Panasonic's HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder records in the beauty of HD while boasting top of the line features. Capture true 1920 x 1080 video and 10.6MP stills to the 120GB hard disk drive, with the camera's three 1/4.1" CMOS sensors, called "3MOS" by Panasonic. Should you run out of space, or simply want to record to flash memory, the camcorder also records to SD/SDHC memory cards which are great for uploading footage to the Internet hassle free. The HS250 also comes with a Leica Dicomar lens and 12x optical zoom, not to mention Advanced O.I.S.
If you're nervous about capturing those once-in-a-lifetime shots perfectly, simply use the camera's Intelligent Auto mode. iA mode automatically adjusts for the situation, taking the guess work out of recording and letting you focus on the moment. In addition, Auto Focus Tracking focuses on your subject of choice to ensure a clean, crisp image. The HS250 is also compatible with Mac, giving you the option to edit your video in iMovie for even more flexibility.
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Sensor |
9.15 Megapixel 1/4.1" CMOS
1
Please Note:3 x 3.05MP close |
| Lens |
4 - 48 mm f/1.8 - 2.8 |
| Zoom |
Optical: 12x Digital: 700x |
| Filter Size | 43 mm |
| Recording | |
|---|---|
| System | NTSC |
| Recording Media |
Hard Disk Drive 120GB Video/Image SD/SDHC 2 Please Note:SD/SDHC memory card not included close |
| Recording Time |
Hard Disk Drive HDD: HA: 15 hours, 50 minutes HE: 50 hours SD/SDHC 1GB: HA: 7 minutes 1GB: HE: 21 minutes 32GB: HA: 4 hours 32GB: HE: 12 hours |
| Video Format |
High Definition MPEG AVC/H.264 1920 x 1080, 1440 x 1080 |
| Still Image Resolution | JPEG: 10.6 Megapixel |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Display Type | LCD |
| Screen Size | 2.7" |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | Optical |
| Lux |
1400 (Standard illumination) 1.6 (1/30 low light mode) 1 (Magic Pix) |
| Built-in Mic | Yes |
| Built-in Speaker | Yes |
| Built-in Light/Flash |
Light - No Flash - Yes |
| Accessory Shoe | None |
| Tripod Mount | 1/4" |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Inputs | None |
| Outputs |
1x A/V 1x USB 2.0 1x Mini HDMI 1x Component Video (out) |
| Microphone Input | No |
| Headphone Jack | No |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Languages | English, Spanish, French |
| System Requirements |
Windows System
Macintosh System
Please Note:Mac OS X 10.4 or higher for iMovie'08 close |
| Battery | Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack |
| Power Adapter | 110-240VAC, 50/60HZ |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 2.72 x 2.87 x 5.04" / 69.09 x 72.90 x 128.02 mm |
| Weight | 0.93 lb / 421.84 g |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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Most Liked Positive Review
Excellent camera
We've had the camera for two weeks now and couldn't be happier. The camera is funtionally simple to use, easy to port around, and downloading the video to our laptop is a snap. ...Read complete review
We've had the camera for two weeks now and couldn't be happier. The camera is funtionally simple to use, easy to port around, and downloading the video to our laptop is a snap. I love this camera and wouln't trade it given the opportunity.
The image stabilization is excellent considering how unstable my hands were and how even the shots came out. The zoom is also absolutely incredible! We were out on 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach and while I was using a quarter-driven telescope to see some seals out on the rocks (150 yards away) with poor results, my wife was able to get great footage using the zoom... and she was free-handing.
With all that being said, there are a few hiccups, which having broad experience with electronics, none are real issues or difficult to work through:
1. The battery recharger also doubles as the AC adapter for the camera, so while the AC function is feeding power directly into the camera, the recharger won't work... you have to unplug the camera and let the battery recharge.
2. The software that comes with the camera wasn't designed for Windows 7, and the installer will tell you so and suggest you skip the install. Just hit OK to continue the install and the software will work just fine.
3. The low-light function does come out somewhat grainy compared to the regular light HD function, but is still a great picture overall.
4. The mic on the camera was subjected to a heavy blues band in a small venue, where I experienced #3 above, and I can still hear my friend blow his harp just fine even through I was 4' away from the amps.
My wife loves it, my kids love it, and I just plugged it into my flat panel HDTV and think more of the broadcasts should have picture clarity this good.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
It's OK
I bought this camcorder because I read nothing but great reviews for it and it was a good price on B&H. I was shocked at it's size, I guess I didn't research t...Read complete review
I bought this camcorder because I read nothing but great reviews for it and it was a good price on B&H. I was shocked at it's size, I guess I didn't research that. I'm still a little used to something a bit bigger. Most people said that it had good quality low light, this is where I was extremely disapointed. I tested out the camcorder in my downstairs with numerous lights on, recorded some stuff and then watched it on the HD tv. The quality was really quite grainy and struggled to focus. If we turned EVERY light on, it was a bit better. I then tried recording stuff in the house during the day and with light coming from outside, it did pretty well inside.
