Do you use dedicated video camera (camcorder) already or would you consider one after using run of the mill DSLR/Mirrorless cameras?

Camcorders are video cameras. DSLR/Mirrorless bodies are photography cameras. There's a reason why shooting video with a camcorder for the overwhelming majorities of KZfaq videos is superior; They get the job done with practically instant constant focus, insanely good image stabilization and everything you could possibly need fits in the palm of your hand (multiple lenses, body, battery pack, mic, etc...). The clips aren't interrupted, they don't overheat and they could run for HOURS on one battery. I could see the specifics of photography cameras coming in handy for macro shots and product reviews, but generally speaking, a camcorder is just a point & shoot camera on steroids. It was so liberating for me to transition from a DSLR to a my Panasonic VX1 for what I do. I don't need cinematic slow motion. I don't need bokeh. I don't need super low light performance. And the imagery is difficult to distinguish between DSLR/Mirrorless on a computer or smartphone screen (where almost all KZfaq content is viewed) and in a lot of cases (especially with Canons), it's just an overall more natural and fluid experience to watch. There's an Aussie saying, "Some lures are made to catch more fishermen than fish." and that's how I see cameras for content creators. 90% of us just "need" a camcorder, but the community is constantly battered with gear pitches and some incessant need to be able to produce 8K video footage for screens that rarely produce 1080p quality in the real world.

This camera is quite intended for Broadcast, that’s why the equivalent of ISO is labeled Gain and measured in dB. Also note the User 1 and User 2 buttons, also quite common in broadcast environments.

Great video thanks for uploading. Camcorders will never die because there is no recording time limit, don't overheat, stay in focus as you zoom and have no focus breathing ether. They are also anatomically better to hold than a dslr or mirrorless camera and therefore not clunky in the hands, meaning that they are made for video rather than a stills camera with video being an add-on function. I used to work in the industry back in the 80's at a television broadcasting company that produced pop videos and adverts. But back then it was broadcast standard definition on umatic tape and occasionally one inch tape.

I purchased this yesterday because of you for my channel. Thanks

3:07 is underrated. "Shitter speed." I was crying on the floor

Great video. Been looking at this camera as an option for awhile. I shoot Sony A7iii , a6500 and rx100va for small events, an occasional real estate and for-fun videos. At work I am issued an FS5ii and rx0ii. I have no shortages of cameras but a camcorder just appeals to me. All the tools in one body. Learned on a GL1/2 XL1 years ago and can't get that bug out of my head. Not enough info on this camera out there. Appreciate it 👍

I actually watched this video after I placed an order for this camcorder. And my very first video was shooting some trains at 10pm on the street. As a trainspotter I'd say this camera is pretty useful for its 4k60p and long-range zoom even though more and more railfans are using their cellphone to get the job done. Since trainspotting is basically one type of documentary, I would say its low light performance is acceptable and the footages are useable as long as the autofocus works. Even though there is a lot of noise, those noise spots are actually much smaller than a cell phone or a GoPro footage (I did some comparisons), and the objects are still very clear even at 600mm focal length. Also as a hobbyist photographer and videographer at the same time I found that a lot of people are so obsessed with 10-bit 422 so that they forgot this is a camcorder instead of a DSLR/mirrorless camera that does a good job in cinematic movies while overheating much faster.

Great review ,camcorders rules, there designed for video and dslr are designed for photos, made the mistake myself a couple of years ago buying a dslr listening to all the hype how good they are for professional filmmaking . Ended up being very expensive with the extra good quality lenses, even then was not happy ,too bulky carrying various lenses and overheating issues and short video records ,the list goes on. Back to the camcorder ,makes life so much easier

Sir. You are the only reviewer of many, to tell me this camera cannot utilise other lenses. Thank you so much. Great camera, great review; but not suitable for my use. Subbed. 😊😊

im feeling like this camera could be a must for documentary filmaking on a budget

Subscribed as soon as I realised you were metal, best start to any camera youtube video i have ever seen

Good review...I think this camera will be perfect for my needs. Great manual control and an incredible zoom for wildlife. Thanks.

Wow! This camera is amazing! I can’t wait to buy this camera for my four-year-old so he can start playing with it and begin his career as a filmmaker!

As a Luthier studying video, I was happy to see you feature your guitar re-string sequence. Great video, Cheers.

I'm not even into cameras or video production, just clicked on this video for kind of an informative value, was pleasantly surprised to hear those riffs at the beginning.

