It isn't the same chip. Yeah, they're both 1/2.3" but they have different megapixel counts. HM70 is 12MP vs HMQ10 is 8.3MP.
Jvc GY-HM70 is coming out in May. Why is JVC not so popular here.
- Thread starter Deer Film
- Start date
It isn't the same chip. Yeah, they're both 1/2.3" but they have different megapixel counts. HM70 is 12MP vs HMQ10 is 8.3MP.
NorBro
Major Contributor
So what's up with this camera? I have not done much research on it but I recently saw that it was under the 1/2" sensor category at B&H putting it just below the 2/3" sensor category. And then I searched DVXuser for it and now I'm here...anyone think it will be nice or a typical JVC?
combatentropy
Veteran
Around 1990, JVC made a brilliant camcorder, the GRS707.
This was the first camcorder that I owned. My dad helped me buy it, paying half of the $1,000 price tag and loaning me the rest, so I could have it specifically to make movies, after I caught the film bug in a video class at school. I shot about 40 short movies with it in high school with my friends, editing them with another great JVC device, a prosumer JVC S-VHS HiFi VCR with a metal front and even a jog-shuttle wheel. It was by using the camera as the playback deck and the VCR as the record deck. (Does anyone remember those days? I look at all the stuff you can get for free these days, like iMovie, and cry. What I would have given even for something like Windows Movie Maker!)
It was some kind of miracle moment for JVC. Many times they've come out with camcorders with distinguishing features
- S-VHS-C. Yes, it was Super VHS, so twice the res of VHS, but also VHS-C, so it was smaller.
- HiFi. It recorded HiFi stereo sound as well as the normal mono track. I was able to dub music on the mono track while keeping the dialog and other live sounds on the HiFi track. I know, a little upside down. It would have sounded better to put the dialog on the low-fi mono track and the music on the HiFi track. But some of you may recall that VHS achieved HiFi by interweaving it with the picture track, in order to use the full width of the tape. So, you couldn't overdub that without erasing the picture. VHS Hi-Fi track was practically CD quality sound. I know of at least one independent music studio back then that used it as their mastering format. They recorded the music to VHS tapes, with no picture!
- 1/2" CCD, baby! Shallow focus that was quite rare again in the early part of this century. Also, no rolling shutter, although it did suffer from some pretty bad vertical blooming.
- Shoulder-mount. One the smallest shoulder-mount camcorders I've ever seen. It was like an Aaton A-Minima (okay, maybe I'm waxing a little too sentimental)
This was the first camcorder that I owned. My dad helped me buy it, paying half of the $1,000 price tag and loaning me the rest, so I could have it specifically to make movies, after I caught the film bug in a video class at school. I shot about 40 short movies with it in high school with my friends, editing them with another great JVC device, a prosumer JVC S-VHS HiFi VCR with a metal front and even a jog-shuttle wheel. It was by using the camera as the playback deck and the VCR as the record deck. (Does anyone remember those days? I look at all the stuff you can get for free these days, like iMovie, and cry. What I would have given even for something like Windows Movie Maker!)
It was some kind of miracle moment for JVC. Many times they've come out with camcorders with distinguishing features
- Around 2003 they made a Mini-DV camcorder the size and shape of a DVX100 but with chip technology out of a shoulder rig. The picture was really sharp, but not in the enhanced sort of way, it was smooth. The build quality wasn't that good, though, and the one I rented had some bad pixels. The biggest gaff was an XLR port so close to the lens that my XLR cable's connector pressed against the zoom ring.
- A few years after that, they came out with one of the first camcorders --- maybe the first --- to record to ProRes. It was this really small thing with 1/4" chips.
- A couple of years ago, they showed that prototype that recorded 4K to SD cards.
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Ted Ramasola
Veteran
I too had good memories and projects done with JVC cams, the JVC HD100 and HD200. The HD100 was the first affordable HDV camera with interchangeable pro lens.
They were owned by Matsushita, the parent company to Panasonic (which took the name Panasonic for the whole company after divesting JVC). So they had the same corporate parent as Panasonic, but they were separate companies.
Camera Expert
Well-known member
With the originally announced price, it was a bit steep for not having 24p and XLR inputs and at the current price of $1,600, it's more fair but JVC is still a little bit of a risk omitting those features. It should have had at least one of those features if not both.
The HM70 is basically a shoulder mounted version of the PX100.
The HM70 is basically a shoulder mounted version of the PX100.
djkarn105
Well-known member
I work pretty regularly at a studio that does live broadcasts to web and they have all JVC cameras. They have all the specifications and features you would want / need in that kind of environment and none of the sex appeal you would want as an owner operator. JVC makes good workhorse products, they don't make sexy products that you would want as an owner operator who does both nuts and bolts type work and more creative stuff.
cocomonk22
New member
Here is a video posted today testing several features of this camera:
demoboy
Well-known member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUusEIPrqQM
I must say that the best feature of the HM70 is the tele macro function, and a better tele macro function than on the AG-AC8. The lens is sharper, HOWEVER, the GT lens suffers from side detail, and as some of us know when fully zoomed out you tend to see lot of chromatic aberration. But is some nice chromatic aberration because of it's consistency to still look semi-pro ENG, and the purple fringing seems rich. Also when going from Wide to MID to Telephoto, you get some vignetting from the element structure. Therefore expect to see vignetting in the middle. I did not see this on the AG-AC8. Furthermore, because the HM70 has a bigger sensor than Panasonic's AG-AC8, the detail and motion looks more organic on the JVC. Is it the AVCHD encoding from the two? Also, the JVC performs better in my opinion in low light with its 12 (bigger) Megapixels than Panasonic's 20MP. Out of the box, the JVC wins with color, HOWEVER, the HM70 has no color saturation options or sharpness setting commonly found on Panasonic cams. The AG-AC8 does. The AG-AC8 also has increment gain settings, the HM70 doesn't. For night wedding reception you're going to get a way better image and less noise with the HM70. Of course this all depends on how much light is given in the venue.
