A few weeks ago I received the Panasonic A500 POV Wearable 4K video camera. Honestly, I had never heard of this camcorder before, nor did I even come close to understanding at first how to operate this product or how to wear it correctly.
The camera straps to your forehead so you will have real point-of-view images and also it makes it easy to capture all the action while traveling. The A500 is super lightweight, takes high-quality photos and videos, and it’s waterproof to a depth not exceeding 10 feet, for a time not exceeding 30 minutes, AND it’s dustproof, so this means it is both water and sand friendly, no worrying about sand at the beach! This I like.
Panasonic A500 Details
The camcorder’s main unit is either held in your hand or it can be strapped to your arm with the armband that’s provided and the lens pops in to the headband provided. The unit comes in two color choices – orange or gray – I received the gray camcorder which suits me perfect, but either would be great.
The main unit of the A500 is super light (128 grams) and the lens weighs a mere 31 grams (approx. 0.069 lbs). The camera comes with an armband, headband and a USB charging cord that plugs right into your computer. Very handy.
A500 Battery
The A500 is not fully charged when you first open the box. A full charge will take about 4.5 hours and a flashing red light shows you that the unit is charging. I also have found that the battery life could be longer. I have had to recharge the unit every 2-3 hours.
Recording Capability of A500
You may be wondering (as I was), what 4K means? After reading more on the unit I discovered this means that the recorded video you take will be four times higher quality than 1080p. The video is so clear and the colors much more vivid than a 1080p recording. You will see on the main unit’s LCD screen in real time exactly what you are recording, and the video camera also offers level shot and image stabilizer for shots that may be not level, or are tilted, and shots that are not clear or that are blurry will become more crisp. Pretty awesome.
Testing the Panasonic A500 for the First Time While Roaming Around Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Overall Thoughts
The Panasonic A500 is easy to use, super light weight and takes top-quality videos. I’m so excited I had the opportunity to receive and review this amazing product and to know that my family’s memories will be recorded using this awesome video camera.
Have you experienced a point of view camera? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Disclosure: I received a Panasonic A500 camcorder for review as part of the TMOM Retreat. As always, all opinions are my own.