Review: Panasonic HC-X920 camcorder

Our review and test of the Panasonic HC X920 1080/50p AVCHD camcorder.
If you buy the x920 in our Amazon shop, it helps us keep the reviews going: amzn.to/1pScg5R
And the battery I use is from Hahnel: amzn.to/1HYG6LR
We crafted a lovely written review about the x920 too, which you can view at tubeshooter.co....
Published by www.tubeshooter.co.uk
Twitter: @tubeshootermag
Facebook: tubeshootermag

[@overcastvideo2454]

I remember wanting this camera SOOOOO bad as a kid. The evf, the focus ring, the cold shoe on the side?! Everything about this camera was sooooo cool!!!! Part of me still wants it

[@dovid729]

I'm a kid at the moment and I want it bad

[@MrCobolman-FSPro]

Really enjoyed this review. So much so that I watched some of your other videos and ended up buying the Panasonic HC-X920, extra battery, Audio Technica mic and the Lights that you reviewed, using your Amazon links. The commission won't make you rich but thanks from a grateful viewer.

[@TubeShooterMag]

That's very kind indeed, both the compliment and the purchase via Amazon. It really is appreciated. Thank you. I hope you have lots of fun with them. A couple of further notes, which I hope will help:- Having used that Yongnuo LED lots more since that review, I would add to treat the cold-shoe bracket carefully as it can be quite easy to break, so be gentle. And I would also recommend that you always use headphones when recording, because I had the odd burst of noise using that mic on the x920 on a couple of occasions. I'm not sure whether it's the battery dying in the mic or a loose connection to the camcorder (the jack is at a slightly awkward angle so I may not have pushed it fully in), so always monitor as you go!

[@gunlokman]

I regularly use this camcorder for professional video work and I am amazed by the quality of the image. If I have a gripe its that some of the manual controls are hard and fiddly to access via the touch-screen. However, it seems that to get these controls in external form one has to pay a great deal more - as in my Sony HXR-NX5P.

[@TubeShooterMag]

John Tradewell Agreed; it's got amazing features for the price. Canon's HF-G30 has slightly better manual controls at not so much more but for "proper" controls you're right, you have to step up to "pro" level camcorders - Panasonic's AG-AC90 is probably the cheapest semi-pro device you can get I reckon. But Sony's PXW-X70 is the best low-cost pro cam at the moment.

[@rud]

Ha! that was my main camera until 2019 when I got my Panasonic GH5S(that I still use). It was then through Covid and up to this summer(2023) my webcam(through a Elgato Camlink USB). It served me well. But I noticed this spring that the picture had started losing dynamic range. Can't blame it, it ran every day from 8-16 through covid. I went nuts and replace it with a Sony ZV-E10 as webcam. ouch

[@ericsurf6]

Great review. Thanks so much.

[@bobsurgranny]

Great review, many thanks

[@TR6Telos]

On picture adjust I set sharpness at +3 , colour +1, exposure at -2 . I feel the camera default 0 for exposure is so you see more things in the shadow making it brighter, but it does not help in overall picture quality, it washes it out. Select MANUAL mode to do this. And for smooth picture quality I use 100th of a second, high shutter causes a more robotic jumpy less fluid result Try it , it works for me.

[@leokard12]

Very professional review, well done

[@TubeShooterMag]

Thank you!

[@ritmoantiyano1551]

Hi i have a question about the video camera why when you record long with it it cuts the video when i record non stop more than 20 min it cuts the video is there a way to fix that?

[@ASgfjyhgyi]

07:16 - any chance to fix the problem? Nothing but white MEGA overexposed spots on the left side of picture?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Not in that kind of environment. This type of little consumer-grade camcorder from many years ago lacks the dynamic range to capture both the dark areas under the trees and the very bright sunlit areas on the left. Even a pro broadcast camera would struggle, although it might be able to tone the contrast down a bit with a log profile etc. The camcorder is, as they all do, exposing for the bulk of the image, which is within the trees. If it closed the iris to expose that small sunny area correctly, the rest of the image (ie most of it) would be very dark indeed.

[@martijnvanzanen4075]

I'm not getting Panasonic latenly.Speaking of the hc-v series. It seems the hc-v520 is best one, or the v510. Yet they make newer models like a v700 or v750 and they suck more with optical zoom etc.

[@solgarts4839]

Great review, just a question: What type of Camera did you use for this video?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hi. It was shot with a Canon XA20 (the "pro" version of the HF-G30)

[@2304George]

@@TubeShooterMag This video indicates you reviewed the HC-X920. Is that the same as the XA20 ? I have the HC-X920, and the menu screen in different to that shown in your review.

[@TubeShooterMag]

@2304George The XA20 is from Canon, the X920 here is from Panasonic - they're completely different cameras from different manufacturers. The review in this video is the Panasonic HC-X920 as described.

[@domegammind4320]

How can I remove auto an manual sign from the screen of panasonic HC-X900 so it does not show on the hdmi output, at the moment I have removed every other thing showing But I seem to Get reed of The MNL sign when it is manual and the A Sign when it is in Auto

[@TubeShooterMag]

DO MEGAMMIND It's possible that you may not be able to but ... have you set "EXT DISPLAY" to OFF?

[@darionightengale246]

hi TubeShooterMag did you have any save old Panasonic HC X920 Firmware update service download file? last time?

[@TubeShooterMag]

No, I don't have any such files.

[@barbershop22]

Trying to decide between the 770 and the x920, I have both from Amazon and am trying to make a choice. They are 29.5 and 29.8 mm wide, however the x920 is noticeably wider, so I don't believe their marketing specs. Currently have the TM90 which has been a great camcorder with a 1/4" sensor. Comments appreciated.

[@TubeShooterMag]

I can't really assist you. Only you can know what's important to you and what you like and dislike. If you've got them both then just test them extensively and make a decision, it'll be far better than any advice I could give.

[@YahyaNaell]

good camcorder ... and i think this is the most perfect review i ever seen.

