Hmc-150

[butter1093]

Panasonic AG-HMC150 is a sign that the AVCHD format has matured from a cumbersome consumer format to a nimble HD choice for event videographers and burgeoning pros. The AG-HMC150 should appeal to a broad category of shooters, with its variable frame rates and several different recording quality options. Formats include 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p, 720/60p, 720/30p and 720/24p to choose from. The 720/60p stands out for its ability to work as an over-crank frame rate for smooth slow motion on 30p or 24p playback.

[peterarcson]

picture is as soft as purring kitten due to fake HD achieved by pixel shift.

[dcloud]

if you put it beside a canon DSLR, they would intercut. Canon DSLRs too are soft

[ejolson]

The point of a DSLR is shallow depth of focus. The point of the HMC150 is to have a wide screen version of the DVX100. I like soft kittens, but puppies are better.

[zagnut]

I like soft kittens, but puppies are better.

But puppies don't have anti-gravity properties or cling to anything fabric like velcro. The anti-gravity properties alone are worth the switch.

[ejolson]

But puppies don't have anti-gravity properties or cling to anything fabric like velcro. The anti-gravity properties alone are worth the switch.

Thats a good point. However, kittens turn in to cats when they grow up whereas puppies turn into dogs. Still, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference when it's all authored to a standard definition DVD.

[DaFireMedic]

picture is as soft as purring kitten due to fake HD achieved by pixel shift.

Lol....No, its not soft and no, its not fake. I've intercut footage from it now with several different "non pixel shift" HD cameras (including our beloved HV30, some prosumer and DSLR footage) with no adjustments in post except some basic color adjustments necessary to color match footage, and no one has yet been able to tell which of the cameras shot a given clip. Again, pixel shift doesn't "fake" anything, it takes advantage of free pixels from the other sensors to increase its true resolution well beyond the 960 x 540 of its individual sensors. There's more than 2 years of HMC footage out there now, much of it intercut with footage from other HD cameras. It's true resolution is more than enough to cut in seamlessly with cameras that are almost unanimously considered "sharp". I've also found that while telephoto is not one of its strong points, nature footage shot from a distance (8x or so, up to the 13x max of the HMC) is noticeably sharper from the HMC than footage from DSLR's (even with expensive lenses) which require significantly more glass to obtain a similar telephoto shot.

The point of a DSLR is shallow depth of focus. The point of the HMC150 is to have a wide screen version of the DVX100.

Not really. The point of a DSLR with video capability is to shoot high resolution photographs and video. Shallow depth of field is one of their strong points due to their large sensors, but whether you want shallow DOF for a given shot or not, the subject should not be soft. That being said, I don't find DSLR footage to be soft at all when shot with decent quality short focal length lenses.

The HMC150 was not intended to be a "wide screen version" of the DVX100, it was an entirely new HD camera designed to replace the DVX100 in its line up. To that end its done its job nicely, producing a much sharper image than the DVX and maintaining its ability to produce a more film like image than other cameras in its range. Although it (like any camera) is not going to be all things to all people, it has areas where its going to be a better choice than most other cameras in its range (event video, indie filmmaking, action shots or other shots involving high degrees of movement).

[1]

Good to see you back DaFire......I miss the "old timers"!

[DaFireMedic]

Good to see you back DaFire......I miss the "old timers"!

Thanks Mal, good to be back. Some health issues in my family have kinda put video on the back burner for a bit, but I look forward to getting out and shooting again soon.