Panasonic HDC-HS300

The Panasonic HDC-HS300 impresses some very credible reviewers with its professional-type manual controls and improved image quality. However, other expert testers completely disagree: They say Panasonic's high-definition video quality isn't as good as Canon's or Sony's, and they say its touch-screen control system can be a pain. Those who like the HDC-HS300 are impressed that it offers a viewfinder and a lens ring to adjust focus, zoom and more. These are two features that most top-of-the-line camcorders -- including the flash-memory Canon Vixia HF S10 (*Est. $1,140) and the hard-drive Sony Handycam HDR-XR520V (*Est. $1,300) -- have abandoned, yet experts say they make shooting video a more professional-feeling experience. The HDC-HS300 can hold about 15 hours of top-quality video on its 120 GB hard drive, according to reviews, but some critics say that's overkill. They prefer the similar but less expensive Panasonic HDC-TM300 (*Est. $1,175), which can hold about four hours of best-quality footage on its 32 GB of internal flash memory. As with most full-featured camcorders, you can also slip an SD/SDHC card into either Panasonic camcorder to extend the memory even further.

As usual, CamcorderInfo.com's test of the Panasonic HDC-HS300 is the most thorough and objective we could find, and it also compares the Panasonic camcorder with competitors from Sony and Sanyo. Tests at TrustedReviews.com, CNET, InfoSyncWorld.com and Videomaker.com are less extensive, but they are still expertly done and full of useful details.