Hey Jerry I think you're looking at the PAL manual for the Euro camera that shoots 25fps. The NTSC version defaults to 1/48.0 for 24fps. There is also a model that is switchable between NTSC and PAL.
HMC150 questions answered...
- Thread starter Barry_Green
- Start date
ChrisPrine
Active member
My manual says 1/50 as well. A typo, I guess?
ilauzirika
Boring Senior Member
Today I recieved the battery and a 16gb card (coming from B&H), but the camera hasn't showed............... I have a card and battery but not camera........... Hopefully tomorrow or later today..........
mcsmooth
Well-known member
I thought the same at first too, but off does not display the shutter speed. The 1/48.0 is the syncro speed, you can tell because of the extra .0. Page 46's diagram explains it the best.
BobDiaz
The Professor
I was thinking what it would take to do a proper 4 camera comparison... Waveform monitor, Vectorscope, Good test charts, Studio Grade HD Monitor, and lots of time to try and match everything.
Putting all the cameras in Factory Default mode would be easier, BUT Camera "A" default might be set for the most accurate color and contrast. While Camera "B" might be set for the most pleasing Color and contrast.
Still, even a factory default comparison might give us a rough comparison of what kind of differences to expect. It would be a lot of work to do, but the results would be interesting....
Bob Diaz
By golly you're right and my manual DOES say 1/50. My camera says 1/48.
ullanta
Veteran
In the past, such tests have always seemed to lead to contention and anger, especially here in DVXUser-land. And always seem to come down to something like (camera x had the highest resolution, camera y had the cleanest picture... but, in non-studio settings, camera z just has some speicual non-measurable magic that makes us prefer it to x and y). Or the alternative (all these darn 1/3 inch cameras are more alike than different, you should really decide based on workflow). There's the "the person conducting the test didn't set things up optimally for camera y" or "static shots will bias the test towards camera y over camera z".
That said, sure, I love to look at comparison footage as much as anyone else... but it won't be easy or fair, and needs to include real-world footage - which has been the weak-point of previous comparisons.
Attic6
Well-known member
The tester would need to do each part seperately eg: test one resolution, put all cameras looking at focus chart then tweak all the setting and iris etc until the best was portrayed from each camera and then would judge res from that and have a look at how the colors look too. then test color and set up a test and see how close to correct the cameras can be tweaked with acceptable amounts of gain etc. then onward to dynamic range and sensativity. Then put all cameras mounted on a plank and go shoot some hand held running to check for compression errors etc and always tweaking all cameras to get the best out of every test.
Doing the tests in standard out the box mode is about as usefull at doing a timed lap in a sports car without putting it in sports mode...
Yes it would take days to get this right and get a good answer. So anybody here got a dvx, hvx, hmc, ex1 and maybe a digi beta and a hpx500 and a red? plus gonna have nothing to do for the next week? might as well throw in a pd150, A1, D80 and the latest nokia phone.
Doing the tests in standard out the box mode is about as usefull at doing a timed lap in a sports car without putting it in sports mode...
Yes it would take days to get this right and get a good answer. So anybody here got a dvx, hvx, hmc, ex1 and maybe a digi beta and a hpx500 and a red? plus gonna have nothing to do for the next week? might as well throw in a pd150, A1, D80 and the latest nokia phone.
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ilauzirika
Boring Senior Member
you know what!!! Just recieved MY hmc 151E!!!!!!!! after two weeks of waiting here it is...... Great.........soon unboxing pics......
Hold on, let me check... NOPE! I was going to try to shoot some EX1 vs. HMC150 real-world comparisons but from the sounds of that lofty request I don't think I'll even try. Maybe I won't even get out of bed today.
rogar-Love(DBG):Hold on, let me check... NOPE! I was going to try to shoot some EX1 vs. HMC150 real-world comparisons but from the sounds of that lofty request I don't think I'll even try. Maybe I won't even get out of bed today.
I actually had an early morning surge of energy and shot some more XH-A1 to HMC150 comparison shots. I went fanatical to tweak them both flat and vivid/sharp and manually set WB and focus. Now I just need somewhere to post the 4 min 750 MB m2t file.
As someone said a few threads back, all these 1/3 cameras are more alike than different. Flat, I doubt many can tell them apart in good light. Vivid, the Panasonic look comes right out. Since the HMC150 is tapeless and has a little less noise and more sensitivity, it's the 1/3 class leader for now.
mcsmooth
Well-known member
Don't you mean the camera says "1/48.0"? If so, that is the syncro speed. It doesn't show the speed when it is "Off". Switching between Off and 1/48 gives an ever-so-slight change in brightness that I believe 1/50 is correct for 24&30p.
