Panasonic HDC-TM80 (black)
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: HDC-TM80K
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A functional trio of camcorders, the Panasonic HDC-SD80, TM80, and HS80 are notable for their manual exposure controls (unusual for their price class) and well-designed touch-screen interface, but otherwise you can find better options. Of the three, the SD80 is the best choice simply on price.
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CNET editors' review
Panasonic HDC-TM80 (black) price range: $229.00 - $245.00
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 05/19/2011
- Released on: 03/15/2011
The good: The Panasonic HDC-TM80, SD80, and HS80 camcorders provide manual controls in a functional, if somewhat boring, design.
The bad: The sub-HD resolution sensor produces merely satisfactory video.
The bottom line: A functional trio of camcorders, the Panasonic HDC-SD80, TM80, and HS80 are notable for their manual exposure controls (unusual for their price class) and well-designed touch-screen interface, but otherwise you can find better options. Of the three, the SD80 is the best choice simply on price.
There's a lot to like about this little series of camcorders. But while the 16GB Panasonic HDC-TM80 and its similar kin, the no-internal-memory SD80 and 120GB hard-disked HS80, do provide a surprisingly full set of manual controls for the money, as with every HD model we've seen with a sub-HD resolution sensor, the video quality just disappoints. This review is based on an evaluation of the TM80.
It's fine in bright sunlight, when you're zoomed in on the subject. The video looks clean, though softer than I'd like, with edge artifacts. When you zoom out to a wider angle, though, you can tell that the low-resolution sensor simply can't resolve enough detail. And it's even noticeable played back on a big screen (such as the 47-inch Panasonic I used), which frequently obscures many of the artifacts. There's also quite a bit of aliasing (jaggies) on edges.
Exposures are very good; like all inexpensive models it blows out highlights, but without excessive fringing, and it handles backlit and other difficult scenes better than most. And while the colors aren't that accurate, they're certainly pleasing and saturated under bright conditions.
Unlike their low-cost competitors, the TM80 and company have an onboard LED video light. While it can help in some low-light scenes, you really don't want to point it toward people or they'll be seeing spots for a very long time. It also results in a not-very-attractive white balance, and you still lose a lot of detail in the scene. Without the light, the camcorder's low-light quality isn't very good. There's quite a bit of color noise and it's very soft.
And if you're looking for a dual-purpose still/video device, look elsewhere. You don't want to use this camcorder as a still camera; the photo quality doesn't even match that of a camera phone unless it's scaled down.
Performance is a mixed bag as well. On the upside, the optical image stabilization works quite well, even out to the end of the 30x zoom range. It also switches decisively, and at a nice rate, between focus subjects. Unfortunately, decisively is not the same thing as accurately; it has trouble maintaining a lock on a given subject against a busy background if the subject is even a little off-center. I also saw some odd intermediate white-balance shifts when panning (in bright light) and zooming (in dim light).
| HDC-SD40/TM40 | HDC-SD60/TM55 | HDC-TM80/SD80 | HDC-HS80 | HDC-TM90/SD90 | |
| Sensor (effective resolution) | 1.2-megapixel CMOS | 3-megapixel CMOS | 1.3-megapixel CMOS | 1.3-megapixel CMOS | 2.6-megapixel CMOS |
| 1/5.8 inch | 1/4.1 inch | 1/5.8 inch | 1/4.1 inch | 1/4.1 inch | |
| Lens | 16.8x f1.8-2.6 42.9 - 721mm (16:9) | 25x f1.8-3.3 35.7 - 893mm (16:9) | 34x f1.8-4 33.7 - 1240mm (16:9) | 12x f1.5-2.8 35 - 420mm (16:9) | 21x f1.8-3.5 28 - 729mm (16:9) |
| Min illumination (lux) | standard: 1400 low light: 7 Color Night View: 1 | standard: 1400 low light: 4 Color Night View: 1 | standard: 1400 low light: 7 Color Night View: 1 | standard: 1400 low light: 7 Color Night View: 1 | standard: 1400 low light: 4 Color Night View: 1 |
EVF | No | No | No | No | No |
| LCD | 2.7-inch 230,400-dot | 2.7-inch 230,400-dot | 2.7-inch 230,400-dot | 2.7-inch 230,400-dot | 3-inch 230,400-dot |
| Primary media | 0GB/16GB flash; SDXC | SD/8GB flash; SDXC | 16GB/0GB flash; SDXC | 120GB hard disk; SDXC | 16GB/0GB flash; SDXC |
| HD recording | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9 ,5Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9 ,5Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9 ,5Mbps | AVCHD: nonstandard 1080/60p 28Mbps; 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9 ,5Mbps |
| Manual shutter speed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manual iris | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accessory shoe | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Audio | 2 channels | 2 channels | 2 channels | 2 channels | 2 channels |
| Body dimensions (WHD, inches) | 2.0x2.3x4.3 | 2.0x2.6x4.4 | 2.0x2.3x4.3 | 2.6x2.8x5.8 | 2.0x2.5x4.7 |
| Operating weight (pounds) | 7.4 (est) | 10.5 | 8.3 | 10.8 (est) | 10.1 (est) |
| Mfr. price | $349.99/$399.99 | $499.95/$529.95 | $499.99/$449.99 | $599.99 | $599.99/$549.99 |
| Ship date | March 2011 | March 2010 | March 2011 | March 2011 | March 2011 |
While the microphone has a nice, warm quality compared with some competing tinny-sounding models, it's a lot more front-directional than most, even without turning on the zoom mic. Normally, my running commentary stands out loud and clear; with this camcorder, it was so muffled at times I couldn't even make out what I was saying. But it still picked up plenty of ambient noise.
