General Features
Video Camera Features
Still Image Recording
Battery Information
Inputs and Outputs Notes
Software And Computer Information
General Features
Recording Media: The Panasonic HC-X900M allows you to record
Full HD video and still images on the 32 GB built-in memory, or on optional SD/SDHC/SDXC
cards up to 64 GB. SD cards
with a Speed Class Rating of 4 or higher are recommended. The Relay Record
function allows you to continuously record a video to the SD card when there is
no more available space in the built-in memory.
3.5" LCD Touch Screen: The large 3.5" (16:9) LCD screen
provides excellent viewing clarity. Its Intuitive Touch Operation lets you zoom
in and out, and automatically focus when shooting still images by simply
touching the subject on the LCD screen. The 1,152,000-dot LCD screen rotates up
to 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles providing sharp and detailed images
for monitoring or playback. The LCD is 3D-compatible, allowing you to check the
3D effects of your 3D images right on the monitor.
Recording Formats: This camera captures video in the
following formats:
- MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 version 2.0: This recording format, commonly known as AVCHD
Progressive,
can record high definition quality images up to 1920 x 1080p. It is suitable for viewing on a
large format TV or for saving to a disc. You can also record in AVCHD
3D/Progressive when optional 3D lens is attached.
- iFrame: The iFrame format is suitable for playing back or edition
on a Mac (iMovie'11). Using iMovie'11, iFrame motion pictures can be imported
faster than AVCHD, and the imported file size is smaller than that of AVCHD.
3MOS System Pro Imaging System: The X900M's 3MOS System Pro uses
three 1/4.1" High Sensitivity MOS
sensors, each with 3,050,000 pixels. The X900M has a total pixel count of 9,150,000, with
2,190,000-2,070,000 x 3 effective pixels for recording 16:9 high definition video
and still images, 2,290,000 x 3 for 4:3 still images and 2,370,000 x 3 for 3:2 still images.
The Advanced 3MOS Sensor employs a pixel shifting technology to achieve the
equivalent of four times the pixel count of Full HD.
Lens: This camera features a Leica F1.5 (W) - F2.8 (T) lens with a
12x optical zoom, Auto Iris, and a focal length of 2.84mm to 34.1mm. The 35mm equivalent
focal length is 29.8mm to 368.8mm for 16:9 motion pictures and still images,
31.0mm to 372mm for 4:3 still images, and 29.8mm to 357.7mm for 3:2. The minimum
focus distance is 1.4" for wide angle, 4' for telephoto, and 0.4" for
Intelligent Auto Macro.
Optional Lenses: The lens has a filter diameter of 49mm,
which allows you to attach optional conversion lenses. The VW-CLT2 3D Conversion
lens has dual lenses to
capture the separate images that make up a 3D photo. You can also attach the
optional VW-W4907H Wide Conversion Lens to further extend (by 0.75x) wide-angle
shooting capability.
Intelligent Zoom: The camcorder has an Intelligent Zoom
(i.Zoom) function that goes up to 23x while maintaining high definition picture quality.
Intelligent Resolution technology lets you shoot at high zoom rates while
preserving image sharpness.
Digital Zoom: In addition to the 12x optical zoom, the
camcorder has a selectable
30x or 700x (total) digital zoom. Because the picture is processed digitally, the
picture quality deteriorates the more you zoom in. The power zoom lever can be
moved slightly for a slow zoom, or moved further for a faster zoom.
Intelligent Auto Mode: The Intelligent Auto (iA) mode
automatically sets the shooting mode that is appropriate for the condition when
you simply point the unit to what you want to record. Intelligent Auto Modes
include: Portrait, Scenery, Spotlight, Low Light, Night Portrait, Night Scenery,
Macro, and Normal.
