Panasonic TA-1 Ultrathin HD Pocket Camcorder Enabled with Skype and iFrame (Red)

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by: Blue Fin (Tampa, FL)
on: Friday, 29-October-2010

This camcorder has a very simple and sleek design. Its much more compact than what I thought. Looking at major competition, the weight is 15% - 20% lighter than others.

Digital zoom is smoother than other camcorders. Video quality is very sharp. Although this doesnt have 720p mode with 60fps, 30fps mode has given me a quality video good enough for the casual use. Noise levels are very low under the day light. Low light performance is very competitive, and built-in LED light is a strong plus for parties and other dark scenes. Still-photo function is stronger than Flip and Kodak which I have tested recently. This is a very nice compact camcorder.

You can play with shots you took using digital effects which is very cool. Embedded software has many features and quite easy to use (Windows only). I havent tried iFrame mode and look forward to hearing how it works overall.

by: WILLIAM MCLEAN (Medford, OR USA)
on: Thursday, 28-October-2010

You can start taking pictures right away. That statement appears in the description of the Panasonic HM-TA1 on your site. So the first thing I did, after charging camera battery for four hours (tongue in cheek), was to mount this little camera on a mono-pod. In the kitchen I took still pictures of a bowl of fruit and, in the living room, I took three video clips of my dog. Lights were on only as normal and, in the living Room, outdoor light was mixed with the artificial indoor light.

I started out examining the still pictures using Picasa 3. (This is Goggles free download Photo Editor Program.) The images were clear, bright, and with colors about as true as I have seen made with digital cameras. While I do think the images appear to be kind of soft when enlarged on the computer monitor, you probably wouldnt notice this on the 4X6 prints that I made. As far as Im concerned, the HM-TA1 has passed my test for acceptable snapshot pictures for families.

Speaking more technically, the 8MP still shots from this camera are compressed to around 2.3MB (JPG). The lens is like a 35mm camera equivalent of a 39mm lens. This focal length is considered be modestly wide angle. It does not zoom. Lens aperture is f2.8 maximum and steps down along with ISO settings as appropriate for most pictures. The fruit bowl pictures caused the camera to set an ISO of 692 with the lens probably wide open - or nearly so. The camera also automatically selected the correct white balance. All together, with its auto focus function, this is a really good set of values and functions for a point and shoot camera. (Pictures look even better when taken outside - more light allows smaller ISO numbers and/or smaller lens apertures.)

The video is not HIGH DEFINITION. But what can one expect from such a tiny plastic camera? It is, as advertised, compatible with HD video - whatever that means. It records in MPC 4. I had difficulty running the MPC 4 videos on my computer using Picasa. It didnt synchronize the sound with the video and it would not run one of the video clips at all. I think it looked bad on my computer mainly because it was running in even a larger format than my 29 LED monitor could display. But the videos look GREAT (and they do synchronize voice with video) on the small HM-TA1 camera sensor and screen. They look good on my television and will also look okay no my computer when viewed with an MPC 4 player. Video colors are also true. The single built-in microphone is sensitive and sound distortion is within what I think are acceptable levels. There is no jack for plugging in an external microphone. Users can take still shots from videos at various settings. When the camera is plugged into a TV the camera is activated as soon as turned on. You can then see what the camera sees - on the television. Of course the camera will play back both video clips and still shots on the TV.

I disagree with some other reviewers in that I do not find the camera to be excessively fragile. All cameras are somewhat fragile and need some caution until the user is used to it . This is not news. I wouldnt let anyone handle any of my cameras except only to take a picture.

The SKYPE function is as easy to set-up and use on your computer as it is to display videos and still shots on your television.

Putting all hype aside, I think this is a handy and fun little camera. It is made for family use. And not just snapshots and videos of family events. Other uses, such as accident documentation and property ownership documentation come to mind. The f2.8 39mm lens, and automatic features, make it possible for almost anyone to take successful pictures in a variety of situations - without using a flash or special light fill-in. I think that the designer/engineers did a fine job of matching todays technology with a practical, and fun to use, camera.

by: T.H. (Morristown, NJ)
on: Monday, 25-October-2010

Lightweight:
- Much lighter than my old FLIP which I was carrying during a travel, and this comes with 4x zoom.