Hm. OK I'm confused then. When I cycle through the shutter speeds they are, in order, 1/48.0, 1/24, 1/60, 1/120, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/48.0, 1/24, 1/60, etc. And then of course OFF which shows nothing on the screen. So when shooting 24p and 30p I should have the shutter OFF? Which is 1/50?
Malcolm Linton
New member
Bottom line on HMC 150?
Bottom line on HMC 150?
Can anyone give me the bottom line on the HMC 150? I use a DVX-100B at present and have been waiting for the right camera to come along before I make the transition to hi-def. The EX-1 with extra memory cards is outside my budget as well as bulkier than I want: the HMC-150 is the right price and size even if it cannot produce real 1080p. But I just saw a post from a senior member who said he was disappointed with the HMC-150 and was planning to hang on to his DVX-100 for now. I'd much appreciate comments from anyone who thinks the HMC-150 is or is not a logical upgrade from the DVX. Also, can anyone explain what "active frames" are? Panasonic's literature on the HMC-150 says it can produce 1080p but adds a note that reads "active frames only." No-one I have talked to at Panasonic so far has been able to explain what this means or whether it represents a real improvement on native 720p.
Bottom line on HMC 150?
Can anyone give me the bottom line on the HMC 150? I use a DVX-100B at present and have been waiting for the right camera to come along before I make the transition to hi-def. The EX-1 with extra memory cards is outside my budget as well as bulkier than I want: the HMC-150 is the right price and size even if it cannot produce real 1080p. But I just saw a post from a senior member who said he was disappointed with the HMC-150 and was planning to hang on to his DVX-100 for now. I'd much appreciate comments from anyone who thinks the HMC-150 is or is not a logical upgrade from the DVX. Also, can anyone explain what "active frames" are? Panasonic's literature on the HMC-150 says it can produce 1080p but adds a note that reads "active frames only." No-one I have talked to at Panasonic so far has been able to explain what this means or whether it represents a real improvement on native 720p.
Justyn
Veteran
I am not sure what nthat means about not producing real 1080... but I think that the 720 is the sweet spot on the cam.. and the 720, 60p is awesome. I'm also not sure who would be disappointed over this cam, especially in relation to the DVX. That camera was old in 2006... never mind now. Switching to HD will be leaps and bounds over any SD DV camera. I also think that this is a great upgrade and you can use a few of your 100b accessories. This camera is sweet.. basically an HVX/HPX cam with a few moderate differences.
ullanta
Veteran
I think if you search around here the majority of opinions seem to be that the HMC is a great step up from the DVX. I'd certainly say so. Better imagery, less noise, lots of flexibility, cheap solid-state media that lets you shoot continuously for hours if that's what you're into. I haven't heard of anyone disappointed with the HMC EXCEPT for the current support from NLE's, which is a temporary issue and getting better by the day. It's a great camera, and stands on its own in the Panasonic family - I think, e.g., it has both advantages and disadvanteges compared to the HPX170 (disregarding price, even) and HVX. As with all these cameras, it has a little less resolution than some of the competition, but has a little more of "something" that makes the picture more pleasing. Thus, not as sharp in 1080p as some cams... but many of us think "nicer" in color and motion rendition.
As to "active frames only" - what's the whole quote? I'd assume that refers to native vs. over-60 modes... which means that by recording "active frames only", you get a better compression ratio (read: fewer image artifacts) than if recording redundant frames for over-60 mode. A very good thing.
As to "active frames only" - what's the whole quote? I'd assume that refers to native vs. over-60 modes... which means that by recording "active frames only", you get a better compression ratio (read: fewer image artifacts) than if recording redundant frames for over-60 mode. A very good thing.
Mike Harvey
Veteran
Malcom, my biggest gripe is that AVCHD has been a bit of a pain to edit... but it's solely because I am using Adobe CS4... so it's a bit buggy, and my Blackmagic Intensity card is worthless since Adobe only sent out the SDK's to the third party vendors a month ago. If you are using Vegas or FCP, You should be fine.
With that said... I bought an HMC150 a month and a half ago. My DVX is now on Ebay.
If you are prepared to go tapeless and are willing to deal with the new workflow (and AVCHD headaches) it's the logical step, and I am not suffering from any buyers remorse whatsoever.
With that said... I bought an HMC150 a month and a half ago. My DVX is now on Ebay.
If you are prepared to go tapeless and are willing to deal with the new workflow (and AVCHD headaches) it's the logical step, and I am not suffering from any buyers remorse whatsoever.