Price: $797.99
(as of Dec 20, 2024 12:04:09 UTC - Details)

Equipped with a 20x Optical Zoom LEICA Dicomar lens and 5-axis Hybrid Optical Image Stabilization function, the Panasonic 4K Ultra HD Camcorder HC-VX981K brings simplicity to the 4K recording experience. It adds in-camera editing solutions such as cropping, panning, zooming and subject tracking stabilization that can enable anyone to capture and produce content without the need for complex software. An innovative HDR mode captures clear shots with excellent detail in both bright and dark areas. The Wi-Fi functions make the camcorder competent in a variety of tasks: remote shooting and view via the Panasonic smartphone app, picture-in-picture style video recording with your smartphone as a sub camera. For those without a 4K display option, the HC-VX981K offers in-camera down sampling to 1080p displays for convenient playback. Connectivity technology: USB: 2.0 Hi-Speed, HDMI: Micro, Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n. Motion Image 4K: 8.29 megapixels [16:9], Full-HD: 6.10 megapixels [16:9] (Level Shot Function OFF or Normal).
Get in Close and Detail: 18.91 Megapixel MOS sensor plus 20x Zoom LEICA Decomar Lens (4.08-81.6 millimeter), plus 5-axis Hybrid O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)
1/2.3-Inch BSI Sensor: The Back Side Illumination Sensor has a large effective area with 8.29M effective pixels, suppressing noise even when shooting in dimly lit conditions. Image Sensor is 1/2.3-inch BSI MOS Sensor
4K Recording and In-Camera Editing: Ultra-sharp 4K Ultra HD recording, plus in-camera editing for 1080p displays; Total Pixels 18.91 megapixels, still image 7.00 megapixels [3:2], 8.29 megapixels [16:9], 6.22 megapixels [4:3]
HDR Movie Feature: Exclusive high-dynamic range feature suppresses blown highlights and blocked shadows for crisper and clearer videos
Wireless Twin Camera: Wirelessly connect your smartphone's video camera as a sub-camera for a picture-in-picture video effect.Recording Format:JPEG (DCF/Exif2.2)
Reviewer: Billy Griffin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Works Great!
Review: Great little 4K cameras for the price! We use these as extra b-roll cameras for various angle shots for weddings, live events, etc. - and the image quality is quite impressive. I do wish they had a true 4K video output of normal HDMI size and not a micro HDMI, as you can't record and output at the same time when set to 4K resolution.

Reviewer: George Hooper
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Case for an Awesome Camcorder
Review: 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

Reviewer: Chris Holcombe
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good Camera. Good Video Quality.
Review: This is an all around great camera. Easy to use with great picture quality especially when shooting mp4 50mbps. 4K is good as well, but I mostly shoot in 1080p then upscale to 4K in post production. Battery life is pretty good. You can charge the battery as you use the camera. Open the flip out screen and it's ready to record. So convenient. The touch screen is not s responsive as I would like, but it is still good enough. Overall, great little camera. I read reviews and weighted my options over a month before I bought it. Best camera out of about 5 that I compared it to at about the same price.

