Testing it in a real-world shoot, I used the AG-HMC70 in a small studio setting and in some run-and-gun outdoor videography. My main problem was the confusing menu structure for electronically adjusting focus and exposure. I'm not a fan of electronic menus, but I can see their value in small camcorders. Space is not a factor here, so I can't see why Panasonic left some basic manual video controls out of this model.

In the studio, on a tripod, the camcorder performed well. I could use the LCD to focus, and using the iris and focus buttons didn't seem as tricky when I could see them directly. The camcorder is absolutely silent and starts recording instantly when you push the button. The zebra-stripes setting on the LCD helped me nail my exposures.

In the field, I started to run into problems. With the camera shoulder- mounted, I quickly abandoned the menus to control the camera and ended up relying on the full auto mode. I imagine that in time one could get proficient with the button pushing. To be fair, the full auto mode did a great job of exposure and focus, but I'm never comfortable giving up that control. The camcorder seemed rock-steady on my shoulder, and its weight was minimal; it would be no problem to shoot all day with this unit. The supplied battery wasn't very impressive, about 50 minutes in intensive use. I would recommend buying the high-capacity version.

Back in the edit suite, I simply plugged the USB cable into the camcorder and computer, and the SDHC card popped up on my desktop. I was using a Final Cut Pro system, so it required a lengthy transcode process to transfer all my AVCHD footage into the ProRes codec. It wasn't exactly the connect-and-edit simplicity it should be, but that's a problem for the editing software companies to figure out.

To judge image quality, I connected the camcorder directly to an HD video projector via HDMI. I was astounded by the image clarity and detail. The AVCHD implementation by Panasonic was superb. Even notoriously difficult-to-compress scenes, such as blank beige walls, showed no banding in the image. Wide shots of trees blowing in the wind had no discernible artifacting around the leaves. The AG-HMC70 delivered clear, vibrant and naturally-saturated images right out of the box.

Panasonic's AG-HMC70 is one of the most affordable shoulder-mounted, full-sized camcorders on the market. I had some concerns with its electronic menus, but its image quality and audio capabilities are top-shelf. If you're in a market where size does matter, it's definitely worth a look.

Imager: 1/4" 3CCD progressive
Recording Format: 1080i60 AVCHD
Recording Media: SD, SDHC cards
Audio Inputs: 2 XLR, Stereo Mini
Video Out: Composite (BNC), component (BNC), HDMI
Data: USB 2.0
Lens: Leica Dicomar 12x, optical image stabilizer

• Outstanding audio and video connectivity
• Superb image quality

• No manual focus on lens, menu only
• Lackluster viewfinder

The AG-HMC70's great image qualities and robust audio system make it a suitable solution for event video.

John Burkhart is Videomaker's Editor-in-Chief

One Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094
www.panasonic.com
$2,495