HMC150 SDXC card support?
- Thread starter Phil1076
- Start date
Mike Harvey
Veteran
Well, considering I remember Jan posting that she expected the HMC150 itself to go away depending on 130/160 sales, I'm thinking slim and nil.
Philip Goetz
Well-known member
There are a ton of HMC150 cameras in the field in use and large organizations like to keep some consistency. Plus with the 3 CCD chips and CMOS back lash, it is still an important camera.
Jason Allen
Well-known member
I don't really see the need unless I am solo-shooting a continuous 3+ hour event with NO TIME AT ALL to change cards. If I'm only shooting short takes and sub-3 hour content (which is always the case with my clients), SDXC is overkill on the HMC150 in my opinion.
What in-real-world-use application would SDXC on the HMC150 help you with?
What in-real-world-use application would SDXC on the HMC150 help you with?
What in-real-world-use application would SDXC on any NEW camera help YOU with? By your explanation, none...despite this, all new cameras today still support SDXC.
The point is that it's not a case of needing it at this moment...it's just that it would be a simple, minor software update which would future-proof the camera even more (of course, this is what Panasonic does NOT want). All they'd need to do is add exFAT support to the firmware -- everything else stays the same.
For me personally, it would be useful because:
-If I buy a new camera in the future and it uses SDXC cards, it would also be nice to be able to use those cards in all my cameras.
-Some events/concerts take over 3 hours
-Many large weddings require more than 3 hours of coverage.
While changing cards is not a huge deal, and not taking into consideration the pitfalls of having all eggs in one basket, it would be nice to have the ability to use just 1 card for convenience.
Mike Harvey
Veteran
Is it possible to add exFAT to the camera via a firmware update?
Yes...easily...it's just a case of "teaching" the camera to recognize a card larger than 32GB and formatting it in a more modern file system which supports the increased capacity...that's it...all hardware and codec implementations stay the same.
MadHMC150
DVXuser Sponsor
Convenience may not be enough to push panny to come out with an update.
I can't think of anything that is longer than 3 hours that doesn't have 10 seconds of downtime at some point.. Concerts, events and weddings have plenty of downtime. Nothing is really that long since you would be hard pressed to keep anyones attention for 3+ hours.
I can't think of anything that is longer than 3 hours that doesn't have 10 seconds of downtime at some point.. Concerts, events and weddings have plenty of downtime. Nothing is really that long since you would be hard pressed to keep anyones attention for 3+ hours.
scapsinger
Well-known member
I have to ask...if it is easy to add this to the firmware of the HMC150, then why didn't Panny do it yet? After all, they do sell SDXC cards, so if they thought it would help them sell more media, they'd probably do it, especially if it was absolutely simple to implement.
I'm not an electrical engineer of any sort, so I cannot speak with any authority as to whether or not it's possible or how difficult it would be. As a business person, however, I tend to think that if Panasonic thought they could make a profit by doing something at virtually no cost to their corporation, they would do it. Therefore, I'm skeptical as to whether or not it IS that easy.
I do note a tinge of conspiracy theory about pushing users to upgrade to an AC130 or AC160, but consider also that Panasonic still manufactures the HMC150 and needs to sell those cameras. If they think adding a single line of code to the firmware pushes those cameras out the door more quickly, don't you suppose they would have done it?
Just my thoughts on this, but I'd also suggest that as an answer to the initial question, Panasonic is unlikely to add any new features or firmware to the HMC150 since it is already a 4 year old camcorder. But as far as chances, I'd say 10%. Hope springs eternal!
I'm not an electrical engineer of any sort, so I cannot speak with any authority as to whether or not it's possible or how difficult it would be. As a business person, however, I tend to think that if Panasonic thought they could make a profit by doing something at virtually no cost to their corporation, they would do it. Therefore, I'm skeptical as to whether or not it IS that easy.
I do note a tinge of conspiracy theory about pushing users to upgrade to an AC130 or AC160, but consider also that Panasonic still manufactures the HMC150 and needs to sell those cameras. If they think adding a single line of code to the firmware pushes those cameras out the door more quickly, don't you suppose they would have done it?
Just my thoughts on this, but I'd also suggest that as an answer to the initial question, Panasonic is unlikely to add any new features or firmware to the HMC150 since it is already a 4 year old camcorder. But as far as chances, I'd say 10%. Hope springs eternal!
Just my thoughts on this, but I'd also suggest that as an answer to the initial question, Panasonic is unlikely to add any new features or firmware to the HMC150 since it is already a 4 year old camcorder. But as far as chances, I'd say 10%. Hope springs eternal!
That's exactly it...it would then compete even further with its own successor (AC130/160).
Why add a new feature to an older camera when you can force the customer to upgrade instead?
I was just hoping there was a chance but I realize the futility of the request. From a technical standpoint, it's peanuts....from a business standpoint, it's a major money-loser.
scapsinger
Well-known member
Not force the customer...encourage the customer (or entice, if you prefer). Panasonic isn't making you work the way you do. When you bought your camera (I assume a while back) you bought it with one SDHC card slot and possibly no knowledge of any SDXC card capability for the future. Most people buying a product expect it to do what it says it will do, and not something it doesn't claim to be able to do.
If you're like many HMC150 owners, Panasonic's ingenuity in developing and bringing to market the HMC150 has enabled you to create beautiful content and - hopefully - make a good bit of profit along the way. Regardless, Panasonic is not punishing anyone who chooses not to upgrade their HMC150 to a newer camera, and they are not forcing you to ditch your camera. I actually still have a DVX100B which I use all the time for one client in particular, and I was limited to about 60 minutes of capture when I bought that, and I knew it then and now. Obviously it's a different beast nowadays when so many things can be tweaked in a device's firmware (and, as you suggested, possibly add features as a result). But because Panasonic doesn't, or can't, or just chooses not to do it, doesn't mean they are forcing you to upgrade.
Bottom line....if the convenience of not swapping cards out is of benefit to you, and you can place a dollar amount on that value, then why should you not be likewise encouraged to upgrade and monetize your new workflow immediately? If it is just a simple convenience and would be "nice to have" and nothing more, then I'd even further discourage the use of the word "force" as far as this matter is concerned.