what are the key features or differences between these. i'm not fully sold on the idea of P2 cards because i cant afford them, so i want to shoot on tape but i can only do SD on the HVX i'm told. so if you can give me some insight as to why buy one or the other and your opinions over which is better since i definitely respect the collective thoughts of DVXUSER, thanks in advance.
Hvx200 vs hmc150
- Thread starter RM ROBOT
- Start date
Dave ©
Well-known member
HVX200 gives you more frame rates than HMC150.
HVX uses P2 for HD; HMC uses SDHC (much cheaper).
HVX allows recording in SD via mini-DV tapes; cannot record SD with HMC.
HVX does not have a waveform monitor; HMC does.
HVX costs about $1500 more than the HMC150.
Unless you need to record to SD, I'm not sure why you wouldn't compare the HMC to the HPX170, which is a better camera than the HVX200 and 200A.
There are lots of discussions on this board comparing the cameras. Google "HVX200 vs HMC150" then do the same for HVX200 vs HPX170. You should find your answer pretty quickly.
HVX uses P2 for HD; HMC uses SDHC (much cheaper).
HVX allows recording in SD via mini-DV tapes; cannot record SD with HMC.
HVX does not have a waveform monitor; HMC does.
HVX costs about $1500 more than the HMC150.
Unless you need to record to SD, I'm not sure why you wouldn't compare the HMC to the HPX170, which is a better camera than the HVX200 and 200A.
There are lots of discussions on this board comparing the cameras. Google "HVX200 vs HMC150" then do the same for HVX200 vs HPX170. You should find your answer pretty quickly.
manglerBMX
Veteran
i sold my hvx to get an hmc150. for me, it was a perfect solution for my shooting needs. occasionally i have to rent an hvx200 for clients needs, but thats been like twice since november of '08.
one of my main reasons was record times. the cost for longer record times was a helluva lot better with the hmc. but now with the cheaper e series p2 cards its getting a lot more affordable.
also the hvx200 has about 6db more noise than the 200a/170/150. it sucked in low light!
one of my main reasons was record times. the cost for longer record times was a helluva lot better with the hmc. but now with the cheaper e series p2 cards its getting a lot more affordable.
also the hvx200 has about 6db more noise than the 200a/170/150. it sucked in low light!
Hey Mangler thanks for your reply. I just wanted to make the question a little more specific since you seem to be the perfect person to ask. I'm looking to get either of these because i need the 24p film look obviously, i need hd, and i need something that is cost effective in the long run. Thing is this, P2 cards are just way too expensive to me, and an E series still costs in the $400 range for a 16gb, i'm not gonna lug around a laptop and drive to dump my footage and continue, and at the end the cards only have a certain amount of cycles and crap out. but from test footage i've seen, the hvx seems to blow the hmc out of the water but i've never used neither and don't have access to them. I like the additional frame rates on the HVX but it's not a necessity so my bottom line is this, what differences and personal likes or dislikes have you noticed between the two, does the hmc hd look just as good on tape then the hvx hd looks on P2, as far as quality. and is there any other camera that you think would be a good option to look at. I've looked at the JVC GY-110 but i didn't really like the test footage i saw and i was only able to find one video at the moment. i'm looking to order a camera as soon as tonight but i really need someone to help me with the particulars to make this decision. I bought a camera once and it didn't turn out to be what i wanted and was really disappointed, i'm looking to not have that happen again. also saw the Sony HVR-Z7U but sony was the other camera that had disappointed me, i had a VX 2100 so i dont think i'm too keen on sony cameras.
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What are you asking here about "looking good on tape?"
As to your original question, AVCHD does present editing issues. Not all NLEs support RT native editing, and certainly a powerful computer is needed.
Many transcode to an editing format on both platforms and that does grabs much more HDD space.
We produce a number of replicated SD DVDS, and our testing with the 150 versus the 170 disclosed that the 150 breaks up more than the 170 when encoded to m2v
What test footage was this ?
...All of the tests I've seen so far, at the same settings the video produced by these two cameras was essentially identical. I was even surprised to see some very nice green-screen work done with the HMC150.
yeah two things, sorry for the 'TAPE' question since the HMC150 doesn't have tape at all. i thought it recorded to hd tapes but i'm wrong. the test footage i saw was on youtube but the thing is i only really found one for the hmc150 and the guy was a horrible cameraman. but there's tons of HVX200 footage. i will be doing a lot of green screen so i'm also looking for specs and comparisons as far as that too, i'm glad you brought it up. Basically P2 is too expensive for me, but i want to know that i'm buying something great and i'm just afraid that the HMC might not be great and the hvx is. i can find both cams for the same price around 3,000 but i dont have another 1,000 to buy P2 cards but would have a few hundred to buy SD cards for the HMC. but my bottom line is i dont want to sacrifice professional looks for price, i want to start making films so i want 24p of course and i want to shoot some stuff for slow motion and i dont want to buy a camera to be disappointed and wanting to sell it in a month. would i be disappointed by the HMC150?
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I spent a month reviewing everything I could find that illustrated the performance of the HPX170 and the HMC150 cameras, and in the end I bought the HMC150. I went for the 150 mainly because I could not afford the cost of buying 8 hours of P2 media storage.
Initially I was worried about the AVCCAM 4:2:0 colour space, but after watching a few greenscreen tests on Vimeo, it didn't seem like too much of an issue.
HMC150 greenscreen work by Kurt Jewell
http://www.vimeo.com/2824779/
You will NOT find a HVX200a or 170 new from a Panasonic authorized dealer for $3k.
docrock
Active member
I can't answer for him, but the 200 (not "A" model) is selling for under 3k, used obviously. I think this is a helluva bargain. If you can find a lightly used original 200 for under 3k, it should be a no brainer, even with the price of E series P2 storage. Keep in mind, these are rated for daily use for 5 years before they are EOL'ed. In 5 years, these guys won't be your media anymore.
If you're doing a bunch of chroma key work, you should have ample lighting consistently I would assume....as it is indoors and controlled. This will not necessitate the quicker lens of the A model or the 170's higher ISO performance. And, as David mentioned, you won't find these nearly as inexpensive.
Also, with programs like On Location and Scope Box (Plenty of others) you can record through your computer to an external Hard Drive, if you'd like. Or mount a Hard drive to the camera (FS) to bypass P-2. Plenty of options if you are stationary. P2 though for Running and Gunning.
The workflow of the 170/200(a) is so much more efficient than dealing with AVC
J
If you're doing a bunch of chroma key work, you should have ample lighting consistently I would assume....as it is indoors and controlled. This will not necessitate the quicker lens of the A model or the 170's higher ISO performance. And, as David mentioned, you won't find these nearly as inexpensive.
Also, with programs like On Location and Scope Box (Plenty of others) you can record through your computer to an external Hard Drive, if you'd like. Or mount a Hard drive to the camera (FS) to bypass P-2. Plenty of options if you are stationary. P2 though for Running and Gunning.
The workflow of the 170/200(a) is so much more efficient than dealing with AVC
J
thanks guys for all your help i really appreciate it, even you david s. which i can definately do without because there are such things as ebay and other mediums to get better pricing but anyways i appreciate you taking the time to tell me something i already know. I've decided on the HMC i agree that the codec seems to pose an issue but i'm use to tape and i can just keep doing log and transfer on FCP and i'm fine because there's no way im spending the money for P2. Docrock i agree with you completely but my idea is i can use the HMC for what i need and in a few years when P2 is cheaper or there's another medium i can buy a HVX or whatever new camera they've released so i think i'll go that route. thanks again everyone you guys are the best.