VIDEO. The Panasonic HC-X920 takes very good video, higher quality than most High-definition models. Pictures were very sharp, which means you can see even tiny details and very subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations, the video was very good: fairly bright, only slightly soft and grainy. It captures full HD video at 1920x1080.
AUDIO. It captures good audio in stereo and surround.
PHOTO QUALITY. In Photo mode it captures at best 20.358-megapixel stills with excellent quality, which is unusual for a camcorder.
LENS. This camcorder includes a 12x zoom lens, bit more zoom than a standard 10x. The lens also has a wide-angle (29.8mm) capability that's useful for landscapes and group portraits, although you may notice a bit of distortion when you're shooting faces up close, for instance. The lens has a bright f/1.5 aperture (at its maximum), which gives you a shallower depth of field for producing more professional looking portraits and images.
IMAGE STABILIZER. This is an important feature with a long zoom lens; taking hand-held shots at the telephoto end of the zoom range can generally blur or soften images due to slight movement of your hands. Shooting in well-lit scenes, this model did a very good job of minimizing the effects of camcorder shake.
SPEED. In terms of performance, the Panasonic HC-X920 powers up in a moderate amount of time. Its readiness when switching to Video mode is fast, better than most models. It is fast waking up from standby, better than most models.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. It has an eyepiece viewfinder, a rarity for camcorders, which we found to be excellent. It has a large -inch touchscreen LCD, which has excellent quality that lets you very easily compose your shots and has superb playback of photos and video. It has a hot shoe for attaching an external lamp, flash or directional microphone (generally sold separately). This high-definition model is a bit heavier than most camcorders. Even though it's a large camcorder, this model is easy to hold and includes a handstrap that helps you hold and balance the camcorder.