Panasonic has produced a real game changer here in both form and function. I have the X2000 with the additional handle with light and XLR inputs etc, etc. It’s new to me but I’m enjoying learning what this camcorder is capable of 👍 I’m also a GH5 user and the addition of CineV & D is really useful. All in all I’m pleased...as far.

I just found your channel and I really am enjoying your content. Really refreshing from other KZfaq creators.

Glad I found this review (LIKED) 👍 My Lumix Video lineup since 2014 has included: FZ200, FZ300, FZ1000, FZ2500, GX8 up till very recently. Last month I upgraded to GH5, G9 and S5 for my Video Work, for the 10bit 4:2:2 workflow. The FZ2500 has been the A Camera for long lens work, Sport, Nature. Now I am thinking of returning to the Camcorder form factor for that workflow, and trading in the wonderful FZ2500, FZ300 - with it's amazing optics. Thanks for broadening my options 👍🍺

Excellent demonstration. I’m a video person and not a stills person, so would always use a video camera wherever possible for shooting video. You can get excellent video results out of a stills camera but it’s much easier to use a video camera for video. Cheers, Dave.

Great review Pav.....really clear and interesting. It would be fantastic if you actually did a tutorial, setting up the camera etc. I have just bought and am sure it will be fantastic but following a video is so much easier than the manual....please!!! Best wishes Ray

I lost it when I heard "Shitter speed" 😂 Great video!! Thank you.

I'm still using a hc-x920, a 3mos panasonic camera. Given the specs, and seeing the test footage I can tell that a camcorder like the x1500 realy needs good light to get decent images. The sensor in the x1500 is a bit smaller than in my camera, and an important difference is the x920 has three of them, one for each primary color, and uses a color splitter instead of a color filter which bayer sensors use. The lens on the x1500 is also a bit slower than on the x920. So the x1500 will have to produce a image with substantially less light then the x920. Furthermore the sensor of the x1500 has effectively about 8MP of resolution but these are bayer pixels, where each pixel is only red, green or blue. To produce a good 4k image with 4:2:0 color sampling you would need at least 12 Mp on your bayer sensor. So don't expect glorious crisp 4K from this camera. And finally the pixels on the x1500 must be even tinier than on the x920 which makes it hard to get a decent dynamic range. The dynamic range on the x920 is already quite limited. Furthermore, the range over which you can vary your aperture without suffering from diffraction diffusion is already quite limited on the x920 so it will be even worse on the x1500. You will really need to ride that built in ND filter as the light varies. Occasionally I use the x920 in it's auto everything mode and then, to be quite honest, the footage doesn't look much better than that of a modern smartphone, except for the ability to zoom in ofcourse. Some skill and manual settings are required to get the most out of these camera's. I think one needs at least a one-inch sensor to get a workable 4k image. If your interested in a camera like the x1500 because of the convenience and versatility of it's lens, the fz-2000 might be the better choice (only 4k@30p8bit though). It's also a lot cheaper than the x1500 and it can give you decent stills aswell. I like these camcorders for their convenience, but I think it is my last camcorder. As ILC's have gotten better, the only real advantage camcorders still offer is the motorized, long range zoom lens. But if you don't need that, ILC's have many more advantages. The 14-140 lens on a MFT camera gives you a good (non-motorized) 10x zoom range if you need it and it's quality is plenty good for 4K (8MP) video. Replace it with a fast prime and you can shoot great images under low light, etc.

This looks like a great camera for run and gun and documentary use. It's small and has all of the video camcorder controls. I started with a DVX-100B, then an HVX200A which I still have and a GH-3. GH-3 takes great video but is a pain to use when shooting a family gathering or other non-planned setup. The HVX200A is great at everything for my needs but it is BIG and heavy. This HC-X1500 looks like the perfect camera for me. I don't need 4K and I'm not a pro (although I did get one doc film on national PBS). Great review, Thanks!

Great video, mate! Well done and very informative :-)

Wow. This video has blown up. Awesome man!!!

Finally...a video camera for recording video.

I am shooting with Fuji Xt3 and is very satisfied. The video you showed has a very nice color system and smooth footage. I like what i saw. Its like a satisfying fuji color system. How you graded the color in your channel is awesome and also outstanding. This camera makes me kind of bending to it especially when it has unlimited shooting time though it might be a little flat. Great channel i subbed it.