Hybrid O.I.S.: Panasonic's Hybrid O.I.S. (Optical Image
Stabilization) uses five-axis correction to thoroughly suppress blurring
throughout the entire zoom range. It also achieves superb effects when shooting
while walking. With Hybrid O.I.S. you can capture crisp, clear images, without
blurring, in almost every shooting situation. The O.I.S. Lock function increases
the image stabilization sensitivity for maximum sharpness at extreme zoom
angles.
Face Recognition: Face Recognition is a function for finding
faces that resemble faces which have already been registered, and automatically
prioritizing focus and exposure for those faces. A maximum of 6 people can be
registered.
Illumination Requirements: The camera records video and
photos in normal mode at a standard illumination of 1400 lx. You can record at
1.6 lx in the Low Light mode (Scene Modes) and approximately 1 lx in the Color Night
Record mode.
White Balance Adjustment: You can set the
color balance to the brightness of the recording environment using the following
methods:
- Auto: The white balance is adjusted automatically
- Sunny Mode: for recording outdoors under a clear sky
- Cloudy Mode: for recording outdoors under a cloudy sky
- Indoor Mode 1: for recording indoors under incandescent lights and halogen
lamps
- Indoor Mode 2: for recording indoors under color
fluorescent lamps or sodium lamps
- Manual: You
can manually set the white balance using a white card or paper.
Manual Exposure: When automatic exposure settings fail to
give you the images you desire, you can manually set the shutter speed and the
iris/gain values. The Shutter Speed can be set between
1/60 and 1/8000 (1/30-1/8000 in Auto Slow Shutter mode) for movies and 1/2 to
1/2000 for still images. The Iris/Gain value can be set
between F16 and F1.7 (0 dB to 18 dB).
Focus Modes: The X900M focuses automatically for most
situations. When auto focus doesn't work, you can switch to Manual Focus and
rotate the multi manual ring surrounding the lens to manually focus on the subject.
5.1-ch Surround Microphone: The camcorder is equipped with a
5.1-channel surround microphone. The settings of the microphone can be adjusted
to the following modes:
- Zoom Mic: Recorded sound changes in directionality with
the zoom operation of the camera. Sounds near the front are recorded more
clearly if you zoom in, and surrounding sounds are recorded more
realistically if you zoom out.
- Focus Mic: The forward sound is recorded more clearly
by enhancing the directionality toward the center of the 5.1-channel
surround microphone.
- Stereo Mic: Sound from two directions is recorded in
2-channels by the forward-facing microphones.
Manual Ring: The camcorder includes a manual ring around the
lens for easy, fingertip control over the focus, zoom, white balance, shutter
speed and iris settings. The ring gives you a more intuitive, comfortable,
user-friendly feel than accessing a menu screen.
Shoe Adapter: The X900M includes a shoe adapter which slides
into a port on the side of the camcorder and locks into place. The adapter
allows you to mount optional accessories, such as the VW-LDC103PP Video DC
Light. The shoe adapter has no electrical contacts (cold), so any mounted
accessories must have its own power supply, if needed.
Video Camera Features
HD Video Recording: The X900M records Full HD motion images at
1920 x
1080 resolution onto the built-in 32 GB memory or an inserted SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card. The camera
records audio in Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio using the built-in surround microphone. If
the video is going to be uploaded to a Mac, it is recommended that it be
recorded in the iFrame format with 2-channel AAC audio (960 x 540 resolution).
Recording Modes: The HC-X900M gives you the choice of eight
recording modes; including iFrame and two 3D modes:
| Recording Mode |
Resolution |
Bit Rate |
Recording Capacity
32 GB Built-in Memory |
| 1080/60p |
1920 x 1080/60p |
28 Mbps |
2 hrs 40 min |
| HA |
1920 x 1080/60i |
17 Mbps |
4 hrs 10 min |
| HG |
1920 x 1080/60i |
13 Mbps |
5 hrs 30 min |
| HX |
1920 x 1080/60i |
9 Mbps |
8 hrs 20 min |
| HE |
1920 x 1080/60i |
5 Mbps |
13 hrs 40 min |
| iFrame |
960 x 540/30p |
28 Mbps |
2 hrs 40 min |
| AVCHD 3D |
1920 x 1080/60i |
28 Mbps |
2 hrs 40 min |
| SbS 3D |
1920 x 1080/60i |
17 Mbps |
4 hrs 10 min |
Quick Start: The camera will go into standby mode if you
close the LCD monitor or push in the viewfinder while the unit is powered on. When the LCD monitor is
reopened or the viewfinder is extended, the unit resumes recording mode/pause in approximately 0.6 seconds,
allowing you to start recording almost immediately.
