Can I see some nature videos with your HMC-150

D

Deer Film

Well-known member
Hi, I am interested in getting a HMC150. I know it can shoot film like shots. What I would like to know is if it can shoot vivid color, tru life HD footage you see on nature shows that are in HD.
I would like to use a camera like this to shoot wildlife and also for deer hunting videos.
If you have an youtube videos or other places your videos are, please pass along a link.
also, any comments to let me know if this is a good HD wildlife camera.
thanks for your time.:cheesy:
 
Yellowstone video that I shot last year:

http://vimeo.com/5333943

The HMC150 shoots beautiful videos in nature. Oddly enough, the one complaint I have about the camera is also one of my favorite features....the wide angle lens. Because of the wide angle of the stock lens, the HMC150 only has a 13x zoom. On the shot of the grizzly in the Yellowstone video, I was a few hundred feet away at max zoom. I would like to have gotten some closer shots, but I couldn't safely go any closer to the bear. I am considering buying a DSLR with video capability (I want one anyway) along with the HMC for this purpose. A telephoto converter is another option.

Another thing to consider is that you may be less likely to get harassed by the park employees about filming fees if you are carrying a DSLR rather than a prosumer (professional looking to the layperson) camcorder like the HMC150. I've never had a problem, but I've heard of some who have.

Other than this, its a good wildlife camera.
 
DaFireMedic said:
I am considering buying a DSLR with video capability (I want one anyway) along with the HMC for this purpose. A telephoto converter is another option.
Click to expand...

For reference, the 70-200 on a 7D is about the same zoom as the HMC, so you would need to go longer than 200mm on a 1.6 crop body or longer than about 360mm on a 5D2. Provided you have enough light a 7D + 100-400L would be good - as long as you take a sturdy tripod. The slightest shake at that focal length would destroy the footage due to the rolling shutter on the CMOS sensors.
 
DaFireMedic said:
Yellowstone video that I shot last year:

http://vimeo.com/5333943

The HMC150 shoots beautiful videos in nature. Oddly enough, the one complaint I have about the camera is also one of my favorite features....the wide angle lens. Because of the wide angle of the stock lens, the HMC150 only has a 13x zoom. On the shot of the grizzly in the Yellowstone video, I was a few hundred feet away at max zoom. I would like to have gotten some closer shots, but I couldn't safely go any closer to the bear. I am considering buying a DSLR with video capability (I want one anyway) along with the HMC for this purpose. A telephoto converter is another option.

Another thing to consider is that you may be less likely to get harassed by the park employees about filming fees if you are carrying a DSLR rather than a prosumer (professional looking to the layperson) camcorder like the HMC150. I've never had a problem, but I've heard of some who have.

Other than this, its a good wildlife camera.
Click to expand...

I keep hearing how low profile the 7d is and the like but here Ive been harrassed with the 7d and nifty fifty a couple of times :)
It's not that low profile in developing countries that's forsure.
 
We shoot underwater as well as below water with this camera. Underwater is of course a lot more difficult, but the HMC blows away consumer cameras in these conditions because of the challenging light. The colors just pop way more. It is worth the hassle at the end of the day of using a 60lb beast of a housing and getting all the mechanical controls to work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDI9FdIHjmA
This was shot when we first got the camera and housing, but we've been playing with setting and can get even better colors now.

http://www.loggerheadfilms.com/andros.html
This is an hour long, but you are welcome to view if you like ;). But if you want to see some underwater stuff, let it load and go to: 26:07. There is a few minutes of footage there, and a couple of the fish shots were shot on a Sony HC1 so you can REALLY tell the color difference.

33:10 has a bonefishing sequence and we got some cool shots there too, half underwater with the fish and half out with the fish.

38:24 is an egret sequence, shot in 24p and 60p for slow mo.

kairosmatt
 
Everts said:
I keep hearing how low profile the 7d is and the like but here Ive been harrassed with the 7d and nifty fifty a couple of times :)
It's not that low profile in developing countries that's forsure.
Click to expand...

Lol...that sucks. Around here, DSLR's are commonplace among "soccer moms", and seem to draw little attention. Also, still cameras seem to appear to the layperson (and park rangers) as being more for hobby use than large video cameras in general, at least in the national parks. Also, I often have my wife and kids with me (or at least one of my kids) which gives me a distinctively "tourist" look.


Exact said:
For reference, the 70-200 on a 7D is about the same zoom as the HMC, so you would need to go longer than 200mm on a 1.6 crop body or longer than about 360mm on a 5D2. Provided you have enough light a 7D + 100-400L would be good - as long as you take a sturdy tripod. The slightest shake at that focal length would destroy the footage due to the rolling shutter on the CMOS sensors.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, this is great info.
 
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A promotional video shot for the Moorings. We were on a boat in the Andaman Sea for 2 weeks. All shot with the HMC 150 and the Spark setting with minimal colour correction using Color. Lot of Smoothcam filtering going on if you see any funky shifting in the shots. The underwater footage was shot with a little Sony HDV and a Pentax Optio 90

http://vimeo.com/15263925

It's not exactly a nature film, but lot's of great outdoor shots.
 
Deer Film,

I haven't had the pleasure of using an HMC150, but have an HMC40, TM700, and Canon 7D. If you're interested here are a few samples:

http://www.vimeo.com/8238083 HMC40 at Grand Canyon (snow)

http://www.vimeo.com/10469564 HMC40 at Grand Canyon (deer)

http://www.vimeo.com/14609937 TM700 at Grand Canyon North Rim

http://www.vimeo.com/11510382 Canon 7D Havasupai (lots of water falls)

http://www.vimeo.com/13049312 Canon 7D Lake Mead (bighorn sheep on hot days)

The Panasonics are straight forward to use, point, roll, and get excellent footage. As much as I like the Canon 7D, it's much more troublesome, easy to miss more shots, and in many cases not as sharp as the Panasonics.

Good luck with whatever you purchase.
 
Look up most anything shot by Kevin Railsback ("n8ture" on these boards, his website is silverphoenixllc.com.) He's shot tons of stuff on his HPX170, which is largely the same hardware and basically the same camera as the HMC150, so you can get a pretty good idea of how good an HMC150 would look in talented hands.
 
Not slighting anyone. I didn't read the whole thread or watch any of the footage, I just added that I've seen Kevin's footage for years, he's an awesome shooter, and it would be yet another example of what it would look like... didn't mean to step on anyone's toes!
 
Just messing around Barry.
I remember you guys doing a shoot in Africa ...there was an idea for a dvd about wildlife shooting or docs.
Is this still in the works ?

Personally I think the HMC 150 just shines outdoors !
Renders greens and reds beautifully ...
 
A link to this article was posted over on the DVinfo Forum:

Wildlife Filmmakers staging shots

As was mentioned, nature videography takes a lot of time and patience, but even with that some shots that the pros get are nearly impossible to get naturally. Most of us who have gone out to shoot nature video have suspected this anyway.
 
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