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  • Introduction

  • Design

  • Front

  • Back

  • Left

  • Right

  • Top

  • Bottom

  • In the Box

  • Performance

  • Color

  • Low Light Color

  • Noise

  • Low Light Sensitivity

  • Low Light Noise

  • Low Light Color

  • Motion

  • Video Sharpness

  • Usability

  • Auto Mode

  • Auto Controls

  • Other Auto Features

  • Menus

  • Handling

  • Portability

  • Battery Life

  • LCD

  • Stabilization

  • Manual Focus

  • Manual Exposure

  • Miscellaneous Controls

  • Auto Controls

  • Audio Controls

  • Features

  • Compression

  • Media

  • Resolution & Frame Rates

  • Still Features

  • Lens & Imaging System

  • LCD

  • Connectivity

  • Battery

  • Media

  • Still Features

  • Other Features

  • Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 Comparison

  • Panasonic HDC-TM40 Comparison

  • COMP 3

  • Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Introduction
  • Design
  • Front
  • Back
  • Left
  • Right
  • Top
  • Bottom
  • In the Box
  • Performance
  • Color
  • Low Light Color
  • Noise
  • Low Light Sensitivity
  • Low Light Noise
  • Low Light Color
  • Motion
  • Video Sharpness
  • Usability
  • Auto Mode
  • Auto Controls
  • Other Auto Features
  • Menus
  • Handling
  • Portability
  • Battery Life
  • LCD
  • Stabilization
  • Manual Focus
  • Manual Exposure
  • Miscellaneous Controls
  • Auto Controls
  • Audio Controls
  • Features
  • Compression
  • Media
  • Resolution & Frame Rates
  • Still Features
  • Lens & Imaging System
  • LCD
  • Connectivity
  • Battery
  • Media
  • Still Features
  • Other Features
  • Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 Comparison
  • Panasonic HDC-TM40 Comparison
  • COMP 3
  • Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery

Introduction

Design

The HC-V500M is a bit larger and heavier than its predecessor (the HDC-TM40), but the new model does feel better in the hand. Its larger body means less clutter with buttons and controls, as well as more space for a larger LCD (3-inch instead of 2.7-inches on the TM40). Panasonic eliminated the d-pad that appeared on the TM40 last year and replaced it with a touchscreen interface, which contributes to the V500M's stylish, streamlined looks. Panasonic also rearranged some of the button and connector layouts on the V500M (primarily moving the SD card slot to the bottom of the camcorder).

Front

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Back

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Left

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Top

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Bottom

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In the Box

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Performance

The HC-V500M isn't going to blow you away with its video performance, but for a budget camcorder it did quite well in our tests. The colors are vibrant and accurate in bright light, the motion performance was decent, and even the sharpness results weren't too bad. In low light the color rendering was still fairly good, although the camcorder's low light sensitivity was a problem. If you want the best in image quality, the V500M will disappoint, but it does offer good performance for a model in its price range.

Color

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With a color error of 3.82 and a saturation of 81.28%, the colors captured by the Panasonic HC-V500M were excellent for a budget model. These results are just a tad worse than the numbers we got from the high-end Panasonic HC-X900M camcorder earlier this year. More on how we test color.

The V500M doesn't have much in the way of color modes, but it still has more color features than most budget models. You can adjust the color depth (saturation) on a -5 to +5 scale, and the same goes for white balance shift as well (not to mention sharpness and exposure in the same submenu). Many camcorders in this price range offer a picture effect or two, so the fact that Panasonic includes an option with "fine tuning" capability is noteworthy.

The HC-V500M did better in our color test than the previous HDC-TM40 camcorder from Panasonic, and only the Canon HF R21 had a better color error score among the models we used as comparisons in this review.

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Low Light Color

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The HC-V500M experienced a big reduction in color saturation when we dimmed the lights for our low light test (compared to its strong color depth in bright light). The camcorder registered a color error of 4.9 and a saturation level of 61.88%, both of which are middle-of-the-road scores for a budget camcorder. Still, the other models in this comparison didn't do all that much differently than the V500M in this test, so this is a decent performance compared to the competition. More on how we test low light color.

