Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I've been using a Panasonic HDC-TM700 since October 2010. It's great camcorder, but 8+ years later I'm wondering what I am missing by not having one of the newer models.

I'm looking for recommendations. What would you consider a worthy successor to the TM700?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

The first thing anyone will want to know is what kind of video do you shoot, or maybe what kind of video would you like to shoot? In other words, were do you want to go with a new cam?

Tripod, monopod, or hand-held shots? Handheld with image stabilization?

Would you want to keep the present cam and perhaps do some Multicam using the existing for B-roll?

Looking at new or used gear? Budget factor?

It’s been said that 2/3rds of good video is good audio (but your mileage may vary), what accessories do you have now?

Any deal-breaker needs? (i.e., Gotta have?)

Anything you’ve come across of interest?

Looks like I’ve got more questions than answers. (That’s because there aren’t any answers!)
Just ran out of questions (for the moment).

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I used a couple of TM700s for years for wedding filming and great little cameras they were with complete reliability. I have now been using Panasonic FZ1000s since they came out a few years ago and they have been ideal for my work and pretty much bomb proof. They have dropped right down in price now to probably equivalent to what you paid on the TM700 in relative terms. I could spend more on higher spec cams, but for my wedding work I am not worried about bangs and knocks in a way I would be on higher end gear they may only give marginal image improvements.

The advantages over your TM700 are many, as would be modern cameras from some other manufacturers. 4K recording is a big plus for me, giving great editing options for post production zooms, pans and crops. Image stabilisation is also good and the quality of image at F2.7 in wide for low light is also great for my weddings. I like the on screen audio levels DSLR style focus and exposure point adjustments. 25-400 optical zoom is also perfect for my requirements, but the biggest improvement is the adoption of the 1" sensor rather than the old Panny 3x1/4" ones. I don't notice any loss from reverting to a single sensor. Another bonus is that a quick rotation of the dial enables you to switch to photo mode which gives stills quality way above your 700. You can also have one button for video and one for stills enabling you to take stills whilst filming, albeit with some limitation. One member here that I know of, Chris, uses the FZ1000 for wedding stills.

I was initially dubious about the DSLR form factor after being a long term video cam man, but quickly adapted to it and now prefer it. I currently use three FZ1000s for weddings alongside a Panasonic 4K handy cam for backup and various 4K Gopro style cameras.

There are of course various Canon, Sony and other makes that may give similar or even better performance, but I am not familiar with them and am very happy with my Pannys to earn my living from.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

John, I use this for church events (weddings, Christmas programs, etc.) as well as filming my son's robotics competitions and family events (birthdays, Christmas, etc.).

I use a tripod at church, but not at the robotics events.

I would keep the present camera.

Budget is $500 to $1,000.

I've looked at the Sony AX series (33, 53, 100) and the Canon XA series (the latter are outside my budget) but would prefer to stick with Panasonic since that's what I'm used to.

Roger, thank you for your input! I will check into that one.

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

@Roger Gunkel

The FZ1000s looks like a great option; however, I am seeing conflicting reports about how long it can record continuously. Is it true that it can only record 30 minutes at a time? So if you're at a wedding, what do you do when the camera stops recording at 30 minutes? Could be a deal breaker for some I would think.

Thoughts?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Edward - thanks for the update and that helps a lot. Seems like a potpourri of shooting types, kinda like what I do. Roger has a practical approach for the budget minded, of which I happen to be too.

What my suggestions would be given the additional info will be based a lot on the way I would do it. Since the existing cam is a keeper, going with another Panasonic product would, or should, help with color matching if clips or pictures are blended in the timeline. Even though the two cameras would be far apart in years, the menus will be likely be more similar than going with a different brand. Just guessing.

A suggestion would be to have some multicam in your future because that seems to make for a more interesting video. One cam wide on a tripod and the other for doing angles.

My current cams can be operated via Wi-Fi and a smart phone which is neat. Running multi-cam Wi-Fi is a nice feature but not a deal breaker. Can also run the recorder that way.

For kit expansion, (you can’t stop with just a second cam) some mics wold be good, if not required. I use a Røde SVM (Stereo VideoMic) on the cam a lot, either for capturing the primary audio (like for home video), or for syncing with the main mic which may be connected to a recorder or via a cable to the main cam. Audio of a church choir should have a good audio setup.

