HMC40 Operating Instructions Observations

R

rich_r

Active member
Thanks to Bob Diaz for pointing out that the Operating Instructions (manual) was now available to download from the Panasonic site.

I have the camera on order - it should arrive in the next few days. But the manual was an interesting read, with a few surprises.

1. Master Pedestal range is -15 to +15 (back to the HPX200 DVX range). I wonder what prompted this change since all of their recent cameras user -100 to +100.

2. Changing scene files (only two supported) requires cycling power!

3. The brochure clearly indicates two zebra levels (consistent with the HMC150), but the manual says only one level (and the default value is 80%).

4. Both gain and ND seem to be directly tied to the iris control. I surmise that this means that once you get to OPEN (f1.8) then gain will be added (1 dB at a time up to either 12dB or 24dB based on menu setting). I am guessing that ND works the same when you get to CLOSE (f??) then the ND will be engaged.

5. AUTO mode is all or nothing (including shutter speed).

6. Touch Auto Focus while in Manual Focus mode seems superior to the standard Push AF (although both are available).

None of these are deal breakers but I am a bit dismayed about needing to power cycle to change scene files and I am a bit baffled by why the limit of two. The way gain and ND seem to be implemented is also limiting use of aperture (I expect there to be some defraction issues above f8 or so).

I'm sure after I get the camera in my hands I'll have more comments on some of these items.

rich
 
rich_r said:
Both gain and ND seem to be directly tied to the iris control. I surmise that this means that once you get to OPEN (f1.8) then gain will be added (1 dB at a time up to either 12dB or 24dB based on menu setting). I am guessing that ND works the same when you get to CLOSE (f??) then the ND will be engaged.
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I hope that Panasonic uses the same approach that Sony and Canon uses, by engaging the ND filter somewhere at F4-F5.6 to keep the lens at the optimal aperture as long as possible. With the approach Canon and Sony use, you shoot at F4 most of the time unless you shoot a white wall.

I did notice that the TM300 takes about 6 nudges of the IRIS control to go from F16 to CLOSE, so this might indicate using an ND filter (or negative gain) at F16 just like you have suggested. This is three stops of light absorption. I hope that Panasonic did not choose this approach on the HMC40. If it did, it may seem that it does not have the technology for real automated ND filter, it just uses negative gain.
 
Cranky said:
... I hope that Panasonic did not choose this approach on the HMC40. If it did, it may seem that it does not have the technology for real automated ND filter, it just uses negative gain.
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I seriously doubt or even expect the HMC-40 actually has a series of mechanical ND filters in the lens path like the HMC-150. If it did, they would exploit this by at least allowing control of them through the menu system if not a mechanical lever like the 150.
 
Mine showed up, so I'll try to remember to check that, but my guess is that the ND filter is a rotating graduated wheel, like the HV20's was. Basically a continuously variable ND filter, not hard physical switching in/out like on the 150.
 
Barry_Green said:
Mine showed up, so I'll try to remember to check that, but my guess is that the ND filter is a rotating graduated wheel, like the HV20's was. Basically a continuously variable ND filter, not hard physical switching in/out like on the 150.
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Please, do. I think I will be able to play with the HMC40 once again on DVExpo in L.A., the one I played with at NAB was locked to auto mode with LCD and buttons not working.

jeff9329: all consumer HD camcorders from Canon and Sony have built-in variable ND filters, which absorb from 3-1/2 to to 4 stops of light. You cannot directly control the filters, but then you would not really want to.

So, Sony offers this technology since 2005, Canon offers it since 2007, Panasonic does not seem to offer it in 2009. Likewise, JVC does not have this feature either, but many consumer JVC camcorders have a manually controlled ND filter.
 
I like the implimintation of the gain its nice to not have to look for another switch. As far as ND goes using the iris wheel the manual says that it is implemented automatically i went outside and it was still needing the shutter to get a good sky that wasn't blown out. The touch auto focus is really good. Its nice to just touch the lcd where you want it to focus.
 
Kyle1001 said:
As far as ND goes using the iris wheel the manual says that it is implemented automatically i went outside and it was still needing the shutter to get a good sky that wasn't blown out.
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Could you lock the shutter speed, then switch to manual iris and check aperture/gain values (and ND values if there are any). Could you put these values into a table, one value per each click of IRIS button. Or make it a picture, like shown here.

Also, don't forget that for some strange reason Panasonic chose not to display aperture/gain values for every other click of the IRIS control.
 