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Noise

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Even the noise of the HC-V500M has achieved very good results, putting up numbers that were a bit better than the noise percentages we measured on the Panasonic TM40 last year. We measured the V500M's bright light video with a noise level of 0.4%. More on how we test noise.

The video image produced in bright light by the V500M is sharper than last year's TM40, but it still couldn't match the Canon HF R21 camcorder in terms of sharpness. Just take a look at the comparison images above to see for yourself. The Canon clearly has a sharper video image (in bright light, at least), and even the Sony CX160 produced arguably sharper video than the Panasonic models.

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Low Light Sensitivity

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The V500M didn't do well in our low light sensitivity test, especially when we used a bit of optical zoom in order to frame our test chart properly. The camcorder required 40 lux of light to capture a video image deemed bright enough for broadcast, which is far worse than the competition. The Panasonic TM40 required only 25 lux of light to hit the same levels on our waveform monitor, and the Canon HF R21 only needed 12 lux of light. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

Using the camcorder's widest aperture setting (without using any zoom), the V500M reached the same light levels with just 16 lux of light. This is a huge improvement, but it's still not a great score. Overall, the HC-V500M produced below average results in this test—even compared to similarly-priced budget models.

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Low Light Noise

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Just like in bright light, the Panasonic HC-V500M produced relatively little noise in our low light test as well. Its average noise levels came out to 0.98%, and we consider anything lower than 1% to be very good in this test. It's also statistically identical to the noise levels we saw on last year's TM40. More on how we test low light noise.

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Low Light Color

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The HC-V500M experienced a big reduction in color saturation when we dimmed the lights for our low light test (compared to its strong color depth in bright light). The camcorder registered a color error of 4.9 and a saturation level of 61.88%, both of which are middle-of-the-road scores for a budget camcorder. Still, the other models in this comparison didn't do all that much differently than the V500M in this test, so this is a decent performance compared to the competition. More on how we test low light color.

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Motion

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The HC-V500M did quite well in our motion test, and we were impressed by the smoothness of the video when we shot with camcorder's 1080/60p record mode. There was some artifacting noticeable, as well as color bleeding in our motion test video, but the overall results were positive. The camcorder's 50i record mode produced slightly less smooth video, but the results weren't that much different than the 50p setting overall. The HC-V500M also represented a significant improvement over the TM40 in this test, and much of this improvement stems from the addition of the 1080/60p record mode.

We did notice some focus popping during our motion test, which is an issue we've seen on numerous budget models. The train in our test would pop in and out of focus, often as it came around the tracks from the back of the waterfall (see the test video below). The focus popping didn't always happen, and sometimes it was barely noticeable, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless. More on how we test motion.

Video Sharpness

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The Panasonic HC-V500M can record Full HD video at a 60p or 60i frame rate, but both modes resulted in lower sharpness levels than similarly-priced camcorders. With its 60p mode, the Panasonic V500M managed a horizontal sharpenss of 600 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 625 lw/ph. These numbers aren't terrible—they are better than the Panasonic TM40 produced last year—but they are worse than the Canon HF R21 and Sony HDR-CX160 managed to capture.

In the 60i mode, the HC-V500M produced video that wasn't nearly as sharp as its 60p footage. The camcorder's 60i video had a horizontal and vertical sharpness of 500 lw/ph. Part of the reason the HC-V500M's image lacked a lot of punch in terms of sharpness has to do with the fact that it is equipped with a very small sensor (most budget camcorders are), and its effective pixel count is only 1.5 megapixels when shooting video. More on how we test video sharpness.

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Usability

In contrast to the previous HDC-TM40, Panasonic has eliminated the directional pad on the V500M and replaced it with a touchscreen LCD. This will be a pleasing change for some (basically anyone who likes touchscreens), but it will bother those who like the use of dedicated buttons for navigating menus and adjusting controls. Neither method is great—the HC-V500M is a budget camcorder after all—so don't expect it to be a top-notch handler in terms of how easy or fluid it is with adjusting controls.

