Honestly, I came into this year thinking that no camcorder would outclass the Canon HFS10/100, but I admit after looking at reviews the competition is pretty fierce. All of this is purely based on reviews as I have not been able to view any of these new cameras in person, but I'm hoping to be in the market in the next few months and wasn't sure which one I ought to get. Now I'm more confused than ever and wanted to see what everyone's opinion was, especially those who have had the chance to see each one in person, particularly at home. Here seems to be the main categories that the camcorders ought to be judged by and based on camcorderinfo reviews. I'm mainly comparing the Canon HFS10/100, Sony HDR-XRV520/500, Panasonic HDC-TM300, and Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1 (camcorderinfo reviews the HD2000, but I hate the formfactor and I'm going under the assumption that they are exact in performance).

1. Video: Seemingly a tie
a. Sony seems to win at noise
b. Sanyo 60p handles motion nicely
c. Canon and Panasonic are well rounded

2. Color: Sony<Sanyo=Canon=Panasonic

3. Image stabilization: Sanyo<Canon<Sony=Panasonic

4. Low light: Canon=Sony<Panasonic<Sanyo

5. Features: Depends on what you value (i.e. viewfinder, manual controls, 24p/30p/60p, battery life, storage space/type)

6. Value: Sanyo

7. Overall: ?

So what's everyone thoughts? Again this is based on camcorderinfo reviews, but surely that isn't the end-all, be-all. Sanyo seems to be a strong dark horse, especially if you're on a tight budget. I don't know if it has the reliability of the other 3, but certainly a good value. Panasonic seems to be the most well rounded, though Sony and Canon are no slouches. I'm not sure you could go wrong with any of these and the differences may be little more than extreme nitpicking, but when you're putting down hard earned money, you want to make the best decision.

after downloading a lot of raw videos of canon and sony main cameras (S100 and XR500)

I believe the sony is the best deal...the image quality in daylight is the same

in low light the canon have better detail...but just a bit

but the low noise is far better in the sony

and the canon records sound in just two channel....against the 5.1 of the sony (hearing it with a Home theather via optical cables with the PS3)..there is no comparrison in sound

from the looks of it Panasonic TM300/HS300 seems to have an edge over the competition but I'll wait for more reviews before making my purchase.

from the looks of it Panasonic TM300/HS300 seems to have an edge over the competition but I'll wait for more reviews before making my purchase.

From what I have read, that seems to be the case. Great video, color, low light shooting, viewfinder, manual focus ring, 24p...hard to beat. I wish it came with a SSD rather than HDD, but oh well.

The TM300 has 32 gigs of flash memory built in and you can add a memory card for even more storage just like the Canon HF S10. The HS300 is the one with the hard drive.

another first for the panasonic. It can hand-off during recording, from internal to external memory without having to stop. I am not sure what those files will look like in the editor, but at least you won't have to stop recording when you run out of space.

One thing I wish the Panny's had was some ability to shoot in total darkness. The sony's have nightshot mode, and the S100 has a night light. Neither is that great, but work in a pinch.

from the looks of it Panasonic TM300/HS300 seems to have an edge over the competition but I'll wait for more reviews before making my purchase.

What's funny is the disparity between the statements made regarding the Panasonic between camcorderinfo.com and infosyncworld.com, One can do nothing but praise the Panasonic while the other pans it when it comes to image quality especially in low light.

What's funny is the disparity between the statements made regarding the Panasonic between camcorderinfo.com and infosyncworld.com, One can do nothing but praise the Panasonic while the other pans it when it comes to image quality especially in low light.

I've come across some user reviews about TM300 on some UK forums and it seems like CamcorderInfo's assessment holds more ground than Infosync. Majority of TM300 owners agree that it low light performance is excellent and overall it is the camcorder to beat in 2009.

The TM300 has 32 gigs of flash memory built in and you can add a memory card for even more storage just like the Canon HF S10. The HS300 is the one with the hard drive.

