Panasonic HC-V770 Review: Budget Video, Premium Features

Last updated on 2022-09-23
By Yvonne

Panasonic HC-7770 Review: Premium Video and Budget Features The Panasonic HC-7770 is a great video camera, with exceptional functionality. It was easy to use, and the microphone quality and Wi Fi features provided us with useful functionality.

Panasonic HC-V770 HD Camcorder

We like this

Excellent microphone
There are tons of Wi-Fi-based features
It is easy to use

The Things We Hate

Lackluster video quality
Video resolution max 1080p
It's not the best touchscreen

Although the HC-V770's price is not a selling point, it offers enough value to be a good choice for shoppers on a tight budget.

The Panasonic HC-V770 was purchased by us so that our expert reviewer could fully test it and evaluate it. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

Panasonic HC-7770 features a camcorder that is affordable and would make it a popular choice in 2015. The HC-V770 is at a crossroads today. In an age where 4K video is becoming more common, it's only a fraction of the cost that you can get 4K video with a brand-name camcorder. Is the HCV770 still worth buying today? Many buyers will answer yes. However, you need to carefully consider whether it is right for you.

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Features and Design: A small but useful

Although the Panasonic HC-7770 weighs in at 12.5 ounces more than other camcorders, it is still light compared with professional camcorders or DSLRs. The HC-V770 is still small and light enough to be easily packed away. Panasonic does not stray far from the standard body design found in most camcorders today. Anyone who has handled similar camcorders before will feel at ease with the HC-V770. There are some quirks that may be of interest, however.

The significant bump at the microphone is one of the most noticeable features about the Panasonic HC–V770. The zoom rocker and still-photo button are also located on top. The camera function wheel is located on the left. It is responsible for navigation through certain operating functions. Although we liked some of the functions provided by this wheel, it was not our favorite feature. The wheel offers some resistance but doesn't provide any feedback or clicks.

Although there are some issues with video quality, it offers a lot of useful features that amateur videographers can use without spending a fortune.

To the left of the lens is the headphone jack. A hinge covers it. The sliding door at the back of your device reveals the power source. The SD card slot is located behind a pivoting front on the bottom. To allow the attachment of many accessories, the rear camcorder has a shoe mount adapter.

To reveal the recording/playback buttons, the shoe adapter release lever and the level shot button, the Wi-Fi button.

As for the LCD touchscreen itself—you get 180 degrees of forward tilt (for self-recording) and 90 degrees of backward tilt (to do things like holding the camcorder over your head and filming above a crowd). We found that the touchscreen was slow to respond and required multiple press attempts to make it work. The menu system was already difficult and not our favourite layout.

There are many accessories available for buyers who want to increase the functionality of their Panasonic HC-V770. These accessories are not cheap. For example, a larger camcorder battery (VW–VBT380) will cost you around $120. However, there are cheaper options online. You will spend nearly $250 on a 0.75x wide angle conversion lens. The pocket-sized shotgun mic (VWVMS10K) costs about $100. This is all to say you can increase the functionality of the HC-V770, but it's not cheap.

Installation Process: It's as easy as pie

It is easy to set up the camera right out of the box. The included charger can be used to charge the camera. Once the SD card is inserted, you can start shooting. This is the only thing you'll need if you don’t like to mess with settings. It will require manual reading, menu searching, and a lot more precision for those who are picky.

For those who are concerned about video quality, the most important setting is to change recording modes. The default recording mode is very compressed when the camcorder first starts up. If you're a savvy user, there are many better choices. Below, we'll discuss all of the recording options in the software section.

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Quality of Videos: There is room for improvement

Panasonic HC-7770 has a 1/2.3 inch BSI MOS Sensor, which captures 12.76 megapixels. 6.03 megapixels of that are for video or photos. If you don't mind doing the math, a HD 1920 x1080 image takes approximately 2 megapixels and a 4K picture is 8.3 megapixels. So, what does Panasonic do with that additional sensor spec? The HC-V770 can only record at 1920 x1080.

