Panasonic HDC-HS80 Camcorder

Key Features

The Panasonic HDC-HS80 belongs to the Full HD series of camcorders from Panasonic. This compact camcorder with power zoom is ideal to take along on vacation trips. This feature-packed Panasonic camcorder has a built-in 120 GB hard disk drive (HDD). The HDC-HS80 has a MOS image sensor with which you can take images at 3 megapixel resolution in 4:3 aspect ratio. At 16:9 aspect ratio, you can take images at 2.8 megapixel resolution.

With the HDC-HS80, you can shoot videos in Full HD at 1920 x 1080 dot pixel resolution (50i). The compact camcorder is powered by the Crystal Engine PRO which processes Full HD videos instantly and ensures sharp and crisp images and videos.

This Panasonic camcorder records images in JPEG and videos in MPEG4-AVC formats. The built-in microphone records audio in 2 channel stereo. The zoom microphone also records audio from a distance and the Wind Noise Canceller automatically detects and reduces wind noise while shooting outdoors.

The HYBRID O.I.S image stabilizer of the Panasonic HDC-HS80 combines optical and electric image stabilizer systems to ensure blur-free and sharp videos and image at all times. The O.I.S Lock feature maximizes blur detection sensitivity and is useful when you want to zoom in at a fixed-angle.

Body

Weighing in at 265 g, this Panasonic Full HD camcorder is designed to fit snugly in your jacket pocket. With an easily accessible zoom button on top of the unit and the rest of the controls on the body, this compact Panasonic camcorder is convenient to use. You can use the 2.7 inch rotating LCD touchscreen display with a resolution of 230,400 dot pixels to compose and preview your video or images.

The memory of the Panasonic video camera can be further expanded using SD, SDHC or SDXC memory cards. The HDC-HS80 comes with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.

Performance

This compact camcorder has a Panasonic lens with a focal length of 2.38 - 81 mm and a 35 mm equivalent focal length of 33.7 - 1240 mm, when you shoot images and videos in 16:9 aspect ratio. In still image capture mode, the 35 mm equivalent focal length is 38.1 - 1298 mm in 3:2 and 41.3 - 1405 mm in 4:3 aspect ratios. With 34x optical zoom, 42x Intelligent zoom and up to 2000x digital zoom, you can now take close up videos during bird watching or a concert.

With Auto and Manual Focus controls, you can decide where you want to focus with this Panasonic camcorder. The Full HD compact camcorder has an aperture range of f/1.8 - 4. Aperture refers to the size of the lens opening which controls the amount of light falling on the image sensor.

The HDC-HS80 has a shutter speed range of 1/25 - 1/8000 second in Auto Slow Shutter On mode and 1/50 - 1/8000 second in Auto Slow Shutter Off mode. With this range, you can add different effects to images with moving subjects or in low-light situations. With the built-in LED flash, you can light up your videos any time of the day.

Features and connectivity

The Full HD Panasonic camcorder has 11 scene modes like Sports, Spot Light, Fireworks, Beach and many more. With the Low Light mode, the camcorder automatically switches to slower shutter speeds to brighten your videos.

The Face Recognition feature detects faces of pre-registered subjects and adjusts exposure and focus settings for them. The Smile Shot function of this Panasonic camcorder automatically detects smiling subjects and releases the shutter to capture those special pictures. The Pre-Rec feature records 3 seconds of footage before you begin shooting, ensuring you don't miss the beginning of any moment.

You can watch your video creations on an HDTV using the HDMI mini connector. You can store your videos and images on a computer or laptop using the USB 2.0 high speed port. The AV Out port can be used to watch your videos on a television.

With the HD Writer AE 3.0 software, you can play or edit your videos on a computer or also upload your videos and images to social networking websites like YouTube or Facebook.