Wow, you're right. For some reason Amazon listed the TM300 as an HDD camcorder. Well, this may be my camcorder once it reaches a lower street price.

I've come across some user reviews about TM300 on some UK forums and it seems like CamcorderInfo's assessment holds more ground than Infosync. Majority of TM300 owners agree that it low light performance is excellent and overall it is the camcorder to beat in 2009.

I think there are different firmware for these. I think the German sd300 was getting some issues w/low light and image quality. Im not sure if infosync got an early model hs300 w/the sd300 firmware, but seems the newer tm/hs300's have been getting good reviews.

http://panasonic.net/avc/camcorder/evaluated/

alright so who is willing to be the genie pig to get the TM300 first and let us know how it is ? :)

I have a Sanyo HD2000 and am impressed by its ability to connect directly to an external HDD (up to 1TB, but must be self-powered) to store and manage the video files from the SDHC card without the need of a PC. I wonder if any of the other HD camcorders has this function. If not, then this function will make the HD2000 the champion HD camcorder of 2009 IMHO. :)

I have a Sanyo HD2000 and am impressed by its ability to connect directly to an external HDD (up to 1TB, but must be self-powered) to store and manage the video files from the SDHC card without the need of a PC. I wonder if any of the other HD camcorders has this function. If not, then this function will make the HD2000 the champion HD camcorder of 2009 IMHO. :)

60p, which no other camcorder other than the sister Sanyo cam FH1 has is what makes the Sanyos special. Oh and the can't beat price too.

60p, which no other camcorder other than the sister Sanyo cam FH1 has is what makes the Sanyos special. Oh and the can't beat price too.

From what I have read the Sanyo seems to be solid in all areas except got image stabilization.

From what I have read the Sanyo seems to be solid in all areas except got image stabilization.

ya but the numbers it loses because of stabilization it more than makes up in the price because it costs almost half of its competitors.

*warning wall of text :)*

I bought the Sony xr500v, the Canon s100 and the Panasonic hs250. I couldn't find a tm/hs300 near me so picked up the hs250, same 3mos and processor as 300's. I didn't find a Sanyo hd2000 near me either, but did find a fh1 I played with at the store. Wasn't my taste, but I may still pick it up to try at home next.

All three camcorders I tested had great video quality overall. One thing I want to note, is that the wb was different for each camcorder. Colors both indoors and outdoors differ from each one, what is more accurate? I believe the Canon is, but what is more pleasing?.. that may be in the eye of the beholder..
.
Here's my opinion on these.

-I think Sony will sell the most, besides their brand power, their secondary options appeal to certain people. My father, and I assume other people with vision issues, will love the larger and sharper lcd. It makes a difference to the "casual" user. The GPS and large hdd will appeal to those who travel often and family vacationers who are more inclined not to carry a laptop.
The ois is the best I've seen on a camcorder. It doesn't do miracles, but it really does a nice job absorbing those little hand shakes. You can even follow a subject without much jitter.
Image quality is top notch. The videos look great during the day. Colors look vivid and sharp. Outdoors, the colors were mostly accurate and handled bright sun well. The auto focusing can be a bit slow, but I found if you press the photo button down, it snaps into focus faster.
The low lux was good, but wasn't that amazing. It does have low noise that makes the vids look nice and clean. I used low lux mode for comparisons, I've read it just lowers the shutter to 1/30, similar to slow shutter options on the others. The images are darker then the other three at night/indoors, but the low noise makes for a nice image.
Photo stills were nice, but again not much options. In good lighting, stills looked good. The images are significantly darker then in video mode. Low lux photo shooting wasn't the xr500's forte. Stills were dark and with not much control over shutter/aperture made it harder to improve. But the low noise was still there.
What I dislike about the Sony is their omission of some manual controls, 30p/24p and the size/weight. If Sony would just make a flash based version of the 500/520 and add shutter/aperture controls. It would be a winner!