Auto Mode

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The Panasonic HC-V500M has a dedicated auto mode button that switches the camcorder between iA (intelligent auto) and manual recording modes. In the iA setting, the HC-V500M will utilize automatic exposure and focus, as well as turn on other automatic settings (it also blocks you from adjusting most settings manually). You can still access scene modes in iA mode, however.

The iAuto mode button is difficult to find, but when you do find it the option for turning on the mode looks like this.

Auto Controls

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In auto mode, we were impressed with the V500M's ability to adjust focus, aperture, shutter speed and white balance automatically. The results weren't always perfect, but we felt the V500M did better than the HDC-TM40 with each setting. In addition, the V500M offers face detection, auto slow shutter, backlight compensation, zoom, and a variety of scene modes (sports, portrait, spotlight, snow, beach, sunset, landscape, fireworks, night, twilight, and night portrait).

There are a variety of ways to control zoom on the camcorder: there's the zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder (this is the best way to zoom), there are buttons on the touchscreen LCD, and there is a bar on the LCD that can be dragged to zoom quickly. The toggle is the most handy way to zoom, and it offers you the most control, but the V500M's onscreen zoom options are better than some touch-button zoom controls we've seen on other camcorders.

Other Auto Features

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If you dig into the menu on the HC-V500M you'll find more "advanced" automatic features. With Intelligent Contrast, you can capture more detail in dark portions of the frame, and with Color Night Record you can shoot bright scenes in low light (by using a very slow shutter speed and lots of gain). These features aren't new for Panasonic by any means, but it's good to see them in a budget model like the V500M.

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The menu system on the HC-V500M looks very similar to its "big brother" HC-X900M camcorder, except the V500M lacks a Quick Menu feature. There's still a Function Menu that appears on the left side of the LCD when you tap the small arrow buttons in the lower left corner of the screen, however. With the camcorder in Manual Mode, the Function Menu gives you access to focus, white balance, shutter speed, and iris control. Other pages of the Function Menu give you options for zoom control (and an additional start/stop record button), as well as special features like pre-record, video light, and faders. Frankly, we don't like the setup of the Function Menu because the arrow buttons are too small, which makes the menu too difficult to navigate.

Clicking on the Menu button, which is a button on the Function Menu, opens up the camcorder's main menu system. The main menu is divided into four submenus: Record Setup, Picture, Media Select, and Setup. Each of these menus is quite long, although the options contained in them will be limited if you are using the Intelligent Auto mode when you go into the menus. Basically, you'll find all the camcorders controls in here, with the exception of certain manual controls (focus, shutter, white balance, and iris) that are only found in the Function Menu.

All these different menus and options do make the HC-V500M a bit confusing to use at first. At least Panasonic includes an info button to help beginners figure out what each menu option does, but you should be prepared for some complication the first few times you work with the camcorder (unless you're familiar with Panasonic models).

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Handling

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As an entry-level camcorder, the Panasonic HC-V500M is very small and weighs just under 270g. This isn't a dinky pocket-cam that is the size of a cellphone, but the V500M is definitely small enough to fit in a large coat pocket or a medium-sized purse. Its light frame is supported by a small hand strap, that, while flimsy, provides a decent grip and allows you to operate the camcorder with one hand. The V500M also has a larger LCD than its predecessor (3-inches instead of 2.7-inch), and the new screen uses touchscreen technology instead of a directional pad to navigate menus and select controls.

If you're familiar with Panasonic camcorders, then you'll have little trouble working with the HC-V500M's menu system. But if you're new to the company's products, then the multiple-level menu setups on the camcorder will be confusing at first. The camcorder has an on-screen Function Menu that appears on the left side of the LCD, and it has a main menu with four distinct submenus as well. The menu is organized decently, and there is an info button to help out beginners, but the wide range of options do make the camcorder a challenge to navigate at first.