As with a lot of these models, the LCD is difficult to view in direct sunlight. You can jack up the LCD's power and brightness separately, but increasing the brightness just washes it out and decreases the contrast, while increasing the power burdens the battery. At least at its defaults, however, the battery seems to last a decently long time.
| Canon Vixia HF M300/M30/ M31/M32 | HDC-SD80/TM80 | HDC-HS80 | Sony Handycam HDR-CX130/CX160 | Sony Handycam HDR-XR160 | |
| Sensor (effective resolution) | 2.99-megapixel CMOS | 1.3-megapixel CMOS | 1.3-megapixel CMOS | 1.49 megapixels | 1.49 megapixels |
| 1/4 inch | 1/5.8 inch | 1/4.1 inch | 1/4-inch | 1/4-inch | |
| Lens | 15x f1.8-3.2 39.5-592.5mm | 34x f1.8-4 33.7 - 1240mm (16:9) | 12x f1.5-2.8 35 - 420mm (16:9) | 30x f1.8-3.4 29.8-894mm (31.2-531mm 17x with Active Steady Shot) | 30x f1.8-3.4 29.8-894mm (31.2-531mm 17x with Active Steady Shot) |
| Closest focus (inches) | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Min illumination (lux) | recommended: 100 standard: 5.5 low light: 0.4 | standard: 1400 low light: 7 Color Night View: 1 | standard: 1400 low light: 7 Color Night View: 1 | recommended: n/a standard: 11 low light: 3 | recommended: n/a standard: 11 low light: 3 |
EVF | None | No | No | None | None |
| LCD | 2.7-inch 211,000 dots | 2.7-inch 230,400-dot | 2.7-inch 230,400-dot | 3-inch 230,000 pixels | 3-inch 230,000 pixels |
| Primary media | 0GB/8GB/ 32GB/64GB internal; 1 x SDHC (SDXC on M32) | 0GB/16GB flash; SDXC | 120GB hard disk; SDXC | 0GB/16GB internal; 1 x SDXC | 160GB hard drive; 1 x SDXC |
| HD recording | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 24, 17Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i @ 12, 7, 5Mbps (also encodes 30p and 24p as 60i) | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9 ,5Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60i @ 17, 13, 9 ,5Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60p @ 28Mbps (nonstandard); 1080/60i @ 24, 17Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i @ 9, 5Mbps | AVCHD: 1080/60p @ 28Mbps (nonstandard); 1080/60i @ 24, 17Mbps; 1440 x 1080/60i @ 9, 5Mbps |
| Manual shutter speed | 1/6 - 1/2,000 sec | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Manual iris | f1.8-f8 | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Accessory shoe | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Audio | 2 channels (5.1 via optional mic); mic, headphone jacks | 2 channels | 2 channels | 2 channels | 5.1 channels |
| Body dimensions (WHD, inches) | 2.7x2.4x4.8 | 2.0x2.3x4.3 | 2.6x2.8x5.8 | 2.1x2.3x4.9 | 2.4x2.6x5.1 |
| Operating weight (pounds) | 13.1 | 8.3 | 10.8 (est) | 10.5 | 14.1 (est) |
| Mfr. Price | $549.99/ $599.99/ $699.99/ $999.99 | $449.99/$499.99 | $599.99 | $449.99/$499.99 | $599.99 |
| Ship date | March 2010 | March 2011 | March 2011 | March 2011 | April 2011 |
There's not much notable about the design; it's pretty typical for a compact camcorder. There's a three-way video/still/playback switch on the back and there are auto/manual, OIS, and power switches in the LCD recess. The lens cover has a physical switch, but can open automatically when you power on, which is a nice touch. Like most compacts, if you've got large hands you may find it a touch small. That's the primary reason to consider the HS80, because the hard drive gives you a little extra bump to grab onto.
