The Official Panasonic HC-V700 Owners Thread - Page 20

Thanks for the reply.. I think you might have misunderstood the question about the joining of two files.. Say for example you're filming a continuous scene that results in two 4gb mts file.. ideally, you just butt join the two scene as it's a continuous scene.. Some cameras I'd tested will have a blip in audio and video just at that point while others won't.. You can't put in a transition or fade in the middle of a speaking scene or fast action scene as it will be very noticeable. If I'm filming a scene where we would have to pause and reset angles, lighting or scenery, then this is not a problem at all, as you run the video a few seconds longer at the start and finish of that scene.. but it's the longer scenes that produce the multi files that I am concerned about.

Cheers

Hey folks!

I'm new to the world of filmmaking and I've been recommended the HC-V700 as a starting off point. I just have a few queries I hope you can help me with.

Firstly, I've seen a lot of talk on here about various lenses, external mics etc. Are there any pieces of equipment or add-ons for the HC-V700 you'd class as essential? Especially for a beginner.

Secondly, along with the camera I'm planning a new PC build to be used for editing (either Premiere Elements or Sony Vegas/Movie Studio). Any particular hardware or system specs you'd recommend (so far I'm leaning towards the i7-3770k)? How does the HC-V700 transfer video to the computer? Any specific motherboard connections or features I should look out for? For example, is FireWire still used/needed?

I've scouted around on numerous computing sites, but I feel the advice of those that actually use the camera and edit from it would be more valuable!

Many thanks.

Welcome to the video world.

For video editing, the more power you have in your computer, the easier and faster it will be. A fast processor, a fast hard drive, lots of ram, a good video card with the latest drivers; all of these work together to affect editing performance. You don't need a firewire port but a card slot is helpful so you can just put the SD card into the slot to transfer files into your computer.

As far as editing programs, I would suggest starting with Windows MovieMaker (Google for Windows Essentials) because it is a free download from Microsoft. And it can do a lot of things. I used it for several years before I ventured into purchasing an editing program.

The only accessories I would suggest for starters is a couple of spare batteries along with an external battery charger so that you don't have to charger the batteries in the camera. Amazon and eBay have a good assortment and reasonable prices.

An SD card will be required. There has been a lot of discussion here about SD cards. For mine, I have a 128gb SDXC card. Wintec 128GB FileMate Professional Plus UHS-I SDHC SDXC Class 10 Flash Memory Card Model 3FMSD128GU1PI-R, $134.9 from Newegg.com. It might be overkill for this camcorder but I also have a Panasonic GH2 that is hacked to record at 100mbps and the card is needed for that camera.

A camera bag/case to carry it in and protect it but wait until you get it and see how big a case you will need for the camcorder, spare batteries, charger, etc. and then buy one.

Let us know how it goes. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum Jimmy!

I don't own a V700. I have one of it's predecessors called a SDT750.

"Are there any pieces of equipment or add-ons for the HC-V700 you'd class as essential? Especially for a beginner"

--I've added a few things, but nothing is essential except for an SD card. I like 32GB Class 10 and it should cost $20 to $25. The camera is very good as is. I prefer using a monopod for improved steadiness. You will probably want some kind of case. I like the Lowepro Digital Video Case 30. I have not bought a mic. I did put a UV filter on the front for insurance. If I scratch it, I can throw it away and get a new one. I bought an extra battery, but never seem to need it.

"Secondly, along with the camera I'm planning a new PC build to be used for editing (either Premiere Elements or Sony Vegas/Movie Studio)."

--Both of those editors are extremely capable. I prefer Premier Elements because of the amazing number of learning resources. Premier Elements 11 has been recently "certified" for Windows 8. Version 11 works very well with 1080p60 files.

"Any particular hardware or system specs you'd recommend (so far I'm leaning towards the i7-3770k)?"

--The AVCHD file format, especially the top quality 1080p60 choice, makes any computer work hard. The latest i7 with four cores and lots of memory are helpful. Windows 7 and 8 are 64 bit and allow editing software to use lots of memory. The next significant improvement will come for using a SSD as a primary drive. Faster 7200 RPM HDDs help as well. I'm not sure that either Movie Studio or Premier Elements gets a lot out of an extra graphic card over the included Intel graphics. Premier Pro can make use of a graphics card, but that is past my budget.

"How does the HC-V700 transfer video to the computer? Any specific motherboard connections or features I should look out for? For example, is FireWire still used/needed?"

