Press Release: HMC150, "the new DVX"

I think if the CCDs were going to be similar to the HVX200 than you would have easily seen a May release but since it won’t be out until around October, I’m almost certain that Panasonic is taking the extra time to work on higher pixel chips and I’m guessing I’ll be 1280x720, although it wouldn’t surprise me if it end up being a little higher than that.
 
I would be quite happy with the hvx's ccd's, that camera gives beautifull pictures, and to get a cheaper camera with those ccd's would be awsome, and the compression will be much higher so there wouldn't be a huge need for higher res ccd, it would end up going the same way as sony and just sacrificing color info for resolution.
 
Robert M Wright said:
Is it impractical to put heat sinks on a CCD?
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Sadly, yes... You can't put it on top, because that would block the light coming in and you can't put it on the bottom, because that creates mounting issues and there's no way for the air to reach the heat sink. Maybe you could put it around the chip, but I have no idea how good or bad that would be.

Bob Diaz
 
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Camera Buttons:

In looking at the image of the camera (mock-up), the following buttons can be seen:
Panasonic_AG-HMC150_prov_CU.jpg


Bottom row:

AWB (Auto White Balance)

Adjustment Wheel

Iris

Gain (L, M, H)

White Balance (B, A, Preset)

Focus / Iris ??? (I'm not sure about this)

?????? Sorry, but I can't figure this one out

Auto / Manual (Could be for audio level ???)

Left, Right Audio Adjustment Knobs


Upper Front Buttons:

Focus Assist

Focus (Auto, Manual, Infinity)

Push Auto (Focus)

ND Filter (Off, 1/4, 1/16, 1/64)

User1, User2, User3 (User2 has a bump to help identify it.)

Zoom (Servo, Manual)

AG-HMC150_540x383.jpg


Upper Back Buttons:

I just can't make out what the 4 buttons and the joy stick say. I sure wish I could find a higher resolution version of this photo.



I just hope Jan (or anyone else at Panasonic) does not mind me taking a photo at NAB of the prototype of the HMC150.


Bob Diaz
 
Does anybody want to throw out any guesses about filter size? Would be stoked it all my DVX bits fitted on, Would be really cool it it was the same bayonet mount too. Hint hint to the panny techs listening in...
 
I can't imagine why they wouldn't make it 72mm. Since the DVX and the majority of the cameras in this price range have 72mm filter sizes.
 
Hmc150 Wish List Ideas

Hmc150 Wish List Ideas

HMC150 WISH LIST:

Here's my wish list with items labeled as, "Critical", "Important", and "Nice To Have".


(1) CRITICAL: Under $4,000 list price.


(2) CRITICAL: Same or upgraded CCDs as the HVX-200. Thus, images just like the HVX-200.


(3) CRITICAL: Higher bit rate recording mode of at least 18 Mbps (even better, 24 Mbps).


(4) IMPORTANT: With audio recording, a choice between Dolby Digital (AC-3) 64 -> 640 kbps compressed and Linear PCM 1.5 Mbps. To me, it's important to have uncompressed audio. I know HDV is 384 kbps, but I would hope that this camera is a few steps above HDV.


(5) NICE TO HAVE: Time Lapse & Single Frame offered. Time lapse would be user selected from 1 to 255 seconds delay per frame. In order to save power, the option to power down the backlight may be needed.


(6) NICE TO HAVE: Extended (long) exposure for time lapse. See note below for comments...

NOTE: Unlike CMOS, CCD is limited as to how much one can vary the clock speeds. One trick to make a long exposure is to have a buffer, much like a Excel spreadsheet, where each scan gets added to the buffer's contents. The total would be the long exposure. There are limits to this system, like the total scans could not exceed a maximum of around 32 to 256 scans or banding could occur. (I don't know how far one could push the system.) The good news is that CCD noise is reduced, because all the scans would average out the random noise from the CCD. Good, because you could select +18dB gain and see less noise than normal shooting.


(7) CRITICAL: Ability to play a clip and the split second you hit RECORD, the camera switches to record mode. (Unlike the Sony EX-1 that requires a re-boot.)


(8) NICE TO HAVE: All recorded clips are placed into a folder named, "YYMMDD", where YY = year, MM = month, and DD = day. This would put all the clips shot on that day in one folder. Any clips shot on another day would be put in the folder for that day.


(9) NICE TO HAVE: Each clip is named as follows, "HHMMSSFF", where HH = hour (24 hour clock), MM = minute, SS = second, FF = frame number. Where this is the time of the first frame of video.


(10) NICE TO HAVE: The ability to split any clip. I would expect that the clip must be split between the GOPs. When splitting a clip, 2 vertical lines show each GOP point, and an arrow shows the current position. Using left/right arrow keys allows you to select which way to go for the split. Any split clip would have an underscore added to the end of the name, "HHMMSSFF_" to indicate the clip before it is the first part of the clip. The name of the clip would be the time of the first frame of the video.


(11) IMPORTANT: Ability to show an IRE reading for the center square of the image. Just like the Sony EX-1.


