where it didn't have much to offer.
There is one thing that makes the HDC-TM10 fairly special—its compact design. The camcorder is one of the smallest, most portable mid-range HD models on the market, and this alone makes it an intriguing product. We found, however, that this compact design made the camcorder more difficult to use and raised some significant handling issues. Certain buttons are hard to find and others are implemented poorly, the enclosed battery compartment limits the camcorder's versatility, and the right-side hand strap doesn't provide a reliable grip.
We still like a lot of the HDC-TM10's features and controls (especially the AF/AE tracking), and the camcorder is definitely a reliable choice for beginners. We just weren't crazy about Panasonic's design alterations, and the camcorder really didn't wow us in any of our performance tests. If you're looking for another mid-range camcorder with similar compact proportions, we recommend checking out the JVC GZ-HM200 as well.
Photo Gallery
{{photo_gallery "Front Photo", "Left Photo", "Left Open Photo", "Back Photo", "Right Photo", "Top Photo", "Bottom Photo", "Lens Photo", "Lens Photo 2", "3D Lens Photo", "Media Photo", "Easy Mode Photo", "Manual Controls Photo", "Zoom Photo", "Zoom Photo 2", "Ease of Use Photo", "Battery Photo", "LCD Photo 1", "LCD Photo 2", "EVF Photo 1", "EVF Photo 2", "Mic Photo", "Mic Photo 2", "Ports Photo 1", "Ports Photo 2", "Ports Photo 3", "Ports Photo 4", "Ports Photo 5", "Ports Photo 6", "Handling Photo 1", "Handling Photo 2", "Handling Photo 3", "Handling Photo 4", "Box Photo"}}
Meet the tester
Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.
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