--Firewire is not used. Instead, files are moved to your computer via USB port. USB 3.0 is good. There are two basic ways of moving files. The V700 camera comes with HDWriter. It does some V700 specific things that no other software does as well. I use it as my first step because it moves the files and puts them into an organized file structure. It works by either plugging in the camera to the USB port, putting the SD Card in a cheap USB card reader or building in a card reader to you computer. Some ignore HDWriter and use Windows Explorer to copy the files and do the organization themselves. So, your motherboard needs to either have its own graphics or support graphics cards, have a fast i7, support a few USB 3.0 ports, support connections to a couple of drives (hopefully one being SSD) and maybe a Blu-Ray burner.

Have fun with this!

Bill

On edit: I see I was not typing fast enough. Rock Flint beat me to the "Submit" button! I respectfully disagree with him on the SD Card. The camera does not need any more than a Class 4 SCHC. But, the Class 10s seem to be a sweet spot for price. I also disagree on the use of Windows Movie Maker. It is good, but you will get your skills up faster if you pick a good one and learn it. Unless you enjoy learning software more than making movies, focus on and master one. Premier Elements 11 costs a lot less than his memory card! Premier Elements 11 includes specific support for 1080p60 files and, although I'm not sure, I don't think they work so well in WMM.
Edited by bsprague - 1/6/13 at 8:20am

Hi BSprague,

I see we are neighbors. We actually live in Parkland just a few blocks off Pacific Ave. My profile shows "near Seattle" for those who don't know where Tacoma is.

Regards,

Rock Flint

Hi neighbor!

Bill

I have had my v700m for a couple of months now and think its time to purchase a video editing software. Sony vegas studio platinum suite 11 has good reviews. But sony movie studio platinum suite 12 is the newer version. Does the newer one perform better with thr v700 or should I get the tried and true vegas studio? Will sony vegas studio platinum work with the v700?

I tried to find the list of additions in version 12 and failed. But, generally, most would suggest the newer version. More than likely, it will have improved handling of 1080p60 files.

I tried version 11 for a while and was forced to give up on it. I enjoyed it for a month, but it developed a rare conflict between my computer and Sony's software that was never resolved. I gave it to someone who enjoyed it and moved on to Adobe.

Many like the Sony software a lot. You will too and it will handle anything your camera can produce, assuming your computer is strong enough. HD video makes computers work hard!

While you are still shopping, take a look at Adobe Premier Elements 11, which I think is the primary competitor to Vegas Movie Studio. Both do amazing stuff. But, I think there is a key difference in the about of learning resources available. There are on line courses, dvd courses, books, forums and even Adobe themselves. Because of the resources, I think learning video editing may be much quicker with Adobe's Premier.

Both have free 30 day trials.

Thank you for your informative reply. Actually I have been reading way too many reviews about the various video editing software!
My new laptop is the lenovo y580 and it has plenty of ram and space...which is why I am looking at sony and adobe premiere elements. Yet I don't think I need anything too complex. I will take another look at premiere elements. If I can find some tutorials I should be ok. I am still looking :-).

Steve Grisetti at Muvipix.com 6 part video introduction that is free:
http://muvipix.com/products.php?searchphrase=basic+training+premiere+elements&btn.x=22&btn.y=15

Adobe’s online user guide:
http://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/topics.html

Learn Premier Elements at Adobe:
http://www.adobe.com/support/premiereelements/gettingstarted/index.html?trackingid=JKQFV

YouTube channel for Premier Elements:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPzkxRKAxnCB7rT_GZakNTO_O6bR8TzgU

Premier Elements tips and tricks:
http://forums.adobe.com/community/premiere_elements/premiere_elements_tips

Premier Elements FAQs:
http://forums.adobe.com/community/premiere_elements/premiere_elements_faq

Adobe TV tutorials on Premier Elements (watch the version 11 videos):
http://tv.adobe.com/product/premiere-express/

A full three hour $25 course: ( A few lessons are free samples. Their titles are highlighted in a darker color.
http://www.lynda.com/Premiere-Elements-tutorials/Up-Running-Premiere-Elements-11/109763-2.html

Bill

I already have replied to you. It is not a camera, it is software. Correctly joined, the edit is seamless. Neither video nor audio is dropped. Sadly, some editors cannot join cleanly. On of the options is to join your source clips first (provided your file system allows file longer than 4GB) and THEN editing the resulting file. In this regard XDCAM EX is much easier to work, Vegas for example understands where each segment comes from and seamlessly joins them.

