The Panasonic HX-A1ME is the younger cousin of the HX-A500E. It is a camcorder made for the entry-level market which does cut a few corners with regards to its hardware performance. Its older cousin does have 4K recording action along with a separate recording unit, this time around, it only offers Full HD quality and utilizes a more casual bullet camera design. But when you would forgive the HX-A1ME when you look at its price as it is approximately 50-percent cheaper than the HX-A500E.
The Panasonic HX-A1ME is the Tech Giant’s Entry-Level Action Camera
At 45-grams, along with its bullet-camera shape, the Panasonic HX-A1ME is easily one of the smallest action cameras that you can come across in today’s market. When putting it beside a GoPro HERO3, it makes the boxier action camera look like it should really go on a strict diet. Still, the GoPro HERO4 session is also a tiny action camcorder.
The HX-A1ME camcorder has no built-in screen, and there are only three buttons on the device itself to control it. This camcorder is available in two colors, which are black and luminous orange.
Although the company has already paved the way for the standards of consumer-based camcorders, the HX-A1ME does continue some of its rugged tradition. It is waterproof as well as dust-proof to IP68 standard. This means that it can be submerged to a depth beyond 1-meter, but the company only claims it can down only up to 1.5-meters.
The device is also shock-proof to MIL-STD810F 516.5-Shock. This confirms that the action camera can be dropped from up to 1.5-meters onto a hard surface without breaking the device. Also, it can handle temperatures down to minus 10-degrees Celsius. This is good news for individuals who are into winter sports.
It can capture videos at 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution at 30 fps. This is reasonable but not outstanding. Still, you can shoot at HD 720p at 60 fps or 30 fps. The device also lets users capture images of 2.7-megapixel resolutions. There is also an 848 x 480-pixel mode as well. For storage, the device uses a microSD card slot.
The Panasonic HX-A1ME is a uniquely capable action camera which is pleasingly sturdy and does offer decent recording of videos at full HD resolutions. Also, image quality is merely okay which makes the unit not sufficiently built to become a clear winner against its rivals. The lack of 4K footages makes the unit fall short of its competitors.