Budget approved! Yeaaaaa

Chris Johnston

Chris Johnston

Veteran
5-6 k available Oct 1 for more equipment.

I've been looking at the 150 VERY hard lately. (and also the DSLR route cause I'm lovin the SDHC work flow)

This camera will be for primarily in studio work (possibly some location stuff)

Need to shoot non stop for at least an hour. So I'll assume I need a couple 32 GB cards. (1 for a spare that I can also use in my T2i?)

All the specs look good to me, although I would like a SD selection too, but I will make do with HD.

I couldn't find anything about how long the default battery actually lasts. Do I need to get a bigger one also?

Does the HDMI output full HD during recording if I want to hook it up to a 55 inch TV during the shoots?

Anyone find anything particular annoying on this cam?

How about file injest for Premiere CS5? Anything wierd there? Do I have to copy the entire card file/folder structure or just grab files and copy them to the HD?

Sorry for the dumb questions but we haven't gotten a new cam in a while (other than DSLR)

Also when you order the cam, do you get the little round thigy that holds the shotgun mic or do you have to order it seperate? (keep seeing pics of the cam without it???)
 
The 150 uses SDHC cards. So don't think your SDXC card from your T2i will work.

The default battery stinks -- I think barely an hour. If you're in the studio you can plug into a wall socket. Serious field work requires the bigger battery or a number of the little ones. I think the bigger battery lasts well over three hours. I think.

I've been told the HDMI is indeed uncompressed 4:2:2, and as people are plugging in field displays you should certainly be able to plug into your plasma for full HD display.

If your computer doesn't suck -- the workflow with CS5 is nearly flawless. I'm editing files straight from the camera with an ease indistinguishable from DVCPROHD. You don't need the file structure for CS5, but you might for other stuff (it's the Blu-ray structure), so always copy the complete folder.

Yes, a shotgun mic holder is included. As always, some people complain about it and suggest something else -- but, yes, there's one in the box.

Good luck!
 
videohog said:
Need to shoot non stop for at least an hour. So I'll assume I need a couple 32 GB cards. (1 for a spare that I can also use in my T2i?)
Click to expand...
32GB card gives 3 hours of PH mode, so if all you need is an hour a 16GB card will do fine.

I couldn't find anything about how long the default battery actually lasts. Do I need to get a bigger one also?
Click to expand...
Depends on how much zooming and autofocus you do; with minimal use of power features it'll last about 90 minutes, but if you do a lot of zooming and such it might only last about an hour.

Does the HDMI output full HD during recording if I want to hook it up to a 55 inch TV during the shoots?
Click to expand...
Yes.

How about file injest for Premiere CS5?
Click to expand...
Just drag and drop, or use the media browser.

Do I have to copy the entire card file/folder structure or just grab files and copy them to the HD?
Click to expand...
Well, you can do it either way, but I'd always recommend keeping the card structure intact.

Also when you order the cam, do you get the little round thigy that holds the shotgun mic or do you have to order it seperate? (keep seeing pics of the cam without it???)
Click to expand...
Mic holder is included.
 
Thanks for the quicky responces. @AGMedia---My T2i uses SDHC cards (I don't have XD??)

I think for safety reasons I'll go with an extra battery and also the 32 gig cards.
Probably not required but just in case.

All the footy I've seen seems quite good, cost, size, features, all that stuff seems to fit the bill for my intents with this cam. but I'm kind of surprised, or I should say I was hoping to hear some of the downsides of this cam. I really like the image I get with my cheapo T2i, but the audio sucks and it has all the little "bad" things that go along with trying to shoot video with a still camera, and I knew it before buying. I just haven't heard many (or ANY that I recall) bad things about thic hmc150. Are there any? (at this cost/ granted it's not an ARRI)
Seems like a sweet cam....No?
 