Pre-Rec: The Pre-Rec mode allows recording of
pictures and sound to start approximately 3 seconds before the start/stop button
is pressed. This helps prevent you from missing a shot.
Fader: When you start recording, the image and audio will
gradually appear, and when you pause or stop recording, the image/audio
gradually disappear. You can select a black or white fader, or turn off the fade
mode altogether.
Playback Modes: During playback, you can choose the following
operations: Play/pause, rewind, fast forward, stop, skip forward, skip backward,
slow-motion, and frame-by-frame. Audio will only be heard during normal
playback.
Highlight Playback: You can take a video recording (AVCHD
only) and apply effects to enhance the playback. You can choose from Pop,
Natural, Classical, Dynamic, or Custom effects.
Recording 3D: With the optional 3D Conversion Lens attached,
you can record life-like and powerful 3D movies and still images. Movies are
recorded in AVCHD 3D or SbS (side-by-side) 3D formats, while still images are recorded in MPO
format. You can view 3D movies and images on the camcorder's LCD monitor, or connect the camcorder to a 3D-capable TV via HDMI.
2D-to-3D Conversion: 2D images can be easily transformed
into 3D images with the 2D to 3D Conversion function. The conversion function
uses the image processing capability of the Crystal Engine Pro processor.
Still Image Recording
Still Image Sizes: The X900M can record still
images in 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 aspect ratios. In addition, you
can create a still image from a recorded movie. The picture sizes are listed
below, along with the approximate number of recordable pictures on the 32 GB
built-in memory:
| Aspect Ratio |
Picture Size |
Recordable Pictures
32 GB Built-in Memory |
| 4:3 |
15.1M: 4480 x 3360 |
3,900 |
| 8.6M: 3392 x 2544 |
6,500 |
| 5.8M: 2784 x 2088 |
10,000 |
| 0.3M: 640 x 480 |
237,000 |
| 3:2 |
16M: 4896 x3264 |
3,700 |
| 8.6M: 3600 x 2400 |
6,500 |
| 6.1M: 3024 x 2016 |
9,000 |
| 16:9 |
14.7M: 5120 x 2880 |
4,000 |
| 8.3M: 3840 x 2160 |
7,000 |
| 5.8M: 3200 x 1800 |
10,000 |
| 2.1M: 1920 x 1080 |
26,000 |
Hi-Speed Burst: When the Hi-Speed Burst function is
activated, you can continuously record up to 180 still images at a rate of 60
frames per second. The picture size is 1920 x 1080.