[@TubeShooterMag]

Thank you!

[@tbip2001]

Hi again. Amazing review as always. Can I ask what are your computer specs for editing highest quality 50p footage smoothly? Its a shame what panasonic have done here. Images quality seems to beat the g25 but for an event videographer its poorly thought out (card placement etc) .

[@TubeShooterMag]

tbip2001 The general spec should be "as fast a CPU as possible"!! I have an Intel i3770 at 3.4GHz with 16GB RAM and it still isn't totally smooth if you add effects eg colour grading etc. Yes, the x920 is an odd little cam; brilliant in some ways (and can't beat that price) and frustrating in others. But then so's the G25 :-)

[@JohnSAitken]

Has Panasonic sorted out the noise problem from the zoom moving in and out, also the ubiquitous fan noise on this modal.

[@TubeShooterMag]

It still has a fan and although I haven't specifically listened for it, I haven't noticed it either. Likewise any zoom noise, although I do tend to use a Rode VideoMic Pro on the camcorder so that would isolate it largely from such noises.

[@rjaneczko]

Hello. Very nice review. I wonder whether this camcorder is able to stream video over WiFi to mixing software like vMix or to Ustream service only? I'd like to use it for live streaming for conferencing events. Would it be useful in such conditions?

[@TubeShooterMag]

It will only connect to ustream and even then it has to go via a Panasonic "Lumix Club" account. Don't ask me why, it seems absurd but that's the way it's been designed. It would work OK like that for live streaming a conference (provided you have enough light on the particpants, decent sound etc as you'd expect). If you definitely want to go via another streaming service you'd have to take the HDMI out of the camcorder, and feed it to a separate encoder (eg laptop) and WiFi it up to vMix like that. The advantage of that route is that, depending on your laptop software, you could potentially have more than one camcorder and switch between them so to make it more visually interesting.

[@AlexeyDnepr]

Very nice camcorder! X920 shoots video as cameras more expensive at $400 from Canon and Sony.

[@BrickBurst]

You're a fantastic presenter. I'm currently comparing the X920 and the Canon Legria HG30

[@TubeShooterMag]

Both great camcorders in their own way; I prefer the Canon but it's a personal thing, there's not much wrong with an x920! Good luck.

[@pateeericooo]

Is it possible to add a wired remote in any way? The camcorder doesnt seem to have a lanc port or any other that could take remotes. Neither have i found any remotes online that claim to support the x920

[@TubeShooterMag]

Unfortunately it is not possible to use a wired remote. Panasonic appear to think we will all be delighted to use the clunky WiFi remote via a mobile phone.

[@GuestOfGregoryHouse]

Very informative review :) Which camcorder overall would you recommend though between the Canon Legria HFG25 and the Panasonic HCX920? They are both in a similar price range so I'm on the fence over it. Also, can you charge the battery by removing it from the camcorder or does it have to be in the camcorder to charge like the Legria HFG25. That is one thing I'm not keen on. Cheers

[@TubeShooterMag]

Neither the Panasonic nor the Canon come with a separate charger for the batteries but it's cheap enough to buy a third-party charger than you can use. As for which is best ... very hard to answer, it depends partly on personal preference, partly on what you're filming, partly on how experienced you are and partly on what features you want.... can you elaborate on any of that to help me make a recommendation?

[@GuestOfGregoryHouse]

TubeShooterMag I would mainly be using it to film indoors doing vlogs or whatever and also outdoors possibly filming wildlife or trips to places. I've had a camcorder years ago back when they transfered to videotapes so I'm kind of stepping into new territory although I can pick up on problems and get to grips with stuff very quickly. So basically it would be my first proper serious camcorder. I like to get the best out of how much money I can spend though. I try to research a bit before I buy.

[@TubeShooterMag]

Both of them will ideally need you to use decent lighting if you're filming inside, no consumer camcorder copes well in indoor light (too dim, unless perhaps you're lit by daylight coming through a nice big window)/ They're both OK camcorders but the Panasonic is much higher-featured for the price. It's got WiFi, 50p recording, better low-light capabilities, onscreen histogram and exposure metering etc - on the other hand, the Canon has better manual controls since it has an exposure dial as well as a focus ring. The Panny also has an annoying habit of forgetting how you left the focus, exposure and white balance whenever you switch off or playback a scene. But the Panny has a normal cold shoe whereas the Canon's is a proprietary size. I think in terms of bang for the buck, you have to hand it to the Panasonic.

[@GuestOfGregoryHouse]

Ok thanks a lot. Oh, last question. Does the Panasonic power attachments like microphones or do you have to buy self-powered attachments? I've seen you saying the Canon does not in a video but not sure about the Panasonic

[@TubeShooterMag]

"Powering attachments" is rather over-stating things but yes, the Panasonic does provide plug-in power on the mic socket for microphones that require it.

[@WoodomainJeremyBroun]

Important functionality question - does it have a quick last scene review button?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Woodomain - Jeremy Broun Not that I recall but you may be best off checking the manual, available on Panasonic's website.

[@vasiliscaravitis1706]

My problem, so far, is that the user's manual seems quite poor and occasionally providing wrong or ambiguous information. Is there a decent third party manual, by any chance, that I could purchase?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Not that I know of. Unfortunately, I've yet to find any camcorder manual that makes much sense!

[@zsofiszekely3260]

Dear TubeShooterMag! If I would like to change the focus manualy during the recording, can I do it with this camera? I mean, for exemple if there is a flower in the foreground, can I first focus on the background (so the flower is blury) and then slowly, during the recording, make the background blury and sharpen (so focus on) the flower? Thank you for your answer!

[@TubeShooterMag]

Zsófi Székely You certainly can change focus while recording, it would be a very poor camcorder that did not permit that. You'll have more trouble getting the background to be defocussed in the first place though - these small camcorders have very small sensors which means a massive depth of field (ie nearly everything in focus). You'll need to zoom in a lot and manually ensure the iris is open as far as you can.