Reviewer: Ken
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Side camera is over hyped, just my opinion
Review: Bought it, spent a week evaluating it, and returned it.For about 3 years I've used a pair of Canon HD cameras, the SX 710 HS (pocket camera with 30X optical zoom) and the SX 60 HS Powershot Bridge camera (65X Optical zoom, resembles a small DSLR). I bought the SX 710 to be a complete replacement for a much earlier Canon slightly smaller in size to the SX 60. I learned quickly that the LCD screen on the 710 gets washed out in sunlight and can't be tilted. It's very useful for much of my needs and the pocket size is convenient. But it can't be counted on during daylight, so I bought the SX 60. I never thought I'd need two cameras but I'm very happy toting both when needed using each camera where it works best.I say all this only to explain my environment as I began looking into upgrading to 4k video and photo technology. I’m very much a point and shooter generally using everything set to automatic. The Canons I own now and whatever I purchase will provide much more technology and capability that I will ever use.As I got familiar with what's available today my desirable features became1.) 4K video/photo technology2.) better image stabilization although my Canons are very good at that3.) 1.0 image sensor to get more detail and better low light results4.) and at least 15X Optical Zoom (for my purposes anything over about 12X optical generates nothing more than bragging rights!).Now, on to the HC-WXF991K. I rated the camera overall higher than my comment would suggest. That probably is fair as some of what made me return it had to with personal preference as opposed to product deficiencies. Here we go:1. The owner’s manual drones on about the dangers of leaving the battery installed when the camera is not in use indicating that there is always a minimal battery drain that could result in permanent damage to the battery. I don’t know if there is anything unique about this camera that warrants the ominous warnings, and I get not leaving a battery in a camera long term unattended. But the way it was worded made me wonder if I should remove the battery when walking away from the camera overnight. If that’s the case then Panasonic needs to resolve that.2. The camera has two low light technologies: Very Low Light and Infrared. Very Low Light mode produces a noticeably brighter image on the LCD and might be useable to take photos without a flash where one would expect to use a flash. But when taking movies in Very Low Light mode it produces movies with most of the frames missing creating very jerky (unuseable) movies. The owner’s manual describes this as missing a few frames, but that’s a great understatement. Infrared turns the image green as you would expect. But part of the lens hood is directly in front of the infrared lamp preventing the lamp from reaching part of what the camera can see. The resultant shadow is very obvious in the infrared image on the LCD screen.3. The video light comes on as the ambient light gets lower REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE ACTUALLY RECORDING A VIDEO. Being behind the camera you may not know that it’s on wasting battery charge and irritating people in front of it. The video light can be set to ON/AUTO/OFF but that setting is not user friendly. First if you use the camera in Auto mode, as I would most of the time, the video light is forced to AUTO and can’t be changed! Second, the Owner’s Manual leads you through the menu screens to where this setting is SUPPOSED TO BE, but it isn’t there. I did stumble onto it while rummaging around through the menu structure, but it was nowhere near where the Manual sent me. I suspect this is a case of the manual not keeping up with changes made to the logic inside the camera.4. I frequently use my SX 60 HS while walking holding it in front of me about belly button height with the LCD screen angled to avoid direct sunlight. When I try this with the HC-WXF991K I find that the wrist strap can’t be used because of the wrist angle that would be required if you held the camera as I just described. So I cradle the camera in my right hand, hold the LCD in my left hand to offer some stability. With my hands in these positions the record start stop button is impossible to reach. To me this says that I’m just not suited for a camera in a camcorder configuration as the record button is correctly positioned with the wrist strap in use and the camcorder held up to the eye. So this is a personal preference issue and not a product deficiency issue. Nonetheless, it’s part of the reason I returned the item.5. The rotatable side camera built into the LCD screen was supposed to be a big plus for this camera. I envisioned being able to take candid photos or movies of people next to me. The amount of screen space on the LCD (and thus the recorded PIP video) can be set to two sizes…very small and very, very small. You can’t make the side camera image the main image on the screen, and you have no zoom in/out capability with it. When the side camera is pointed at the camera operator the camera needs to be held well forward of the operator (uncomfortably so) in order to get his entire face into the side camera image (no zoom out). When the side camera is pointed at the person next to you the camera needs to be move so close to that person as to invade his/her personal space (no zoom in). I’d suggest that if this is an important feature to prospective buyers they should experience the usability before buying, or at least be prepared to be disappointed. For my purposes the side camera added no value.Along the way in making the purchase/return decisions I stumbled onto a YouTube video that was making the point that you probably can’t tell the difference between 1080P and 4K videos by watching them. The viewer didn’t know until later that pieces of the introduction to that video were shot in intermingled segments recorded at 1080P. 4K, and even 720P resolution. Armed with that knowledge the intro was replayed and the speaker identified which pieces were recorded at which resolution. I still couldn’t tell the difference! I’ll tell you that I watch football game replays using NFL GAMEPASS on a 75” television that is 4K capable. GAMEPASS streams games at 720P resolution. Those games to my eye look as good as the original HD broadcasts.You may THINK you can tell the difference by looking… and maybe you can. In my case the value of 4K recording is that I can crop down to maybe 20% of a 4K video, zoom in to blow that crop up to full screen. That crop will have enough pixels to approach HD resolution.Considering the downers noted above, and what little the HC-WXF991K added to my movie/photo tool bag, I felt that the $800 price tag was just too high to justify keeping it. Having returned it I bought the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 which I am currently evaluating. It is more or less pocket size but slightly larger than the Canon SX 710 HS I’ve been using. What it offers over the SX 710 HS is: 4K resolution, TOUCH LCD screen, Electronic View Finder, much larger image sensor, better stabilization. At $700 it’s pricey and lacks some of the features of the HC-WXF991K that I probably would find useful. But if it survives my evaluation I don’t mind paying for what I get. And with the EVF included I may be back to one camera. We’ll see.

Reviewer: E. Hoffman
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fantastic image and audio quality
Review: I bought this specifically to record my son's school concerts and for that task it's been amazing. Inside a school auditorium, from the way way back, the zoom and audio quality are fantastic, even just using the built-in microphone. Will upload a video if I can.