-The Canon s100/s10 seems more focused on being a camcorder with no outstanding secondary options like the large hdd, lcd or gps on the Sony nor the IA and time lapse functions on the Panny. What the Canon does have is great image quality with good manual controls over most things.
Image is top notch outdoors with superb sharpness and resolution. Image is nice and bright, although under direct sun certain colors can be off. Overall, the wb was correct most of the time during outdoors. Auto focus was usually very fast and accurate.
Canon's ois is nowhere near the level of the Sony's active ois. It barely does the job, hand shakes aren't absorbed much and following a subject is hard to keep smooth.
Low lux is a conundrum. The s100 had more noise then the xr500v but at times, I had a hard time figuring out which is really better. At 60i, I give the hat to the xr500 in low lux mode. This can be improved by changing to 30p or 24p. At these modes, its harder to tell who wins. At first, I thought the s100 looked better, but there is more grain then the Sony. Indoors, the wb on the s100 seems more correct.
The s100 has a nice photo mode. Most manual controls are there along with continuous shooting options. Photo stills were very nice. Good sharpness and detail. The colors were accurate most of the time. In low lux, shutter and aperture controls allowed for adjustments to image and was overall better then the Sony.
My main dislike about the s100 is the bad ois and I wish it was better with the noise. Otherwise its a great camcorder.


-Looking at the specs the Panasonic looks like a winner, but I feel the Panasonic is the underdog here. Seems the reviews for the sd/tm/hs300 has been up and down. Looks like Panasonic has a few different camcorders that use their new 3mos sensor and HD advance engine. The hs250 is one of them. Main difference is the lack of the focus ring and a few missing options like time lapse. Most of the manual options and iA are the same.
I haven't had a really sunny day since I picked up the hs250, so my outdoor testing has been limited. But from what I've filmed so far, it's kind of a mixed bag. The hs250 seems to change wb often and with iA option on, it has the tendency to change wb sporadicly, especially at night or indoors. The preset wb seems to add a bit of green compared to the other 2. The grass and trees just pop out on the hs250. Autofocus, while faster then the Sony, wasn't as accurate as the Canon. I guess they want you to use the touchscreen AFAE option to focus faster. And the bigger hs/tm300 have that great focus ring.
As for the low lux ability, the wb was off most of the time and there was more noise then the other 2. To me the low lux ability outdoors wasn't good. Indoors was a bit better. Images were a little more detailed but was still soft compared to the others. It just wasn't what I was expecting. According to Panasonic's website, there shouldn't be a difference in the image quality between the tm/hs300 and hs250. I'm going to play around with it more and see if I can improve image.
The photo's taken from the hs250 on the other hand, were significantly brighter then the stills by from the other 2. I'm not sure what db s/n limit the s100 and xr500 are set to in photo mode, but the hs250 seems to allow more db then the other 2. Photo stills are brighter but more noise and less detail. The ois was good, much better then the s100. Almost near xr500 levels but I think the Sony did a little better job absorbing my hand shakes.
Overall, I think I need to do some more testing before final judgment on this one.

-So far in my testing, I rank the Canon s10 the top out of what I've tested so far. The Sony is a very close second. I think it more comes down to what people want in their camcorder. The Panasonic needs more testing as the results I've gotten so far weren't that positive.

I'll post some vids on youtube and try to zip up some mts and pics to compare later.

but when you're putting down hard earned money, you want to make the best decision.

The CANON EOS 5D MKII. There is no question. For <$4K, you get a camera that is as good as the $50K RED ONE, in many ways, and is better in low light than the RED ONE.

To get better PQ than the 5D, you will have to fork out >$50K (Red One) or the Sony 23 (approx $250K). Some even prefer the 5D PQ to the Sony 23.

Yes, you have to be keen to get the most out of a 5D, but pros all around the world say the effort is worth it.

I have seen more than a dozen music videos now shot with the 5D, and this camera is now being used to shoot commercials. You just cannot beat a full frame 35mm sensor !!!!!!