[@MrSparoga]

Hello, Can you help me. I have Panasonic camera HC-X920 and today camera stop recording with message "CANNOT RECORD, THE NUMBER OF SCENES HAS EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM LIMIT. Is it promblem with camera or SD card. Thanks for your answer. Best regards.

[@TubeShooterMag]

It's as the message says. There is a limit to the number of clips you can store on a single card (unrelated to the size of the card itself). You either need to put a fresh card in or format the existing one (after copying all the files you want to keep onto something else such as the computer's hard drive). Cards are very cheap these days, you might as well buy another and keep the original one in a safe place.

[@shirleyward6953]

Does the Panasonic HC-X 920 pick up handling noise when used without an external microphone ? I had the SD 700 brilliant, external buttons to bottom of LCD screen, same position for mike as 920, noise not an issue apart from wind. But stolen in burglary, i carnt get over the loss and dont think the 920 can replace it ???? I did not experience negative issues on sd700, the 920 seems to have annoying menus.

[@TubeShooterMag]

In my experience, all camcorders pick up handling noise off the internal mic; it's practically inevitable since isolating the mid from it within the same body would be impossible. Not sure what you mean about annoying menus but the x920 is the only current Panasonic direct successor to the SD700.

[@shirleyward6953]

TubeShooterMag Thanks for your reply. Menu as on your reveiw complex route to access menu as no short cut via buttons under touch screen. I may have to take the risk of buying 2nd hand SD 700 on seller on Amazon

[@TubeShooterMag]

shirley ward Ah, I see what you mean. Mind you, all access through menus is generally annoying don't you find?!! The advantage of the x920 will be that it had better image quality than the SD700 I believe, being a couple of generations newer.

[@thespaceinbetween7085]

HI I know im a bit late to this review! But I have this camera and was wondering if it can be used as a web cam on zoom?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Only with an HDMI-USB converter into the PC

[@BadgerBotherer1]

Have you ever sent a Panasonic camcorder for repair in the UK? Their only authorised service centre seems to be DKAVS Ltd., which seems to get very mixed reviews. Wondering if I should sent my damaged Panasonic there, or trying somewhere else?

[@TubeShooterMag]

I have not, sorry, can't help. Depending on how old it is and how much the repair would cost, it's sometimes not worth doing, sadly.

[@BadgerBotherer1]

Thanks for the reply. It's a Panasonic HC-W850 with infrared night mode, so that comes in useful for filming wildlife at night, so really want it working again if possible as not sure there's anything similar on the market. I'll probably send it for an estimate and see what they say, and then go from there. Thanks again, and now get back to your narrowboat!

[@eLvimoH]

canon g30 vs panasonic hc x920, what is better?

[@RobYoungberg]

Excellent review, thanks. Have you noticed that the mic picks up the auto focus motor at all? I'm looking for a camcorder that doesn't have that...

[@TubeShooterMag]

Can't say I've noticed it but I tend to use manual focus! Next time I take it out and about, I'll do a test and let you know.

[@TubeShooterMag]

I just tested it. Yes, you can hear the autofocus but only by turning the volume on my amplifier up to max and normalising the sound to max as well (by which point the inadequacies of the internal mic and the general room noise more than overwhelm the slight autofocus sound). You can also hear the zoom motor at this level of amplification too. I didn't have time to try it with the Rode VideoMic Pro on board (which I would recommend having on this and any camcorder, to record decent general atmosphere sound) but I'm reasonably confident that autofocus and zoom noise would be practically inaudible to all intents and purposes.

[@RobYoungberg]

TubeShooterMag That's very helpful. Quiet enough for me! Thanks for the mic recommendation as well, I've been thinking about getting one...

[@Jandewitamateurfilm]

Thanks to this review, I bought this camcorder 7 years ago and I am very satisfied with it to this day. Thank you. In the meantime, I am considering purchasing the Panasonic HC X 1500. Do you have any experience with the HC X 1500? My ultimate question is whether the HC X 1500 is qualitatively better than my old HC X 920 (I only film in HD and not in 4K). It seems that the settings are quite complicated? Do you know anything more about that? Thank you very much for your response. Your channel has helped me many times!

[@TubeShooterMag]

It's a very long time since I had my X920 and have never tested the HCX1500 so it's hard to say but at a guess I would suggest the newer model would be better, especially if filming in HD The technology inside will be far superior to the old X920, as will the lens. The downside of the newer model is that (like most these days) it is a single chip vs the X920's three but I think that advantage would be outweighed by the more modern chips etc. The HCX1500 is a much more "semi pro" type of camcorder vs the consumer-grade x920 so yes the settings will be more complicated but nothing that a bit of reading and research can't help you with. Plus it has a fully auto mode.

[@Jandewitamateurfilm]

@@TubeShooterMag Thank you for your comprehensive answer. I can do something with this.

[@videocreation5206]

@@TubeShooterMag Have the Panasonic vf990 4k camcorder and found the old x920 with its 3mos lens to be better and more pleasing to the eye with well balanced colors thanks to its 3mos sensor but the 4k is very good. x920 is a rare cam like so the sd900 and still go for good money.

[@adriangagiulescu4986]

Nu am vazut, si nici nu am auzit daca aceasta camera este intradevar si 3d, binenteles cu acel dispozitiv atasat in fata obiectivului, si daca ecranul LCD este 3d fara ochelari atunci cand se filmeaza 3d. Va rog sa ma lamuriti daca aveti asa ceva

[@TubeShooterMag]

I do not fully understand the question because Google Translate is limited but the camcorder does not film 3D. You can add the VW-CLT2 adapter to make it film 3D. Whether you need glasses to see the effect depends on the display technology not the recording but in most cases glasses are needed.

[@ChrTz]

Do you prefere to put "Inteliggent Contrast" to "OFF" or "ON"?

[@TubeShooterMag]

That is a good question. I have not done enough specific tests on this to come to a conclusion. Certainly the Intelligent Contrast function does change the exposure levels to try to bring down the highlights without affecting the shadows but my initial, quick look at the video scopes showed that it had an odd ramping effect on boundaries between bright and dark which I'm not sure I liked. Sorry, this doesn't really give you a definitive answer!