A fellow beginner here!

I like having extra batteries. Many people seem to like the ones made by Wasabi.

I was unsatisfied with the quality of the sound from the on-board microphone, so I got a stereo shotgun mike. Your mileage may vary, depending on what you use the camcorder for.

If you want to shoot yourself, and you work alone, some sort of tripod would be nice.

I put on an UV filter mainly to protect the lens while shooting. I then added a lens hood to protect the UV filter. (I have a habit of bumping into things while carrying expensive electronics.) You don't need any of this.

HOOD RECOMMENDATION

If you want a cheap lens hood that doesn't vignette even at the widest angle, try: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261036676141 (In case this link expires, search for "New Metal 46mm Wide Angle Lens Hood screw mount for Canon Nikon Pentax Lens" on eBay. The seller is dslrbaby, who ships from Hong Kong.)

Don't expect a super fancy hood, though. But it works. I use it primarily to protect the UV filter. The hood is 46mm, and thus mounts directly to the camcorder. You don't even need a step-up ring. It is 72mm at the wide end.

I have no relationship with the seller except as a satisfied customer. I don't know whether the hood is big enough to shade the lens from incidental light. You'd probably need a matte box to do it properly, since the lens is so wide.

On Amazon you can find 46mm vented hoods (originally designed for Leica), and they don't work for the V700. At least with the one I tried, there is vignetting at the widest zoom. The vented look is pretty cool, though.

Someone on this forum told me that while the Rainbow Imaging hood works without a filter, once you add a filter there is some vignetting. I guess the additional 3mm is just enough to cross the line. The product is at http://www.amazon.com/RainbowImaging-46MM-metal-screw-Angle/dp/B005EO5MBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357778666&sr=8-1&keywords=rainbow+46mm.
Edited by bing51 - 1/9/13 at 5:10pm

Looks pretty awesome! Maybe I'll have to get the same thing. Here's a question: even without all the extra stuff on the camera, would the pistol grip improve stability over holding the camcorder by the strap?

I assume, from your earlier comments about hanging the camcorder by a D-ring, that when you're a tourist you take off all the add-ons and just shoot "naked"? Or do you have an inventive solution, too, for lugging this stuff around on vacation?

bsprague, This is an amazing collection of information and sites to garner plenty of ideas about premiere elements, and I thank you for your efforts. Unfortunately My only experience with video editing is with HD Writer AE 4.o and Windows Live Movie Maker.
Can a very newbie like me handle something as complex as premiere elements, given that we have the time to put in, or should one take baby steps and maybe purchase a simpler video editor?
And if that is more appropritate, are there any that could be recommended that would be more of a stepping stone from Live movie maker before jumping into premier elements. Just asking because I am not sure that I am ready to jump into the more advanced stuff, but am eager to try more than HD Writer AE 4.0. Thanks again for all the info already offered up. I will spend some time on the sites you included to give myself a better idea of premiere elements.
Edited by NiteskyinFl - 1/9/13 at 8:37pm

You are asking for direct advice, so here goes...

Premier Elements has two modes, "Quick" and "Expert". The Quick mode is at least as easy at Windows Movie Maker and easier than HD Writer. The Expert mode is so much fun, I have ignored the Quick mode from the beginning.

If you've taken the time to earn the money for a V700 and taken the time to learn how to use it, you can spare a few hours of organized training. Skip all the links I gave you and go directly to the lynda.com course. Give them $25 for a month's access and let the course entertain you. It will show you what video editing software can do and how to do it. As a "very newbie", seeing the capabilities of video editing software may be more important and than learning it. If you know what you can do, it will change how you shoot. Jumping around randomly from one stepping stone to another will only slow progress and add confusion.

I don't think you can take full advantage of all the great stuff your V700 can do until you learn what editing software can do.

I hope I've given you useful advice. Have fun and get started!

