Introduction and seeking advice

1. bill1941
   Member

   

   USA

   TEXAS

   VICTORIA

   15 January 2010

    

   Hi there--

      I am the multimedia news director for the Victoria Advocate. That means I direct most of the video posted on our website, along with anchoring a daily newscast called "Advocast."  (www.victoriaadvocate.com)

      I've been shooting a Canon HV20 for about 2-1/2 years and, by straining my budget to the breaking point, would like to move up to a more professional camera. Obviously, flash memory cameras are the future, but I am torn between the JVC HM100 and the Panasonic HMC40 or 150.

      One of the key requirements is--as all of you know--the hardest thing about video is audio. I want XLR connectors in a solid housing. That would point me to the JVC or the Panasonic 150. Ah, but look at the Panasonic HMC40--if I added the Beacktek attachment on the base.

      Any of these choices represents a considerable hunk of cash so I don't want to make a mistake. The Videomaker reviews both rather favorably, but it seems to lean toward the panasonic.

      I would welcome any opinions or comments from anyone who has experience with either/both these cameras.

      BTW: We edit with Adobe Premier 4.0; I know I have to jump to 7.0 to support AVCHD.

    

   --Bill Clough

   bclough@vicad.com

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. EarlC
   Moderator

   

   IMHO the key element between HMC40, HMC-150 and JVC is CMOS sensors vs CCD. My personal preference, and the reason I will go with the JVC or Panny 150 is primarily THAT - they use CCD. There's enough information here and elsewhere regarding certain problems/issues with videotaping using camcorders equipped with CMOS so I'm not going to elaborate on that.

   To me, all video all the time, and doing more than using static shots on a set of sticks, I do not want to incur the motion problems with my swish pans and other creative in-camera elements that remain the sticking point for many professionals in picking between CMOS & CCD.

   JVC's ability to provide me native QuickTime files (I am MAC centric and use FCP and related software by personal preference) may be a deal-breaker when I purchase two new production units this year, relegating to second-tier backups my two Canon XL 1 and one Canon GL2 SD units.

   I have no problem with acquisition and the various differences in shooting/editing AVCHD - would/will work fine for the range of production I do ( visit http://www.corelannvideo.com if you're curious ) and I wouldn't be all that timid about working with high-end productions, corporate or even some broadcast projects, using AVCHD.

   My personal final deal-breaker, however, will be to test shoot both the JVC and 150 to compare the glass, the lens quality, because quality of the glass is primarily took me to Canon in the first place after long-time use of Panasonic and Sony products in my early video business years. Price-wise, I cannot get from Canon (outside the lens quality) what I want in a new pair of tools, and it would appear the HMC-150 and HM-100 can, so if the glass is halfway decent...

   ...bye-bye Canon.

   In conclusion, I cannot see purchasing the HMC-40 with its CMOS sensors, and adding on the BeachTek, etc. when the additional rigging will take me all that much closer to purchasing one of the other two options you've mentioned.

   Posted 2 years ago #

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