2015-04-16T21:00:00
Rated 3 out of 5
Hold on now!
I bought my HC-V130 to replace an HC-V201 that I had dropped and thought I ruined. The HC-V130 is in no way capable of replacing the 201. There is no (though they allude to it) 60p recording mode. The Izoom you would expect to take you to 75X fairly well (after all it's 50X optical) does about as well as the 201 at 100X well beyond the Izoom range of 72X. This is a huge issue when trying to match already canned footage.
Luckily, my 201 is feeling a little better and I can use the 130 for wide angle reference and supporting angles. But I assumed I would have two good strong streams to go to if the 201 lived, no such luck. Now I have to plan every shot and anticipate potential slo-mo with a mind toward the capabilities of the weaker camera. Meanwhile, the HC-V201 gets harder and harder to find. Sorry Panasonic, it seems clear why you made this change, an obviation not worthy of your company's stellar reputation.
WRQ9