I then tried the camcorder outside where I was pleased with the quality for this price. We drove around in the car to see if it could stay focused and it did a pretty good job at 20-40mph.
I bought it for wakeboarding filming so I have yet to have a chance to see if it can handle a bouncing boat or fast movement from the riders, but I think it will do alright.
I was also disapointed that it does not have a true night vision mode. You can't film in darkness like my really old camcorder could do. Guess the spots where I researched it that had Low Light/Night mode: marked yes..was wrong.
You'll also need a really high speed computer in order to edit movies. Most of the decent HD editing programs don't work or don't work well on computers more than 4 years old.
Overall I think it will do well for a low priced HD camcorder for outdoor events.
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Reviewed by 149 customers
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I like this camera. It's beautiful. I highly recommend it.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I bought it as a replacement to my old SD camera. The camera has great picture quality in good light conditions, but white-balance is unstable in low light.
Another good thing - you don't have to convert video to watch it on PS3
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
Take my comments with a grain of salt because I'm a bit of a video noob, but the video quality is outstanding. I ran the video on my desktop, 1920x1200, and the resolution is stunning.
Still images are not very good. You would be better off with a CCD camera designed for capturing stills. The CMOS sensor is prone to noise and it shows. My 5 year old, 6MP CANON digital elf captures more noise free images. For most people I'm sure it's fine, but I can see the difference on my computer screen.
There are very few features on the camera. I was disappointed that there wasn't any IR detection for night shots. I was also a little disappointed at the limited lighting settings... plus they are buried in a clunky menu.
If all you are after is video quality, which I was, this is your camera. BTW there is a ton of flawless zoom (Thank you Leica) and 16 hrs of video recording thanks to the 120 GB HDD. The three things it does really well (video, zoom, recording time) make up for everthing that it lacks. Overall, great camcorder.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
The HD quality is impressive. The colors are vivid and if you do not pan too fast it has very smooth transitions. Love the backlight feature for shooting subjects with light source behind them, that works great. Have taken lots of family pics inside and outside and it works well in low light settings too. Great price value.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
quite happy with it, small, easy to use. everything is automated. there's also a manual mode. good hd quality. good optics. perfect for holidays etc. extra batteries is gonna be my next buy.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I love this camcorder.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I bought this camera to record my family trip abroad. First of all, it was easy to use. I very much left all the automated features on. I also like the convenience of having both a high res camera featured along with the HD video. I am happy to say that the picture quality came out better than expected as well as the HD videos. In addition, the storage capacity is amazingly large yet so compact. The only reservation I have is that this model does not have an external mic input, viewfinder and light shoe. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this camcorder for its capability and reasonable price.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I bought this camcorder because of reasonably good reviews, past experience with Panasonic and low price for prosumer camcorder. I really don't use missing features EVF, external mic, etc.(Although a cold shoe would have been nice for accesory light) Typical reviews rated this lower than comparable Canon/Sony brands.
I have a friend with an Canon vixia HF10. We compared them for 2 conditions, indoors under flourescent lighting and tracking moving vehicles from a distance. The Canon produced clear and crisp images but the color reproduction was nowhere near the quality of the Panasonic (very suprising to me). It has to be the 3 CMOS sensors (for blue,red green) compared to the Canon single large sensor (1/3.2" versus three 1/4.1" for panasonic). This was more evident under the fluorescent lighting than the outdoor shots but even there the Panasonic colors were, in my judgement, more true to life. I even went back to the office setting after rendering the video (in Standard Definition) to double check the background office colors and the Panasonic was more true to life (nearly perfect) than the Canon.
Later videos in a park with my grandson were even more pleasing. You could see the pores on his face and the zoom worked well (The 12X zoom is comparable to other camacorders in this class but I still would like better). Something else I read in another review, have you ever seen a pro-level camcorder that doesn't have 3 sensors? This is a real step-up in color quality...believe it. As a concession to Canon (which we didn't try), you could play with the white balance manually to improve the color.
