Panasonic HM-TA20 Pro Reviews

The Panasonic HM-TA20 is far from faultless and suffers from a chunky design and poorly implemented software. Still, if you have kids, are into water sports or just need a survive-all camcorder to take on holiday with you, it can be a reliable companion for your trips and is capable of producing decent looking videos and, if you shop around, can be found at a reasonable price.

Taken purely as a pocket Internet camcorder, Panasonic’s HM-TA20 is decidedly average. It shoots decent video, but apart from the built-in video light it doesn’t have a particularly class-leading feature set. It’s a different story when the headline features of waterproofing and shock resistance are taken into account. In this respect, the TA20 is clearly top of the pack, with the most confidence-inspiring locking mechanisms on the market, belying its budget pricing. So if you’re just after a pocket Internet camcorder, there may be alternatives with more fun creative options available, such as Sony’s Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20K. But if you specifically want a camcorder that can take a licking and keep on clicking, the Panasonic HM-TA20 should be top of your list.

It’s waterproof, plus video quality is good, but too many niggles for a recommendation.

As a knockabout, point-and-shoot video camera, we thoroughly recommend the HM-TA20. It's ideal for a family holiday where it might get dropped by the kids, or for a surfing trip where it'll get dumped in the water and thrown in with sandy clothes. It's not the last word in picture quality, but this kind of device isn't supposed to be. It does its job, which is to take decent footage in any condition.