Mac
12-18-2011, 12:15 PM
If you're considering an HPX250, these comments are my impressions of the physical attributes of the camera, not the picture it produces - although I will say that the image quality seems superior to most of what's out there, even at a much greater cost. And it is a 1/3" camera so it's silly to compare it to the current trend for "bokeh" (a word always pronounced after a significant pause, an intake of breath, and a drawn out "e-e-ah" as if tasting fine wine).
Also, these are personal observations and may not suit everyone. I shoot documentaries, mostly hand-held and without a crew other than a sound-man, so ergonomics are a big issue with me.
THE GOOD:
Obviously 10 bit AVC-I in an affordable camera is really good - in my opinion AVCHD doesn't even get in the ballpark compared to AVC-I. The box of this camera, with a larger chip and a modular EVF, is what the AF100 should have been, and with any luck, may eventually be.
P2 cards, hooray!
If you've got an HVX200 almost everything works, including the batteries. In fact my Chrosziel matte box base fits better on the HPX250 than it did on the 200.
HDMI out so I can use my Z-Finder and shoulder mount it.
Amazingly light even with that large lens - it does get heavier when you tweak it, but it starts out well. My "tweaks" are custom brackets along with some accessories, like the finder, that I share with my AF100 for handholding.
The Scene File names display in the finder just as you named them. Finally! This seems a no-brainer.
3/8" as well as 1/4" tripod mounting.
Good location of OIS button. I don't use OIS often, but when I do I can turn it on and off quickly.
Three rings, just like the circus.
"Push to focus" works faster and better at 24fps than on previous Panasonic cameras.
Audio ALC. Much appreciated by documentary types. (I usually work with a sound-man who feeds a wireless signal from his mixer to CH2, but I have a good nose mic on Ch1 for BU - nice to not have to worry about the level.)
The control placement is pretty much carried over from previous Panasonic cameras.
And, the old Scene File wheel is there (albeit less robust than on previous cameras). I was surprised that the AF100 had abandoned it. I'm sure there was some engineering reason, but that little clicky wheel is a Panasonic icon.
THE BAD:
Bad for me - the camera stopped working after the first time I powered it up. It had to go back to Panasonic and wasn't returned for over a week. I had a TV spot (at a homeless center on Thanksgiving Day no less) and the first 3 days of a documentary, both of which I had intended to shoot in AVC-I that week. To their credit, I will say that Texas Media Systems and Panasonic both jumped on getting it fixed ASAP. Just bad luck on my part.
It's not exactly a handy "handy-cam". The side battery placement and redesigned handle are improvements, but it's so long that it's really tripod bound unless you customize it for serious hand-holding.
Those three rings never stop, they just spin and spin. It would be nice if at least the iris would have stops when switched to manual.
No VFR over 30fps at 1080. (You can always switch to 720 DVCPRO HD, but the difference is noticeable - I'm keeping my AF100).
I haven't really had time to test in depth, but it seems the same batteries don't last nearly as long as on the HVX.
The lens - not that it's "bad" per se, in fact it's pretty good - But that large ramp in exposure from wide to telephoto is bothersome in low light (interestingly, the original prototype apparently had a much larger front element, hmmm). And of course the much discussed and dissed close focus/zoom issue does require some thinking (but really, it's not nearly as problematic as some posts would lead you to believe).
Personally I wish the lens wasn't so ambitious. I know that some think its great to get a 22x f1.6 lens in a small camera like this, but to me it's just marketing. I liked the Leica lens on the HVX - I can live with 1.6 - 2.8 - That was a marketing/consumer win/win - I wish that lens was on this camera.
I miss a front mounted audio dial (as on the HPX500) but, as I mentioned above, there is ALC.
The power switch and mode switch. I don't use the side handle, so the thumb activated switch is awkward for me. I really like the power switch on the AF100 (although many actually complained about it, I think it's very "professional").
THE UGLY:
Out of the box and unadorned, this camera has that awkward look of a stretch limo - you know, where the proportions are no longer quite right so it just looks wrong. But I assume the length is needed for the P2 cards, and they are way more important than looks after all.
The lens hood is cheesy and really looks crappy. Throw it away.
