bummed out - is it just me or is it the camera (HMC 150)

[Tom Alexander]

Originally Posted by John Abbey

Well I thought I had found the perfect second camera, I got a HMC 150 a few weeks ago...I love everything about it, all the wonderful button placement and manual controls in all the right places, the way it felt to handle. I was in heaven...UNTIL I started looking at the footage. I had tried all the various scene files and some custom ones, but the output is just not that sharp and some areas almost look blocky. I had been using a canon hv30 and as far as sharpness it does rings around the 150. I had read this camera was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I am at the point where I am about to sell this camera...and I don't think I can find anything out there with as good as controls in the same price range. Anyone else feel the same about this camera or do you just live with it?? John

Hmmmm. I don't question at all that you are experiencing what you are saying, but I can't help but think that there are maybe some issues with the settings. I also went from the HV30 (remarkable camera) to the HMC150 and have been using them together for almost 2 years now. The only time the HV30 footage keeps up with the HMC footage (including sharpness) is when the lighting is ideal. In those cases, the HV30 is arguably a little sharper, but not much and to be honest I can't tell the difference. As soon as the light starts to dim even a little, the HMC footage far exceeds the HV30 stuff, including sharpness. When I cut footage from the two cameras together, people are unable to tell which camera shot a given clip so long as the lighting was good. They try, but are wrong 50% of the time which tells me that its their best guess more than anything. This is more of a testimony to the quality of the HV30 than anything else, as I expect that kind of footage from the HMC150. I've gotten grainy footage from it when trying out different settings, but nothing resembling blocky footage. In the end, I can accomplish stuff with the HMC that I could only dream about with the HV30. Again, I'm not posting to say that you are wrong, I have no doubt that you are indeed experiencing what you say. I'm just giving my experiences and opinions of the camera. I'm sorry you are bummed out, at this cost you want to be happy with your camera. If it turns out that you are not then I agree, sell it and get something you are happy with.