The CANON EOS 5D MKII. There is no question. For <$4K, you get a camera that is as good as the $50K RED ONE, in many ways, and is better in low light than the RED ONE.

To get better PQ than the 5D, you will have to fork out >$50K (Red One) or the Sony 23 (approx $250K). Some even prefer the 5D PQ to the Sony 23.

Yes, you have to be keen to get the most out of a 5D, but pros all around the world say the effort is worth it.

I have seen more than a dozen music videos now shot with the 5D, and this camera is now being used to shoot commercials. You just cannot beat a full frame 35mm sensor !!!!!!

Well a dslr, especially the 5D, is going to give an incredible dof that a traditional camcorder just cannot give w/o 35mm adapter jig.
And the 5d is beast of a dslr/hybrid camera, but it is also about 2 to 3x the price of these top consumer camcorders from Sony, Canon, Panasonic and Sanyo. What maybe a closer comparison of a hybrid dslr's is the new Panasonic GH1, a micro dslr w/1080 recording. It's been getting great previews and the videos out look nice. Videos have all the photo manual controls and has auto focus while zooming with ois. Price maybe around $1400us and I've heard about $1800cnd.

Anyways, I posted some vids on youtube. Mostly from my balcony holding them like I likely would normally.

Outdoors rainbow shot :
Canon s100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOWaidt4724
Panasonic hs250 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPPNepx3HYw

Outdoors :
Canon s100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrRcb4Q65CY
Sony xr500v - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKQxC4rEjVc

Outdoors on rainy night :
Canon s100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMhik2f1-vE
Panasonic hs250 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_Aq10h2prI

Indoors, my kitty sleeping :
Canon s100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM9sPc0yLv0
Panasonic hs250 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtwPPErtn9Q

Outdoors street shot at night :
Canon s100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUpFAgKYee4
Sony xr500v - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mnDItcafx0
different night:
Canon s100: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g980fbVY_1g
Panasonic hs250 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkhCh1-xW9Y

Outdoors

3.2vtec, some really nice comparisons and reviews! One thing I'll say, you can't underestimate the importance of good image stabilization. The new gen Sony OIS seems truly amazing.

I've seen some shots with people walking and it really seems to take on a 'steadicam' appearance. It may well be worth trading off a bit of sharpness for a much more stable image that, in the end, might be much more usable. I also think the noise issue is pretty significant when it comes to video, but that may be more subjective.

3.2vtec, some really nice comparisons and reviews! One thing I'll say, you can't underestimate the importance of good image stabilization. The new gen Sony OIS seems truly amazing.

I've seen some shots with people walking and it really seems to take on a 'steadicam' appearance. It may well be worth trading off a bit of sharpness for a much more stable image that, in the end, might be much more usable. I also think the noise issue is pretty significant when it comes to video, but that may be more subjective.

I'm thinking the same thing.:)

I'm going on a trip next week, so I'm leaning heavily toward the one with a better image stabilization.

This is off topic. I also will be using it to record a wedding. So should I still look for the one with flash memery (reliability) only, or a built-in memory (convenience) would serve me better??? Thanks

Keep in mind dvd2blu, that the Sony 500 has a built-in HD. You can also use a memory stick with it if you choose, but the emphasis is on the hard drive.

It seems to me that very very few people have had any issues with hard drive based cameras. So if it were me, I wouldn't sweat the 'reliability factor'. I've had two and never had an issue.

Keep in mind dvd2blu, that the Sony 500 has a built-in HD. You can also use a memory stick with it if you choose, but the emphasis is on the hard drive.

It seems to me that very very few people have had any issues with hard drive based cameras. So if it were me, I wouldn't sweat the 'reliability factor'. I've had two and never had an issue.

Thanks for your feedback, Ken. :)

And that's the very camcorder I'm considering. My last camcorder was a Canon MiniDV (2002-03). So this will be my first HD videocam. Can't wait to see how the video look on my Kuro.