It's a really tough call. The slow-mo is OK, but I don't see how professionals could truly use it. The 64x digital zoom on the HM70 looks organic and in my opinion better than the AG-AC8's 50x ''dynamic'' zoom mode. Searching forest fires or ''searching'' I can see how the HM70 can be very useful on the field.
Final verdict: for about the same price I'd go with JVC on this one. The compression and sensor size is the main difference from the two if talking about a better image. Also JVC is known for providing firmware updates and requests!
I must say that the best feature of the HM70 is the tele macro function, and a better tele macro function than on the AG-AC8. The lens is sharper, HOWEVER, the GT lens suffers from side detail, and as some of us know when fully zoomed out you tend to see lot of chromatic aberration. But is some nice chromatic aberration because of it's consistency to still look semi-pro ENG, and the purple fringing seems rich. Also when going from Wide to MID to Telephoto, you get some vignetting from the element structure. Therefore expect to see vignetting in the middle. I did not see this on the AG-AC8. Furthermore, because the HM70 has a bigger sensor than Panasonic's AG-AC8, the detail and motion looks more organic on the JVC. Is it the AVCHD encoding from the two? Also, the JVC performs better in my opinion in low light with its 12 (bigger) Megapixels than Panasonic's 20MP. Out of the box, the JVC wins with color, HOWEVER, the HM70 has no color saturation options or sharpness setting commonly found on Panasonic cams. The AG-AC8 does. The AG-AC8 also has increment gain settings, the HM70 doesn't. For night wedding reception you're going to get a way better image and less noise with the HM70. Of course this all depends on how much light is given in the venue.
It's a really tough call. The slow-mo is OK, but I don't see how professionals could truly use it. The 64x digital zoom on the HM70 looks organic and in my opinion better than the AG-AC8's 50x ''dynamic'' zoom mode. Searching forest fires or ''searching'' I can see how the HM70 can be very useful on the field.
Final verdict: for about the same price I'd go with JVC on this one. The compression and sensor size is the main difference from the two if talking about a better image. Also JVC is known for providing firmware updates and requests!
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I've never had a good experience with JVC gear, like someone said they have good specs on paper but in the real world their gear is a bit of a let down. I've heard them referred to as JVC = Junk Video Corporation. I think that's pretty much on the money. I'd stick with Sony, Panasonic or Canon for my cameras.
demoboy
Well-known member
I understand the broader picture, but for a buyers market and comparison of two competitive camera manufacturers around the same price, my assessment is that the HM70 gives off a better picture than the AG-AC8, including its WB internal meter. Particular information will help the buyer looking for a $1,200 cam.
I've been pleased with my two JVC camcorders: GS-TD1 3D camcorder and GY-HMQ10 4K camcorder.
I got the TD1 before the Panasonic Z10000 3D prosumer camcorder was announced. I choose JVC because Sony's TD10 3D camcorder was missing a lot of features in 3D mode that the JVC could do. I upgraded to the Z10000 because I wanted a view finder and more physical controls that are found on a larger camcorder.
My JVC 4K camcorder has been amazing. I've recorded over 60 hours of 4K video in the last couple of years. The camera's video is very sharp across the range of lens apertures. The colors are quite good and it's 60 fps at 4K option makes for very smooth recordings.
It's somewhat inconvenient to have to merge video quadrants after I got home, but the alternative would have been to have to buy very expensive memory cards that would likely have limited how much I can record in a day anyway. With the four card solution, I can record four hours at a time with affordable cards.
I wish my JVC 4K camcorder had built in neutral density filters and is a bit more light sensitive, but it's a very nice camcorder. By the time all the pieces for 4K are in place, I'll already have several years of events recorded in 4K.
I got the TD1 before the Panasonic Z10000 3D prosumer camcorder was announced. I choose JVC because Sony's TD10 3D camcorder was missing a lot of features in 3D mode that the JVC could do. I upgraded to the Z10000 because I wanted a view finder and more physical controls that are found on a larger camcorder.
My JVC 4K camcorder has been amazing. I've recorded over 60 hours of 4K video in the last couple of years. The camera's video is very sharp across the range of lens apertures. The colors are quite good and it's 60 fps at 4K option makes for very smooth recordings.
It's somewhat inconvenient to have to merge video quadrants after I got home, but the alternative would have been to have to buy very expensive memory cards that would likely have limited how much I can record in a day anyway. With the four card solution, I can record four hours at a time with affordable cards.
I wish my JVC 4K camcorder had built in neutral density filters and is a bit more light sensitive, but it's a very nice camcorder. By the time all the pieces for 4K are in place, I'll already have several years of events recorded in 4K.
demoboy
Well-known member
I just finished shooting some tests with the JVC GY-HM70E. I added a Sigma Circular Polarizer and to my surprise with various good manual white balances I achieved some shots I could not get with the AG-AC8. At full 16x Dynamic zoom the JVC also achieves better color depth - for instance the green in trees - than the AG-AC8. I am more than sure it's because of the 12MP sensor and it being bigger than the other competitors at its price. Also the sound definition from the in-cam mics sound amazing! I'm surprised that this camera hasn't received more hype than the AG-AC8.