Bill

Hi
Thanks for all the people on this site who have been giving their reviews and comments etc on how excellent the V700 camera is, you have convinced me that this is the camera to have.
In fact I have just received my V700 in the post which I purchased via eBay from a supplier in Hong Kong for USA$ 480 all up. I live in New Zealand where our retailers really rip us off; In Harvey Norman (one of our main retail suppliers) The V700 sells for USA$ 830.
Anyway I am just wondering how loud the camera speaker should sound when playing back video clips. On mine when the speaker is at maximum (32) the volume still seems very hushed, do other owners feel similar for their cameras or should the volume be a lot louder.
Thanks a lot for any feedback which will be greatly appreciated
NZrob

Hello everyone,

I'm new in the forum. Just ordered the v700 from B&H at a pretty good deal I think ($399). Also, got the SanDisc SDXC I class 10 64GB (48.95). After getting alot of great info from reading many of the posts here, I am about to order extra batteries from Amazon (Link Here), an additional light source (Link here), and a Hot shoe Vmount bracket (Link Here) to eventually mount the light and a Rode Videomic (not ordered yet).

I have some questions about what UV Filters anyone could recommend that would allow for additional filters, step-up rings, or lens hoods to be placed (screwed on) after it in the chain. Also, I know there have been a few recommendations for hoods that don't vinette, but I am considering THIS ONE from Mennon and want to get some of your thoughts and feedback and maybe some other suggestions.

Thanks, in advance, for your help. I look forward to learning from your experiences and sharing some of my own.

Sincerely,

Schwarz

Hi Schwarz,

Funny you mention that lens hood -- I've actually been on the fence for pulling the trigger on it for a couple days now (not the 77mm version, but the 58mm. Anyways, I've had my eye on that one since my Mennon DV-s 58 hood arrived in the mail a few days ago. I used this 46mm-58mm step up ring with hopes of circumventing any vignetting with the wider dimensions offered by the 58mm hood. In actuality, when I mounted the hood, the camera could see the actual hood at the widest zoom (quite noticeable, a few millimeters on either side when looking at the LCD). From there, I'd almost made up my mind to cut the hood on the sides for a makeshift petal hood when I found the 16:9 line of Mennon hoods you referred to.

Anyhow, there actually was a guy who uses our camera that reviewed the 46mm version of the hood -- did you see it? Sounded like he experienced no vignetting, but had to remove any filters to achieve this. This gives me hope that I'd be able to use a filter and hood simultaneously without vignetting on the larger 58mm hood, but am still hesitant to take the plunge.

Why are you looking at the 77mm hood anyways?

Hope this helps,
Evan

Hello. I am new here. We wanted to purchase the Panasonic hc-v700 camcorder for our daughter and son-in-law who wish to use camcorder to record their first baby's life, etc. I would love to know if any of you could tell me, is the 700K good for this purpose, or is the 700M the better way to go? Is there another camcorder that any of you think would be better suited for this use? Thank you so very much!

Welcome to the forum.

They are the same, except that one has some built in memory. Most now prefer the convenience of SD cards for memory. So, my choice would be the 700K. If the 700M is somehow cheaper, buy it. It has both the SD memory card slot and internal, built in memory.

Either one would be an excellant choice for home video of your grand-baby.

When he or she is a few years older, you can have a wonderful time learning video and photography together. My two granddaughters started at 9 and 11 years old. Two years later they have become quite good! We are using an earlier model of the V700K.

Good luck!

Bill

Hi All,

This is my first post here and in need of some advice or guidance. I have bought the V700 back in November 2012. I absolutely love the camcorder. It's tiny, lightweight and the video quality is stunning!

I am quite new to the AVCHD editing scene and am using Final Cut Pro X on my Mac which I am happy with.

My question is on the camcorder itself is it possible to split the recordings into like segments. What I mean is no matter when I record all the file structure is built into a single PRIVATE file. Is it possible to split it up depending on the events. For example I may go on holiday for a week and use my camcorder to record that event on my 64GB SD card. A few weeks later I may wish to record a different event, lets say a home family event then followed by a recording of a birthday party.

At the moment all the MTS files will be within the single PRIVATE file of the camcorder; so when it comes to editing in Final Cut I have to carefully choose the correct files to import. So is it possible to split this up so I can have a single PRIVATE file for each of the event.

Could there be something I could press on the camera that would create a new recording?

Thanks

I have an earlier version of the v700. It came with HDWriter that only runs on PCs. It sets things up so that you use it for your transfer and cataloging software. It puts everything in folders dated to the day the clips were taken. Then you can quickly rename them for the event. It is quite useful for that. I don't know enough about Macs, but could you use one of those Windows on a Mac programs for it to run?

As an alternative, have you considered Lightroom as an "organizer". The current version can do a fair amount of video stuff, including organization.