(12) NICE TO HAVE: The option to have a scope like display of IRE values across the image. Histogram is nice, but a real scope like reading is better.



Those are some of my ideas, please post your wish list ideas.



Bob Diaz
 
If it has a list price under $4k (and a little lower street price after initial introduction), CCDs that perform at least as well as those in the HVX-200, and a bitrate of 24mbps (so long as it's a reasonably well implemented AVCHD codec), Panasonic will have a real winner on their hands (and probably bury a lot of the competition), assuming there are no odd serious issues (like an incurable SSE issue) or bizarre design blunders (like no OIS or something equally stupid).
 
I'd be happy with a tapeless, high-def DVX at $3500. It should have the same gamma, the same color, the same "mojo" that we've come to love, and all the DVX's great features: manual lens control, precise repeatable manual focus, great audio. I'd love to see 20 to 24mbps I'm not a fan of long-gop but the higher the bitrate goes, the less of an issue it is, so let's crank that bitrate up up up.

It'd be nice to see an increase in sensitivity; it's been a couple of years since the HVX came out so maybe they've got some new tech to employ. But man, if it matches the HVX that'd rock. NTSC/PAL is long overdue, nice to see that happening. Delete Last Clip would be very cool, and great audio is a must. HDMI output for uncompressed 4:2:2/10-bit would be sweet.

Now, gettin' crazy, I'd love to see stuff like a waveform monitor and focus-in-red feature on the LCD, and it'd be killer to have the viewfinder show the full frame while the LCD shows a focus-assist magnification. But I don't expect any of this stuff to actually happen, since this unit will be a lower-cost model below the HVX.
 
It sure would be slick to have a button that is both a focus assist and push auto focus at the same time. In other words, zooming the image in the viewfinder (without affecting recording) as the camera is doing it's thing trying to find focus, and be able to release it when you see the focus satisfactorily achieved (the way you want it, not what it thinks is right).
 
Barry_Green said:
Now, gettin' crazy, I'd love to see stuff like a waveform monitor and focus-in-red feature on the LCD, and it'd be killer to have the viewfinder show the full frame while the LCD shows a focus-assist magnification. But I don't expect any of this stuff to actually happen, since this unit will be a lower-cost model below the HVX.
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With today's technology (cheap processor power), it just wouldn't be very difficult or cost that much to implement what amounts to DV Rack in-camera.
 
Whether it's cheap or easy isn't really the question; it's more that I don't expect them to find those type of features appropriate for the target market. I lobby heavily for them, and the fact that they've pretty much included waveforms as standard in all their monitors now certainly gives me hope for it, but I still don't expect it.
 
This is the time in which I wished my brother was on the head of the Technical staff for Panasonic, giving me much need to know inside info, In which is probably completely forbidden.... Dang it.

PLEASE HAVE TIME LAPSE!!!!!! For the love of god and all that is hold, do that and, well I might just buy it.

and also have a flip feature, My Sgpro would love you then also...


Jon
 
I also hope that Panasonic is going to introduce an improved HVX-200a.

The reason is simple, the more things that get added to the HVX-200a, the more room they have to also add things to the HMC150. As crazy as this might seem, Panasonic can't make the HMC150 too good or they kill the sales of the HVX-200.

HOWEVER, if there are major improvements to the HVX-200, that leaves them with more room to add nicer things to the HMC150 without risking making the HMC150 so nice, the sales of the HVX are killed.

I believe that a lot of the hardware and software of the HVX-200 that have been developed, will be used in the HMC150. From a standpoint of development costs, this reduces the cost and you generate a product that much of it comes from a known working design.


Bob Diaz
 
BobDiaz said:
As crazy as this might seem, Panasonic can't make the HMC150 too good or they kill the sales of the HVX-200.
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I don't think I buy that though. They're going to be segmented to two very different markets. I think the 150 will have a major impact on HVX200 sales no matter what, but that's because I think right now we probably have a lot of small indie guys who are really stretching to afford an HVX, and the 150 is probably the better product for them. But among networks and broadcasters who are already invested in the P2 system, it doesn't really matter how good the 150 is: they won't swap to it because it doesn't integrate into their system.

There's no doubt the 150 will affect HVX200 sales, but I don't think the featureset will be why (unless it's incredibly more powerful and super-awesome pictures that totally obsolete the 200, of course). I think there's such a significant market segmentation between the two that the choice should be obvious.

I believe that a lot of the hardware and software of the HVX-200 that have been developed, will be used in the HMC150. From a standpoint of development costs, this reduces the cost and you generate a product that much of it comes from a known working design.
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No doubt. I do expect it to be a similar performer.
 
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Anyway you look at it, regardless of anything else, the difference between using interframe compression and intraframe compression makes the two cameras distinctly different.
 
Panasonic really should implement a focus-in-red feature - it's just so dang useful. I've worked with an HD100 for the last few years, and even THAT camera has the feature. Heck, using it almost seems necessary now; I did a project on an HVX200 and had a difficult time focusing. Once you use the focus-in-red feature, it's hard not to.

But seriously, if the HD100 can do it, I see absolutely no reason the 200 or 150 shouldn't.
 
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