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August 1st, 2008, 11:16 AM | #1 |
Panoramic
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Hands on with the HMC-150
I just worked on a shoot with a consultant and producer for Panasonic, using what is apparently the only prototype in the USA.
The camera wasn't even on my radar screen at NAB, but, selling at less than $4000, it looks to be a winner. I reviewed media shot on it, and it looked very much like HVX200 footage; the Cinegamma look so revered. The body is light and really comfortable for handholding, like the DVX100. 1/3 in chips, but using pixel interpolation, just like the HVX200, so, even though it can record 1080, it'll be softer than the EX1. At 720p, it rocks. One thing I noticed, the zoom function soft started and ended rather nicely on the prototype. There was an obvious mod, a clear plastic piece covering the top half of the audio level controls, already tiny and recessed deeply, which made adjustments a bear. A pencil w/eraser might be a handy tool for adjustments, unless production models are revised. It already has most of the features of the HVX200, a few unique to it, like the advantage of post-recording: when you hit record, it adds a specified amount of frames already in a buffer, thus recording after the fact. SD cards are cheap media compared to P2 or SxS. It has the same body, chip set and lens of the HPX-170, a much more expensive P2 camera, but only 1 slot. HDMI, but no HD-SDI out, btw. Almost all features I noticed are covered in the PR. VF was brighter and cleaner than I remembered, although coarse in resolution. Using unshaded LCD panel in bright sun was impossible. NLE's will support it natively, some do already, and the long GOP format can be transcoded, just like HDV, at the cost of time expended. My prediction: winner! Especially for Indie filmmakers, documentarians, and event shooters, if it can be edited natively w/o transcoding delays. It'll be interesting to see how long a minute of AVC conversion to DVCPro takes using the Pana software. iPaul iPaul
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Paul Izbicki i2inewMedia |
August 1st, 2008, 03:05 PM | #2 |
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Last edited by Tom Chartrand; August 1st, 2008 at 04:58 PM. |
August 19th, 2008, 11:27 AM | #3 |
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This is quite an omission. I suppose it's not worse than tape cameras, which can only accept one tape at a time, but it puts it at a disadvantage compared with other card-based cameras that take two cards, allowing you to change one whilst still recording to the other. Maybe it's no big deal with 16GB and even 32GB SDHC cards now available?
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August 19th, 2008, 12:12 PM | #4 |
Obstreperous Rex
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I don't see it as a big deal... with 32GB cards available now, and 64GB cards on the way, why would you need two slots? If you're doing something that requires hours upon hours of uninterrupted recording, there are other solutions for that.
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August 19th, 2008, 12:58 PM | #5 |
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Yeah, as mentioned elsewhere you'd likely need to change batteries before a 32Gb card is full...
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Darren Shroeger | http://hdmuse.com | Traverse City, Michigan |
August 19th, 2008, 02:17 PM | #6 |
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August 19th, 2008, 02:31 PM | #7 |
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August 19th, 2008, 03:06 PM | #8 | |
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Quote:
MEDIA ARCHIVAL I really like to have an archiving method that is simple and easy that has a format that I can pick up anywhere and use anywhere for the most part and that new camera from Sony with both tape and Compact Flash is a seller for us. DTE with the CF and tape for archival thus all the advantages of the AVCHD but with the safety of tape. Great idea and sold us to sell off our HVX cameras and move to the quick easy workflow of HDV. |
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August 19th, 2008, 08:52 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
I have not seen any artifacts that bother me and the video is cleaner than HDV from my FX1. I am sure Panasonic would not bring out a camera costing 3 times the SR11 and not at least compete with the quality!!!! Ron Evans |
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August 19th, 2008, 09:29 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
I can't think of any shoot I've ever done, where having 3 hours record time is a real limit. Bob Diaz |
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August 19th, 2008, 09:33 PM | #11 |
Obstreperous Rex
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I've done some events in the past that were well over three hours, but I've never had one that didn't include a break somewhere in there. How long does it take to switch out an SDHC card? Gotta be less than thirty seconds from power down to power up.
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August 20th, 2008, 06:41 AM | #12 |
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On the Videomaker live review they took the SD card out with the camera on and it didn't freak out, so I wonder if a new one can be switched out without powering down.
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Darren Shroeger | http://hdmuse.com | Traverse City, Michigan |
August 20th, 2008, 07:00 AM | #13 |
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I would hope the cards can be hot swapped.
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August 20th, 2008, 07:43 AM | #14 |
Obstreperous Rex
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Surely they can be hot-swapped. Guess I'm too "old school" to have thought of that.
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August 23rd, 2008, 03:54 PM | #15 |
New Boot
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Yes, it's probably hot-swappable, and even if not, what a small compromise for a camcorder of such value with so many other features. Definitely NOT a deal-breaker!
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