Reviewer: Nate Schlabach
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Best 4k camera for this price
Review: I love the simplicity of the zoom function and stability, works so well for the relatively low price

Reviewer: Satheesh Padmanabhan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Amazing Video Quality
Review: I usually don't give feed backs . But I want to say this is an amazing camera if you are looking for a semi professional 4 k clarity video camera . The quality of the video is amazing . The 4k Photos are also ok in quality . I use sony platinum editing software , even after editing ( 1080 /60i) format the video clarity is very good . This camera is very easy to use. By connecting a HDMI cable you can see the video in high clarity in a TV ( Panasonic ) . Wifi ok , nothing much to do with it . Only thing I did not liked is the size of the camera , it is very compact and very light weight . It is made in Malasia that is a good thing , not china . The material looks little cheap for the price . But the clarity of the video is excellent that is why I gave five star . This description in Amazon says editing software included , but sorry that is a wrong information , there is no editing software included . You can use Movavi or Sony Platinum software for editing in PC , and it is compatible with I Movie for mac computers . I highly recommend this video camera for every one .

Reviewer: technology topics Youtube channel
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Yo estuve buscando por mucho tiempo en reviews y al final decidí comprar esta que es una de las más caras en su categoría pero no le encuentro nada de espectacular. La cámara twin crei que podria usarla pero aun no veo en qué caso. El tamaño la hace parecer de juguete ya que es miniatura y da miedo tocarla porque parece que podría romperse al más mínimo toque. La batería incluida recargable solo dura 45 minutos en 4k.

Reviewer: John
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: First some background of what I am comparing it too. I am a YouTuber but also used many different camcorders and cameras over the years from very expensive to very cheap. I own a beautiful bridge camera that films in 4K and an older DSLR that films in 1080p. While they have good quality there is a lot to consider as camcorders are made just for that, to film while these other cameras are meant for picture taking and have limitations depending on what you are doing. Some will overheat and you also have to deal with maximum filming times, lenses and lots of adjustment. I actually messed up some footage a couple times because of various issues, especially focus, whether manual or on auto.Panasonic make great quality products and one of my cameras is a Lumix. This 981 camcorder is no exception. It's light but does not feel cheap at all. It feels great and comes with everything you need. It's got great focus and the image stabilization is pretty good. Of course like any camera in the world, using a tripod is always your best bet but it still does a great job of handheld shot and if your uncle films the Christmas dinner with it, you won't feel sick watching it after.This camera is borderline prosumer because while out of the box the settings are perfect including the colors and highest quality recording. You can take it out and start recording right away without a care in the world except to set the date but there is also a manual mode to adjust your white balance, shutter speed etc. which again is just great for those who want to control all this.Some people complain about light They must have been filming in very dark places. Yes, this is a 1 over 2/3 sensor which is normal that you will need more light than a much bigger sensor. But I doubt you are comparing this to camcorders that are thousands of dollars, so this point is moot. The camera has a light integrated in it and if you leave everything on Auto it will work fine and turn on the light if you need it. If you want to use it on manual mode then it's expected that you know what you are doing and you will know how to set your shutter speed and light your scene so there is no reason in either case for it to be too dark. And of course outside you don't need light at all. On top of all that there is a Night Vision mode if you need to film at night or go on a Ghost hunt. It's all about the proper settings.I saw another review complain about sound. First if you do anything serious you should have a good mic plugged in or sound recorded separate. However, again this 981 surprised me with it's sound quality that was better than my two cameras and you can certainly use it as a backup if you are doing something serious and something goes wrong. But for everyday use it's fine and has an integrated windscreen, and again, check the settings; there is a speech, music, etc. which is something I have not seen in other cameras I own.Blurry backgrounds? Yes believe it or not. Just back up and zoom in to your subject. Of course you don't have the same control as a mirrorless or DSLR but you can still achieve this when you know what you are doing.What I don't like? Not much except that it did not come with a charger, only a cable to charge the battery in the camera. At this high price point a $10 item should have been included and even an extra battery. One other small thing is the touch screen. Maybe we are used to smartphone screens that respond very well but this requires a tiny bit more pressing and not as smooth but it works. Either way I only removed 1 star for all this.Only thing I cannot attest to is the editing features integrated because I like to edit in Adobe Premiere. However the features included are pretty amazing if you want to make something for home use and even has a fade in and fade out function for video.As a small bonus I got it from Amazon Warehouse deals and was extremely surprised and happy getting a $500 rebate (at time of purchase as price was a little higher) and when I received it everything was original in the box and cables and manuals sealed by manufacturer. Only the box had been opened and camera had been taken out and put back. I mean wow! So look for those they are really worth it and it works perfectly and I registered the warranty with Panasonic.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Love this camera it’s a 4K has all the features I’ve ever want from my YouTube channel

Reviewer: David A. Gibb
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Used for my research team. Still have not used many of its functions. But it is a great quality item