Keep in mind dvd2blu, that the Sony 500 has a built-in HD. You can also use a memory stick with it if you choose, but the emphasis is on the hard drive.

It seems to me that very very few people have had any issues with hard drive based cameras. So if it were me, I wouldn't sweat the 'reliability factor'. I've had two and never had an issue.

This is what kept me from getting the Sony and going with the HFS10... I needed Flash for what i want to do with it (Recording Offroading in a Jeep)

This is what kept me from getting the Sony and going with the HFS10... I needed Flash for what i want to do with it (Recording Offroading in a Jeep)

You can take a look at Panasonic HDC-TM300. It has 32GB solid state memory along with SDHC card support.

3.2vtec, some really nice comparisons and reviews! One thing I'll say, you can't underestimate the importance of good image stabilization. The new gen Sony OIS seems truly amazing.

I've seen some shots with people walking and it really seems to take on a 'steadicam' appearance. It may well be worth trading off a bit of sharpness for a much more stable image that, in the end, might be much more usable. I also think the noise issue is pretty significant when it comes to video, but that may be more subjective.

Thanks Ken

I do agree the ois is very important for many people as an unsteady shot makes a dizzy viewing experience. I was actually gifted a xr520v for my birthday, so now I guess I'll be returning the s100... but I'm still tempted to sell/trade for a s10. The main thing holding me back is the ois, wish the Canon had a better ois. The main reason I want the Canon is its superior photo still abilities.

REL77
If your filming in an offroading jeep.. Then I would suggest you consider the Sony and use a memory stick while in the jeep. It will not access the hdd during that time, it'll remain parked. I'm just concerned the ois on the Canon will disappoint you in offroading with all that bouncing.

The concerns with the Sanyo stabilization are overblown in my opinion. I don't doubt the Sony and Canon do better, but the idea that the Sanyo produces unusable video due to it's stabilization are not true.

Here is a clip shot by my non technical girlfriend. Hand held, zoom in zoom out. Pretty typical of a beginner just out shooting fun stuff with a camcorder.

http://www.vimeo.com/4610199

Not great, but usable for the average hobbyist.

No disrespect Ron, but I guess that's all in the eye of the beholder. After using the XR500V for a few weeks, I wouldn't be able to consider that Sanyo clip acceptable stability-wise (colors and subjects are great though :) ).

You are right, we all have different levels of what is usable. I certainly would not use the whole clip as is. But the level of steadiness before and after the zoom is not bad for someone using a camcorder for the 2nd time. The Sanyo stabilization is not bad, perhaps the Sony is just really good.

I think that vid is fine, but I have seen some that were very bad. Sanyo's eis is probably a little worse then Canon's ois, which isn't that good. It takes a steady hand to get a wobble free video from both.

In my experience, your not always standing still when shooting. There will be many times where you will be moving or tracking a moving subject. And often when on a moving train/boat etc. This is where a superior ois would help. The xr500/520's active ois works well and helps for those with less steady hands.

Anyways here's a couple more screen grabs from the 3 camcorders. As for now, I'm going to return the hs250. I just don't think it's image matched the other two. Now what to do .. anyone want to trade a new xr520v for a s10? lol

xr500v night screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241726300056626

s100 night screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241735526354274

xr500v day screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241743613548594

s100 day screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241738497249442

hs250 day screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241747031745026

Pre-story to my post above about stabilization.

I make vacation videos for fun. Guess I would describe myself as a serious hobbyist.

My girlfriend asked to borrow my Sanyo FH1 camcorder for her friends wedding. She also asked if I could make a short video. UT-OH :eek:. I told her I would try, but no promises if it would be good or not. I told her try to keep the camera steady and if you record good stuff, I can make something decent.