The footage of you cleaning the guitar looks awesome. ONe of the reasons I just bought this camera. I consider that low light, works great

I love it, we use the Sony equivalent for recording content that will add to a sport broadcast, looks fantastic and has almost everything that our 20k studio camera has, they are awesome

"dB, the same symbol as decibel" - that's because it is decibel! :D Decibels are not only for audio, they are for any kind of amplification. If you amplify the signal from the camera's image sensor by 3 dB, that's one stop. 6 dB is 2 stops, 9 dB is 3 stops, and so on.

I am planing to buy 4K videocamera in a near future, which shoots 4K with full specs, 60P/HDR, and good enough sound quality with build in microphone. It should be such all in one baggage without too many external accessories, so in that perspective the solid objective with a long zoom is actually a very good thing. At the moment, i'm considering this Panasonic HC-X1500 as a very considerable choice and alternative for Fujifilm XT-3, or XT-4...

Camcorders like these have a lot of features that I would greatly enjoy, particularly for run-and-gun work. But I'm lot liking the image quality, there is a softness to the highlights that throws me off. Anyway, thanks for the video! It was thorough and well thought out!

The riff on the sample footage.....hot! \m/ \m/ Awesome review and video. Thanks!

Just a note - dB / decibels (@ 3.23), which the gain will presumably be using too, isn't specific to audio - though it's how most people are familiar with it. It's just a logarithmic type of measurement/scale: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel

How did I miss this model? Two months ago I bought the Sony FDR-AX700. It's very similar and within about $100 (less) than this Panasonic in the 1500 model. The Panasonic betters it in having 4:2:2 and 60p at 4K for a start, not that I knew enough back then to know if I wanted or needed those features. Very interesting to know and I'll look into it with more depth later. I don't regret the AX700 but it shows how KZfaq, Google and websites can still let us down with lack of diversity.

The camera has really good quality. Great review!

love the heavy background music while cleaning the guitar!

You have shined a light on a camera I didn't know about...thanks

Very nice review. I have the Panasonic HC-X1000 but I've been wanting something a little more portable.

great video i really like the first Impression of the camera

Hi, my first view of your videos, you're a nice man and like how you explain things . subscribed 🧸 🇬🇧

The Music. YES SIR!!!

Thank you!!! watching from Central, Texas

I was wondering about this camera! Glad I came across this! Thanks for the breakdown!

hi there. I commented on the follow up video you did for this camera....but now I'm here...I have a Canon C100mk2/90D/Canon XF300 etc etc All tools for different jobs. For concerts and dance recitals I prefer camcorders so that I can plug in XLR audio, provide video signals to giant screens and 20x zoom at least. So Camcorders are great and needed. I know the sensor is small and some comments say that the video looks very "noisy" etc. I see some of that but I would never go over +9db gain on any camcorder really -not for paid gigs! I want the cleanest signal I can get. I watched your short video "London in lockdown" in low light and the low light performance was disappointing. Wow...I was expecting better. Not DSLR of course but better. But for adequately lit situations it would be cleaner. I considered gettting a couple of Canon XF400 with their 1inch sensor, but after reading some reviews I found that many Canon users don't seem to like it very much...have you ever seen it and tried it?? would a camcorder with a 1inch sensor be much better? (Just talking about video quality). I don't want to be struggling with a shallow depth of field during a dance show or a concert...I need the camcorder to focus well and capture video with deep depth of field. For artistic shots (interviews etc) I would use the canon 90D and the C100 mk2 with sigma f1.8 lenses....I need a good camcorder that is MUCH MUCH better than my vintage Canon XF300. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated! Cheers from Canada

I don't care what anyone else thinks, This is a good all around camera for reliability on the spot.

It's a cute camcorder.

Thanks very much for the review, I enjoyed it and was helpful for making my decision on the purchase :)

Thanks for the great review!! Still relevant 2 years later, which is great as I just got this fabulous little video camera for vlogging my upcoming KZfaq channel and our new boat experience. And... I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!

Would you prefer the hc-x1500 or the sony Ax700? You may could give me an advice?

I am a Sony fan, but this 🎥 is not bad 👍🏻😉 a friend of mine has it and he is very confident with it 👌

Wow this camera looks awesome. I actually would like a deeper depth of field because I shoot a lot of close-up shots of products for my KZfaq channel and I don't want the back half of a product to be out of focus. I really just want everything in focus. Anyway I might have to pick one of these up. Subscribed.