[@ChrTz]

TubeShooterMag I have the same camera and i think that with "Inteliggent Contrast" we have more "noise" in the picture, in the dark spots.

[@TubeShooterMag]

Good feedback, useful to know. Thanks!

[@JanaMilaa]

i bought this camera for alot of money, but im not really a pro in the whole filming thing and i really dont get the settings. I mostly film vlogs so i film portraits, but the lightning is always wrong. Or its really yellow or its blue white ish and it makes me look really pale. I have no idea what all these settings mean, and for me its better to just put it on automatic but i dont know how.

[@TubeShooterMag]

To put it onto fully automatic, press the little "iA" button on the top/side of the camcorder. That makes it do its best guess at setting everything for you. Lighting can be very tricky, people spend years trying to get it right. At its most basic, just remember to have the light falling on the face of the person you're filming and from a slight angle, not flat onto their face and definitely never from behind them. As for colour, you need to do a "white balance"; this is a menu setting. In brief, you press the white balance option and zoom into a sheet of white paper (or something else fully white) that is placed under the lighting you intend to use. You press the 'set' button and wait a few seconds and the camcorder adjusts itself to the light colour. Then you take away the paper, zoom out and start filming! Hope this helps. I might do a video about white balance actually, it's not a bad idea...

[@SushantSinghal]

Hi ! I own 920M model of this camera that has got 36GB internal memory too. While the quality of video is great, I have some questions: 1. Can I change the video format to 30fps or 60fps? If yes, how? 2. I didn’t find stabilisation settings anywhere which you have mentioned in this video.

[@TubeShooterMag]

If you have the PAL format camera (country-dependent) than it will do 25/5, not 30/60 (which is an NTSC format). That said, I haven't owned this camcorder for many years but I'm not sure it ever did 50/60 frame rates anyway, even in HD. The stabilisation should be accessible in the menus.

[@SushantSinghal]

@@TubeShooterMag great to hear from you. THANKS A LOT.

[@videocreation5206]

if you have davinci resolve 17 studio or adobe premiere you can convert 1080p 50fps to 60fps by creating a 1080p 60fps project file in the editing software and use the built in optical flow in the editing software,works perfectly ,silky smooth video .have tried stand alone video converters and found the results very poor

[@norbertb74]

+TubeshooterMag does it record sound without needing a mic and can you make that touchscreen turn around like if you were in front of the lense could you turn the touchscreen thing around so that you could see what u were filming?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Norbert GAME'S Yes, it has a built-in mic on the top (although like all camcorder mics it's pretty poor and picks up handling noise). And yes, the screen rotates so you can do "selfie" video :-)

[@3Dthermalunderpants]

Great video, i'm thinking of getting this camera for a documentary i will be shooting while going across the country. Do you reccomend this camera for shooting a documentary? also, does it have constant auto focus? that might be something i will need.

[@TubeShooterMag]

If by constant auto focus you mean it will continually be measuring and adjusting focus as you shoot, then yes. All camcorders do that as far as I am aware - I certainly don't know any that don't (though DSLR cameras used for video may lack this feature). As for recommending it, it depends what kind of doco you're making and what the end audience will be (home? broadcast? web?). The x920 is a super little camera but I wouldn't put any consumer camcorder at the top of my documentary list unless portability was the over-riding requirement, not least because of fiddly controls and lack of XLR audio.

[@kazcnepj]

I just received my X920 today. Picture quality is topnotch. Even shooting in low light the noise is very acceptable. I viewed some test clips on a 60 inch Sony HD TV and was surprisingly happy with the quality. I would recommend getting the camera a couple months before so you can become familiar with the controls and settings. The battery life is poor and you have less than an hour shooting time so you will need extra batteries.

[@TubeShooterMag]

kazcnepj Agreed about the battery life. I have just purchased the Hahnel HL-N390 which is a replacement for the Panasonic VW-VBN390. It costs just £40 and gives me a quoted 5 hours life, which is excellent. It doesn't stick too far out of the back of the camera either (at least, not as far as I feared). See astore.amazon.co.uk/tubeshooter0c-21/detail/B0070SQXL0/278-1047749-6087909

[@RossCorbett]

Great video. I have a question! The X920 does not have a very wide angle lens. Are there any high quality wide angle lenses that you can buy to place onto the x920?

[@TubeShooterMag]

There certainly are such add on lens attachments, from Panasonic's own (model number "VW-W4907H") to various third-party brands. Just look for "wide angle lens" with a 49mm screw thread. As to whether they're any good, unfortunately I have not tried any of them so I can't give you a reliable answer but there are several videos on KZbin testing such lens attachments out.

[@RossCorbett]

TubeShooterMag Thank you very much indeed for the link regarding the Panasonic attachment. I don't suppose I can ask one more question as I am a little stuck. The panasonic wide angle attachment you mention, how much wider would this make the X920? The X920 is around 29mm wide but I can't work out what it would then be with the attachment added? Thank you again for the great videos!

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hi. I believe it takes it to 22mm (35mm equivalent) instead of 29.8. Note that it will also, of course, trim your zoom range as well. There's a video here (not one of mine) that tests it on the x920's precursor, the x900: Panasonc VW-W4907H Wide converter test

[@RossCorbett]

TubeShooterMag That's great, thank you very much! 22mm is would be much more suitable. Thanks again.

[@dvdprodave54]

Great review! I own this camera, which I love, but I hate one aspect of it: when operating in manual exposure mode, and I need to brighten or darken the scene (for example, a cloud covers the sun in the middle of a shot), the exposure jumps from one level to the next, instead of gradually changing, as any lens with a physical aperture would do. The only work-around I've found is to operate in auto-iris mode, which is not a good idea for most shooting situations. Do you have any idea why this happens & any suggestions? (BTW, I use this for professional video shoots like corporate training videos, so to have the exposure jump in a jagged, stair-step fashion is not acceptable).