Long story short. This camcorder is fantastic for it's price. Record some decent footage, throw in some nice photos, add an appropriate soundtrack and voila. A hobbyist can make a very entertaining video. Even when the camcorder and camera are in the hands of a video clueless girlfriend. :D

http://vimeo.com/4616450

Were Moose and Squirrel in attendance? J/K

No, but Natasha was :D

I think that vid is fine, but I have seen some that were very bad. Sanyo's eis is probably a little worse then Canon's ois, which isn't that good. It takes a steady hand to get a wobble free video from both.

In my experience, your not always standing still when shooting. There will be many times where you will be moving or tracking a moving subject. And often when on a moving train/boat etc. This is where a superior ois would help. The xr500/520's active ois works well and helps for those with less steady hands.

Anyways here's a couple more screen grabs from the 3 camcorders. As for now, I'm going to return the hs250. I just don't think it's image matched the other two. Now what to do .. anyone want to trade a new xr520v for a s10? lol

xr500v night screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241726300056626

s100 night screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241735526354274

xr500v day screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241743613548594

s100 day screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241738497249442

hs250 day screen grab - http://picasaweb.google.com/888.cmail/CamcorderTestXr500vS100#5335241747031745026

Well, good, but, now can you make it right way, upload original MTS files to rapidshare.com for example...

*warning wall of text :)*

I bought the Sony xr500v, the Canon s100 and the Panasonic hs250. I couldn't find a tm/hs300 near me so picked up the hs250, same 3mos and processor as 300's. I didn't find a Sanyo hd2000 near me either, but did find a fh1 I played with at the store. Wasn't my taste, but I may still pick it up to try at home next.

All three camcorders I tested had great video quality overall. One thing I want to note, is that the wb was different for each camcorder. Colors both indoors and outdoors differ from each one, what is more accurate? I believe the Canon is, but what is more pleasing?.. that may be in the eye of the beholder..
.
Here's my opinion on these.

-I think Sony will sell the most, besides their brand power, their secondary options appeal to certain people. My father, and I assume other people with vision issues, will love the larger and sharper lcd. It makes a difference to the "casual" user. The GPS and large hdd will appeal to those who travel often and family vacationers who are more inclined not to carry a laptop.
The ois is the best I've seen on a camcorder. It doesn't do miracles, but it really does a nice job absorbing those little hand shakes. You can even follow a subject without much jitter.
Image quality is top notch. The videos look great during the day. Colors look vivid and sharp. Outdoors, the colors were mostly accurate and handled bright sun well. The auto focusing can be a bit slow, but I found if you press the photo button down, it snaps into focus faster.
The low lux was good, but wasn't that amazing. It does have low noise that makes the vids look nice and clean. I used low lux mode for comparisons, I've read it just lowers the shutter to 1/30, similar to slow shutter options on the others. The images are darker then the other three at night/indoors, but the low noise makes for a nice image.
Photo stills were nice, but again not much options. In good lighting, stills looked good. The images are significantly darker then in video mode. Low lux photo shooting wasn't the xr500's forte. Stills were dark and with not much control over shutter/aperture made it harder to improve. But the low noise was still there.
What I dislike about the Sony is their omission of some manual controls, 30p/24p and the size/weight. If Sony would just make a flash based version of the 500/520 and add shutter/aperture controls. It would be a winner!


-The Canon s100/s10 seems more focused on being a camcorder with no outstanding secondary options like the large hdd, lcd or gps on the Sony nor the IA and time lapse functions on the Panny. What the Canon does have is great image quality with good manual controls over most things.
Image is top notch outdoors with superb sharpness and resolution. Image is nice and bright, although under direct sun certain colors can be off. Overall, the wb was correct most of the time during outdoors. Auto focus was usually very fast and accurate.
Canon's ois is nowhere near the level of the Sony's active ois. It barely does the job, hand shakes aren't absorbed much and following a subject is hard to keep smooth.
Low lux is a conundrum. The s100 had more noise then the xr500v but at times, I had a hard time figuring out which is really better. At 60i, I give the hat to the xr500 in low lux mode. This can be improved by changing to 30p or 24p. At these modes, its harder to tell who wins. At first, I thought the s100 looked better, but there is more grain then the Sony. Indoors, the wb on the s100 seems more correct.
The s100 has a nice photo mode. Most manual controls are there along with continuous shooting options. Photo stills were very nice. Good sharpness and detail. The colors were accurate most of the time. In low lux, shutter and aperture controls allowed for adjustments to image and was overall better then the Sony.
My main dislike about the s100 is the bad ois and I wish it was better with the noise. Otherwise its a great camcorder.


