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1. 

   T^n^S
   September 3rd, 2010 - 14:46

   Review by T^n^S for Panasonic HDC-TM55K Hi-Def Camcorder with 8GB Flash Memory & 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   After weeks of research and comparing the mid range models from Sony, Canon, JVC and Panasonic, I ended up with the TM55K. Some of the main features I was looking for was still picture capability and low light performance. I don’t want to carry a digital camera everywhere I go, so I wanted a camcorder that could also take some decent pictures.

   Tried the Sony CX350 and despite its higher pixel rating, the images were below expectations and the flash seemed weak. Canon and JVC were not good in low light, which lead me to the Panasonic. The TM55K is taking very good pictures. The flash seems powerful and is fully automatic and the images are good. Not as great as my digital camera, but good enough to avoid needing to haul a camcorder and camera to every vacation or event.

   The low light performance is fantastic. No issues at all. The zoom was a huge bonus and blew away everything else I looked at. The 25x Optical Zoom works great and the image stabilizer keeps things steady, even when zoomed in at the max. Plus it’s a wide angle lens as well.

   There are a ton of features, but I pretty much use the “Intelligent Auto Mode” and it takes care of everything for me. If you want to navigate the menus and options, the touch screen works very well. I occasionally mis-touch and get the wrong option to come up, but the Panasonic menus seems much more accurate and easier than the others I tried.

   As far as negatives… I don’t like that you need to charge the battery in the camcorder – I would prefer an external charger. I am not crazy about the video light. It seems too bright and not natural in color which seems to give things a bluish tinge. But given the great low light performance, I have never really had to use the video light thus far.

   So given all the technical advantages of this camcorder, and it’s great price in comparison to other mid-range options….I think it’s a strong choice.
2. 

   R. Bright
   September 3rd, 2010 - 15:21

   Review by R. Bright for Panasonic HDC-TM55K Hi-Def Camcorder with 8GB Flash Memory & 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   This review is for the Panasonic HDC-TM55P

   Panasonic introduced four mid-level camcorders in 2010:

   HDC-SD60. Uses SD/SDHC/SDHX memory cards. No built-in memory/storage.
   
   HDC-TM55. The TM stands for Twin Memory. It has 8 GB built-in memory (roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes of video recording) and also uses SD/SDHC/SDHX cards.
   
   HDC-TM60. Has 16 GB built-in memory (two hours and 40 minutes) and also uses SD/SDHC/SDHX cards. Sold exclusively at Best Buy.
   
   HDC-HS60. Equipped with a built-in 120 GB hard drive (twenty hours and 30 minutes).

   With the exception of the different storage methods, all four units have the same specs.

   I’ve extensively used the HDC-TM55 for a week and it has entirely met my expectations. The four areas I wish to highlight:

   Video output
   
   Yes, this is an HD camcorder, but what does the video *really* look like when played back on a HD TV? That was my question, and all I can say is, Wow! After taking some video footage at Kings Island, I hooked the camcorder to my Panasonic 50″ plasma TV with the supplied video component cables (an optional HDMI cable can be purchased) and my wife and I were blown away with the detail. The colors were rich and the detail was true HD.

   Mac compatibility
   
   Panasonic includes video software compatible with Windows PCs, not Mac. No worries though, I hooked the HDC-TM55P to my Mac running Leopard OS X 10.5.8, using the supplied cable. It was immediately recognized as a mounted disc, and iMovie 08 offered to import the video. OS X 10.6.x Snow Leopard and iMovie 09 are also supported.

   iA
   
   You can shoot in Manual mode, which gives you greater control over all aspects of recording, or in iA – Intelligent Auto mode, whereby the camera automatically adjusts for the conditions. It knows when to switch to Portrait mode (when the object is a person) or Scenery mode (when outside recording a landscape), etc. It also utilizes OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), wind canceling, face recognition, and other technologies. I’m sure sometimes it will get things wrong and I’ll have to manually override it, but for the most part iA works very well. In other words, to get excellent video results, all you have to do is switch to iA, point the camera, and press record.

   Photos
   
   The quality of photos was just OK, even at 5MP and highest quality. Perhaps unfairly, I’m comparing them to my Nikon D40 SLR. Compared to a compact point and shoot camera, they are more acceptable.

   Overall, the HDC-TM55P gets 5 stars, because its controls are intuitive, it’s fully Mac compatible, it’s full-featured, manually or in iA mode, and the video quality is excellent. We bought this primarily to use on our upcoming Disney Cruise, and I’m confident we made the right choice. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with this outstanding camcorder.
3. 