Thanks for the review. Just to add my own two cents, after using the camera for 2 days, from the perspective of a GH5 user. The detailed manual is not as good as that of the GH5; it's not as user friendly. The main manual is a downloadable PDF, so if you want hardcopy (advisable when you're getting familiar with all the functionality), you'll need to print at least a subset of the 200 pages. Transfer of video data to a computer takes place over a USB connection (micro B to USB lead is NOT supplied !) and transfer is between half and a third the speed of the GH5' mini HDMI. The menus don't seem quite as logical in layout as the GH5, but that might be down to familiarity. Those are the downsides for me. The rest is all upside. Picture quality is superb. Usability in automatic mode is marvellous - the GH5's automatic modes are nowhere near as good. The manual modes are really flexible as well. Programmability is good - there are 12 user buttons that can be assigned, though only 5 of them are physical - the other 7 are accessed via the screen. When I take my GH5 out, it's in a reasonably-sized bag, with three lenses, variable ND filter, and quite a few other bits. If I'm on holiday, that's quite a payload, and big time overhead in setup for shots while my wife yawns and taps her foot. With this camera it can be as easy as point and shoot, and it fits in a relatively small shoulder bag. I'm recording in UHD 50p HEVC 10 bit, 200mbps internal. A 64gb card handles about 40 minutes at that speed, so a couple of 128gb cards in relay mode is probably advisable. In short, the X1500 is a keeper. I love it. Just to be clear, I am a hobbyist, not a professional. Interesting guitar by the way !

' nice pretty videocamera... but still problem with bad blur blur focus plus blur depth of field

Great review, thanks. I'm liking this camera.

Dude, the simple fact that you put some heavy AF Metal in the start made me put a thumb up and subscribe ! Great job and loved your Lumix S5 review.

The problem is that it costs around $2500 U.S. Dollars. I am sure it takes great video and it should.

How does the Panasonic X1500 compare to the Canon HF g60? I felt like the stabilization wasn't great on the G60 and it only records in 4K 30fps. It does have a bigger sensor but the low light footage looks really nice on the X1500. I also like the 24x optical zoom on the Panasonic compared to the Canon.

Nice video .. that would be a great camera to have in your kit all the time. I'm a daily shooter and can see a really good use for that camera ...Cheers

beautiful camcorder, i’m moving from gh3 to this bad boy and really looking forward to it. sure if i do need more i can still get a gh52 or gh6 but for the price and hardware of the x1500 is amazing

Amazing review, thank you!! I am looking for a camera that can do 4k/60 for up to 2 hours with no battery discharge nor turning off due to overheating. I want to do walking tours in summer for up to 2 hours. Would you recomend this camera for this? and also would you recomend a mic for this purpose and a gimbal? is this HDR? or only UHD?(or is the gimbal not necessary walking thru cities?) Thank you. Suscribed.

This is amazing cam, tks for the review video👍👍👍👍

Great walk through. Thanks :)

They're great cameras...but...where they fall apart in comparison to DSLRs and Cinema Cameras is the Sensor Size and Interchangeable lenses.

👍🏾👍🏾 Excellent Review, sir, many thanks!! 😎

Location scout camera, newbie film maker camera, cable access field shooter. Explorer hem plugged into a Roland or BlackMagicDigital hdmi cable fed switcher.

We need long terms reviews. Please borrow it again!

same cam but with aps-c sensor would be dream setup

3:41-4:06 Is all that footage taken from this camera? If so that is impressive and definitely worth its price.

Good afternoon friend I think the same people want to use cameras as cameras and they are not I like Camcorders and this one that is presenting is excellent Congratulations on the video

Good! I may buy one!

Great video! In the last day of 2022, I wonder why these fully integrated prosumer cameras aren't more popular in KZfaq-times. Maybe because the producers mirrorless / DSLR more as they can make more money from the accessories?

I think those camcorder with 1 inch sensor are better. I know canon has one with dual piexl auto focus. Forget the model.

Great content - really like the style of your video 👍🏻 One thing that would interest me: I understood that color-depth, double SD card, etc. all is more on the high-end side compared to a "normal" pro-sumer camcorder. But apart from the specs: what does make the handling of this camera that much a difference that you would not recommend it as the "film my family" or "recording my next city trip" kind of work? I know, one argument might be that it would be total overkill, but: is there something that really distinguishes it from just being a better camcorder?!? Or something that should make someone who would like to do what you usually do with a camcorder stay away from the Panasonic?

Why not the Sony RX10IV- it has bigger sensor and 600mm zoom?