-Looking at the specs the Panasonic looks like a winner, but I feel the Panasonic is the underdog here. Seems the reviews for the sd/tm/hs300 has been up and down. Looks like Panasonic has a few different camcorders that use their new 3mos sensor and HD advance engine. The hs250 is one of them. Main difference is the lack of the focus ring and a few missing options like time lapse. Most of the manual options and iA are the same.
I haven't had a really sunny day since I picked up the hs250, so my outdoor testing has been limited. But from what I've filmed so far, it's kind of a mixed bag. The hs250 seems to change wb often and with iA option on, it has the tendency to change wb sporadicly, especially at night or indoors. The preset wb seems to add a bit of green compared to the other 2. The grass and trees just pop out on the hs250. Autofocus, while faster then the Sony, wasn't as accurate as the Canon. I guess they want you to use the touchscreen AFAE option to focus faster. And the bigger hs/tm300 have that great focus ring.
As for the low lux ability, the wb was off most of the time and there was more noise then the other 2. To me the low lux ability outdoors wasn't good. Indoors was a bit better. Images were a little more detailed but was still soft compared to the others. It just wasn't what I was expecting. According to Panasonic's website, there shouldn't be a difference in the image quality between the tm/hs300 and hs250. I'm going to play around with it more and see if I can improve image.
The photo's taken from the hs250 on the other hand, were significantly brighter then the stills by from the other 2. I'm not sure what db s/n limit the s100 and xr500 are set to in photo mode, but the hs250 seems to allow more db then the other 2. Photo stills are brighter but more noise and less detail. The ois was good, much better then the s100. Almost near xr500 levels but I think the Sony did a little better job absorbing my hand shakes.
Overall, I think I need to do some more testing before final judgment on this one.

-So far in my testing, I rank the Canon s10 the top out of what I've tested so far. The Sony is a very close second. I think it more comes down to what people want in their camcorder. The Panasonic needs more testing as the results I've gotten so far weren't that positive.

I'll post some vids on youtube and try to zip up some mts and pics to compare later.

Thanks for this mini-review - very helpful.
Wondering have you had a chance to test teh Panasonic 250 or 300 any more in full light. Any more thoughts. It seems most professional reviews put it ahead of the others but consumer reviews and videos posted by consumers don't reflect teh same opinion or results. I'm really struggling b/t the Cannon S10 which I have and the Panasonic and even the Sony (for this one the color seems a bit off compared to Cannon). Any thougths would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Sanyo HD2000 and am impressed by its ability to connect directly to an external HDD (up to 1TB, but must be self-powered) to store and manage the video files from the SDHC card without the need of a PC. I wonder if any of the other HD camcorders has this function. If not, then this function will make the HD2000 the champion HD camcorder of 2009 IMHO. :)

Any other camcorders that support this? I assume that it will only with HDDs formatted with FAT32?:confused:

To me it really depends on the price range in question for which is best.

< $200

Kodak Zi8

< $500

Sanyo FH1

< $1,000
???

< $2,000
???

< $4,000
???

< $8,000
???