   Tony Owens
   September 3rd, 2010 - 16:09

   Review by Tony Owens for Panasonic HDC-TM55K Hi-Def Camcorder with 8GB Flash Memory & 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   Did a lot of research before purchasing this camera and cannot say enough how pleased I am with it! True 1080p videos that play back beautifully on my Blu-ray DVD recorder. I think this camera offers many of the great features found on cameras that are much more expensive. This camera is very ‘user friendly’ Wonderful zoom capabilities . . . face recognition that WORKS! . . . sharp still photos option even while you are shooting a video. We purchased the Panasonic DVD Burner (model VW-BN2PP)which burned 1080p HD disks with no problems at all. Highly recommend you purchase the burner also. Software included that allows you to watch these disks on your home computer, however at only a ten frame per second rate which results in a minor ‘chopped’ effect. Burned disks play perfectly on your Blu-ray DVD recorder. Battery life has been great, but have purchased the Panasonic VW-VBK360 Lithium Ion Battery Pack which doubles the recording time. Going out with these two batteries in hand should allow you to record as long as you would want in a day before recharging them. By the way, this battery has only just become available in the past few weeks. If you order an extra battery, make sure you get the VW-VBK360 as others will not fit this camcorder. Again, great camera and well worth the price!
4. 

   Pavel Studenkov
   September 3rd, 2010 - 16:31

   Review by Pavel Studenkov for Panasonic HDC-TM55K Hi-Def Camcorder with 8GB Flash Memory & 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   This review is for Panasonic TM60, which is the same camera with more internal memory. I am not a wannabe film-maker, just a guy who wants to film children and family activities. For this purpose the Panasonic is excellent and has exceeded all expectations. My old camera is Canon Optura PI, a mini-DV which was top of the prosumer line in its day. The Optura has become unreliable (tapes jam all the time) and the standard-def quality just doesn’t look so great anymore. I’ve been looking at new Canon and Sony models under $1000 but did not really like any of them for various reasons, mostly ergonomics and user interface. But this Panasonic just “felt right” from the start. TM60 is the little brother of TM700 that Michael Reichmann reviews at http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/camcorders/tm700.shtml. It is small and light, without being too small to handle. Wide angle starts at 37mm (this is very wide for a camcorder without attachments) and 25x optical zoom is very impressive. Optical stabilization is unbelievable – much better than my old Canon, which was the best in its day. I tend to film children following them around the house, or moving the camera around them Matrix-style, and the footage comes out very “fluid” without excessive shaking. Video quality is fantastic played directly on the TV through HDMI. It doesn’t quite have the blue-ray sharpness, but looks like a good DVD upconverted to 1080. The acid test was shooting trees and flowers in bright sun, with lots of high-contrast edges. My old camera produced and annoying shimmer in these conditions, but with TM60 it is absolutely clean, with sharp detail and no artifacts to speak of. Little things add up. Camera doesn’t really need a power switch – it turns on when you open the screen, and turns off when you close it. The lens cover also opens and closes automatically. You can adjust default sharpness, white balance and saturation for video. There is a built-in LED light for shooting in the dark, which is quite effective. There is also a duplicate start-stop button on the left edge of the screen, where you can press it with your left hand. The menu interface is touch-screen which I normally don’t like, but this one is much less annoying than Sony’s or new Canon’s.

   It comes with Panasonic software for editing AVCHD that is kind of clunky but works OK. Pinnacle 12 handles clips from this camera fairly easily on a dual-core machine.

   I can think of only 2 downsides of TM60:
   
   (1) no microphone input. The camera is completely silent and the built-in mic is surprisingly good, plus the audio level is adjustable, but if you must have external mic then you need to step up to its “big brother” TM700.
   
   (2) manual focus is technically possible with touch screen buttons, but is not really usable. TM700 has a lens ring.
5. 

   Nagy Barnabás
   September 3rd, 2010 - 16:53

   Review by Nagy Barnabás for Panasonic HDC-TM55K Hi-Def Camcorder with 8GB Flash Memory & 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
   Rating:
   I recently bought the TM60 (with 16GB internal memory) to take advantage of the 2 hr default record time – without even an SD card.
   
   The image quality and usabilty of the product AMAZED me. The zoom is extra powerful, importing sequences to PC is a snap, the touchscreen works perfect, and the sounds are Dolby Stereo.
   
   I was looking for an HD camera without “moving parts” – no HDD, no DVD, no DV tape. So I got this model.

   I simply cannot wait to travel to places to shoot more video, because I am already IN LOVE with this product. I am faithful to Panasonic because I got an FX500 LUMIX still camera, which I also love and use extensively.
   
   Everyone already loves the DVDs I made (even tough it does not even show the true image quality the TM60 is capable of doing). It’s time to upgrade for a Bluray player and HDTV to enjoy this product fully.
   
   I was very happy with the price performance ratio of this product. Panasonic made great technical improvements over their previous years models with Face recognition, bigger CMOS, and the Power OIS. Don’t go further if you want a user-friendly, great value HD Camcorder. This is a perfect buy!

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