[@TubeShooterMag]

Thank you. It's been ages since I owned this camcorder so no great suggestions, alas. You're not adjusting gain instead of iris I suppose?

[@dvdprodave54]

No, I'm sure it's the iris I'm adjusting. The iris icon is highlighted, and the display changes from f/4.5 to f/5.6, for example. Another solution I came up with was to buy a variable-density ND filter, and leave the camera's iris wide open...adjusting the exposure with the filter's ring. Unfortunately, this is NOT a good solution indoors or under lower light conditions. The ND filter cuts out too much light even at its "least-dark" position.

[@TubeShooterMag]

It was a bit of a long shot suggestion :-( I don't really have a solution for you, sorry. It may simply be a limitation of a small consumer-grade camcorder.

[@universe4839]

Hey, nice review. Is this camera NTSC/PAL switchable? I ask this because on previous panasonic (and other brands) models you were stuck at 50p if you bought the PAL version. 50P/25P is in many cases a VERY unfortunate thing in this digital day and age where so much of the footage is to be uploaded on the web etc. Pretty much all pc screens run at around 60 Hz refreshrate which makes pal footage look jittery - not smooth like with 60p/30P footage. I am aware that you may still need to use pal when shooting under certain artificial light sources, because of the the 50 Hz mains frequency and all that. However, I do most of my filming outdoors and prefer 60p over 50p in all situations. Thanks.

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hi. The camera is not NTSC/PAL switchable. Be aware if intending to do any footage for playback on DVD (normal video DVD that is, on a telly) that you'll need to use the appropriate frame rate for the country you're in otherwise the playback will be choppy (eg rendering 30/60fps footage down to 50i for DVD will give a jumpy look due to effectively dropping one frame in every 6)

[@universe4839]

TubeShooterMag Thanks for your answer! Yeah, I'm aware of the DVD thing, but I won't be burning my high definition footage to video DVD anyway. It kinda boggles my mind that camcorder manufacturers still choose to make their cameras PAL/NTSC exclusive. There's just so many instances in today's digital age where NTSC frame rates are so much more practical. The tiny action cams out there usually are switchable, I don't see why camcorders should be any different.

[@turnikmdfmds]

HI, you can switch ntsc/pal on hc-x920 on the service menu: 1. Have the camera turned ON. 2. Hold the "Zoom lever" to W. 3. Hold down the Intelligent auto button [iA]. 4. Hold down the Optical Image Stabilizer button [O.I.S]. 5. Keep holding all 3 controls for 3s until the Service Menu appears. 6. Use the "BAK" control, down the bottom-left, to jump up a menu level. 7. Now you'll be on the "FACT MENU". Use the Down arrow at the bottom to select "NTSC PAL SET" and then press "SET" down the bottom. 8.Switch between NTSC & PAL on this menu and press SET when you're finished. 9.Go in the normal SETUP Menu and use FORMAT MEDIA to reformat/reinitialise the SD card. Example video instruction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWS7iaqGd8plp80m25s

[@Delorean29]

Is manuel focus possible in app for Panasonic HC-X920 in Iphone 4??

[@TubeShooterMag]

Don't know, sorry.

[@JWalking]

good review, thank you. though i would steer well clear of the words 'professional' !!. Colour space is equally important and with only a 4:2:0 colour space, no professional would (by choice) consider any such camcorder for post production. I own this camera and AVCHD doesn't grade well.

[@TubeShooterMag]

I take your point but I don't necessarily agree. "Professional" does not of itself imply that someone is needing or wishing to do much in the way of post-production. There are many professional instances where the ability to withstand grading is not required. For example I work a lot in TV news and there's almost no post-prod at all! Whatever's shot goes straight to air; in decent light this little camera has acceptable quality for many scenarios where a larger "pro" (!) broadcast camera might be obtrusive. And of course, the EBU accepts 4:2:0 as broadcast quality for news. Equally, I know many corporate video producers who would be quite happy with the output from the x920 (albeit probably mixed in with other cameras) and don't need to muck about with heavy grading. They too are professional users! Ditto wedding videographers. Not everyone professional is going for the film look or heavily-treated broadcast.

[@dharmiksoni2896]

you can upload the video of camer's setting it will nice for me and others? And one question wich battery you have buy that gives 5 hours .... and its midel no..and then pls upload that video of settings of panasoni hc-x920 And nice job and great and thank you for uploading this video

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hi, I'm not sure what you want in a video of the camera's settings because they would depend on what you're shooting and in what sort of conditions (and how experienced with the camera you are as to how much manual control you're willing to use). The large battery I have bought for it is made by Hahnel; model number HL-N390. I will be doing a review of this battery on my other KZbin channel, kzbin.info soon. After testing, I found it gives just under 4 hours of actual recording time.

[@dharmiksoni2896]

thank you for reply and i was just telling to upload video of settings i have studio here and i was asking about settings and i want to buy thi camera this camera for m home and upload the video of battery and what is the price of it

[@TubeShooterMag]

Sanjay Soni Soni Here's the link to the battery review: Hahnel HL-N390 camcorder battery review

[@kazcnepj]

Nice review, I am also having problems connecting some of the wifi settings. Have you found any tricks that may help? Thank you,Jeff

[@TubeShooterMag]

I must admit I gave up on connecting it to the WiFi as it was so infuriating. I did briefly connect to Panasonic's Lumix Club via my iPhone (!) but it was slow and clunky. Sorry Having said that, I have a new router turning up on Monday so as part of fiddling about with that, perhaps I'll give the x920 another go and I'll update you if I have any joy.

[@TubeShooterMag]

Pleased to say the camcorder will now connect to the new router and I even had it streaming via Lumix Club to Ustream.tv. It is an incredibly tedious and painstaking process though. Can you specify exactly what problems you had? Otherwise your query is a bit vague and I can't offer any specific help.

