Panasonic VX3 (HC-VX3) 4K Camcorder, Lightweight Video Camera, Record Memories and Moments That Last

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

Camera was an average cost to me. The product was in excellent condition. A couple parts were missing but the seller promised to replace them. I think the seller is an excellent business man.

I've only had this camera less than a day and I'm already impressed. Very stable and sharp focused. Auto-focus is fast and accurate! Color, exposure and zoom are phenomenal! I've tried two cheaper video cameras, and this puts them to shame. They were 4K and this 1080 camera is so much better. It's true. You get what you pay for! The app isn't great but the camera is amazing!

Overall, I think this is a great camcorder, great size, easy to use and the video quality has been awesome (thus the 5-stars in the separate categories). I am definitely not a pro and really just use it for recreation, so please make sure you read other reviews which will give you a better assessment on the video quality.The main reason I am writing this review is to "give someone a heads up" on a couple of things which is the reason why I only gave it 4-stars.I mainly use this camcorder to record my daughter's soccer games. Again, the video quality looks great. The issue that I am dealing with has to do with my current setup which may or may not apply to you. I decided to purchase a Hague Camera Support Aerial Mast System that has a "manual pan & tilt head" and extends about 20' in height. This will help get a better angle & coverage of the soccer field but requires you to use either wireless camcorder which this is or a field monitor with physical remote or LANC jack.Unfortunately, this camcorder doesn't come or have the ability of using a physical remote. Nor does it have a LANC Jack. Thus, you have to use the wireless link to your cell phone for you to use it remotely, which is extremely lagging and the delay from the camera to the phone makes this camcorder useless to record sports.I thought I could use field monitors like the Atomos Ninja and Atomos Shinobi, some of which can cost just as much as the camcorder itself but it still doesn't solve the issue. That brings up another issue but it sounds like this maybe an issue with most camcorders that shoot 4k. If you plan on using an external field monitor, this camcorder will not record/output 4k and will only allow you to record/output HD or 1080p.Last issue....Panasonic hasn't updated the firmware since it's release and that's truly unfortunate.As I stated, this camcorder is only an issue when I record soccer games using the aerial mast. It's great for all other things and truly think it's a great value. However, if I knew about this before; I would have gone with another camcorder that comes with either a physical remote or LANC jack. I would also make sure this is a product that gets it firmware updated as well.Hope that helps,Glenn

This is unbelievable. At first, I was a little annoyed that you have to pay so much for a camera that lets you set manual iris/focus/sound etc. But I finally but the bullet and paid 4x as much as a regular fully auto HD cam. I'm so glad I did. I just tested all of the fancy bells and whistles that I was skeptical about. Holy crap, they all work! I got this camera for recording my own concerts. The audio is on par with some of the field recorders out there. The 4k resolution means that I can leave this at a wide angle from across the venue and later in editing, zoom into my bandmates it as if it were a second and third camera. On top off all that, I don;t have to run out into the audience to press record right before the show and then run out after the show. I can control it from my phone (this is what I was sure wouldn't work properly but it did)! The wifi range isn't long enough for a large venue or festival, but you can tap into a wifi router which I already have on stage for our sound gear.I only got this camera because of it's manual control. Don't try shooting concerts with an automatic camera. The cameras don't understand stage lighting and it will look horrible unless it's a well lit outdoor show (of if the stage lights never change). Plus, they alway automatically focus on the stupid little toys and signs and beach balls that pop up from the audience. Manual settings solve all of that. You can get that with several different Cannon and sony cams for around the same price. But this camera absolutely CRUSHES it with the extra stuff. I am amazed.Tip: don't bother buying the expensive larger battery. Get a usb backup charger. The kind that you can use to power a phone or tablet. I have a heavy duty one that will outlast any camera battery. If you're using a tripod, you just rig up a place to put it and you're gold.

Ease of use and video quality is perfect for my projects.