Archive for August, 2009
The Panasonic HMC150 – First Impressions
I made a final decision to go with the HMC150 over the JVC Gy-Hm100u. After holding each camera respectively it was apparent that it was the more quality unit to go with. The HMC was slightly more affordable, and the build quality seemed more substantial. The Gy honestly felt like a toy. Although an advantage of the JVC is that in many situations it could pass for a consumer camcorder, which would make shooting in public a little less stressful for guerrilla film making.
The HMC150 is a great camera from a quality perspective. It feels like professional equipment when you are using it and everything about it is solid. I wish that it came with an XLR mic, which is a $250 add-on.
The camera also has a feature where you can select and modify a number of different ‘Scene Files’ to adjust and tweak the image you are filming. I wish the camera came preloaded with more than it does and I would like to see the customization of these files a little more intuitive.
I’ve also noticed that while shooting in 24p the auto focus is just about unusable, which can be a drag depending on the type of event you are shooting. Basically 30 or 60i is the way the camera really shines. Outdoor footage has been unbelievable, and indoor as well.
My first project with the camera was shooting a concert video in New York City. (More on this in future posts). This was really a great opportunity to test the camera’s low light capabilities. It passed with terrific results. The blacks are pretty true right out of the camera and with minimal adjustment the image looks perfect. For the shoot we also used Panasonic HPX170s, which are about 2k more expensive than the 150, and the footage can be used interchangeably without any noticeable drop in quality.
My biggest problem with the camera is working with AVCHD in post. It is a pain in the neck and is in many cases downright terrible. My computer is quad core 2.8 ghz with 6 gb of ram, and it definitely can do the job, but not as smoothly as with other HD formats that I’ve worked with. Also it is annoying how the footage is buried in a mess of folders and sub folders. I would very much like to just see the clips on the memory card right out of the camera, but instead have to do some digging to retrieve them. Also, the clips are not watchable from a stand alone player such as quicktime (yet) which makes viewing them some what of a process.
Overall, amazing quality and solid unit to work with on location, but the limitations in post are somewhat of a problem.
