Panasonic HDC-HS250 Video Camera

Panasonic HD Video CameraTwo Digital Gypsies Rating – 4 Stars

Along with a good laptop computer, another essential item for traveling is a good video camera. 3 years ago after looking up the best video cameras on Consumer Reports I decided on the Panasonic HDC-HS250 HD video camera. These days an HD video camera is a must for high quality videos and photos.

My Panasonic HD video camera features:

  • High-definition AVCHD video to built-in 120GB hard disk drive or optional SD/SDHC memory card
  • Maximum video resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • 15 hours of HD video & 50 hours of standard quality video
  • 3MOS System has separate image sensors for red, green, and blue
  • 12X optical zoom (digital zoom to 700X)
  • Built-in zoom microphone records in Dolby DigitalĀ® 5.1-channel surround sound
  • 2-11/16″ widescreen touchpanel LCD
  • Built-in flash & advanced optical image stabilization
  • High-speed USB interface with mini HDMI, component video, and audio/video outputs

When I bought this video camera 3 years ago the cost was $600 which was in the mid-range of cost on video cameras available. This particular video camera is already obsolete and not available for purchase anymore. So if I wanted a new video camera I would still look for features that I found in this video camera. After looking on Consumer Reports again, I would look at the:

  • Panasonic HC-V500M – costs around $500
  • Panasonic HC-V500 – costs around $400
  • Canon VIXIA HF R30 – costs around $450
  • Sony HDR-PJ30V – costs around $450
  • Sony HDR-GW77V – costs around $700

Of the cameras listed above I would probably go with the Panasonic HC-V550M. Remember, in 2 years your video camera will probably be obsolete and the newer models will be cheaper with more features available than the video camera you have now.