[@kazcnepj]

TubeShooterMag I finally made a wifi connection for Home Cam. Like you said it is a very tedious and painstaking process. I haven't tried Ustream yet. Overall, after spending some time with the X920 I find it to be an excellent all around camcorder.

[@TubeShooterMag]

kazcnepj Glad you got it sorted. I think I'm going to make a WiFi tutorial video for this camera.

[@kalle0264]

Does it have steady shot

[@TubeShooterMag]

It has Panasonic's version of stabilisation, yes (Steady Shot is a Sony trademark I believe)

[@leonidtsvitman4318]

Very nice review

[@TubeShooterMag]

Thank you!

[@RobYoungberg]

Also, two more questions: for some reason, I've seen people say that this camera has 24p, but it doesn't have 24p, right? Only 60p? Just making sure. And now that you have had the camera for a few months, what do you think? Have any more likes or dislikes/pet peeves arisen since you made this review? I'm torn between this and a Canon G20/G30, Panasonic v720, or whatever Sony has that may be comparable, if anything... Thanks!

[@TubeShooterMag]

[EDITED - please see Geoff's clarification re 24p below, with many thanks to Geoff for his observation]. My pet peeves are the mess of the icons on the display and the lack of on-screen magnification when focusing (to help as part of focus assist). The Auto White Balance can be a bit dodgy at times. But as a great handheld point-and-shoot with great pictures and manual controls when you want them, for the price I don't think it can be beaten. The Canon G20 is a much less featured camera; the G30 is better and more comparable but more costly than the x920. The V720 doesn't have the manual focus ring (actually I think the V720's now been replaced by the V750 which is an interesting camera in its own right, has a number of novel features but whether they're of use to you depends what you want to film)

[@RobYoungberg]

Thanks. I decided to buy the x920. $750 on Amazon is a very hard deal to beat. Thanks for your comments.

[@TubeShooterMag]

***** Great, hope you have fun with it!

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Hello regarding the question about 24fps. This can be achieved in digital cinema mode, first you have to make sure that the zoom is set to 12X then the cinema mode will appear within your menu to which your film will now be shot at 24fps, hope this is useful to you.

[@TubeShooterMag]

Crikey, that's good info; I wasn't aware of that (and it's not clear in the manual other than saying motion may not appear smooth). Thanks. Be aware that on the UK spec version, it appears to be 25fps, not 24.

[@RodionZonov]

hi! thanks for the video! Tell me please,this camera can record only at 50p? 24p can?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Rodion Zonov The PAL version of this camcorder can shoot either 50p or 50i - the former can easily be rendered to 25p. The NTSC version shoots 60p or 60i. Neither shoots 24p though.

[@RodionZonov]

thanks!

[@GingerSpiceOfficial]

Hello, I know I'm late with my comment, but why not give it a shot maybe you'll answer. Ive already bought the Panasonic HC-X920 and I must say the camera is excellent in all of its aspects (the only place it lacks is low-light situations, but even that can be fixed with the right attention to detail. What seems to happens is, the quality of the videos decreases dramatically when I export it onto my computer. I have a Mac and I've tried 2 different methods of uploading it into my Final Cut X. The first is by using the import video option in the FCPX and the other was using iPhoto. In both instances the result was decreased quality (specs of noise, and less sharp image). So my question is, am I importing wrong? is my recording format incorrect? or is the camera just bad (highly doubt its that)? I also own a PC, but so far I haven't even found a proper way to import camcorder footage. Any reply would be much appreciated, from anyone with knowledge on this matter. Thanks in advance!

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hi. Definitely don't bother with iPhoto. Do use the import option in FCP. Unfortunately I don't use FCP so I'm going to have to guess a little here but are you importing the footage without any transcoding or is FCP trying to transcode into something else? Also, how do you know the footage is worse on computer ie what are you comparing that with? (Eg playback on TV or what?) Finally, does FCP have a "preview quality" option that shows playback in a rougher quality than it actually is, in order to speed up playback? Many editors do.

[@GingerSpiceOfficial]

+TubeShooterMag Thank you for replying so fast, I have checked my settings a bit more in-depth and I've fixed the quality, but if you don't mind I have another question. If you have a PC (if you do not disregard this question) and use Adobe Premier, how do you import videos from this camera?

[@TubeShooterMag]

I do have a PC but do not use Premiere. However, I believe Premiere has an import function to correctly bring in the footage just as FCP and many others do. For the benefit of anyone else reading this comment thread, would you post a line or two explaining how you sorted your issue?

[@ktetcie59]

How have you this adapter ? I have the hc-x800 and it doesn't have adapter...

[@TubeShooterMag]

ktetcie59 Not sure which adapter you mean?

[@ktetcie59]

adapter for video mic on the side of this camera ...TubeShooterMag o

[@TubeShooterMag]

ktetcie59 Oh, the cold shoe? It comes supplied with the camera. Perhaps Panasonic didn't include it with the earlier model.

[@locomotive67]

very bgood ,got 1 on order..

[@iLLexian]

looking at this and the sony pj540. Think im going for that since it produces better still images, has a really nice stabilization feature, and that projector is pretty cool(but probably sucks, lol). Also the Sony is $200 cheaper

[@TubeShooterMag]

Must admit, I've never really looked at the quality of the stills on the x920. Sony's camcorders are renowned for superb Balanced Optical Steady Shot so you can't go wrong with that. Just doesn't have such easy to use manual controls (I think there's a small control dial?)

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hmm, I'm assuming you pasted a link in there - KZbin has stripped it out so I don't know which page you're referring to. Can you message me directly in KZbin or tweet me (@tubeshootermag) with the link?

[@paulallenMacca]

I didn't think 25X was digital and it is called Intelligent Zoom.I find mine goes out of Focus sometimes when I'm filming Buzzards in the Sky and takes a while to get in Focus again.

[@TubeShooterMag]

A long time ago since I had that camcorder so I don't quite remember but as I recall it's not optical but is constructed digitally from a sensor crop and interpolation but I'm a bit hazy on it now.