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IRIS & ND FILTER: I would be shocked if Panasonic didn't take into account the loss of sharpness due to diffraction as the lens stops down. I'll guess that as the lens stops down, once the highest F-Stop is reached before loss of sharpness, the ND Filter starts to swing into place. If the light is brighter than that, the lens stops down even higher. It will be interesting to see what the highest F-Stop will be before diffraction set in.

As for the other end, some footage I've seen that was likely at +24dB had a weird noise compression pattern that could have been due to image sensor noise due to the high gain. I've yet to see any footage with the gain limited to +12dB, but that should prove interesting. I'll guess that the noise level at +12dB will be minor.

I don't see anything yet as to displaying what the current gain setting is other than allowing the user to adjust the upper limit.


TOUCH AUTO FOCUS: I've seen some shots from the HMC-45 (Japan) that allowed the user to touch one item and the focus is set to that location. Next the touch another item on the screen and the focus shifts to that location. Very interesting feature.


WFM (Wave Form Monitor): It looks like the only way to use that function is to assign one of the USER Buttons to WFM.



Bob Diaz
 
BobDiaz said:
TOUCH AUTO FOCUS: I've seen some shots from the HMC-45 (Japan) that allowed the user to touch one item and the focus is set to that location. Next the touch another item on the screen and the focus shifts to that location. Very interesting feature.
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Spot focus. Has been on Sony cams for quite a long time, once Sony switched to touchscreen. Sony also has spot exposure and I think, spot WB. The good thing about Panasonic's touch focus and Sony's spot focus is that the former seems to be less "jumpy" and can be used for rack focusing. That Japanese video you are referring to shows a very nice gradual focus shift, not as abrupt as spot focus. This should be a viable alternative to Sony's shot transition and to Canon's favorite focus/zoom or whatever it is called.

Did you mention peaking (EFV DTL)? The HMC40 has it, this is great. Barry said that this feature is really usable on the HMC150, I hope it will be as usable on the HMC40. I wish it were color on B/W though.
 
I'm shooting my first full wedding on it tomorrow ill let you know how it goes as i will be in both extremes. I am in fl during the day so i will have alot of light and then finishing in the reception as well as some fireworks for low light. I will however be using a light on the camera so i don't see having to go that high on the gain.
 
On page 6 of the manual you can read that the HMC40 is licensed only for personal non-commercial use of a consumer.

The advertising is showing that the HMC 40 is sold also for professional use and it is sold though the Panasonic Professional&Broadcast department.

Anybody knows the solution of this problem?
 
Can you only drive a Jeep on a dirt road?
buy it if you need it, enjoy it when you can, make money whenever possible from it! =)
 
Harald said:
On page 6 of the manual you can read that the HMC40 is licensed only for personal non-commercial use of a consumer.

The advertising is showing that the HMC 40 is sold also for professional use and it is sold though the Panasonic Professional&Broadcast department.

Anybody knows the solution of this problem?
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I believe that this is because of the MPEG-4 H.264 CODEC. There are royalties that would have to be paid if you make use of their CODEC for professional work. This same issue comes up with the HMC-150.

Some users have taken "the **** with that" and feel that once the video is cross converted to another format for editing, how will they ever know and for the samll scale producer, who would ever know? On a major production, I'm sure some sort of royalty payment would be needed to avoid a lawsuit.


This could be why Sony chose MPEG-II for the EX-1, no licensing issues.


Bob Diaz
 
I went to the MPEG LA to see what they had to say about fees:
http://www.mpegla.com/m4v/m4v-faq.cfm
(This comes from their PowerPoint presentation.)

Where End User pays for MPEG-4 Video
Title-by-Title - 12 minutes or less = no royalty; >12 minutes in length = lower of (a) 2% of first Arm’s-Length Sale or (b) $0.02 per title. Licensees are (a) replicators of physical media and (b) direct sellers of other media.
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Bob Diaz
 
Short of contacting them directly to verify this, I can't be 100% sure. However, their Power Point Presentation does give some hint of what the fees and licensing would be. I wish they had spelled out things in more detail.


Bob Diaz
 
Harald said:
On page 6 of the manual you can read that the HMC40 is licensed only for personal non-commercial use of a consumer.
Click to expand...

The exact same quote is on page 12 of the HMC150 manual. That does not seem to have stopped owners of that camera from using it for commercial efforts - in many cases that work has been very public.

I am not a lawyer, but a key phrase in both manuals is: "... where SD Memory Cards containing information recorded with this product are to be distributed to end users for commercial purposes." This would seem to indicate that there is only a problem if you provide the SD Card for commercial purposes. My interpretation would be that it is certainly OK to use the AVCHD footage on a NLE and sell the rendered result.

rich
 
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