HMC150 or Sony HDR-AX2000

Robert M Wright said:
A higher bitrate can certainly yield better quality (with either H264 or MPEG-2 compression), but to get notably better quality than AVCCAM or XDCAM EX (at 35Mbps) takes considerably higher bitrates (diminishing returns). For some purposes it makes sense to use a nanoflash, but the resulting files are much bigger.
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As XDCam approaches the bit rate (and file size) of what's getting recorded to P2, it's issues disappear. And I haven't heard to much complaint about the file sizes of DVCProHD.

But yes, AVCHD is always going to be more efficient. And Wavelet is even more efficient than AVC encoding which is why RedRAW and Cineform and MJ2K make such compelling formats. And they are easier to decompress and edit than AVC as well.
 
I really like being able to pop a 4GB SDHC card in the HMC40, shoot 20 minutes of dynamite looking 720p60 video of my dog frolicking around (or whatever) and then burn the original footage to a cheap-a-cheap DVD. Shooting with a nanoflash, and burning the original footage to cheap DVDs just doesn't work at all.
 
Galleddrim said:
Hey, wait a minute . . . it comes with a shotgun mic too? Sweet!

And speaking of the "brick," it's an optional $750 item . . . but Sony is offering a $500 rebate to orders between now and March. Can't beat that.
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Four 32GB cards will cost about $300-350, and it will only get cheaper, and I would not have to wait for rebate check. Standard-issue removable media will always cost less than proprietary solutions. Proprietary media, lenses, batteries, mics, remote controls... this is where manufacturers have you.
 
Cranky said:
Four 32GB cards will cost about $300-350, and it will only get cheaper, and I would not have to wait for rebate check . . . Proprietary media, lenses, batteries, mics, remote controls... this is where manufacturers have you.
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Obviously, the idea is to have both. Automatic backup solution, remember? I'd be willing to bet that the "brick" is a more reliable media than SDHC too. And that thing holds 11 hours of full bitrate footage! So I'd use SD strictly for backup, which is where I'd feel the most comfortable using it.

Also, thanks for pointing out that buying the "brick" right now is CHEAPER than buying the equivalent memory in SDHC! I hadn't been thinking of it in that way.

And it isn't as bad as all that. The lens is self-contained non-interchangeable, batteries, mics are standard XLR, remotes have multiple third party manufacturers (will probably go with Varizoom).
 
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With the rebate, that (awfully small) brick is actually significantly cheaper (per GB) than SDHC cards currently. It's almost a no-brainer to get one, if you get an NX5U right now.
 
Robert M Wright said:
The NX5U is actually the first cam I can think of that offers redundant recording pretty elegantly.
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You can do the same with many Sony HDV cams if you attach a tapeless recorder. Same idea: either record to both media, or to tapeless only, or record to tapeless while changing tapes, or record HDV to tapeless and DV on tape. Evn the V1 can do it.
 
Cranky said:
You can do the same with many Sony HDV cams if you attach a tapeless recorder. Same idea: either record to both media, or to tapeless only, or record to tapeless while changing tapes, or record HDV to tapeless and DV on tape. Evn the V1 can do it.
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Not very elegant. You have to add something that isn't cheap at all (plus buy the media), doesn't work very gracefully (not exactly seamless functionality) with most cameras, or even fits neatly onto most cams either - awkward.

This memory unit for the NX5U fits onto the camera very nicely (not awkward at all), is utterly integrated functionally, and is actually less expensive (per gig) than SDHC cards - can't really ask more than that.
 
Robert M Wright said:
This memory unit for the NX5U fits onto the camera very nicely (not awkward at all), is utterly integrated functionally, and is actually less expensive (per gig) than SDHC cards - can't really ask more than that.
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Huh? The MRC1K integrates with the Z5/Z5/S270 about as "gracefully" (if you will) as the "brick".
 
Robert M Wright said:
For a whale of a lot more money - and is not capable of shooting continuously nearly as long for that matter.
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Pretty much the same money (if you don't count rebate on the "brick" and the fact that MRC1K comes without memory card). This is a pointless argument. All I wanted to say is that the "brick" is not something super-duper new for people getting SO MUCH excited about it.

Now, the question. Would anyone of those of you who liked the "brick" buy more than one? If not, then this device is no much better than built-in memory that has been offered in consumer cameras for quite a while. The TM350 and the HF-S21 have 64GB built-in. This is not 128GB, but still very respectable. You cannot remove this memory and use the camera separately, which you can do with the "brick". To me, the "brick" is not a revolution, but just a removable built-in memory :) You cannot use it with any other camera, and if it dies you lose 12 hours of footage at once.

I still prefer the cards. Or tapes, for that matter. Removable, inexpensive and common.
 
Cranky said:
Pretty much the same money (if you don't count rebate on the "brick" and the fact that MRC1K comes without memory card). This is a pointless argument. All I wanted to say is that the "brick" is not something super-duper new for people getting SO MUCH excited about it.

Now, the question. Would anyone of those of you who liked the "brick" buy more than one? If not, then this device is no much better than built-in memory that has been offered in consumer cameras for quite a while. The TM350 and the HF-S21 have 64GB built-in. This is not 128GB, but still very respectable. You cannot remove this memory and use the camera separately, which you can do with the "brick". To me, the "brick" is not a revolution, but just a removable built-in memory :) You cannot use it with any other camera, and if it dies you lose 12 hours of footage at once.

I still prefer the cards. Or tapes, for that matter. Removable, inexpensive and common.
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Sure. I don't think anyone was saying it was revolutionary. It's an SSD drive built into the cam. Would I buy more than one? Probably not. Unless I was going on a long trip somewhere maybe. The point is that I have a choice. I can shoot on the "brick," or on SDHC, or on both for security. I can imagine different scenarios where I might do any one of those things, or a combination of them.

If you prefer cards, then that's fine too. It's an option. It's about having choices. You can shoot without the brick. No one says you have to have it.
 
ANYONE see this review?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/find/newsLetter/Sony-HDR-AX2000.jsp

Sony HDR-AX2000 First Look

By Moshe Lehrer
...The Sony-branded Exmor sensors have on-sensor A/D conversion and dual noise reduction, which Sony claims will result in a high signal-to-noise ratio, resulting in sharper, cleaner video footage...

...The camera has 2 memory card slots, and you'll get about 180 minutes of 24Mbps 60i recording per card. With two 32GB cards, you can grab 6 hours of full resolution HD footage before you need to swap out cards. And when one card is full, the camera automatically starts recording onto the next card, no more losing takes because you ran out of space...

...over the next few weeks, I'll be putting the AX2000 through it's paces, testing it in a whole bunch of different shooting situations, and I'll come back with a full hands-on review in our next B&H Pro Video newsletter...
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