Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Although the pistol-style camcorder isn't to everyone's taste, we're glad to see it being given new life under Panasonic's banner. The HX-WA10's waterproofing sets it apart from the other options, aiming to offer a reasonably high-quality underwater camcorder.
We liked:
Under the right conditions, you can get some really great video out of the WA10. It handles motion well at 1080p, there's a minimum of artefacting and there's a noticeable bump in detail going from 720p to 1080p.
The 60fps mode is also a brilliant addition for the price, offering the chance to really have some fun with the camera. The same is true for the waterproofing, and we were massively impressed with the quality of footage taken while submerged. The iA and face tracking work incredibly well, making it easy to get great shots.
We disliked:
There are some niggles with the video quality we need to point out, including the odd wobble while it tries to stabilise your hand's shake. It suffers from the perennial problem that consumer camcorders have, where wide shots can appear a bit soft because the sensor is simply too small.
We wish the grip was a little chunkier too, since it would be easier to hold, and the position of the controls at a right-angle to the screen is terrible ergonomically.
Verdict:
Overall, we're mightily impressed by the HX-WA10. You're paying something of a premium for the waterproofing features, but we'd say they're worth it. It's safe underwater, it's easy to use and it produces some excellent video. We do recommend investing in a tripod to go with it, but as a fairly small, reasonably light consumer camera, it's absolutely worth your time.