Save some budget for backup drives and mics with wind protection and cables. FWIW, I’ve got more tied up in audio gear than video cams, and I have four at the moment.

Action video: with spring around the corner and outside activities opening up this may be an area one wants to get into but with another cam that has better stabilization. For that I went with the Sony X3000 because it has optical stabilization (also have the AX53 with optical stabilization) and both can be operated via a smartphone. But that can be for later. Once you get the video bug its hard to stop.

Books:
“Movie Making Course” by Chris Patmore
“How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck” Stockman
And some on audio

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward,

You are quite right, the FZ1000 does indeed have the 30 minute limit, however there is a newer version FZ2000/2500 which has no recording limit. It costs slightly more but probably available in your budget. There is a smoother zoom on it and built in ND filters which may or may not interest you.

I didn't change to the newer model as I don't find the 30min limit a problem at all. I always have at least one second angle camera for any shoot and just press record again on the FZ1000 and cut to another camera in editing. I frequently shoot school productions and sometimes church weddings with over an hour of continuous filming. The camera can also be controlled from a phone or pad if you are not able to reach it to press record. I often monitor a remote FZ1000 in that way and can still stop/start/zoom etc. Most ceremonies though don't require continuous filming for over 30 minutes.

Hope that helps,

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Thanks Roger. I did find out that there's a hack where you put the camera into service mode which then bypasses the 30 minute limit.

Do you have recommendations for an external mic? It seems that a lot of people are complaining about excessive noise from the camera stabilization motors being picked up by the built in mic. Any downsides to using an external mic instead of the built in one?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I found the hack.

https://tips.navas.us/2018/03/fz1000...mit-video.html

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Thank you!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I always use external mics on my cameras to avoid motor and handling noise. I use Rode video mics with a dead cat wind muffler which work very well. For audio such as vows where close miking is needed, I use portable recorders with lavalier mics which I sync to the video in post. I always used to use external mics on my TM700s aswell.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

OK thanks. I already have an Azden SMX-10 shotgun mic...that would probably work.

I went ahead and took the plunge on the FZ1000. There was a "like new" one on Amazon for $379 so I pulled the trigger.

What size SD card do you typically use for shooting weddings and such?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I usually use a 128Gb drives at minimum 95mb/s for 4K although I also have some 64Gb and 32Gb for shorter projects or HD only. I've always found Sandisk Extreme to be reliable and have never had a failure touch wood! That's after hundreds of hours of use. I always format in camera before a new project. I also always film mp4 4k and have no problems with editing.

Great price on the used camera, you'll probably have a bit of a learning curve, but it will be interesting to see how you get on with it. I think we have probably filmed 150-200 weddings since we got our first FZ1000 as the main cam.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Yep I use both my FZ1000's for stills and video and they do a great job .. When I was doing traditional video (shoot and edit) I never found the 30 min limit an issue .. even on long winded Catholic services you have plenty of opportunities to stop and start recording ..after the readings, after the homily all work fine. If your style is to run non stop then as Roger says get an FZ2500 for a few hundred bucks more and you can record unlimited, have ND filters built-in and a really smooth slow zoom too! The 2500 can also record to card and output to HDMI at the same time and we used that for our live broadcasts for a while too. Now we only do live broadcast so I'm using shoulder mount cameras simply because they have tougher 'A" style HDMI ports .and more space to mount mixers and encoders on the body and our editing is done in real time

I still use my FZ1000's for Realty shoots on almost a daily basis and they are a hard camera to beat..nothing comes close to them!!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Have any of you used field monitors with the FZ1000? This is something I'd never even thought of until now, but it looks like a lot of people are using those with the DSLR setups. On the low end there are some models by FeelWorld that cost around $160.

Thoughts?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I've never felt the need for field monitors as the screen on the camera folds out to and is fully rotatable for low or high level shots. It's also bigger than your TM700 screen and a lot sharper. If yo want a much bigger monitor, you could use the built in wireless connection to a pad, which I have done with my iPad when using as a remote camera and with full remote camera control.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

OK thanks.

I just did a Google search and found that, apparently, the FZ1000 can't use a field monitor anyway, at least according to this article:

https://www.imaging-resource.com/new...ean-hdmi-video

In other words, it can't send a signal via HDMI to a field monitor at the same time as internally recording video to an SD card.