[@TubeShooterMag]

And yes, most camcorders don't film stuff in the sky very well. You may be better setting focus manually to infinity or several hundred metres (assuming the buzzards are some distance away)

[@paulallenMacca]

Thanks for the info i would think it would be hard to manually focus on a Buzzard in the sky as i don't want to lose track of it.

[@TubeShooterMag]

+Paul Allen Sure but at that distance your camcorder is basically only going to give you focal ranges in the order of many metres; once you've gone past 100m or so, it's all much the same so by setting it to max (perhaps slightly back off infinity but only just) you should find it stays in focus. Give it a try!

[@paulallenMacca]

Thanks for the info so you mean in Manual Focus setting it to maximum Focus,I'm considering buying the new Panasonic HC-VXF990 when it comes out i see its got 20x Optical Zoom,on my X920 i usually use 25X Intelligent Zoom but hardly ever use the 40X Digital Zoom on it.Im glad the 990 has a Viewfinder as the 970 didn't.

[@nerdMike]

I thought it was a better sensor with F1.5. But into a normal room with only artificial light if I go manual it apply 9/12db of gain at maximum aperture! Really? I get better result with my dslr at F3.5. Also is not manual, if I set the iris and go to change the shutter it change automatically the iris I setup. Why?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Your DSLR has a much, much bigger sensor to collect the light. The x920's 3 chips are absolutely tiny.

[@GamingWithChina]

So which camera would u recommend to me? I do gaming/real life comedy videos and was thinking between the canon 70d, panasonic hc-x920 and the hc-vx870. I'm still thinking between dslr and camcorder, cuz the dslr looks better (in my opninion it gives more of a movie look) but the camcorder is more practical i guess (because of the 30 min recordring limit and overheating issues with dslr's) i also have the sony a7000 (actually it's from my mother but i just use it) the problem with that is just that it has no flipscreen and overheats in like 10 mins so that's really frustrating. But which one would u recommend me or do you have a 'better' camera in mind?

[@TubeShooterMag]

GwC It's too complex a question to simply give you an answer. It depends on your expertise, your personal preferences, the type of material you're filming etc. Suggest you watch my "which camcorder is best?" video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHyqnoCvlLWbrcU

[@jean-gabrielclermont-tonne2475]

Super video ! Merci bien ! ;))

[@gabaktech]

can u use WIFI to transfer file to ur pc?

[@TubeShooterMag]

***** No. It's all explained in the manual under the section marked "WiFi"

[@gabaktech]

TubeShooterMag have you tried to buy one of those WIFI SD CARD so you can do that at any camera? maybe that is the way

[@TubeShooterMag]

***** I've not tried those. If I've got the camcorder and the PC near enough to each other to be on the same WiFi network, I'd probably use an old-fashioned USB cable or just take the SD card out and put it in the PC!

[@silkynitro]

TubeShooterMag On face value how would you compare the new HV-WX970 to HC-x920? Will you be reviewing the HC-WX970 any time soon. I'd like to know is it worth the waiting till April thanks I was about to buy the X920 then I came across the 4k WX970 it won't arrive in Australia till about April, it's about the same price unless the x920 drops in price because of this new model. Cheers Phil

[@gabaktech]

silkynitro you can buy FZ 1000 it has 4k

[@VGJ]

Do you have any idea if this would be an appropriate step up for someone currently using a Panasonic SD90? I have used this camera for 500 plus youtube videos and it's brilliant. Seems to do a lot of things to assist me and really is a point and shoot camera. But I want something of a higher quality but still with the same levels of 'assist' because I know very little about the actual mechanics behind how to shoot the best video. I like the look of this video, especially for what looks to be the manual focus feature on the ring lens. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you look at my channel it's mostly controlled environment work in a well lit room with touchscreens (like some of your own videos).

[@TubeShooterMag]

***** Hi. It would certainly be a step up but I'd hold off a sec if I were you; the world of KZbin - tech reviewing especially - is going "4K" and although in many senses it's complete overkill, it does have a couple of advantages worth considering:- 1) It's definitely the future; 4K TVs are big now, there's lots of streaming in 4K etc so if you're buying a camcorder now, you need to consider 4K 2) Shooting in 4K even if you render and upload in HD means that you can crop in to the image (to a 1920x1080 section) without losing any resolution, effectively giving you a superb instant-zoom in the edit - ideal for tech reviewing where you shoot with a single camera but then gain two levels of shot (wide and close up) Since Panasonic's about to bring out the VX870 4K cam for £699, I'd wait and see how it looks. I've got one on order and will be reviewing here and on my kzbin.info channel. It does lack the manual focus ring (albeit it has a crummy thumbwheel) but for the price I suspect it may be unbeatable much as the x920 was...

[@spijkerpoes]

got here by accident... ..immediately recognised the voice! gaha!

[@TubeShooterMag]

Ain't KZbin a marvellous thing?!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Hi. I'm tempted to get this camera for use on review You Tube videos. I'll be indoors and the lighting can sometimes be a bit hit and miss but I really want to eliminate grainy pictures and have something to plug my lapel microphone into. Will this suit?

[@TubeShooterMag]

Hi. Whether the mic will work depends on the mic. Professional ones may require 48V "phantom power" which the x920 does not supply; consumer ones may require a couple of volts of plug-in power (which the x920 does offer) or none at all. As for grainy pictures, low light is a problem for all cameras even professional ones so the more light you can use the better. In particular of course, make sure the light is falling on your subject rather than around it or in the background as that will only confuse the camcorder and result in silhouettes and grainy horridness. Having said that, the Panasonic is as capable as any other consumer camera - indeed, arguably better - at dealing with low light, so you wont' get any better for the price, let's put it like that. I would thoroughly recommend investing in a couple of cheap lights though, see for example the Yongnuo LED300 (and get some cheap NP-F batteries to power it) - see our review at Yongnuo YN300 LED review and test

[@TubeShooterMag]

Incidentally, I took a look at your most recent upload; nicely produced apart from the sound. I know you acknowledge the issue but compared to the volume of the theme, you're inaudible. What's weird is that once I cranked my loudspeakers up full, the audio wasn't bad at all. Surely you can boost it in the edit?

