bigmajik100
New member
im undecided about the two im switching to hi def and cant decide which camera to get. can i get some help with making this decision please?
hmc150 or ag ac160
- Thread starter bigmajik100
- Start date
Barry_Green
Moderator
The 160 is better in almost every way, is sharper, has variable frame rates, a much longer zoom, and on and on.
The 150 is quite a bit smaller and therefore better for handheld stuff, and it has ccd chips instead of MOS sensors. Other than those two things, the 160 is better. And of course it costs more.
The 150 is quite a bit smaller and therefore better for handheld stuff, and it has ccd chips instead of MOS sensors. Other than those two things, the 160 is better. And of course it costs more.
bigmajik100
New member
will the 160 give me the look of film sort of like the dvx do?
Mike Harvey
Veteran
CCD's are *NOT* better, and never have been. Neither are they worse. CCD and CMOS are two different was of achieving the same thing. "Better" and "Worse" are inherently subjective terms depending on what your criteria is. 1/3" CCD's are going to be lower rez than 1/3" CMOS (there aren't any 1/3" CCD's on the market that are true 1920x1080, and I don't believe it's technically possible for there to be). The HMC150 is also 3 years old now, so it's using older technology. The AC130/160 uses the chips out of the HPX370, so it's newer technology. The tradeoff is the potential for skew/jello. How big or small a potential depends on how you shoot.
Realistically, the HMC150 is sharp enough, and by all accounts the skew is minimal, and is going to be non-existant for most applications with the AC130/160. So pick your poison.
Personally, I love my HMC150, but at some point down the road, I'll grab the AC160 for features it has that have nothing to do with the chips in either camera. But I'm in no rush to do the upgrade. My HMC150 is serving me just fine.
I had to make the decision recently myself.
I had to make the decision recently myself.
I recently was on the same decision making boat. I went with the AC130. I am 100% happy with the decision. It was $1,000 more than a new HMC150 but I think it really has a quality that the HMC150 won't be able to get. I shot this on my first day with it if interested. It is an example of how well it holds up in post with grading as this is an edited montage of nature.
http://vimeo.com/34877927
or if you prefer youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiLXXeSa60I
I zoom is ability is unbelievable. This was graded with magic bullets but I have to say the footage already had me so satisfied upon review in my computer before I started to grade. I prefer the performance of MOS sensors after having worked with CCD cams for the past few years. I also have been using DSLR for the last year where I started to prefer the look of the MOS chips. I know these are 3MOS not CMOS but bouncing back and forth between my DSLR footage and this cams, there was richness and fullness my DSLR did not have by comparison. Not to mention have the comfort of a camcorder again was really nice. I really think there is a look it provides which I prefer.
I had to make the decision recently myself.
I recently was on the same decision making boat. I went with the AC130. I am 100% happy with the decision. It was $1,000 more than a new HMC150 but I think it really has a quality that the HMC150 won't be able to get. I shot this on my first day with it if interested. It is an example of how well it holds up in post with grading as this is an edited montage of nature.
http://vimeo.com/34877927
or if you prefer youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiLXXeSa60I
I zoom is ability is unbelievable. This was graded with magic bullets but I have to say the footage already had me so satisfied upon review in my computer before I started to grade. I prefer the performance of MOS sensors after having worked with CCD cams for the past few years. I also have been using DSLR for the last year where I started to prefer the look of the MOS chips. I know these are 3MOS not CMOS but bouncing back and forth between my DSLR footage and this cams, there was richness and fullness my DSLR did not have by comparison. Not to mention have the comfort of a camcorder again was really nice. I really think there is a look it provides which I prefer.