Built-in LED light:
- Very useful and working well for a party and other surprise shooting.

Image Quality:
- Satisfied with both video quality including sound and 8M still image quality.

SD card memory:
- If full, you can change your card easily. This is a must-have function for me since I travel often with no laptop.

Overall, I really like this camcorder.

by: lostpinefarms (United States)
on: Tuesday, 12-October-2010

Nice video cam good price only one problem : the cover on the card slot is weak and comes open easy

by: Bardow (United States)
on: Wednesday, 29-September-2010

As a product designer I wanted to test out this camera. After doing a lot of research (about a month) going between Flip, Kodak and Panasonic. I decided Panasonic, which was a new, cheaper product for the features it offers. However, the customer service given by Panasonic was not up to par, and in total this product was not worth it.

The product itself isnt bad for its features: a skype compatible video and photo camera with a light for darkly lit spaces. The cons are that you have to hold down the camera button for at least 2+ seconds to take a picture because it has to not only switch from video mode but also focus and take the picture. The USB, Battery and A/V port covers feel very flimsy and cheap when opened. The USB plug itself, having to hold the product up off the table top about a 1/4 of an inch, is not very strong. Lastly, the USB slide tab is very flimsy, because if you dont know to operate it the USB push/pull tab you could easily push too hard, possibly risking a break. Another con is that you must account for the SD card price into the product price. 8GB SDHC card is about $20 extra dollars which brings it up to about $190.

The thing that Im most unhappy about is the customer service of Panasonic. Before I ordered the product I checked with customer service if the product was back ordered, learning from one of the reviews above that it might be, and they told me it wasnt. I decided to get the product by placing my order online. The first attempt failed; all the screen read was try again. The subsequent attempt failed once more, although this time the screen suggested I call customer service. When I called they didnt understand what was wrong so I placed my order with them. This was Monday the 13th. Then on Friday the 17th they called me back saying I had insufficient funds. I quickly checked my account and it appeared they charged me twice (Im guessing for the two times I tried online when it said it hadnt worked). This was infuriating because I had to take the time out of my day to correct this with my bank since I definitely wasnt being sent one product, let alone two. I used another account, since I still wanted this product, and was told it was going to be shipped to me by the next Thursday. I called back about 5 min later using the same order number they gave me and asked to have it sent in 2-day shipping (an extra $10 dollars) meaning it would get to me by Tuesday. I found later that day that they charged my second account twice, once for the regular amount and once for the +$10. Being charged twice for the same product shouldnt happen in the first place, but it happened TWICE! Finally, it did not show up on Tuesday the 21st, it showed up on Tuesday the 28th, because it had indeed been back ordered. After taking more time out of my busy day to call them up for being charged four times I had to call them up a second time for not getting it to me on time. Their records showed it shipped on Friday the 24th and its 2 business days (Monday and Tuesday). This doesnt make sense because I ordered it over 2 weeks before, but when I called customer service the second time they said it was because the product was back ordered.

All I can say is this product, although it might be a great product for the price and functionality, was not worth the effort it took and frustration it caused through incompetent customer service.

by: ksm (United States)
on: Sunday, 26-September-2010

Pros:
(1) Beautiful video quality considering the price and camera class. Video is clear, the camera adjusts to varying lighting conditions quickly, the saturation is great.

(2) Great sound. Microphone is very sensitive and seems to pick up everything from a distant chirping bird to an engine screaming on a track equally well and the sounds are clear.

(3) Operation from a hardware perspective is very easy. The units tiny but not so tiny that you have to fumble to make sure you hit the button and only the button youre trying to hit.

Cons:
(1) Operation from a software perspective is horrible. The interface is not at all intuitive. It works; but trying to find the function you want takes a lot of trial and error even if youve done it before. The PC softwares no better. Again, it works. But the user-friendliness of the software is just not there. The actual hardware buttons are nice and they make the camera look pretty easy to use. But thats an illusion. (I have Panasonic phones and the interface on those is just as bad).

(2) Battery life not all that great. Perhaps all cameras of this class have poor battery life but for this camera I was only about to get about an hour and 15 minutes. Now, that was recording at 1080p. Might be better while recording at lower resolutions. Not sure.