As far as stabilization, you almost never want to shoot HD hand held. I almost always have at a minimum, a mini-tripod attached. It's impossible to hold a deck of cards or beer can steady. So the stabilization issue, while impact-full on usable results, it rather moot. If you're shooting hand held and not bracing against something. That's the risk you take. Granted that you can't always have a tripod with you. But there's plenty of pocket options that are as pocket-able as your camcorder. Any of which vastly improves the results without spending another $500 just on stabilization features.

Well, let's try:

< $1,000
???
Canon HF-S10, S11 is probably still a bit over the 1K mark.

< $2,000
???

Panasonic HMC-40

< $4,000
???
JVC HM-GY100
Panasonic HMC-150
Upcoming Sony NXCAM

< $8,000
The 'old' EX3, or the updated EX-1.

< $10K
Probably the Panasonic HMC 300 with AVCIntra codec and 4:2:2 10 Bits.

<$2000

Canon 7d with 28-135mm lens.

Yeah in an earlier list I included the Canon 7D and the Panasonic GH1 as alternatives. But since the thread is camcorder specific I left them out this time.

In the below 4K category one could the put up the Canon 5D MKII with some extra's.

I have seen more than a dozen music videos now shot with the 5D, and this camera is now being used to shoot commercials. You just cannot beat a full frame 35mm sensor !!!!!!
Music vids don't require any any audio capture on camera, they just need to be arty farty, so the 5D is good for that. Also, in video mode, the 5D is not full frame :-)

< $10K
Probably the Panasonic HMC 300 with AVCIntra codec and 4:2:2 10 Bits.
the HPX-300 would be a good choice too :-) I think Sony has overpriced the PMW-350, i think it needs to be under $13k. Not $22k. But that NXCAM, I think it is really going to be a huge hit.

Yeah, I knew I had the wrong lettercode on that one, didn't want to bother looking it up at that time, AVS is on EST, not CET;-).

The new EX3 is in the same price bracket as the HPX 300, isn't it, perhaps a tad less.

With the EX1R back up in price, you may be right, the EX3R hasn't made it onto the local Sony Professional website yet, wich doesn't show Euro MSRP anyway, unfortunately.

The 300 can double as a multicamera studiocamera, making it attractive to smaller broadcast outlets on a budget.

Based on the HVR-Z5E, hmm?

Tentative Camcorder Product Information
Introducing the prototype NXCAM product, Sony's first professional AVCHD camcorder. It can record stunning quality 1920 x 1080 images at 24Mbps (50i or 25p), as well as supporting 720/50p and Standard Definition recording. Operational flexibility is further enhanced by support for dual media. The primary recording media is Memory Stick Pro consumer memory cards, which are affordable, readily available worldwide and subject to continuous development. There is also an all-new optional 128Gb Flash Memory Unit which offers 11 hours recording time at 24Mbps. As with Sony's HYBRID HDV range, usage of the media is designed to be as flexible as possible - allowing simultaneous recording to dual media or a choice between media depending on the customer requirements.

To fully realise the potential of the AVCHD codec in a compact camcorder, the prototype utilises much of the same advanced technology used in the multiple-awarding winning HVR-Z5E. Sony's newly designed G Lens provides excellent resolution, colour and contrast, in combination with 3 x 1/3-inch Exmor CMOS Sensor system using ClearVid array for excellent low-light sensitivity.

This new compact camcorder is ideal when high performance is demanded using only available light. The ergonomically designed body allows flexible shooting under any conditions, while maintaining Sony's worldwide reputation for quality and high performance.

All NXCAM Camcorders come supplied with a 2-year PrimeSupport contract which offers unique extra services and benefits for added peace of mind.

Yeah in an earlier list I included the Canon 7D and the Panasonic GH1 as alternatives. But since the thread is camcorder specific I left them out this time.

In the below 4K category one could the put up the Canon 5D MKII with some extra's.

Technically yes, the 7d, GH1 and 5d are cameras that record video. But the end result is a video, regardless what was used to record it.

The audio capabilities of these cameras are frequently criticized, but if you are really concerned about audio you would use a separate audio recording device with mic and sych in editing.