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

You cannot use an HDMI monitor with a FZ1000 unless you use something like an Atmos recorder. The 1000 can either record to card OR send out HDMI not both. If you feel you need a monitor then rather look at a FZ2500 which can output HDMI and record to card at the same time. Personally I cannot see the point of using a 7" monitor on the cameras ... the EVF is really high def already (way sharper than a monitor) plus you have good focus peaking if you want to manual focus ... We still shoot auto focus at weddings and have yet to have a focus issue.

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Thanks Chris for your input!

My FZ1000 will be here Tuesday. Can't wait! :-)

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Let us know how you get on.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I have the camera now. It arrived in an untaped box--miraculously everything was OK. Unbelievably shoddy packaging by the merchant.

Anyway, I've had a few moments to try it out, and first off I must say it's a definite improvement over my TM700 as far as picture quality. I'm really pleased about that.

There does seem to be a steep learning curve compared to the TM700 but hopefully not too bad.

One thing I did notice is that the footage I shot in 4K seemed a bit, what shall I say, choppy? I didn't try it on a tripod, I was just using it handheld. But whenever I zoomed or panned around, the resulting video was shaky/choppy or something (not sure how to describe it). I read somewhere that in 4K the image stabilization doesn't work; is that true? If so, a person would have to use a tripod for 4K, right?

Overall though I'm impressed and thank you all for the recommendation. I believe it's a keeper!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward

Sounds good. Your 4K footage is not shaky at all ..your computer simply doesn't have the oomph to play the file smoothly ..I have shot plenty of 4K and it takes an incredible amount of CPU to run 4K video. Just remember that you do lose a bit of your wide angle in 4K mode too! My standard shoot settings are 1920x1080 and I use MP4 20mbps ...it's more than fast enough and is sharp as a tack!!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward,

I agree with Chris on this, it will be you computer that is too slow. As regards stabilisation, there is stabilisation in 4K but if I remember correctly it is less effective than in HD. You will almost certainly find that HD on the camera will also have a noticeable improvement over HD on the TM700.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

OK sounds good.

I'll probably use 1080p60 for most things, just like I did with the TM700. The footage for that is awesome on this camera.

I do want to be able to get decent footage in 4K though, which is part of the reason for upgrading at this time. My son competes in robotics competitions and I like to video those. After the matches, the team likes to analyze those videos for things that went wrong or areas for improvement, and sometimes this requires zooming in on things like the smartphone attached to the robot, etc. to see what was happening at a particular time. I was hoping this would work OK without a tripod because I never take my tripod to these tournaments.

In researching this I had come across some comments that said the jitters could be caused by the camera trying to refocus all the time and that it's better to focus the camera manually rather than depending on auto focus. Which concerns me because I'm the guy that usually tries to let the camera manage everything. Thoughts?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward

I doubt whether the jitters are a focus issue ..I use my cameras for both weddings and realty work and continuous focus is on at all times and I seldom have an issue even with realty condition reports where the camera is moving rapidly over walls and ceilings where there is no real contrast. The focus is really good as long as you do a half shutter press when you start each clip! What focus mode are your using?? You should be on AFS 99% of the time (I don't think I have even run either camera in any mode except AFS)

With your 4K footage take a bit of footage that has "jitters" and render it down to 1920x1080 and see if it still "jitters" if it's smooth then the issue will be your computer CPU

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I have rendered the footage down to 1920x1080 and it does seem better, so it's probably just a CPU issue as you say.

I had not even thought about doing a half-press on the shutter. Coming from the TM700 that wasn't an option.

So when you are shooting in 1080, you set the dial to iA, half press the shutter, and then press the red button to start recording (pressing the shutter all the way at that point would take a still picture, right?).

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward

Nope .. I set everything to P mode in the menu and also focus to continuous in the menu too then set your mode dial to Movie to shoot video and if I need to shoot stills I set my mode dial to P so I can bracket if I need to ..In Movie mode on the mode dial you only need to use the shutter button (I have never used the video button EVER!) Just half press to grab focus and then full press to record your video and then full press to stop recording. Exactly the same process is used to take a still ..just change the mode dial from Movie to P This way you only need to work with the shutter button for both stills and video and focus is brilliant!!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Awesome tip! Thank you so much!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

I do exactly the same as Chris, never use the video button.