To clarify, the .mts files are files. The PRIVATE is a folder, not a file. Files are put into folders. You can identify which .mts files were recorded by the file's date and time. To answer your question, yes you can split up the .mts files. Once you get them into your computer, you don't need to keep them in the PRIVATE folder. You can create a separate folder for each event and give those folders identifying names to help you sort them by event, and divide up the .mts files by event.

My system is to create a folder for each year such as 2013. Then each event's .mts files are put in a separate folder (subfolder) under 2013. For example I would have a folder for today called 2013 01 21 Photos Of Birds In The Backyard. By naming each folder with the year month and day they are automatically listed in chronological order.
Edited by Rock Flint - 1/22/13 at 7:03am

Thank you so much for your help! I did order the 700k and am anxious for it to arrive! I so appreicate the help.

Howdy all, been lingering here for a while, missed a couple good deals on the 700 $349 at Amazon being one of them, ahhh!!! Wanting a new vid cam for our first grandchild coming in February. (Wow! am I really saying that?) The other day I found out about the new HC-V720 coming out in Feb also... I says to me wife, "Honey I'm not finding another good deal on that camera, probably because a new model is coming out soon" and she says. "Well if a new model is coming out, why would you get the old one" and I says, "Well the new ones over $500", and then she says, "So what, I have over $600 saved for a new camera, just get it"

Anyway, have not found a post about it yet, maybe time for an official thread? (EDIT: went ahead and made one) - http://www.avsforum.com/t/1453931/the-official-panasonic-hc-v720-owners-thread

What are your all's thoughts on it, enough new stuff to warrant the $150 or so more I'd pay for it over the 700? That is if I can get the 700 for $399 still (At B&H).

It is defiantly improved upon, just no reviews out yet to compare them.


HC-720V Full Specs - http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Camcorders/New+Camcorders/HC-V720/Specification/11054304/index.html?trackInfo=true

Here's just a few:

SENSOR SECTION
Image Sensor 1/2.33-type High Sensitivity MOS Sensor
Total Pixels 17.52 megapixels
Effective Pixels
Motion Image 4.14 megapixels [16:9] (Level Shot Function OFF)
Still Image 4.14 megapixels [16:9] / 3.24 megapixels [3:2] / 3.24 megapixels [4:3]
Wi-Fi
Standard IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Frequency 2.4GHz band

CAMERA SECTION
Standard Illumination 1400 lx
Minimum Illumination 3 lx (Scene Mode Low Light 1/25), 1 lx (Colour Night View)
Focus Auto / Manual
Zoom
Intelligent Zoom OFF 26 x
Intelligent Zoom ON 50 x
Digital Zoom 60 x / 1500 x (The maximum value of zoom magnification)
White Balance Auto / Indoor1 / Indoor2 / Sunny / Cloudy / White set
Shutter Speed
Motion Image [50p / 50i] / Auto Slow Shutter ON : 1/25 - 1/8000 / Auto Slow Shutter OFF : 1/50 - 1/8000
Still Image 1/2 - 1/2000
Iris Auto / Manual
Image Stabilizer HYBRID O.I.S.+ with Active Mode, O.I.S. Lock, Level Shot Function
Creative Control Miniature Effect, Silent Movie, 8mm Movie, Time Lapse Rec

RECORDING SECTION
Recording Media SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card
Recording Format [AVCHD] AVCHD Progressive / [iFrame] MP4
Compression Method MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Recording/ Playback Mode 1080/50p (28Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080) / PH (24Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080) / HA (17Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080) / HG (13Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080) / HE (5Mbps / VBR), (1920 x 1080) / iFrame (28Mbps / VBR), (960 x 540)
Audio Recording System 1080/50p, PH, HA, HG, HE: Dolby Digital (5.1ch / 2ch) / iFrame, MP4: AAC (2ch)
Microphone 5.1ch Surround, Zoom, Focus and Stereo Microphone


STILL IMAGE SECTION
Recording Image Size
Still Image [16:9] 20.4 megapixels (6016 x 3384), 9.4 megapixels (4096 x 2304), 2.1 megapixels (1920 x 1080) / [3:2] 15.1 megapixels (4752 x 3168), 8.0 megapixels (3456 x 2304), 2.0 megapixels (1728 x 1152) / [4:3] 15.1 megapixels (4480 x 3360), 5.8 megapixels (2784 x 2088), 0.3 megapixels (640 x 480)
Simultaneous Recording [16:9] 9.4 megapixels (4096 x 2304), 2.1 megapixels (1920 x 1080)
Recording Format JPEG (DCF/Exif2.2)
Flash Yes
Edited by Sabrewulf... - 1/23/13 at 5:04pm

Forget the technical camcorder part. Being a grandparent is more awesome than being a parent! You want details?