And (not specific to this camera but something I've never liked) that ubiquitous, bulbous built-in mic that looks amateurish and can interfere with some accessories (like my favorite old Arri 3x4 bellows matte box with the adjustment rod on top). Give me a smooth uncluttered handle and let me add my own microphone, thank you very much.
Also, these are personal observations and may not suit everyone. I shoot documentaries, mostly hand-held and without a crew other than a sound-man, so ergonomics are a big issue with me.
THE GOOD:
Obviously 10 bit AVC-I in an affordable camera is really good - in my opinion AVCHD doesn't even get in the ballpark compared to AVC-I. The box of this camera, with a larger chip and a modular EVF, is what the AF100 should have been, and with any luck, may eventually be.
P2 cards, hooray!
If you've got an HVX200 almost everything works, including the batteries. In fact my Chrosziel matte box base fits better on the HPX250 than it did on the 200.
HDMI out so I can use my Z-Finder and shoulder mount it.
Amazingly light even with that large lens - it does get heavier when you tweak it, but it starts out well. My "tweaks" are custom brackets along with some accessories, like the finder, that I share with my AF100 for handholding.
The Scene File names display in the finder just as you named them. Finally! This seems a no-brainer.
3/8" as well as 1/4" tripod mounting.
Good location of OIS button. I don't use OIS often, but when I do I can turn it on and off quickly.
Three rings, just like the circus.
"Push to focus" works faster and better at 24fps than on previous Panasonic cameras.
Audio ALC. Much appreciated by documentary types. (I usually work with a sound-man who feeds a wireless signal from his mixer to CH2, but I have a good nose mic on Ch1 for BU - nice to not have to worry about the level.)
The control placement is pretty much carried over from previous Panasonic cameras.
And, the old Scene File wheel is there (albeit less robust than on previous cameras). I was surprised that the AF100 had abandoned it. I'm sure there was some engineering reason, but that little clicky wheel is a Panasonic icon.
THE BAD:
Bad for me - the camera stopped working after the first time I powered it up. It had to go back to Panasonic and wasn't returned for over a week. I had a TV spot (at a homeless center on Thanksgiving Day no less) and the first 3 days of a documentary, both of which I had intended to shoot in AVC-I that week. To their credit, I will say that Texas Media Systems and Panasonic both jumped on getting it fixed ASAP. Just bad luck on my part.
It's not exactly a handy "handy-cam". The side battery placement and redesigned handle are improvements, but it's so long that it's really tripod bound unless you customize it for serious hand-holding.
Those three rings never stop, they just spin and spin. It would be nice if at least the iris would have stops when switched to manual.
No VFR over 30fps at 1080. (You can always switch to 720 DVCPRO HD, but the difference is noticeable - I'm keeping my AF100).
I haven't really had time to test in depth, but it seems the same batteries don't last nearly as long as on the HVX.
The lens - not that it's "bad" per se, in fact it's pretty good - But that large ramp in exposure from wide to telephoto is bothersome in low light (interestingly, the original prototype apparently had a much larger front element, hmmm). And of course the much discussed and dissed close focus/zoom issue does require some thinking (but really, it's not nearly as problematic as some posts would lead you to believe).
Personally I wish the lens wasn't so ambitious. I know that some think its great to get a 22x f1.6 lens in a small camera like this, but to me it's just marketing. I liked the Leica lens on the HVX - I can live with 1.6 - 2.8 - That was a marketing/consumer win/win - I wish that lens was on this camera.
I miss a front mounted audio dial (as on the HPX500) but, as I mentioned above, there is ALC.
The power switch and mode switch. I don't use the side handle, so the thumb activated switch is awkward for me. I really like the power switch on the AF100 (although many actually complained about it, I think it's very "professional").
THE UGLY:
Out of the box and unadorned, this camera has that awkward look of a stretch limo - you know, where the proportions are no longer quite right so it just looks wrong. But I assume the length is needed for the P2 cards, and they are way more important than looks after all.
The lens hood is cheesy and really looks crappy. Throw it away.
And (not specific to this camera but something I've never liked) that ubiquitous, bulbous built-in mic that looks amateurish and can interfere with some accessories (like my favorite old Arri 3x4 bellows matte box with the adjustment rod on top). Give me a smooth uncluttered handle and let me add my own microphone, thank you very much.