About to buy this cam - opinions?

[Stripe]

I'm seriously ready to buy this cam to make the move from rank beginner to not quite so rank ammateur - tech reviews say it's the bees knees for its' price range and user reviews all say the quality is perfect even without the multiple manual controls available, which for me is the perfect way to move forward.

Any dissent is welcome before I spend my hard earned pennies

Panasonic HDC TM900 / Panasonic TM900 Video Camera and Camcorders :: Panasonic :: Digital Video Cameras & Camcorders - eGlobaL Digital Cameras Online Store

[Midnight Blue]

Seems a great price for a good camera. Enjoy.

[TimStannard]

It's a great camera. I have a mate (fellow club member) with the predecessor (the TM700) and he continually produces excellent stuff with it. It comes highly recommended by several well respected persons in the world of video making. The only thing to watch out for is the widely reported hum from the internal fan. The answer is not to use the internal mic or a camera mounted mic if recording in a very quiet environment.

[Stripe]

Thanks Tim - I am feeling really confident about this purchase, and it's fantastic value for a beginner cam.

I also heard about the fan issue but came across this statement on the Amazon website which presents a possible fix...

Note From the Manufacturer: We at Panasonic would like to address an issue that has come up about excessive fan noise in our TM900. Actual dB Fan Noise is measured at less than 20dB. This is 3dB higher than a perfectly isolated room, and more than a 10% reduction from our previous model. If fan noise appears to be a problem in a recording situation, the user can change the mic from 5:1 channel record to 3:1 channel record which should solve the noise issue. If you still feel that the noise is problematic please contact Panasonic Customer Support at 1-800-211-PANA (7262). Our support staff has been instructed on how to better handle this issue. We truly appreciate the opportunity to amend any issues that are a result of our products. Thank you for considering Panasonic Camcorders as your choice for high quality video recording.

[vidmanners]

Good to read Pana are admitting there's a fan-noise issue . . . and that's when the thing is new!
Still, we can hope they will get better. One posted example was practically silent (to my ears), but maybe if I'd just bought it . . .
It seems an odd fault for a Mfr not to address at prototype stage - for example by putting the fan in a fold-down handle; with clever engineering that could act as a heat-disipator, so the cooling air could be sealed.
I visited Pana site yesterday and found no mention of 900 fans - must be hidden - sorry that's Amazon - well I couldn't find that TODAY!

What I did see:- HDC-MDH1 HD Professional PAL at £969 it looks like a shoulder-style camcorder, but I'd be interested to know if others have used one. Usual moderate zoom, SD cards etc. What's not clear is whether it has XLR and video-out. This is a good price for something that "looks the pro-part" - which the 700/800, or 900 doesn't........IMHO.


Stripe:
Pana900 is replaced by a upgraded model, with yet wider lens, but mfr claims something like 40% reduction in low-light noise. Anyone buying the "normal 900" should ask for a discount, or maybe a spare battery...
+Check Pana-website for release date in Aus.

Has anyone used the new version - spec reads much the same, IMHO but sometimes there is a hidden feature (or snag).

[TimStannard]

Has anyone used the new version - spec reads much the same, IMHO but sometimes there is a hidden feature (or snag).

I don't think even the reviewers have got their hands on them yet.
It seems to me there's the HC-X900 - which is SD card only - and the HC-X900M which has 32GB on-board, so these are clearly replacements for the SD900 and the TM900. There seems to be no suggestion of a replacement for the HS900 so perhaps they've given up on hard dribes. Having said thet the "M" model isn't even mentioned on their UK site - so who knows?

I'd avoid the MDH1. It's not advertised in teh UK by Panasonic and quite possibly only available as a grey import. It is suggested it is something like an SD60 in a pro "look" body. It has a single CCD as opposed to the three of the TM900/X900.

[enc]

i have the SD700. its a cracking little (or not so little) camcorder.

as others have mentioned fan noise can be heard if using the built in mics (5.1 incidentally)

Under normal situations its not an issue. if you were recording in an absolute noise free environment then you may hear the fan.

50fps @1080p looks stunning on a Full HD TV.

[Stripe]

Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers Vidmanners for letting me know of the upgrade, I checked the HC-X900M that Tim mentioned, it will be more expensive and still not reviewed or available. The tm900 has 32gb on board as well.

I'm ready to jump in now, I can get the tm900 PAL for $775 AUD delivered, it is a grey import, but has full Aussie warranty so I reckon I am good to go