It is a very sweet cam. Downsides? Well, the LCD isn't a super-high-definition display, but it's serviceable if you turn the EVF DTL on. And if you take it into freezing weather, the focus ring will get pretty stiff. And the image isn't as super-sharp as an HMC40 or EX1.

Other than that, it's pretty much all excellent.
 
Mic on camera?? Lose turn, Go back 21 squares and spend 4 hours in the audio forum.
. . . . or order (and watch) the Sound for Film & Television DVD.

Other than that, congrats on the budget, remember, must post clips.
 
Thanks Barry, I think I'm fairly well firmed up on this, plus the price point will give me a few extra bucks for some new lavs and maybe some glass for the T2i.

(unless they come out with the AF100 real early and at a big price chop, or that Canon 60d has some great audio.........or.....)
 
pixelated said:
Mic on camera?? Lose turn, Go back 21 squares and spend 4 hours in the audio forum.
. . . . or order (and watch) the Sound for Film & Television DVD.

Other than that, congrats on the budget, remember, must post clips.
Click to expand...

No, I rarely use a shotgun, and probably won't for what this is going to be used for. I do use the little round mic holder to hold the wires of the 2 wireless lavs that are mounted on the mic shoe. (I have one of those "Y" thingies that turns the 1 mic shoe into 2 mic shoes but the wires stick straight out the front of the lavs and have a tendancy to flop in front of the lens if you don't route them.)

(at least on the DVX)
 
Love my 150 for lots of reasons.
Downside is unreliability of the SDHC workflow. Doesn't fail much, but it only takes one to really sink you. Also the 4.2.0. codec, compared to 4.2.2 of the HPX170. But I have to admit, the long record times are quite handy on the 150.
 
Danny1280 said:
Downside is unreliability of the SDHC workflow.
Click to expand...

I don't have a lot of time with the SDHC workflow, but what I do have has been uneventful. The card I've been using is a sandisk class 10. Probably overkill for video but I'd rather be safe than save a few bucks on the initial purchase.
Is card quality the general cause of SDHC workflow fails? or how the cam records to the card? Card readers to the editing box? Where's the weak link?
 
Just finished reading a long thread about card fails.........oh boy

I also read a few posts about a hmc150A ? I'm assuming this is wishful thinking or rumor control. Is there any official indication that Pany will be upgrading like they did with the dvx? (I couldn't find anything)

(the reason is one said "I hope they have 2 SDHC card slots" and that really sounds easily do-able)
 
averan said:
you don't need 2 card slots.
16gb class6 from Transcend runs you $40 and gets you 100minutes.
http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Cla...7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1282490404&sr=8-7
32gb gets you 200minutes. who the heck is gonna shoot that much continuously anyway???
and yes, get the biggest batteries Panasonic has. get 3 of them. you'll never need to plugin your camera and you'll be able to shoot all day long on just 2 of them.
Click to expand...

I think it would be nice to be able to have a second slot record a redundancy of the first. That way, card failures would definitely go the way of the dodo.
 
The stated battery length of the battery power is always too high. Figure on about 2/3 of the actual time that the battery says you have left.
 
Danny1280 said:
Love my 150 for lots of reasons.
Downside is unreliability of the SDHC workflow. Doesn't fail much, but it only takes one to really sink you. Also the 4.2.0. codec, compared to 4.2.2 of the HPX170. But I have to admit, the long record times are quite handy on the 150.
Click to expand...

It is an amazing camera. Buy descent top quality SDHC cards, buy a back up system like a Nexto and go for it. I won't get into a p___ing match with anyone re 4.2.0 vs 4.2.2 because in most cases i based on end use it is not worth considering, unless you are dealing with number crunchers at Disco net (Sony fan boys). It look freakin' fab if you pay attention to good shooting basics like white balance, exposure and all the other things one should be doing with any camera, buy Barry's book, read it and shoot.
If you point and shoot ... you get point and shoot.
Oh Yeh...don't be silly and live on the edge... buy two batteries...heck...buy three...spring for what you need to do the job!
 
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