Annoyingly, the power connector on the V500M is set on the right side of the camcorder. This means you won't be able to hold the camcorder comfortably on the right side if you have the power adapter plugged in. This may be a minor annoyance, but it's still something that is likely to come up in a few shooting situations.

These dedicated buttons give you quick access to aperture and shutter speed controls.

Portability

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Weighing only 268 grams (with battery) and a size of about 53 x 65 x 120mm, the Panasonic HC-V500M fits easily into purses or backpacks. It's a simple camcorder to carry around all day thanks to its light design, but don't expect to just toss it into your jeans pocket when you're done shooting. The HC-V500M is just a tad too big for that.

The V500M is also a bit larger than the Panasonic HDC-TM40 (its predecessor), but it is much smaller than the Canon HF R21 and Sony HDR-CX160 (Sony and Canon's competition from 2011). The V500M's 16GB of internal memory isn't a huge amount, but it does mean you won't absolutely need to pack a memory card when you go off to record (although you'll probably want one just in case you run out of space).

Battery Life

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The Panasonic HC-V500M was able to record for 127 minutes with a fully-charged provided battery pack. That's nearly a half hour longer than the Panasonic HC-X900M was able to last in our battery life test, and a good 40 minutes longer than the Canon HF R21. However, last year's HDC-TM40 and Sony HDR-CX160 both managed even better battery life than the HC-V500M. In the end, this is a solid, but not stellar, battery life performance for the V500M.

The open battery compartment on the HC-V500M does make it possible to use larger battery packs with the camcorder. So, if you want extra battery life, you can shell out the cash for a bigger battery (or just buy a second battery pack of the same size). More on how we test battery life.

Along with a very good battery life (over two hours), the HC-V500M has an open battery compartment that lets you insert larger, longer-lasting battery packs into the camcorder. We like this design, but we don't like the position of the DC-input on the right side of the camcorder, as it gets in the way if you have a cable plugged in and you hold the camcorder with your right hand.

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LCD

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Two big changes were made compared to the HDC-TM40: the V500M features a larger screen (3 inches instead of 2.7) and it uses touchscreen technology. This alters the entire way you work with the camcorder, and the increase in LCD size was a necessity to keep pace with the competition. Unfortunately, the screen still has a lowly resolution of 230,400 pixels. There's also no electronic viewfinder on the camcorder either, as is the norm for a budget model.

Stabilization

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Panasonic camcorders have produced some of the best scores we've seen on our stabilization tests the last couple of years, and the HC-V500M certainly continues that trend. The camcorder offers optical image stabilization (OIS), as well as a mix between optical and electronic stabilization (called hybrid IS). Both modes produced excellent results. The regular OIS setting improved the stabilization in our low shake test by 87% and improved things in our high shake test by 83%. More on how we test stabilization.

The hybrid IS setting did even better: it reduced the shake by 88% in our low shake test, and handled our high shake test with an 86% reduction. These numbers are not only better than last year's Panasonic TM40, but they're also better than Panasonic's flagship 2012 camcorder, the HC-X900. It's one of the best stabilization performances we've seen, especially from a budget camcorder.

Manual Focus

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Manual focus, like most controls on the V500M, can only be adjusted using touch buttons on the LCD. This is a rather cumbersome method and it doesn't result in precise focus adjustment. If you stick to the autofocus controls, you'll find the camcorder is equipped with face detection and AF tracking features to keep you locked onto the specific subject you want to keep in focus.

The adjustment dial makes accurate focus adjustments easy.

Manual Exposure

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The V500M has a full set of manual exposure options that includes shutter speed and aperture control (iris). You can also set gain on the camcorder, but the only way to do so is by opening up the aperture all the way first (gain is tied to the aperture control on the camcorder, and all Panasonic consumer camcorders for that matter). Having all this control is excellent, but, as we said with manual focus, there's no good method for setting these controls. The LCD touchscreen is your only option, and, while it is easy to use, it doesn't give you the fine, precise tuning that a ring or dial offers. In addition to all these exposure options, you can also bump the general exposure on a -5 to +5 scale, but the feature is buried in the camcorder's Picture Adjust submenu.

