HMC150 r HMC40

N

NSBFTW

Carbonite Member
I just like the look of the fisheye on the HMC150 more but I suppose you have to make your sacrifices. I made this list to help me decide:

HMC150 Package - 2750
Opteka .4X Fisheye
Lowpro Camera Bag
Big Battery
Two 16GB SDHC Cards
8GB SDHC Card
Cineform - 130
Total - 2880

HMC40 - 1500
Opteka 58 Fisheye - 250
Step Up Ring - 10
32 GB Card - 140
Big Battery - 170
Cineform - 130
Total - 2200

IS the HMC150 really that much better? Like I said before the fisheye on the HMC150 looks way better than the HMC40. If anybody had a .4X Opteka on the HMC150 comparison to the .3X Opteka on the HMC40 that would be great! So which is more worth while buying?
 
The 150 is a better cam, but has a longer learning curve to get the most out of it, and it's a lot more work to lug around snowboarding. You may be more inclined to take the HMC40 with you and use it, due to its weight.

Also, since these activities occur mostly in daylight, its lower sensitivity in low light won't be an issue. I'd make life easier on myself and get the HMC40. And I have a pair of HMC150's.
 
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Now that you've explained the use of the camera: HMC40, unless the CMOS "jello effect" is an issue. The HMC150 will hold its value better comes time to unload it for 3D. In fact, why not look into a low cost 3D camcorder and bypass 2D altogether?
 
They are totally different cameras. I have both and use them for event video.

The only positives to the HMC-40 over the HMC-150 are:
1. Smaller
2. Lower cost
3. Slightly better resolution in daylight


For very bright outdoor video on the long end of the lens, the HMC-40 would be a good choice except for the very poor viewfinders in bright light, or in any light compared to the HMC-150 viewfinders.

Other downsides are the more difficult to operate manual controls, and of course CMOS.

IF the HMC-150 had the slightly better resolution of the HMC-40 in bright light, the HMC-40 would be a very poor choice. But it dosent and we are forced to make compromises.

All the above opinion is just for your bright outdoor light use. For indoors, events, interview/testimomial work and especially low light, the HMC-150 is far superior to the 40.
 
The HMC40 is sharper in good light? Really?
I tried the HMC40 last week and had to return it due to very poor LOW light performance.
(I tweeked settings based on info here)
I shot in a conference room with the gain pushed to 30 and it looks like heck.
I hope the client will still pay for it once they see the results.

So my next bet was to step it up to the HMC-150- to get better low light- but the trade off is worse good light? ugh.
 
Bokes said:
The HMC40 is sharper in good light? Really?
I tried the HMC40 last week and had to return it due to very poor LOW light performance.
(I tweeked settings based on info here)
I shot in a conference room with the gain pushed to 30 and it looks like heck.
I hope the client will still pay for it once they see the results.

So my next bet was to step it up to the HMC-150- to get better low light- but the trade off is worse good light? ugh.
Click to expand...

i think you pretty much stated why it didn't work for you
i would never push any camera past 18db max ,better to brighten in post
1080p/24 /24shutter speed with 12 db is the brightest setting ive found
 
Agree.
But at 18 I had black. 30 barely gave me an image.
Nothing in post was going to save it.

But is it true the HMC40 is sharper than the HMC150?
 
Bokes said:
Agree.
But at 18 I had black. 30 barely gave me an image.
Nothing in post was going to save it.

But is it true the HMC40 is sharper than the HMC150?
Click to expand...

From the specs alone it is technically superior ,due to the fact that it uses full raster 1920x1080 chips
the hmc 150 uses 1280x720 chips ,and upscales to achieve 1080p

In my own experience i have found the 40 to be very sharp in good lighting
"good lighting" meaning bright to the normal eye

however as you experienced ,in low light or even light that isn't fairly bright (i have experience with the camera in hundreds of different locations with ranging lighting conditions) the cameras image becomes almost useless.
 
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