Battery Information
Battery: This unit comes with the VW-VBN130
Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (7.2V / 1250 mAh / 9.0 Wh). An optional high-capacity battery for this camcorder
is the VW-VBN260 (7.2V/2500mAh). The battery can be charged in the camcorder
using the supplied VSK0732 AC adapter. The
playback and charging times is as follows (times in parentheses are when using
the LCD monitor):
| Battery Model |
Charging Time |
Recording Mode |
Maximum Continuous Recording Time |
Actual Recording Time |
| Supplied VW-VBN130 |
2 hrs 30 min |
1080/60p
AVCHD 3D |
1 hr 20 min
(1 hr 15 min) |
50 min
(45 min) |
| HA, HG |
1 hr 25 min
(1 hr 15 min) |
50 min
(45 min) |
| HX, HE, SbS 3D |
1 hr 25 min
(1 hr 15 min) |
55 min
(45 min) |
| iFrame |
1 hr 30 min
(1 hr 20 min) |
55 min
(45 min) |
| Optional VW-VBN260 |
4 hrs 30 min |
1080/60p
AVCHD 3D |
2 hrs 55 min
(2 hrs 35 min) |
1 hr 45 min
(1 hr 35 min) |
| HA, HG |
3 hours
(2 hrs 40 min) |
1 hr 50 min
(1 hr 40 min) |
| HX |
3 hrs 5 min
(2 hrs 40 min) |
1 hr 50 min
(1 hr 40 min) |
| HE, iFrame, SbS 3D |
3 hrs 5 min
(2 hrs 45 min) |
1 hr 55 min
(1 hr 40 min) |
Inputs and Outputs Notes
A/V Multi Output: This camcorder features a proprietary AV
multi connector output for use with the supplied A/V
multi cable (component video/composite video/stereo audio) for displaying the camera's contents on your television.
You can use either the component video plugs (red, green, blue RCAs) or
composite video plug (yellow) along with the stereo audio plugs (red, white RCAs)
to connect the camcorder to your TV. High definition images up to 1080i are
output using the component video plugs, and 480i standard images are output
using the component or composite plugs.
HDMI: You can output high definition video up to 1080p and
5.1-channel audio through the camcorder's HDMI output. A mini-HDMI to
HDMI cable is required to connect the camcorder to your HDTV. Connecting to a
3D-ready TV via HDMI cable is also required in order to view images converted
from 2D to 3D. When connecting to
a Panasonic VIERA Link (HDAVI control) compatible TV via HDMI, you can control
the camcorder's playback using the TV's remote control. The camcorder is
compatible with VIERA Link Ver.5 or earlier.
USB Port: The camera has a mini-USB version 2.0 jack for
connecting to a PC via the supplied USB cable. Connecting the camcorder
to a PC via USB allows the computer to access the information on the built-in
memory or an
inserted SD/SDHC/SDXC card. You will be able to download still images and video
files to your computer. You can edit and save your video files onto your computer, then make DVDs of
them using the software that is supplied with the
camera. The camera can also be used as an external storage device,
convenient for archiving, storing and transporting your videos and still images.
Microphone Input: A 3.5mm minijack input is provided for
connecting an external plug-in powered microphone. The level of the built-in and
the external microphone terminal is adjusted automatically, or can be adjusted
manually in the menu.
Headphone Output: A 3.5mm stereo minijack output (77mV, 32Ω)
allows you to connect headphones for monitoring the audio during video
recording or playback.
Software And Computer Information
Included Software: The camera includes HD Writer AE 4.1, which is compatible with Windows operating system only.
With HD Writer AE 4.1, you can:
- copy data to a PC (including 3D motion pictures)
- copy in BD/AVCHD format (except iFrame scenes) including 3D motion
pictures, or DVD-Video format (3D converted to 2D)
- edit movies
- share movies online
- play back movies on a PC
Computer Requirements: HD Writer AE 4.1 works with the
following Operating Systems:
- Windows 7 (32-bit/64-bit): Starter, Home Basic,
Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate (Service Pack 1) (includes 3D
playback function)
- Windows Vista (32-bit): Home Basic, Home Premium,
Ultimate, Business (SP2)
- Windows XP (32-bit): Home Edition, Professional (SP3)
iMovie: The X900M lets you record videos in iFrame format
for downloading and editing on a Mac. With iFrame, the video in the camera is in
the same format as used by Apple's iMovie'11 application (iMovie'11 is not
included with camcorder--contact Apple, Inc. for details). Videos shot in AVCHD
will need to be converted before importing. (1080/60p must be first converted to
1080/60i). Once you have transferred
and edited the movie, you can upload the movie to the Internet, as well as share
it on YouTube and Facebook in its original high quality.
Note: The HC-X900M is compatible with Mac OS X 10.7.2.