The manual exposure controls are only found on the Contour app, not on the camcorder itself.

Miscellaneous Controls

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Besides all the manual functions mentioned above, the Panasonic HC-V500M has a full set of white balance controls (presets, auto, and manual modes), a few picture adjustment options (color depth, sharpness, exposure, and color temperature), and a grid line setting for displaying grids on the LCD to assist with framing.

AGS is a gimmicky control on the camcorder that stands for Auto Ground Standby. This feature shuts the camcorder off automatically when the camcorder is pointed towards the ground for a long period of time. Basically, the V500M stops recording when the camcorder thinks you've accidentally left the recording on.

The Tele Macro feature sets the camcorder to its max optical zoom and lets you focus on close-up subjects with ease. If you zoom while this mode is turned on, then the Tele Macro function will automatically turn off. Finally, there's the Digital Cinema Color function, which is also known as XV Color. This has the camcorder shoot with the xvYCC expanded color gamut for a more robust array of colors. You'll only notice a difference if you view the video on a compatible television, though.

Auto Controls

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In auto mode, we were impressed with the V500M's ability to adjust focus, aperture, shutter speed and white balance automatically. The results weren't always perfect, but we felt the V500M did better than the HDC-TM40 with each setting. In addition, the V500M offers face detection, auto slow shutter, backlight compensation, zoom, and a variety of scene modes (sports, portrait, spotlight, snow, beach, sunset, landscape, fireworks, night, twilight, and night portrait).

There are a variety of ways to control zoom on the camcorder: there's the zoom toggle on the top of the camcorder (this is the best way to zoom), there are buttons on the touchscreen LCD, and there is a bar on the LCD that can be dragged to zoom quickly. The toggle is the most handy way to zoom, and it offers you the most control, but the V500M's onscreen zoom options are better than some touch-button zoom controls we've seen on other camcorders.

Audio Controls

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The Panasonic HC-V500M does not have a microphone or a headphone jack, but offers a few audio functions. The recording level can be set manually, the camcorder has a wind reduction feature, and there's a zoom mic option. The built-in mic records stereo audio, and is located prominently on the front of the camcorder (just below the lens).

Features

The Panasonic HC-V500M has a lot of features, both of the manual and advanced variety. It's an impressive set for a budget camcorder, and the suite of controls is eerily similar to Panasonic's flagship HC-X900M. One of the strongest new features is the inclusion of a 1080/60p record mode—a feature that was previously limited to Panasonic's top-line models. The camcorder also has aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and manual focus control, just like its big-brother HC-X900M. The main difference, however, is that the V500M doesn't have a great way to set all these controls. You have to use the touchscreen interface instead of a dial or ring like you get on flagship models.

Compression

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Panasonic has equipped the HC-V500M with AVCHD 2.0 compatibility, which allows the camcorder to record Full HD video using a 60p frame rate. You can still record regular 60i video as well, which should be your option of choice if you plan on editing video using post-production software (most editing programs still struggle with 1080/60p video). Panasonic also includes an iFrame record mode, which does not record at an HD resolution, that is designed for seamless transition to Apple's iMovie editing software. It's an easier format to work with and it won't be as taxing on your computer as AVCHD. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media

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The V500M has 16GB of internal memory and a memory card slot that works with SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Resolution & Frame Rates

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Full HD video is defined as video with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. This translates to about 2 megapixels, so, in a way, Panasonic is cheating when it claims the HC-V500M records a Full HD image. The camcorder's sensor is only 1.5 megapixels, and in order to get to a Full HD image the V500M interpolates the video. That is, the camcorder is creating a 1920 x 1080 video that is comprised of just 1.5-megapixels. It's just like if you took a small photo and resized it into a larger image in Photoshop. The actual image gets bigger, but there's no extra detail.