ALSO, the Intelligent Auto (IA) function IS AWESOME and might be another reason for the good performance. I've not fully tested in low light conditions but indoors with normal lighting looked great (no people though). One test in a room with no light(light from adjoining room only) produced a viewable,though grainy, picture, which is all I expected for nearly dark conditions. (Note, the IA function worked properly and quickly when going to no light conditions)
Panasonic software is passable, you can split clips and delete bad footage,but not that great. I recommend NEWER video editing software which is compatible with Panasonic AVCHD files (ex, Adobe Premiere Elements 7.0 IS NOT COMPATIBLE, it will render the files but not edit them).
IF YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY, BUY THE NEWER MODEL PANASONIC HDC-HS700 OR HDC-TM700. They've improved on a good thing, but the HDC-HS250 will give you excellent quality for a much lower budget price. I'm very satisfied.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I am brand new to video recording but not to photography. The few videos I've shot have been in auto mode. However you can get as fancy as you want in auto mode you can use aperture priority or shutter priority for still shots. And you can go to full manual mode in video or still. The thing that impressed me most is the sound quality. The 5.1 surround sound is crystal clear. I took a video of a walk through of my son's new house and you can hear my wife and him talking in the other room (very clearly). The sound moves from the right front speaker then when I get to the room they're in it comes out of the front speaker. When I speak it comes from the left rear speaker. Very impressive for such a small package. This was done in low light levels where I'd have to use a flash with my Nikon. The 3 MOS system definitely gives a truer color rendering, especially in low light levels. I am very pleased with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
very easy to use. great quality.works very good with low light.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
Owned for 4 months, Frankly I haven't seen anything on the market within four hundred dollars that has all the benefits this camera does. It's sturdy, has great audio 5.1 pick up, the hard drive with the sim card port provides lots of space. The colors are perfect, the 10megapixel stills are wonderful. It does have a little delay when taking pictures, or turning on to record, there is no burst mode - but why burst when you can simply switch over to full hd recording? The digital zoom works very well. I do need to pick up a wide angle lens extension for it as it doesn't have a a really good wide view. Taking pictures while recording is another great benefit on this machine. It is durable too.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I have it just for 10 days and love it. Tried it out- and indoor. Picture and sound are very good. Stabilizer does a nice job too. All concerns about poor performance at low light have no ground: even at moderately low light picture was as good (or poor) as what I saw with naked eye. I did not record for very long time so I can not comment on an issue of low battery capacity. Standard software provided with the camera is easy to install and operate. And it works just fine with my Windows Vista on 64 bit computer.
Good toy.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I bought this for a recent trip. While I found it is very easy to use, light weight and nice hand feeling, and good price, there are things I don't like:
- When use the s/w (included in the box) to upload to the computer, sometimes error occurs. Have to selectively delete the scenes that have been uploaded and then load it again. Mostly works.
- When the background light is bright while the object is in shade, sometimes the flash does not help and still have a dark object in the picture.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
This is a great camera to capture and record memorable moments anytime. It's lite and easy to carry around. The video is clear and is the perfect HD camera.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I had higher expectations from a full HD camcorder. I guess we don't have that technology yet. The picture is very grainy. The mic is very sensitive, it sounds like its very windy when you shoot outside. Battery life isn't great. Another draw back is that you have to connect the ac adaptor to connect the camcorder to pc. You cannot charge the battery at the same time. Other than that, it is okay of a camcorder. I am not very impressed. I am sure you can find better camcorder at a cheaper price.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
After MUCH research, I settled on this little baby from Panasonic. I'm so glad I did. I would not have splurged on such an expensive model if the B&H price had not been so good, but it was, so I had no choice. There is no other camera in the $500 and under price class that compares at all to this camera. Best resolution you can get for the money. It also takes stills that look better than my 12MP digital camera. Only drawback is it doesnt include very good video editing software, but I picked up Magix editing software for $50 which was worth every penny also. Bottom line is nothing else comes close for the price.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
The camera is very easy to operate and the video quality is amazing. We have only used it to record some video in the house but for variable light conditions it seems to do a great job. For the price it is a great deal.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
So far it has performed exactly as expected for a camcorder in this price range. The manual white balance is easy to use. The microphones pic up good sound for how small they are. The zoom toggle switch is possibly the only downfall right now. It could be more responsive and zoom quicker.
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
sise and very light nice disign good cuality
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Comments about Panasonic HDC-HS250 120GB Full HD Camcorder:
I've had this cam for a month. The internal 120GB hard drive is huge, more than 15hrs in rocording at the highest quality. Great video quality for the price. Can't complain. Easy to use functions out of the box. Not the best in low light. Noise levels are very present. the image stabalization is great at the telephoto end. And the ultimate drawback with this cam is that it's 48mm at the widest. Not great for indoor home videos unless you live in a big house. Also doesn't come with video editing software and a mini hdmi cable which it supports
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