I bought it to replace the Panasonic HC-V180. There is simply no comparison. However, its main drawback in 2023 is that it only shoots up to 1080p instead of 4K. If you don't have a problem with that, it's okay. Otherwise, go for the newer HC-VX models that support 4K but start at 700+ instead of the 549 of this particular model. On the positive side, it also accepts an external microphone and operates on 5V power, so you can connect a 10,000mAh power bank for extended battery life without the need for a second battery. It fits perfectly on a tripod, has a cold shoe for accessories, and offers several manual mode settings. It records in either MTS or MP4 1080 50p with a bitrate of around 40Mbps. It also has WiFi for controlling it from a mobile device, although I haven't been able to connect it to my Android 11 phone. I've noticed that when it connects to WiFi, it cuts off the image on the HDMI output, which is useful for using the phone as a secondary camera, and it works fine with a service for live streaming using Lumix Club and Ustream. However, with the changes Ustream made in 2023, I don't see a way to make it work. The lens has a diameter of 62mm and has the classic screw thread so that it can be attached to a lens hood (there's a small one included in the box) or other similar accessories. Additionally, the battery and charger I have from the HC-V180 are exactly the same for the V800. Finally, the HDMI output can be a clean feed (select "off" for external display info in the camera's setup settings) to get a clean image on the computer.