Bill

Still a parent too, have a 10 yr old daughter as well, we kinda started all over again, well 10 yrs ago. Wow time flies. :-(

No details needed, he's already spoiled and not even born yet. You should see the laundry room full of new baby stuff and the pack-n-play's been set up for months. Wife's been kinda busy... But I get to do the really fun part, figuring out the new electronic gadgets...

So talk me into this HC-V720 why don't ya!

The question is: if you wait until the new model is available, then order it, then wait for it to arrive, then learn how to use it; will you miss the birth of the grandchild and miss those first day videos? Or do you have another camera that you can use until the new camcorder arrives? Or would it be better to buy the current model, get it in time to learn how to use it and be ready when the birthday arrives? BTW, I was there for the birth of all 3 of my grandchildren and took mostly still photos since newborns don't do much after they arrive; the sleep a lot and wake up hungry and cry but mostly sleep.

Specs on paper don't necessarily tell you as much as you might think. I would want to see the HC-720 in action before deeming all the changes as beneficial, but I'll throw in some thoughts.

Image sensor: The pixel density has been slightly increased, from 15.3 megapixels to 17.52 on the same 1/2.33" MOS die. I can see no benefit from it as the HD-700's 15.3 megapixels is already ridiculously high. Increasing pixel density hurts low light performance and increases crosstalk - there's good reason why Canon is king of low light camcorders. For example, the image sensor on its flagship prosumer camcorder, the HF G10, is rated at 2.37 megapixels. When you remember that Full HD has a fixed upper resolution - 1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 pixels - anything over a small margin of error for overscan is simply wasted. Even when recording in 3D no Full HD camcorder ever needs more than a 4.x megapixel sensor.

One of Canon's trade-offs is to effectively abandon still shots whereas Panasonic have increased the advertised maximum still image size from 6.1 megapixels to 20.4. Just how it did this with a 17.53 megapixel sensor is a mystery to me, but in reality it's a joke. I say this not just as a HD-700 owner who's just come back from holidays where it behaved impeccably but also as an experienced still photographer. No prosumer level camcorder can come remotely close to the image quality of a DSLR with good lenses (this is why DSLRs have found a place in lower-end motion picture making despite their poor ease of use), and beyond a certain point, arguably around 6-8 megapixels, more megapixels is pure marketing (this applies equally to all digital cameras from DSLRs to mobile phones).

Pansonic claim to have marginally improved the low light performance of its slow shutter (1/25 instead of 1/50) Scene Mode from 4 to 3 lux but I'll wait until somebody tests it to see whether it actually is improved.

Wi-Fi: The 720 has it, the 700 doesn't. What you can do with it I'm not sure as I haven't found a 720 manual online yet.

Lens: The lens characteristics are almost identical, with Intelligent zoom increasing from x46 to x50. Meh.

Stabilisation: The 720 seems to have a new stabilisation mode ("HYBRID O.I.S.+ with Active Mode, O.I.S. Lock, Level Shot Function"), although whether this "Active Mode" is new or simply a wordier way of describing the 700's stabilisation system I'm not sure. The 700's stabilisation was already the best in its tier but if Panasonic have improved it then good for them.

Recording modes: The 720 dumps the obviously surplus HX mode (1080i/50 @ 9Mbps) for a new 24 fps mode called PH. Some people have a thing about 24fps so it will have a place. Either way, most probably nobody will even notice HX is gone.

Sound: The 720 claims a new 5.1 surround sound recording mode and a built-in 5.1 microphone. Yeah, right. That will come in handy when I reshoot the Galactic Battle Cruiser scene from Star Wars.

Battery: The 720 gets a 1,940 mAh battery as standard, versus the 700's 1,790 mAh battery. This is nice.

Software: The 720 gets HD Writer 5.0, over the 700's HD Writer 4.0. Once again, without a manual I have no idea what's been changed.

So, could the 720 be worth paying a premium for?

If the increased pixel density has not hurt performance (particularly in low light);
If the WiFi does something useful;
If the stabilisation has in fact been improved;
If the 24fps recording mode is useful to you;
If you intend to use HD Writer 5.0;
And it has a slightly higher capacity battery as standard

then maybe.
Edited by Potoroo - 1/24/13 at 12:09pm