Out of interest, my Canon 5DII failed on Friday and I had a photography only wedding on Saturday so shot the whole thing on the FZ1000. results were brilliant!

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

One of my Nikons had a shutter arm loading issue it was virtually useless ..I shot alternating between my FZ1000 and Nikon ...when I saw the results I sold both Nikons and bought a second FZ1000

That was 3 years ago!!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Using this method (mode dial set to movie, P in the menu, half shutter press to set focus), during the shoot, does the camera re-focus itself if I zoom in or out or does the shutter button have to be half pressed again?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

As long as continuous focus is on in the video menu ..it will keep focus and yes, refocus too during a zoom. If you are patient enough the continuous focus will eventually grab focus and keep it but it's way better to using the half press shutter at the start of each new clip ..in short half press at the beginning of a clip and then let the camera take over the focus. The only time you need to touch the shutter to to stop recording!!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

OK thanks so much.

Sorry to be asking such elementary questions, but with my TM700 I just always shot in iA mode and hit the record button. The camera took care of everything else.

My son has a robotics competition Saturday and I won't really know how it all turns out until I get home and download the footage to my computer. So I'm trying to get this all figured out ahead of time.

Thanks again for all your input.

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Edward -
Don't feel bad. Cam software has been on a steep development curve and the next time you upgrade to one a few years newer you'll have a similar problem.

For myself, went from the Sony AX100 to the AX700 and ... there was a lot of new stuff to figure out. Basically the camera body is the same but with more bells and whistles but the menu has a lot of changes.

Unless you're really sure about something you just might want to shoot with your old cam while continuing to figure out the new one, or maybe just use the new one on the "safe" shots. For myself, I went through some soft focus and exposure issues the first few times using it but fortunately it was on some family shots. The menu is similar but much more in depth so takes longer.

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Everything went great at the robotics competition on Saturday. I'm beyond happy with this camera and thank you again for the recommendation.

What I love is that it's also a great stills camera, so I'm interested in taking more advantage of that. Which brings me to a question. If there is a robot game in the foreground and my son is in the background waiting his turn on the playing field, with the camera in auto, how can I focus on him and not the robot game?

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hey Edward

The simplest way is to use plenty of zoom which will reduce the depth of field but the more correct way is to open up the iris and increase shutter speed to make the depth of field smaller ...You can actually do this in "semi-auto" by using P mode when shooting a still ..the camera will determine a correct exposure using shutter speed and aperture but you can adjust this to lessen the DOF and still keep the bracketed exposure so lets say the camera sets F8 at 1/100 shutter , you can move the "bracket" to F2.8 and it will automatically adjust the shutter speed higher to keep the same exposure. Check the manual for details!!

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward,

I always use the 'Direct Focus Area' mode from the custom menu whilst shooting in M,S,A,or P modes. Direct focus is set from the custom menu, 3rd down on the left, then page 3 of 8. Once set, pressing any of the arrows around the menu button, will give you a yellow square with 4 arrows in the centre of the view finder or screen. Using the direction arrows, you can set the square to wherever you want the point of focus to be. You can also resize the focus area and the mode is available for still or video filming.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Reviving this thread in hopes someone can help me with a problem with the FZ1000 and audio. I purchased the Tascam TM-2X stereo condenser mic thinking this would gve me better audio than the built in mic. However, I am getting a noise--not too sure how to describe it...static, buzzing, crackling, hissing. Loud enough that it makes the audio totally unusable. Does anyone have any clues why this mic would be introducing a noise like that? TIA

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Hi Edward,

You would probably get a better response posting in the FZ1000 section and a short sample of the sound would also be useful so that we can hear the same as you. Purely as an aside, I use the Rode video mic in my FZ1000s with no problems at all.

One question is whether the you have set the camera audio input levels correctly and that they are not way too low.

Roger

Re: Replacement for HDC-TM700
 

Thank you Roger.

Here are a few clips strung together and uploaded to Vimeo. This is some kids practicing for a Christmas program.


I haven't done anything with sound settings on the camera as I assumed the mic would override anything there. What I can't understand is why the mic seemed to do fine for the first half hour or so, then started doing this. I'm not aware of anything that changed.

Thanks again.