The camcorder uses the additional sensor wiggle space to enable hybrid optical imaging stabilization (OIS). This combines normal optical stability with digital stabilization for more stable results. The camcorder also uses extra pixels to enable intelligent zoom. This allows the 20x optical zoom lens, with 50x magnification, to be extended without losing any of the pixel information.

The HCV770 has a slow motion video mode that records 1920 x 1080 footage at 120 frames a second (fps), and is interpolated to 240 fps before being played back at 60 fps. All this adds up in 0.25x slow motion which is definitely an excellent deal. However, slow motion videos are noticeably softened due to the amount of post-processing.

Slow motion video capture is not easy. Users must first enter slow-motion mode and press the button marked "slow" for the length of what they want to capture. You can choose up to 3 slow motion moments from a single video clip. After that, you will need to stop the capture and start again. Although it works well once you become used to it it is a slow-motion implementation by Panasonic.

Panasonic is not able to match the quality of their images, but they are able to make up for it with Wi-Fi connectivity.

Hybrid OIS image stabilization is very effective, and allows you to capture steady footage at almost every zoom level. You must ensure that you are still in the frame while filming. You may still feel a little shakey if you are walking.

Image quality is what matters most. The Panasonic HC-V770 does not meet this standard. Although the footage is usable, it's not as good as many other comparable options. The compression of the images made it difficult to see details in daylight scenes. Video quality is not sharp enough. This is especially noticeable at the edges, where there is a lot of detail lost.

Quality of the Photo: A little less than expected performance

Still images can be captured at 12.6 megapixels by the Panasonic HC-7770, using all of its full sensor. While the photos were slightly sharper than video, the overall performance is almost identical to that of the video. Although we don't think most people will buy these camcorders for still images, they should be able to meet your basic photography needs.

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Connectivity and Software: A useful but not intuitive

Panasonic does not score well in image quality but they do gain ground when it comes to Wi-Fi functionality. There are a lot of Wi-Fi-based functions that the HC-V770 can support.

Twin Camera displays an image sent from remote sources (like a smartphone), and then records it in addition to what the camera actually captured. Link to Cell allows you to control playback and recording from your smartphone. The Baby Monitor lets users set up their camcorder and send notifications to their smartphone whenever a baby cry. The Home Cam function is similar, and allows you to make the camcorder a security camera. You can transfer footage from the camcorder to your smartphone or computer via Wi-Fi. NFC is also supported.

This and many other functions can be used with the Panasonic Image App. It is not a great UI/UX/stability app. It is compatible with most Panasonic cameras. Users who own or have used other Panasonic camcorders and cameras will be comfortable using it.

These features have different value depending on the device and its interaction with the app. It covers many bases. File transfer, remote operations, file playback and much more are all covered. The app is confusing and difficult to use, we found.

There are many accessories available for the Panasonic HC-7770 that will enhance the functions of this model.

Pricing: Reasonably priced but not steal

The Panasonic HC-V770 would make a great recommendation for its $599.99 MSRP price, which is $100 more than Amazon. The camcorder is not a great buy due to its current specifications. To make better quality videos, users will need to pay more. The Wi-Fi suite offers great value for those who want to make 1080p video with a tight budget.

Panasonic HC-V770 vs. Panasonic HC-WXF991

The HC-5770 is twice as expensive, but you don't have to forgo the HC-5770. You can also consider the HC-799, Panasonic's 4K camcorder. The HC-WXF991 offers a unique feature: a smaller, swiveling second camera that attaches to the LCD screen. This allows you to simultaneously display picture-in–picture from a second angle. The HC-V770 is a different model and will cost you more.

Panasonic HC-WXF991 Camcorder Review

Final Verdict

Excellent features for the price.

The Panasonic HC-V770 camcorder is a reasonably priced model that provides a wide range of features that make it attractive for some buyers. Although there are some issues with video quality, the Panasonic HC-V770 is still a great camcorder for amateur videographers.