HMC 150 vs XH A1

Hi MADHMC150, thanks for the pictures.
Obviously the 150 is bigger in size. I am toying with selling my A1 only because I will be travelling to India for several months and would like to have something smaller, I will look at the new JVC 100 and its xdcam codec.. just few weeks to wait
 
Sirocco said:
Hi MADHMC150, thanks for the pictures.
Obviously the 150 is bigger in size. I am toying with selling my A1 only because I will be travelling to India for several months and would like to have something smaller, I will look at the new JVC 100 and its xdcam codec.. just few weeks to wait
Click to expand...

Those are the pictures I took back in Oct 2008 when I first got the HMC-150.

About Canon; I like Canon and really liked the XH-A1, but as far as Canon being innovative in HD cameras, it has never happened and never will, it's just not part of their plan for video.

It took Canon over three years to introduce the A1 (11/01/2006) after JVC had released the JY GR-HD1/10 (06/15/2003).

Bottom line, don't hold your breath for the next Canon HD camera.

On the other hand, look at Sony, the exact opposite of Canon with a dizzying array of current and past HD cameras. A lower price point, global shutter, EX-1 like camera would be the ultimate product. Come on Sony!
 
If you are going to India now and need a camera now, and don't want to take a Canon 5DM2, the HMC150 would be my choice. If you took the Canon, you would need a separate audio recorder IMHO. Tape IMHO is impractical now compared to flash memory. That is, if you need the camera now, the HMC150, IMHO, is one of the best choices.

The HMC150's recording quality is really only exceeded by the Canon, AVC Intra, DVCProHD for 1080p (not for 720p), and high bandwidth XDCAM (say 100Mp/s and higher.

If the Canon has an HDMI or HD-SDI output you could get a nanoFlash XDR to use with it. I don't think the A1 does.

Another option would be an EX1. In some ways the HMC150 is better, the EX1's high bandwidth overcomes some of the H.264 compression advantage (not all, the HMC150 is still better there). The EX1 has bigger, higher resolution sensors that just give the camera more to work with. It is a little less than double the price.
 
Ok...I'm on the edge now. I have a boatload of accessories with my A1 and I'm sure I could sell the package for close to the same as a brand new HMC150 (or come within a few hundred bucks).

The only issue with me is the FCP editing. I don't mind transcoding to ProRes at all but what is the general conversion rate? 1:1?

Bottom line, anyone who had an A1 and sold it for the HMC150 regret it? Miss anything about the A1? I love my custom preset I developed so that's the only attachment I really have to it.
 
I have decided to stick to my A1, no doubt the 150 is a great camera but the difference with the A1 is just not enough for me. We are on the verge on many new intersting developments in the tapeless world and I am curious to see some of the new offerings before selling a camera that I still love and with a solid and easy workflow (I am a Final Cut user).
The Panasonic GH1 will be out soon and as a travel camera may be interesting , the new small xdcam by JVC is worth looking at , and should be out at NAB and who knows maybe Sony will offer its own version of a small xdcam (in a Z5 or, better A1u form ).
I am more skeptical of the elusive Scarlet, but if it get release this year it may also be an interesting option.
So, the smart thing to do is to still amortize my Canon A1, bring it to India and wait a year or so to go shopping when there will be many more interesting options.
Just my 2 cents:beer:
 
A1 gone. Waiting till the NAB to order an HMC150...just in case something comes out.

I figured all the transcoding issues will be temporary until FCS3 is released. Chalk it up to being an early adopter of pro avchd? ;)

I'm still editing on a 2.2ghz late 2007 mbp so I'm not sure if its up to the task of native avchd if I was to install ppcs4.
 
I am about to buy a camera, and the prices are equal for the two cameras.
Which camera is best for shooting nature/landscapes?
A powerful zoom is not my priority, rather sharp images and nice colours.
 
I came from an A1 and LOVE the HMC150. It doesn't have the same resolution so if you're looking for ultra sharpness, you may need to look elsewhere. However, I LOVE the panamojo look and am hooked now :).

Few things I don't like about the HMC150 :

-Hand fatigue
-Slow servo zoom
-not much telephoto (but I'd much rather have the wide anyway)
-LCD angles vary greatly in brightness

Other than those SMALL nuisances, I'm elated with the cam.
 
The "panamojo look" is... well... Panasonic Mojo. It's really hard to describe beyond the fact that Panasonic cameras tend to have a distinct look to their footage. Some of it is color rendition, some of it probably has to do with the pixel-shifted CCD's that the 150/170/200 use, some of it is just... well... mojo.
 
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