However, if you're looking for manual features--specifically control over shutter speed and aperture--Panasonic delivers them at low price points. And the implementation works very well, despite a display that's usually too small for comfortable touch-screen use.
The camcorder also has useful features that are uncommon in lower-end models, like peaking (an edge-detection display) in manual focus, which actually makes it possible to use the manual focus on the low-resolution display.
Conclusion
I'm slightly annoyed about the naming convention here: you'd think an xx80 designation in the model name and a similar price would imply that it's a step-up or replacement model for the xx60 series, which I really liked. But thanks to the sensor, it's actually a step backward; the true replacement models are the xx90 series.
There really are better choices than this series. For many people it might be worth spending a little extra to get better video quality with the manual features; if you don't care about the manual features, you might as well go a little cheaper and get the same so-so video.
User reviews
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Really great quality and almost no zoom focusing.
by nano4cyl on April 6, 2011
Pros: No focus long distance zooming. Light and compact. Lamp for low light shooting. Bonus software.
Cons: Sketchy fast movement playback. Maybe it's youtube. So light it's hard to keep steady. No HDMI cable..
Summary: I still haven't went through all the menu options but this camcorder works great using default settings. Literally I zoomed over a hundred feet away and could se rocks ...
Summary: I still haven't went through all the menu options but this camcorder works great using default settings. Literally I zoomed over a hundred feet away and could se rocks on the street. In low lighted areas it has a lamp which works well for close shooting. It's really small and light which makes holding it steady harder than other camcorders. It seems to have a slight problem capturing fast movement but still haven't put it to the test on the slopes. Comes with a TV hook-up cable but not HDMI. Battery charged pretty quickly. Best for the money at Best Buy.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: HDC-TM80K
- Description: The model covers a wide range of shooting situations from close distances to faraway subjects. Using Intelligent Zoom that employs super-high resolution technology and the Crystal Engine PRO, it offers ultra-telephoto Intelligent Zoom shooting to exceed the magnification range of the optical zoom, up to a high-powered 42x zoom. It also features a 33.7mm wide-angle lens. to realize shooting at a close distance from the subject while fitting both the subject and the surrounding area into the frame. HYBRID O. I. S. is a optical/electrical image stabilization system. Further to blurring by vertical/horizontal wrist movements, it detects subtle blurring by vertical/horizontal entire arm movement and corrects them using a lens in the optical system and a sensor in electrical system. In electrical image stabilization, utilizing an unused area of the sensor when zooming, suppresses image degradation. Powerful correction realizes beautiful images even when shooting on the move or zooming. The evolved Zoom Mic links the microphone's action to the camera's action. When zooming in on a bird in the distance, for example, the microphones also zoom in on the bird in link with the lens zooming operation. The function also reduces the surrounding noise to about 1/3 (-10 dB) that of conventional models and realizes recording the sounds with superb clarity. The iA (Intelligent Auto), consists of six functions: Face Recognition, new HYBRID O. I. S., AF/AE Tracking, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection and Intelligent Contrast Control, senses the shooting conditions and automatically makes the settings and activates functions that will deliver optimal results. With both motion and still images, iA does the bothersome settings for you and makes it easy to capture beautiful, well-focused images.
General
- Product Type Camcorder - 1080i
- Enclosure Color Black
- Camcorder Sensor Resolution 1.5 megapixels
- Effective Video Resolution 1.3 megapixels
- Digital Zoom 2000 x
- Effective Photo Resolution 1.3 megapixels
- Camcorder Interpolated Photo Resolution 3 megapixels
- Camcorder Media Type Flash card
- Optical Sensor Size 1/5.8"
- Optical Sensor Type MOS
- Min Illumination 1 lux
- Analog video format NTSC
- Digital Video Format H.264,
iFrame,
AVCHD - Image Stabilizer Optical (HYBRID O.I.S.)