Great review,Some questions.1. How well compare this to the Sony FDR-AX700E specially regarding the stabiliser 2.Are there some adaptors to make the lens wider?

Seriously considering this camera for future film projects for sure, especially after this review. I suppose my only concerns/questions would be if the manual focus ring is focus by wire (which it likely is because of the very robust auto focus) and, despite the nature of measuring sensor exposure in dB, what the base iso rating is before turning up the gain. 200?

Great video, I have just subscribed. :)

Perfect camera. From Panasonic of course!

Hope one day get this cam coder. It about RM8k here.

Great video mate! Exceptional high quality content! You’ll be hitting a few 100K subscribers in a few years time if you continue creating content like this. With regards to the camera, the only drawback I see with it is the image sensor size. It’s smaller. How would you compare this to Canon’s offering of the XF55?

Thanks for the review Pav, I found it very helpful. You mentioned that this isn't a camera to pull out once a year. Was that because there is a learning curve to use it effectively, or because it's missing features that a consumer-level camera would have? I'm looking for something to capture family outings (5-10 times a year), and the 4K @ 60fps sounded very attractive at this price point. Is there another "prosumer" camera that you would recommend? I plan on dabbling with the recordings with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.

I think a GH5 or GH5S with F 1.7 or even F1.2 lenses handles much better in low light conditions. PS. Nice video. Liked. Keep going.

Have order one now so i can make 4k on my youtube channel, one of the movies that make my chose to it was your good movie, have look on many different movies on youtube about different camcorders and dslr cams. so now i waiting to camcorder be delivered, be fun to try it. Thanks for a good movie, best regards from Sweden.

Hey! Nice review! I just bought the HC-1500 I have a hard time making the 4k clips running smoothly in Premiere v22.0, any trouble your side? any tip?

I have the Sony AX53 that I use to record Dragraces....checkout my NHRA 2020 Winternationals part#5 to see the handheld Sony AX53 in action....How is the stabilization on this Panasonic? Will it give me steady footage like my Sony AX53 did being handheld for long periods of time & using a lot of zoom ?????

dB (deci Bell) measures certain amount of energy passing through certain amount of surface. It is in use in electronics, acoustics etc.

Its very informative but it would of been very nice to see its performance in low light. From what I seen nearly every Panasonic Prosumer and Professional camcorder gives near identical performance when it comes to daylight shooting. Real difference is seen in the low light performance.

Great! I just been watching demos of the Cannon 4k cam corders and the image quality was so soft on all the videos I saw. this Panasonic looks sick!

awesome review! thanks a lot

Thanks! What camera and lens do you use to shoot your videos ?

I have to admit, I love shooting with Mirrorless and Cinema Cameras, but for some styles of shooting, a Pro Camcorder just feels like a better tool for the job. Also, hats off to Panasonic for adding 10 bit 422 colour sampling. Most camcorders this size will only give you 8 bit 420.

Nice review! Looks like an interesting "little" camera! :) Is this camera's lens parfocal?

I tried the video capabilities on my Nikon D850 and wasn't impressed with the autofocus. I had already purchased the Ronin S gimbal stabilizer and wanted something that would give me a good intoduction to video. A friend suggested the Nikon Z6 as it is a full frame mirrorless with good raps regarding it's video capabilities. I also considered the the Black Magic's $k and 5K cameras, but decided on a camcorder for the simple reason I didn't want the hassle of changing lenses and rebalancing the gimbal. I settled on the Sony FDR AX-700 with it's 1 inch sensor - I know the sensor is smaller than the M3/4 and full frame cameras, also it has SD cards and is not capable of using C-Fast card and shooting raw, especially ProResRaw which could become a standard. But it does fit on the Ronin-S nicely, fast auto-focus, can shoot 4K and only one lens, ideal for on-the-go videoing.

So basically this is the camera for the thousands of churches doing livestreams during COVID. Great review yet again bud 👍🏼

What a pretty camera. Would love to see panasonic make a camera in this form factor with an interchangeable mount

Have you experienced any hissing issues with the external mic input? I have just received the camera and I noticed when I plugged any mic or any 3.5 cable into the external audio input, there is a constant hissing sound that isn't coming from the mic or cable. It looks like a camera issue and isn't fixable with gain settings.

I’m looking to get this camera for wildlife filming. I’d love to try one before purchase one

but what if a soccer mom wants to record 4k 60?! 10 BIT 422?! WHAT IF???!??!?! joking aside, great review man!