Despite this interpolation, the HC-V500M did a decent job on our video performance tests. It's also worth noting that most camcorders in this price range use small sensors with low effective pixel counts. So Panasonic isn't alone in this practice.

Still Features

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If you're looking for a true photo/video hybrid device, then the HC-V500M isn't for you. The camcorder does have some limited still image options, however. Photo size options range from 640 x 480 images all the way up to 2304 x 1296 resolution. Remember, however, with these 3-megapixel photos, like the camcorder's Full HD videos, the V500M is using interpolation to get that size. The camcorder also offers photos in three different aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2, 16:9), as well as a continuous shooting mode, self timer, and smile shutter feature. Additionally, the video light can function as a built-in flash when you take photos.

Lens & Imaging System

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The sensor on the HC-V500M is a small, 1/5.8-inch CMOS chip with a total pixel count of 1.5 megapixels. This pixel count is well below the 2-megapixel 1920 x 1080 Full HD video image, which means the camcorder uses interpolation to get a video image of that size. Despite all this, the V500M put up decent numbers in our video sharpness test, and, most importantly, it outperformed last years HDC-TM40 camcorder from Panasonic.

The lens has a 38x optical zoom, an automatic lens cover, and the ability to increase the zoom up to 50x using Panasonic's Intelligent Zoom feature. If you don't mind degrading your video footage, you can also turn the digital zoom feature on and zoom up to 2500 times.

LCD

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Two big changes were made compared to the HDC-TM40: the V500M features a larger screen (3 inches instead of 2.7) and it uses touchscreen technology. This alters the entire way you work with the camcorder, and the increase in LCD size was a necessity to keep pace with the competition. Unfortunately, the screen still has a lowly resolution of 230,400 pixels. There's also no electronic viewfinder on the camcorder either, as is the norm for a budget model.

Connectivity

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The Panasonic HC-V500M has four ports, nearly all of which are located inside the LCD cavity. That's where you'll find the HDMI terminal, Multi-AV output, and USB port. The only other port on the camcorder is the DC input, which is on the right side of the model.

Battery

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Along with a very good battery life (over two hours), the HC-V500M has an open battery compartment that lets you insert larger, longer-lasting battery packs into the camcorder. We like this design, but we don't like the position of the DC-input on the right side of the camcorder, as it gets in the way if you have a cable plugged in and you hold the camcorder with your right hand. Find out how the product:model/product:model performed in our battery life test.

Media

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The V500M has 16GB of internal memory and a memory card slot that works with SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Still Features

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If you're looking for a true photo/video hybrid device, then the HC-V500M isn't for you. The camcorder does have some limited still image options, however. Photo size options range from 640 x 480 images all the way up to 2304 x 1296 resolution. Remember, however, with these 3-megapixel photos, like the camcorder's Full HD videos, the V500M is using interpolation to get that size. The camcorder also offers photos in three different aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2, 16:9), as well as a continuous shooting mode, self timer, and smile shutter feature. Additionally, the video light can function as a built-in flash when you take photos.

Other Features

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Pre Record

With this mode, the camcorder continuously stores about three seconds of footage in its internal memory buffer. This means as soon as you hit the record button, you've already captured the previous three seconds of video prior to your pressing the record button. Great for sporting events and other action sequences, but it does eat up battery life.

Relay Record

Since the HC-V500M has both built-in memory and a memory card slot, you can set the camcorder switch over from one (internal memory) to the other (memory card) seamlessly. So, if you are worried you'll run out of space on the 16GB of internal memory, just put a memory card in the camcorder's slot and turn on Relay Record. The camcorder will switch over to the card once the internal memory fills up—with no break in content in between.

2D-3D Converter

A semi-hidden feature on the HC-V500M, and one that is only useful to those with access to a 3D HDTV, is a 2D to 3D conversion option. In playback mode, when the V500M is connected to a 3D television, you'll see an option to "convert" your videos to 3D. While this function does sound kind of cool, and it does work relatively well (but not great), we should note that most 3D TVs already have this feature built-in. This makes the V500M's conversion option mostly moot. If your 3D can already upconvert, why would you need the camcorder to do it as well?

Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 Comparison

The Vixia HF R21 is an entry-level camcorder from Canon that was released in 2011. It's got a sharp picture for a budget model, and in terms of performance it outdid the Panasonic HC-V500M in our most important tests. It was better in low light and better in sharpness, but it put up disappointing numbers in both battery life and stabilization. Those are two areas where the Panasonic ruled.

The Panasonic also has a lighter build, a longer zoom, and a whole lot more features than the Canon. So, if you're looking for a budget camcorder with an abundance of controls, then the Panasonic HC-V500M is up your alley. The Canon R21 is the better model if you want the best performance without breaking the bank. It's a budget model, but its videos look as good as many mid-range camcorders.

Panasonic HDC-TM40 Comparison

The Sony Handycam HDR-CX160 arrived in 2011 with a fairly high $450 price tag for an entry-level camcorder. The price has dropped, however, and you can easily find the CX160 for $100 less online, which makes it a solid budget-friendly model. It's a great camcorder for beginners, although it lacks the extensive set of features and manual controls that you get with the Panasonic V500M.

Both the Sony and the Panasonic come with 16GB of internal memory, and both have the ability to record 1080/60p video. In our performance tests, neither model had a huge edge, and both showed some weaknesses in low light recording. Sony did have a better battery life than the Panasonic, but the V500M had the stronger stabilization score.

In short, these two camcorders are very similar in terms of image quality and performance. Neither are fantastic, and both are outdone by the Canon HF R21. The difference comes down to control. The Panasonic is better for manual control enthusiasts, but the Sony is simpler for beginners.

COMP 3

The HC-V500M has some strong improvements over its predecessor, the HDC-TM40, particularly in terms of sharpness and motion performance. There's also the added design elements of a touchscreen LCD (that is larger than the screen on the TM40) and a 1080/60p record mode. Overall, the V500M is a far better camcorder than the TM40, but we were disappointed that Panasonic left some elements without improvement.

Both Panasonic models produced so-so results in our low light testing, but the HC-V500M managed a worse sensitivity score than its predecessor. This is something we were clearly not enthused about, especially since the V500M offered a good deal of improvement elsewhere in our performance tests.

The HC-V500M is definitely the better camcorder here, but if you're looking to save some cash then you may want to consider the TM40. It retails currently for less than $200, and that's a heck of a deal for a camcorder of its class. If you don't mind using a d-pad instead of a touchscreen, and you don't care about optimizing your image quality, then the HDC-TM40 can be a worthy alternative to the HC-V500M in the entry-level market. For comparison, the HC-V500M costs between $400 - $500, so we're talking about a huge price difference.

Conclusion

The Panasonic HC-V500M is a good entry-level camcorder, and it has plenty of updates over the previous HDC-TM40. But Panasonic failed to improve the V500M's low light capabilities, which ends up being the camcorder's biggest weakness. Still, if you're looking for a sub-$500 camcorder with a lot of controls and decent image quality, then you've come to the right place. The HC-V500M has more full-fledged manual settings than the competition from Canon, Sony, and JVC in this price range.

Of course, the HC-V500M isn't dirt cheap. You still have to spend between $400 - $500 to own this model, which is a lot when you consider last year's HDC-TM40 from Panasonic is still available online for less than $200. The new V500M does have many design improvements, though, including a 3-inch touchscreen and a 1080/60p record mode. This new record mode helps the V500M capture a sharper image and better motion than its predecessor.

But if performance is of utmost importance to you, then the V500M is not a good option. Sony and Canon's entry-level models are better, and for just a bit more cash you can upgrade to a mid-range camcorder that will surely outdo the HC-V500M in terms of image quality. The real benefit of the HC-V500M is its controls—few other entry-level models give you full access to shutter speed, aperture, gain, focus, and white balance like Panasonic does. We were also very impressed with the camcorder's optical image stabilization mode, which was one of the best we've ever tested.

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Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

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