HMC150 from HVX200A?

[madyogi]

First, I apologize if this is a redundant topic. I did some looking around, and could not find exactly what I'm looking for, so here goes.

I will be starting a new job on Monday, with some cash to spend, though not an unlimited amount. I have been working with a couple of hvx200's, editing in FCP. For my new job, I will be editing on a brand new MacBook Pro with the fastest processor from the Apple Store, 8 GB RAM, 7200 RPM Drive, etc.

I really want to by a compact prosumer HD camera, while leaving enough cash to get a 35mm lens adapter, with the idea of moving into some DSLR work (perhaps with a Canon 5D or 7D) next fiscal year when more cash becomes available. That being said, I could use the extra $2k or so I could save by not getting another hvx200 this year and settling for the HMC150.

My concerns are as follows:

1) Will I have to (or should I) transcode the raw AVCHD files into another format before taking them into Premiere/After Effects for treatment and editing?

2) Will I be disappointed with how my machine performs with the AVCHD codec?

3) Will I be disappointed with how the AVCHD compression looks compared with the DVCProHD P2 format?

And in a slightly different vein, 4) What are you guys doing in terms of color correction/grading? Is it a must to grade in a separate program before moving into Premiere/AE?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[JBH]

I've never worked with the 200 series, but I do own a 150 and edit in FCP on an iMac. You will need to transcode before editing (I think Premiere will do this). It takes 3 hours to transcode 1 hour of footage on my May'06 iMac, so it should take about real-time for you to do the same with your faster machine. Once you transcode it doesn't matter what the source material is (AVCHD or HDV). I think it takes up 1 GB for each minute. AVCHD tends to be noisy when it breaks down, but no blockies. Any QuickTime format can be color corrected in FCP and Color, and I would imagine any recent version of Premiere or AE.

Hope that helps.

Jack

[David Saraceno]

1. CS4.1 works with raw mts files, but not pleasantly. I would immediately move to pro res to get to an intraframe 4:2:2 color space

2. Yes, you will. I have a Nehalem 8 core MacPro 2.26 GHz. AVCHD works decently with straight cuts in CS 4.1. But why not work in pro res? If you need to edit, you need a pleasant editing experience.

3. I don't understand your third question. AVCHD is a highly compressed but very good codec. At 24 mbps, it to me looks much better than any HDV I've seen, and compares well with DVCProHD.

4. I use Color and the 3 way CCC in FCP. Premiere has a good CC as well.