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

We'll my issue is that there is a fair amount of background noise from outside so my Yeti Mic that I've been using so far was on Cardioid mode. However I'm still picking up a high pitched whine when I'm not making any noise and the louder i record at, the louder that whine is. If I can work out why that is and get rid of it, I can up the gain. This is why I grabbed a cheap lapel mic as a test to see if that would eliminate it.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I found somewhere a deal where one of these cameras was supplied with a Rode Video Pro Mic on top of it. This is why I looked up your review, as I thought maybe that will work wonders if I can spare the funds. . . . . Though I am vat registered in a business! :-)

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Though saying that - I just found out Panasonic are releasing 5 new models this March. The V750 and W800 (?) seem to be the main highlights and the V750 is supposed to be a really cool device for around £570, so a fair whack cheaper than the £700+ for X920 though I can obtain one with that Pro Mic and other cool bits and bobs for £750 inclusive.

[@jack0342]

Will a MacBook Air 11inch handle it? Someone reply please

[@TubeShooterMag]

You need to be more specific. What age of Macbook? What spec (memory, processor)? What software to edit? No-one can make any sensible judgement on your system by the description given.

[@miharttt]

Great!

[@PassionCreativity]

can i record in 24 or 25p ?

[@TubeShooterMag]

DoThe Netherlands The PAL (European) model shoots 25p. It does not offer 24p.

[@TubeShooterMag]

***** Not unless you're obsessed by filming in a particular standard.

[@RitmoAntiyanoDiferente1]

Sir where can i update this camera?

[@TubeShooterMag]

In what sense? Firmware? Try Panasonic.com

[@RitmoAntiyanoDiferente1]

thank you did you update the firmware?i cannot find any update

[@TubeShooterMag]

I did not update the firmware when I had this camcorder but I sold it a long time ago.

[@RitmoAntiyanoDiferente1]

sir do you have problem with the audio?when u use a external mic?ihave a problem when i use a external mic,the sound is empty no bass only treble

[@TubeShooterMag]

No, no problem. It sounds more like a mic issue than the camcorder to me.

[@MrFalliorsLife]

What is the BEST handheld camera you can reccomend that has the best quality and realistic as possible color that isn't so grainy looking in lower light as say a sony handycam? I'm looking for a camera to do normal stuff with, like vlogging, filming pets, filming trips such as disney world whenever I get a chance to do that. I really love the easy to use sony cx230 handycam I have, but it REALLY sucks in low light. The camera in your video here seems to be one of the best low light ones I've seen, but I'm not sure if it's the best camera overall. Perhaps I may have to get 2 cameras, this one for low light, and another for all other purposes if I have to. In this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/joqVoq2Lj7atg8k You can kinda see what I mean about the grainy part, it's not too bad, but it has that much grainy look with a decent amount of light in the room.

[@TubeShooterMag]

MrFalliorsLife That's a very broad question because you haven't given any indication of budget. The best possible cameras would be things like Arri Alexas and Red Epics (!) but I guess you mean in the "normal" consumer handycam range... It's also very broad to label all "sony handycam" as grainy. They've made many different camcorders over the years, with different levels of performance. Generally speaking, they're on a par with their peers from Panasonic, Canon, JVC et al so it's unreasonable to single Sony out particularly as grainy in low light. The simple fact is that ALL small-sensor consumer-type camcorders will be poor in dim conditions, that's a result partly of their tiny sensors and partly their low cost lenses. Now that said, the Panasonic x920 is very good in low light for its price. Pay about double for Sony's CX900 and you get a much better performance (albeit that that camera has several irritating niggles, which we list in our review). Canon's HF-G30 is also good (for a small camcorder) in low light. If you're willing to put in the effort to learn how to use one, and deal with the ergonomic difficulties that it presents, then the best low light performer will be one of the many DSLR stills cameras that shoots video. But as I say, they're generally quite unergonomic, awkward to use compared to a camcorder and have terrible audio.

[@MrFalliorsLife]

TubeShooterMag So by the sounds of it, the Sony CX900 would be the best for me. Though in your review of that camera I didn't really understand what you considered negatives for it.

[@MrFalliorsLife]

TubeShooterMag Ok, that clears up a bit with the clear image zoom thing. Though, i'm wondering, why do your 2 videos under that topic have a bit messed up quality when you were videoing? There were particles all over the place with each step you took, and my 230x camera doesn't even do that. I hope the original video before you edited, rendered and uploaded doesn't do that. The auto exposure being too high is most likely a sony handycam problem since mine does the same, but who knows, there could be a few handycam's out there that actually have the problem fixed. That seems to be the only thing that would actually bother me is the particle problem on your videos and stabilization. Maybe next year they might come out with a 2015 handycam that's even better? I mean, it's not like I have the money for it now, but if I find a camera that fits all my needs and is amazing quality even in lower light, then I would have no problem shelling out 1500 for one.

[@TubeShooterMag]

MrFalliorsLife I've no idea what you mean by "particles all over the place". I don't see any particles. New camcorders and improved technology are released each year so there will undoubtedly be an alternative in another year's time.

[@TubeShooterMag]

MrFalliorsLife I'm not offended just trying to establish what you mean. So, you've now defined "particles all over the place" as "blur". OK - yes it is blurred but just look at how much motion there is going on while I'm walking (without any stabilisation switched on). I'm not surprised it's blurred - it would be odd if it wasn't. Indeed, if each frame were crisp with that much motion, it would look all jerky and staccato. In the other video you reference, the motion is in a car which, although lumpy, will be smoother than me bouncing up and down as I walk on a muddy path. I also suspect that that video is using the Active steadyshot in that sequence hence it will be smooth.

[@mitsubishi777]

Your accent is posh.

[@TubeShooterMag]

It is, yes.

[@user-vt5pm7kr8q]

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