Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought the Vixia H S200 based on the many good reviews and the top rating on cNet. It is a great all around camcorder no doubt with fabulous image and video quality. It ranks at the top of what's out there today in the prosumer or near-prosumer category. Then I read about the Panasonic HDC-TM700 and especially the comparison of the Panasonic with the Canon VIXIA H S21 was intersting. The Vixia H S200, VIXIA H S20 and VIXIA H S21 are identical from a hardware/firmware perspective, just that the H S21 has a viewfinder and 64GB built in memory, the H S20 has 32GB built in memory plus SDHC slot and the H S200 does only have SDHC card slots. The Panasonic beat the $400 more expensive Canon easily. So I decided to do my own comparo and ordered the HDC-TM700. Now after two weeks of comparative footage I have to agree. The Panasonic HDC-TM 700 is the better camcorder for all the same reasons listed on camcorderinfo. Since this is a common comparison many consumers are doing these days, I will frame my input here in a Canon vs. Panasonic list. Pros of the Canon VIXIA H S21/20/200 camcorders vs. the HDC-TM700: - Sound quality seems a tad better, but not much - 3" touch screen is much larger and has much, much higher resolution - Menu structure is better - Still image capability is significantly better - Video gain functionis flat out excellent and can effectively be used to increase low light sensitivity, while reducing image noise drastically - Two SDHC card slots - Flash is more powerful - Has a built in video light, even though it's meek - Hot shoe layout is much better than Panasonic, but it's a Canon proprietary design, so you can only use Canon accesories - The standard battery is not very large (last about 80-90 minutes) quite tricky to eject, especially when you have wet or sweaty hands. It doesn't come right out when you release the lock and is hard to pull out. - The hand loop is very chintzy and permanently mounted to the camera body (cannot be replaced if it wears out). It is not big enough for larger hands and constantly a bother. Pros of the Panasonic HDC-TM700 vs. the Canon VIXIA H S21/20/200 - Lowest price of all of these ... even lower than the H S200 which has no viewfinder and no built in memory - Far better video image quality in all aspects in the new 1080p60 mode, especially resolution and sharpness - Smoother video quality, especially when panning - Better and more vivid colors .. this used to be Canon's strength ... go figure - Better low light capability and better low light colors, although video gain function is much better on the Canon - Wider angle, 12x aoom and faster lens f/1.5 ... this seem unimportant, but the wider lens is immensly important for capturing everything in close ups. Big advantage for the Panasonic! - More manual controls, especially the fact sharpness levels can be set !! - Much more comfortable to handle and operate. The Canons are quite a bit larger in size and more awkward to handle. - Better full size manual control ring around the entire lens vs. the silly knob on the Canons - Has a real battery charger/power supply in which you can charge one battery while the other can be charged on the cam simultaneously (Canon has only a power supply, a charger to charge batteries out of the cam is extra!) Things I don't like: Canons: Lens is not wide angle enough which makes getting all into the picture, especially challenging for inside a home or when close up. Touch screen is not very sensitive and smooth scrolling through the menu is difficult. I often also accidentally selected a menu items while trying to scroll. This really needs work and makes the high res screen quite cumbersome. Lack of a real battery charger and on top of that the power pack has a proprietary plug (for all of my Nikon and Panasonic gear I only need to take one AC cord and can use it with all chargers or power packs, for this camcorder you need a proprietary AC cord!). The camcorder is a bit awkward to hold and really too big for today's standard. Glossy high shine finish makes the camcorder slippery with wet or sweaty fingers and you see every finger print. Panasonic: The bolt-on accessory shoe is a real joke. Like a massive bolt on to the side. Screen and menu structure not up to par of the Canons, albeit the touch screen works much better for touch commands. Cooling fan is a moving part and will break eventually. Only one card slot. In the end I am after the best video quality and most vibrant colors with super sharp footage. In that department the Canons do not even come close to the new Panasonic. Period. Since I am also carrying a bunch of Nikon gear around for still photography, I like that the Panasonic is smaller and is also much more comfortable to hold.