- Image Processor Crystal Engine PRO
- Min Shutter Speed 1/30 sec
- Max Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec
- Shooting modes Digital photo mode
- White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Cloudy,
Sunlight,
Indoor - Exposure Modes Program,
Automatic - Image Recording Format JPEG
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
- AV Interfaces HDMI,
Composite video/audio Lens System
- Type 34 x x Zoom lens - 2.38 mm - 81 mm - F/1.8-4
- Lens aperture F/1.8-4
- Features Built-in lens shield
- Optical zoom 34 x
- Lens system type Zoom lens
- Min focal length 2.38 mm
- Max focal length 81 mm
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 33.7 - 1240 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual,
Automatic - Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
- Built-in Light Yes
- Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
- Additional Features HD-to-SD downconversion,
Intelligent Auto (iA),
DPOF support,
Face detection,
Auto Ground-Directional Standby (AGS),
Built-in speaker,
Pre-Rec function,
Intelligent Contrast Control,
YouTube capture mode,
Intelligent Resolution Technology,
AF/AE tracking,
Backlight compensation,
Auto power save,
Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording,
Touch-screen control,
Automatic display brightness adjustment,
Relay Recording,
Intelligent Scene Selector,
Takes photos while movie recording,
Face Recognition,
Smile Detection technology,
USB 2.0 compatibility - Software Panasonic HD Writer AE 3.0,
Drivers & Utilities - Included Accessories Component video cable,
USB cable,
Power adapter,
Audio / video cable,
Pen stylus Display
- Type 2.7 in LCD display
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x HDMI output,
1 x Hi-Speed USB,
1 x Component video output,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x DC power input - Memory Card Slot SD card
Microphone
- Microphone Features Wind noise reduction,
Zoom Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Memory / Storage
- Media type Flash card
- Supported Memory Cards SD Memory Card
- Internal Storage 16 GB Flash
- Included Memory Card 16 GB
- Image Storage JPEG 2304 x 1296,
JPEG 2064 x 1376,
JPEG 1856 x 1392,
JPEG 1920 x 1080,
JPEG 640 x 480 - Video Capture AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 17Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 13Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 9Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 5Mbps - Video Recording Modes HE,
HX,
HG,
HA System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP SP3,
MS Windows 7,
MS Windows Vista - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1790 mAh ( Included )
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Features Rotating
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2 in
- Depth 4.3 in
- Height 2.3 in
- Weight 6.8 oz
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Specs: MOS,
6.8 oz,
4.3 in,
2.3 in,
34 x x Zoom lens - 2.38 mm - 81 mm - F/1.8-4,
Panasonic HDC-TM80 - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card,
2 in -
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Specs: MOS,
9.3 oz,
4.3 in,
2.5 in,
37 x x Zoom lens - 2.38 mm - 81 mm - F/1.8-4,
Panasonic HDC-HS80 - Camcorder - Consumer - Hard disk drive,
- Flash card,
2.4 in -
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Specs: MOS,
6.8 oz,
4.3 in,
2.3 in,
34 x x Zoom lens - 2.38 mm - 81 mm - F/1.8-4,
Panasonic HDC-TM80 - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card,
2 in -
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Specs: MOS,
6.8 oz,
4.3 in,
2.3 in,
34 x x Zoom lens - 2.38 mm - 81 mm - F/1.8-4,
Panasonic HDC-TM80 - Camcorder - Consumer - Flash card,
2 in
Accessories
- KATA DPS Series DC-431 - carrying bag for camcorder (34931292)39.89
- Veho Waterproof case - marine case for camcorder (35095149)42.00 - 59.99
- Canon SC 2000 - soft case for camcorder (30918518)52.50 - 69.99
- JVC VU-VM90K - camcorder accessory kit (32959163)4.00 - 79.99
- Manfrotto 595CLA FIG RIG CLAMP support system mounting clamp (32089559)49.95 - 51.49
- Sony SH-L32W - LCD screen hood (33418369)39.99 - 59.99
- Canon Multi-Camcorder Starter Kit - camcorder accessory kit (32981313)28.07 - 50.99
- JVC VU-VF80K camcorder accessory kit (34913414)39.99
- PC Treasures Picture Perfect camera accessory kit (34857467)29.95 - 59.99
- Sony ACC-TCH5 camcorder accessory kit (32925727)64.99
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Panasonic
- Address:
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
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