usability, price, portability, zoom, image quality

98% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

usability, portability, image quality, design, zoom

viewfinder

85% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Good image quality ; Comprehensive manual controls ; 5.1 surround sound

No headphone minijack

Aside from the single CMOS rather than three, the other key area where the HC-V720 offers a reduced feature set over the flagship HC-X920 is the lack of the multi-purpose lens ring. So most functions must be accessed via the 3in touch-screen LCD. There...

Excellent zoom ; Brilliant image stabilisation ; 1080p at 50fps ; Clever Wi-Fi features

Image quality could be better ; Menus often confusing ; Pretty expensive ; Limited controls for serious users

Wi-Fi controlled via apps ; Arty effects and time-lapse mode ; Great zoom, even when hand-held

Short-lived kit battery

Top marks for footage, zoom and stabilisation, but bring a spare battery

More solid feel less plastic-y build than cheaper camcorder rivals, more comprehensive feature set

Broader dimensions means this unit sits less comfortably in the palm than narrower rivals, or is better suited to those with big hands

While the ‘core’ optical zoom here appears comparably modest at 21x, with a focal range stretching from a wide 28mm-729.6mm and a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, this can be digitally extended via what Panasonic calls its 50x ‘intelligent’ zoom, though...

It's hard to get excited about a camcorder that offers so few performance improvements, but bear with us, because the Panasonic HC-V720—like its predecessor—is a great deal.

Great to use fits my large hands.

None yet not had it that long.

Great to use fits my large hands

None yet not had it that long

image quality battery life