(3) Difficult to pop out the cameras USB connector. I appreciate how Panasonic has squeezed quite a lot of features into a small package; but the slider mechanism needs work. It looks like you should just be able to use the slider to pop open the USB door. But I found that you must pry the door open with your fingers first and then you can use the successfully use the slider to pop out the USB connector.

(4) The flat, plastic lens cover can be scratched quite easily. And it gets dirty very easily as well. Just touch it and now youve got a big finger print on it. And Ive had little luck with cleaning it with a t-shirt. I make a point to bring a lens cloth.

How Ive Used The Camera
My main use for the camera has been for a track car. Using the camera on a suction cup mount on the window of a stiff suspension track car for several track sessions, the image stayed very stable and quite viewable. Very happy with the quality of both the video and sound. For outdoor use, I recommend applying some sort of wind filter to the microphone opening (I used a fuzzball that I got at a crafts store).

Overall:
The interface really, truly blows and that lens cover is very prone to scratches and marks; but the portability is nice, the price is nice and most important it takes nice video and sound.

by: Mahesh Shimpi (NJ)
on: Saturday, 18-September-2010

Was very excited to own this product and hence placed a pre-release order. I use other Panasonic brands which are very good so far. This camera proved otherwise.
1. The lens sticks out hence very susceptible to scratches. Mine is already scratched within 15-20 days
2. HD picture quality is not very good, in both light conditions, day and night. Video is extremely choppy.
3. Power drains out very quickly.
4. The in-built USB slide out is not convenient.

Overall the product and Panasonic have not lived up to their brand name. I am quite disappointed.

by: Vishnuvardhan Muralidharan (Oklahoma City, OK)
on: Monday, 23-August-2010

Yes, the first impression is the best impression does not apply to Panasonic TA-1. Panasonic is known to make good quality product may not be great quality. They are reliable and easy to use. None of those is applicable to this product.
I own Flip Ultra HD and I love it. I am a new father and since the birth of baby, I have not used any other device more than Flip Ultra HD, Why? because it was just too easy for me and my family members to use it. I am a Semi pro photographer and have own some expensive gear and never used them to shoot my new born. Here is the reason why Flip was easy:
1. Simple to use, less number of buttons.
2. Software is extremely easy to use there is nothing to setup (Watch out when you update the software I did face some minor issues while updating the software).
3. It takes less than a minute for me to hook the device to my computer and e-mail or share it online with my family and friends.
4. Great picture quality.
5. Feels solid to hold.
6. Price point.
7. Even my grandma can use it in a fly.
8. Quick start up.
I am not trying to review the Flip Ultra HD or endorsing it, just providing few practical reasons why I like Flip over Panasonic TA-1. There are issues with Flip but the practical advantage points easily overshadow the issues.
Now coming to Panasonic TA-1. What will attract you about this product is its size and picture quality. It is very compact not bigger then Noika N8 mobile phone. The picture quality is also very good @ 1080P as compared to Flip @720P. The build quality is not good with plasticky and flimsy feel when you hold it. Given its candy bar size the grip is also not firm when you hold it unlike Flip Ultra HD. I like the nice LED light that does light up the subject well in dark is an advantage over the Flip.
Cons:
- Price
- Software issues and bad user interface (Took 10 minutes to figure out how to use it)
- Inability to e-mail unlike Flips application
- So far I have bee unsuccessful to publish anything to YoutTube as I get an Upload error after the 95% upload is complete (This could be just my issues, I am still figuring out why)
- Flimsy construction
- Pop out USB too flimsy and should be handled carefully. Can break easily.
- Battery price
Pros:

+ Picture quality
+ Picture mode features like Monochrome and Smooth skin tone etc.
+ Audio recording: Good reproduction when compared to Flip
+ Still image @ 8MP
+ Ability to expand memory but additional cost
+ Battery when compared to Flip
+ LED Light for low light shooting is GOOD
+ Its like holding mobile phone, very light

This is not a detailed review of the product but a quick one with practical viewpoint. User experience does change and varies from person to person. I cannot give 5 star for this product but somewhere between 3 and 4. Since I cannot rate 3.5 due to limitations of staring system in your site, I have rated it 3.