We’ve all run into a situation before where we start recording an event with our camcorder a few seconds too late, often missing the beginning of what we intended to capture in the first place. Panasonic is looking to correct that problem (or at least help with it) with their new Panasonic HDC-TM10 camcorder with “Pre-Rec” functionality.

When active, the “Pre-Rec” function will technically have your camcorder always recording video. When you press the record button on your camcorder the camcorder will then add the three seconds before you pressed record to your video as well. The idea is that even if your trigger finger is a little slow, you still won’t miss precious moment (or at least not as much of them as you would otherwise).

Other than the pre-rec function the camcorder is for the most part your run of he mill AVCHD camcorder. The device captures high-definition video in the AVCHD format, has a 16x optical zoom, touchscreen LCD, image stabilization, automatic scene selection, and AF tracking. Videos recorded on the camera can be saved either to the camcorders internal flash memory or to a SDHC card.

Weighing in at just 8 ounces, Panasonic claims the camcorder is also the “World’s Lightest AVCHD FulHD camcorder” which while that may be a true statement today, it will likely be false in a few weeks when another company releases a camcorder slightly smaller. I personally am not a tremendous fan of exceptionally small camcorders. the lighter the camcorder is the more likely it seems I will drop it, lose it, or destroy it in an unfortunate incident. Lighter camcorders are much easier to travel with however, which is definitely a huge advantage for anyone who plans on carrying their camcorder with them for any period of time.

The Panasonic HDC-TM10 is expected to be released in September for around $600.

Entry was posted on Friday, June 26th, 2009 at 10:42 pm under Compact digital cameras.  Print This Post