Action camera may lead the new market of videography but it doesn’t mean that all of us will need one for the classic camcorder can do most recording functions especially for casual users. If you are looking for a reliable camcorder, Panasonic HC-V770 Vs HC-V770K will be a great choice to go yet, if you also wonder whether they are the same or not, see what these camcorders can offer below before shopping so we can choose the better option.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– Does Camcorder still relevant today
– What are Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K
– What Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K Look like
– How are the Camera in Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K
– How Many Zooms in Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K
– How are the Performance of Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K
– Panasonic HC-V770 Vs HC-V770K
Camcorder Plus Points
Camera has been evolving so much since when we were still little to today where everything is about compact and 4K. It also seems that most of us don’t need a dedicated camera anymore for most of the jobs are already handled reliably by our smartphones due to their innovative processing and advanced image quality which sometimes shock us when realizing that it is not taken with professional tool. This also happens with camcorder which used to be very popular back then in the 90s.
Today we can safely say that camcorder is not as widely used anymore not only because people are having expensive smartphones with capable camera already but also with the introduction of action cameras like GoPro which is of course more versatile and modern. However, when asked whether camcorder still relevant or not today, the answer may differ from one person to another for not all of us will see things the same but we are sure this classic device is still worth for a portion of us.
Smartphones may have beauty effects and action camera may have its compact form but there are reasons why companies still continuously upgrading their camcorders and some may just what you are looking for.
– Zoom range is a very useful features to let users capture a closer look on their subject and we don’t often see it on action camera but guess what, a camcorder can have a wide zoom range just like a bridge camera such as the VIXIA HF R52 with maximum zoom range up to 57x.
– Recording time is a concern for videographer and while regular camera can record video as well, its duration commonly will be less than 30 minutes because if they are exceeding the amount, the product will be classified as video camera and might become subject of higher import fees. Camcorder have no issue with this, making them a suitable tool for immortalizing events like weddings, birthday parties, and live performances.
– Another important reason why we do like camcorder for specific events is the microphone because even the newer action camera like Hero 7 still could not deliver the best audio unlike a camcorder that offers microphone inputs to improve the quality of your footage.
– If it is for long events, battery is another reason why camcorder is preferable because small battery will limit our footage length and some camcorder lets users expand the capacity with their open back design yet, not all of them have this feature.
About Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K
Dedicated camcorder is sure a useful tool to have especially for those who are planning to record events and doesn’t mean to use the camera with various mountings. If you are one of us then, let’s see what the market has to offer because there are still so many great options out there that may attract your attention. However, we still need to consider their capabilities for not all of them will have the same performance and in addition, we may need to shop based on certain budget as well.
Among those many camera manufacturers, Panasonic is one of the best when it comes to camcorder because they have been well-known to offer high-quality products and simple operation especially for casual users. They also have a wide range of options to pick from and it is great to let the user get the model that fit both their preferences as well as budget limit but, if what you are looking for is a camcorder that can capture a subject in a distance, the HC-V770 and HC-V770K are the most ideal choices.
If you ever see the HC-W850, these two are very similar to the camcorder and the reason why people are confused about which to choose is because they have the similar naming, suggesting that these camcorders are different while in fact not. Both of them are the same camcorder but called differently probably because to refer to its fashion color so we supposed that K here means Black just like digital pianos which often added with the initial of their color option.
Since they are the same camcorder, from this onward we are going to talk about the same unit despite the different naming. They have been available for quite some time today since being offered around the middle of 2015. The camcorder was hyped and loved by many at that time because with the prominent capabilities and huge zoom range, the price point for the unit was fairly affordable, offering a great value for anyone who wants to capture long footage of a subject presented far from them.
Before you want to buy Panasonic HC-V770 or HC-V770K, the first thing you may want to know is we can’t have 4K video mode in this camera and it can be an issue today when everyone is looking for UHD quality. If you are specifically need the 4K video, we recommend to check the higher range like Sony FDR AX53 Vs FDR AX33 camcorder.
Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K Design
When looking at the camcorder, we thought that it will be bulky but in fact it is very compact and small to comfortably snug on our hands yet, it is also a bit heavy compared to similar models since it weighs around 12.5 ounces. The overall design is still the familiar shape we used to see on video recorder with a tubular main body and a foldable screen. What we love the most is how they place the zoom rocker on top of the device and a dedicated still photo button.
To navigate between the menu, Panasonic HC-V770 or HC-V770K offer a function wheel and while it is very convenient to use, the lack of resistance and click when arriving at the next option, making it a less satisfying function. However, we do like to find that its LCD is already touches-sensitive and we can tilt it at 180-degree as well when recording ourselves; video blogger mode. In addition, we can tilt it up to 90-degree backward for when recording while holding the camcorder above head.
Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K Camera
Just like when looking for any camera, the first thing you may want to check in this camcorder is the camera quality itself and what will affect the video result later. As some of you may already know, this camcorder is coming with standard 1/2.3-inch BSI MOS sensor which is capturing a total of 12.76 Megapixel that almost half of it is used for photos or videos. What’s surprising is this specification should be more than just offering maximum quality of 1920 x 1080 image which roughly only 2 Megapixels.
The reason why Panasonic HC-V770 or HC-V770K leave so much extra sensor is because camcorder leverages the extra sensor wiggle room to allow its user to enjoy the hybrid optical image stabilization or OIS which is combining regular optical stabilization with digital stabilization in an attempt to achieve a more stable result. If you will record fast moving subject, this camcorder also offer the highest 1080p at 120fps which then interpolated to 240fps that you can playback at 60fps.
Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K Zoom
The aforementioned free sensor left from the 1080p and image stabilization is also used for the intelligent zoom function that offer up to 20x optical zooms and even reaching 50x digital zoom without technically losing any pixel information like what we used to experience with a normal digital zoom since the system often just crop and scale the original image. The result of this zoomed image are also very well managed in real life because everything seems fine at about every zoom level which is impressive.
Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K Performance
Moving into the performance, the camera still image is actually the same like its many close brothers such as HC-W850 but worry not since it is already Full HD and excellent with rich colors and realistic feeling as long as used under good lighting for it will deliver plenty of fine details. However, for recording function, we can’t say that Panasonic HC-V770 or HC-V770K are the best in its price range because the compression on the image made details especially at the edges of the frame becomes hard to make out.
In addition, the Hybrid OIS does performs well and let users to capture fairly steady footage but this only happens if you are also fairly still while recording and when used while moving like walking, do expect to see some shakiness.
Comparison
As it has been mentioned above that Panasonic HC-V770 and HC-V770K are the same camcorder but called differently probably because to mention the color or fashion of the unit. They are a capable camcorder that will capture good still image quality and fairly good video footage with image stabilization function so our footage can be more watchable. It has simple operation and dedicated buttons for certain functions to ease the work.
Panasonic HC-V770 vs HC-V770k
Conclusion
Overall Panasonic HC-V770 or HC-V770K are a good camcorder for casual users who want to capture their moments but don’t want to spend too much while the set of manual adjustments are very useful for more experienced users. If you are not going to take UHD footage, we do see it as an ideal choice.
