Panasonic 4K Ultra HD Video Camera Camcorder HC-VX981K, 20X Optical Zoom, 1/2.3-Inch BSI Sensor, HDR Capture, Wi-Fi Smartphone Multi Scene Video Capture (Black)

This is an all around great camera. Easy to use with great picture quality especially when shooting mp4 50mbps. 4K is good as well, but I mostly shoot in 1080p then upscale to 4K in post production. Battery life is pretty good. You can charge the battery as you use the camera. Open the flip out screen and it's ready to record. So convenient. The touch screen is not s responsive as I would like, but it is still good enough. Overall, great little camera. I read reviews and weighted my options over a month before I bought it. Best camera out of about 5 that I compared it to at about the same price.

This is a great camcorder many pros as well as for family home videos love as with the auto functions it turns on opening the monitor then with decent light will takes great videos. Going pro it has additional options per manual control and some many interesting pre-post editing effects before transferring the files to whatever video editing software on your computer. With cinematic effects Panasonic added the dolly zoom effect. Think the movie 'Jaws' with Brody on the beach seeing a kid on a raft getting eaten by a shark and the camera sees his face never changing in distance while the background is zooming in. This dolly shot is built into the camcorder.This is a sturdy hard case I'm using for the Panasonic HV-VX981K camcorder which is a little larger than many small camcorders so not easy to find a case that fits especially with the wider lens hood for 16:9 recording. It holds the camera and supplied accessories, a second fast wall charger with two of the larger 390 batteries, additional 128Gb SD cards, a case with three 49mm UV, CPL, ND filters and a lens cap to protect them. There is still room for the excellent Sony ICD-UX570 recorder for secondary audio when video recording. In place of filters one could store a Ulanzi RGB Video light for special effects. Overall a compact case offering options for your gear.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BY36RJNH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Works well, easily used, easily storedQuality friendly manufacturer

First some background of what I am comparing it too. I am a YouTuber but also used many different camcorders and cameras over the years from very expensive to very cheap. I own a beautiful bridge camera that films in 4K and an older DSLR that films in 1080p. While they have good quality there is a lot to consider as camcorders are made just for that, to film while these other cameras are meant for picture taking and have limitations depending on what you are doing. Some will overheat and you also have to deal with maximum filming times, lenses and lots of adjustment. I actually messed up some footage a couple times because of various issues, especially focus, whether manual or on auto.Panasonic make great quality products and one of my cameras is a Lumix. This 981 camcorder is no exception. It's light but does not feel cheap at all. It feels great and comes with everything you need. It's got great focus and the image stabilization is pretty good. Of course like any camera in the world, using a tripod is always your best bet but it still does a great job of handheld shot and if your uncle films the Christmas dinner with it, you won't feel sick watching it after.This camera is borderline prosumer because while out of the box the settings are perfect including the colors and highest quality recording. You can take it out and start recording right away without a care in the world except to set the date but there is also a manual mode to adjust your white balance, shutter speed etc. which again is just great for those who want to control all this.Some people complain about light They must have been filming in very dark places. Yes, this is a 1 over 2/3 sensor which is normal that you will need more light than a much bigger sensor. But I doubt you are comparing this to camcorders that are thousands of dollars, so this point is moot. The camera has a light integrated in it and if you leave everything on Auto it will work fine and turn on the light if you need it. If you want to use it on manual mode then it's expected that you know what you are doing and you will know how to set your shutter speed and light your scene so there is no reason in either case for it to be too dark. And of course outside you don't need light at all. On top of all that there is a Night Vision mode if you need to film at night or go on a Ghost hunt. It's all about the proper settings.I saw another review complain about sound. First if you do anything serious you should have a good mic plugged in or sound recorded separate. However, again this 981 surprised me with it's sound quality that was better than my two cameras and you can certainly use it as a backup if you are doing something serious and something goes wrong. But for everyday use it's fine and has an integrated windscreen, and again, check the settings; there is a speech, music, etc. which is something I have not seen in other cameras I own.Blurry backgrounds? Yes believe it or not. Just back up and zoom in to your subject. Of course you don't have the same control as a mirrorless or DSLR but you can still achieve this when you know what you are doing.What I don't like? Not much except that it did not come with a charger, only a cable to charge the battery in the camera. At this high price point a $10 item should have been included and even an extra battery. One other small thing is the touch screen. Maybe we are used to smartphone screens that respond very well but this requires a tiny bit more pressing and not as smooth but it works. Either way I only removed 1 star for all this.Only thing I cannot attest to is the editing features integrated because I like to edit in Adobe Premiere. However the features included are pretty amazing if you want to make something for home use and even has a fade in and fade out function for video.As a small bonus I got it from Amazon Warehouse deals and was extremely surprised and happy getting a $500 rebate (at time of purchase as price was a little higher) and when I received it everything was original in the box and cables and manuals sealed by manufacturer. Only the box had been opened and camera had been taken out and put back. I mean wow! So look for those they are really worth it and it works perfectly and I registered the warranty with Panasonic.

Just love this camcorder so many cool features great videos great pictures a bit pricey but worth it definitely a great buy. Very happy with this camcorder. Plan to use this for vacation and personal home use... delivered early and it looks awesome