Panasonic HM-TA20 reviews: Memory card storage Full HD camcorder

Panasonic HM-TA20 reviews: Memory card storage Full HD camcorder reviews

Ask an Owner

This camcorder is a good all rounder.

£62 – £160 at 3 retailers out of 416 retailers checked

8.7 out of 10 based on 7 reviews.

Panasonic HM-TA20: Pocket camcorder using SDXC card. See full product description

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	8.9
Battery life	8.7
Weight	9.4
Value for money	8.8
Overall rating	8.7

Some customer reviews of Panasonic HM-TA20

Most helpful reviews

Mo, Darlington Experienced amateur

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: Easy to use, and the attached USB adaptor is a definite bonus!! Don't really have to keep remembering to bring the USB connector.
Bad points:: Screen doesn't show the full scale - or is it just me not getting to grips yet with the menu?

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	8.0
Battery life	6.0
Weight	9.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	8.0

Was this review helpful? 3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 31 Oct 2011

Daniel,

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: ing my words the camcorder on the market
Bad points:: Reviewer left no comment

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	10.0
Battery life	10.0
Weight	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

Was this review helpful? 0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 13 Jan 2012

Pav, Edinburgh centre Keen amateur

Score 5.0/10

Good points:: Decent HD video quality with usable sound, long recordings & good battery life - fair photos -Manufacturer says "triple tough" & "rugged" (but see below)
Bad points:: Glass filter over lens is VERY fragile!!!!
Panaachronic website shows camcorder just slid into front pocket of jeans (they don't provide a case). It was in my pocket, with a home-made case & a handkerchief ... (Just like my mobile phone which is NOT "tough" - but it's been ok for 4 years)... Did I do something too strenuous? Playing the mandolin, walking, getting a bus, going to an evening class? The glass broke (it is about 0.5mm thick) Rugged? About as rugged as my.... elbow? No, much more fragile!

Ease of use	7.0
Image quality	7.0
Battery life	9.0
Weight	9.0
Value for money	6.0
Overall rating	5.0

Was this review helpful? 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 05 Oct 2011

Read all 7 customer reviews

See lowest scores See highest scores

This Panasonic HM-TA20 is reviewed on TechRadar

Product Features

Resolution quality	Full HD
Resolution quality can be standard definition (SD), High Defintion (HD) or Full High Definition (HD). SD camcorders will have 480 horizontal lines of resolution whereas HD camcorders can have up to 1080. The more lines of resolution you have, the sharper your video will look. Full HD refers to camcorders that record in 1920 × 1080 resolution.
3D	No

Media format	Memory card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Connections	USB

Type of memory card	SDXC

Shape of camcorder	Pocket

Shape of camcorder	Bar

Digital zoom ratio	4
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Type of image stabiliser	Electronic
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Widescreen recording	Yes
Resolution (Megapixels)	5.33

Shortest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/4000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Weight (g)	153
The weight of the product in grams.
Screen size (Inches)	3
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Lowest focal length (Millimetres)	49

Highest focal length (Millimetres)	49

Type of chip	CMOS

Release date	2011-05-31
The date the product was originally made available for purchase.

Also known as: Panasonic HM-TA20EB-A, Panasonic HM-TA20EB-D, Panasonic HMTA20EBA, Panasonic HMTA20EBD, HM-TA20

Camcorders Buying Guide

Manufacturer's Description

HD Mobile Camera

Full-HD Shooting with a 3m Waterproof, 1.5m Shockproof and Dustproof*
Night View Mode* for Bright Video Recording
Large 3.0-inch LCD* with Touch Operation
Tripod stand Included for Self Portraits
Voice Recording (Linear PCM)
E.I.S. (Electrical Image Stabilizer)

he HM-TA20 is a triple-tough design with waterproofing down to 3 meters for use even in seawater, shock-proofing to withstand a 1.5-meter drop, and a dustproof structure. This tough, compact, easy-to-carry design is ideal for both everyday and highly active use. *Waterproof: IEC60529 IPX8, Shockproof: MIL-STD-810F METHOD 516.5 SHOCK, Dustproof: IEC60529 IP5X (This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions).

The HM-TA20 is equipped with Night View Mode, which lets you shoot with twice the brightness* of the previous model. When shooting, this function automatically detects dark scenes and the mode selector button lights up on the LCD screen. Simply press the button to start shooting with Night View Mode. *Compared with the HM-TA1.

The HM-TA20 has an easy-to-see 3.0-inch touch panel with intuitive operation. The touch panel has a simple button layout and is easy to operate. The vertical configuration makes the camera easy to hold for shooting, while the horizontal 3.0-inch screen simplifies playback. To further increase operating ease, the Rec button is isolated and positioned below the touch panel. So you can simply pick up your mobile camera and start shooting or playback. *The LCD in the model for Europe is described as being 7.0 cm (which equals 3.0 inches).A tripod stand comes included with the HM-TA20. It’s handy for web camera use, or to hold the camera still to prevent blurring while shooting.

The linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) system records sounds that are faithful to the original. You can also shoot a photo while recording sounds. Enjoy playing your recorded sounds and photos simultaneously. This is handy for a wide range of applications, including business meetings and lessons.

More info at Panasonic's website

Product		Retailer	Price	Total price	Buy now
	Panasonic TA20 Orange Waterproof Pocket Camcorder Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£69 + £3 delivery £10.00 off with code TDX-PKMW Copy and paste the code TDX-PKMW into the field "Discount Code" on the Tesco checkout page and get £10.00 off. This voucher is valid until Sun 30 June 2013	£62 ~~£72~~	Go In stock
	Panasonic TA20 Blue Waterproof Pocket Camcorder Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£120 + £3 delivery £10.00 off with code TDX-PKMW Copy and paste the code TDX-PKMW into the field "Discount Code" on the Tesco checkout page and get £10.00 off. This voucher is valid until Sun 30 June 2013	£113 ~~£123~~	Go In stock
	Panasonic HM-TA20 HD Mobile Camera - Orange (8MP Stills) 3-inch Touchscreen (Tripod Included) Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£130 free delivery	£130	Go In stock
	Panasonic HM-TA20 HD Mobile Camera - Blue (8MP Stills) 3-inch Touchscreen (Tripod Included) Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£130 free delivery	£130	Go In stock
	Panasonic HMTA20EBA High Definition Mobile Camera in Blue Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£160 free delivery	£160	Go In stock
Featured retailer “Now with Live Help online - talk with the team via your computer ”	Panasonic HMTA20EBD High Definition Mobile Camera in Orange Colour	No retailer reviews yet	£160 free delivery	£160	Go In stock