Press Release: HMC150, "the new DVX"

WFM?!?! I've been nagging for that for two years! If they're actually implementing a waveform monitor in-camera... my hopes for this little product just shot up!
 
Nice pics, Ryvac. Now I have a whole bunch of questions. WFM -- no doubt, that has to be waveform monitor; all their LCD broadcast monitors have waveforms built-in, and the P2 Gear has it, so I think that's gotta be what that means.

Stand By? What the heck is that?

And what's with the on/off switch up on the handle, near the mic? Is that the ability to disable the onboard microphone?

Scene file dial shows 8 positions instead of six.

Man, it looks just like an HVX/DVX inside the panel. Shutter control, phantom power, zebras, all the goodness. What's with the "LCD" button?

Oooh, liking the three-stage ND filter. The HPX500 has that and it's a lot more useful than the two-stage on the HVX/DVX.

The more I look at this, the more it looks like "HVX" instead of "DVX". That's a good thing. Wonder what the size is though? The DVX is tiny compared to the HVX; if this new cam is the same size as the DVX that would be pretty darn cool. DVX is a lot easier to hand-hold for long periods of time than the HVX is.

EDIT- The LCD looks very "DVX"- so no EX 16/9 goodness here...
Not sure what you mean by that. The LCD isn't 16:9 shaped, no, and that's a good thing -- it pushes all the displays out of the visible area instead of having it all overlap your picture. But it also probably portends what I've been expecting, which is that it'll be the same LCD panel they use on the HVX (and all their other cameras). Wish they would upgrade that!

Do you think this allows the focus ring to switch between focus and iris control?
I'd bet that's exactly what it does. The HVX can do that if you assign it to a user button; I'd bet that this switch does that for the HMC150. As to why they chose to a) implement that feature at all, and b) elevate it to the point of it having its own switch(!) I'll never know...

It seems to have an iris wheel just further forward?
Iris wheel is all the way at the front.
 
What is the difference between dsp mode check and mode check on the hvx200?
Not sure what you're asking. The HVX has a DISP/MODE CHK button, and it either turns the display on/off, or shows you every possible display readout ("mode check"). It depends on whether you press or hold the button.
 
im drooling for this cam - exactly what im looking for. weddings and amatuer event shooting. just seems like they should have also included a internal flash drive and/or another slot. Not complaining too much though since a 32GB card is plenty for lil' ol' me.

im a military broadcaster and we use the dvx-100. it's on it's last leg though and to keep from having to shoot on our crappy old ikegami's i was gonna buy a dvx-100b to use here at work but this cam i'll wait for and even shoot on iky's till fall.
 
found some pics
looks like it's a single slot SDcard and has F1~F8 dials
1206514737.jpg

1206514766.jpg


couldn't find the price for it,
but it said the pric for the AG-HMC70 is going to be about $2500.
maybe someone can come up with a good guess after know the price for HMC70??

HMC70 = $2,495 list, $2,199.95 B & H.

The photos show a change from the earlier photos I could find:

AG-HMC150_540x383.jpg


Panasonic_AG-HMC150_prov_CU.jpg


The earlier images look more like a mock-up, but the shots you found look like a real working model. Also, notice the "ON/OFF" switch appears near the mike, but not on the mock-up shot.


I'm beginning to think that I'm wrong about my guess, that there will NOT be a working model at NAB. I sure hope they have a working model. If so, maybe someone like Barry, can ask Jan to allow him to slip an SD card into the unit and post samples of the images.... :)



Bob Diaz
 
does that auto/manual switch refer to the focus or the audio. would be sweet if it had auto audio!

Near the zoom, there is an Auto/Manual/Plus Push Auto. This seems to be for the auto focus.

Because the audio adjustments are so close to the Auto/Manual switch, it seems logical that the is for Audio.

Also if you notice, the window has 2 screws to hold it shut. My thinking is that to adjust the audio levels, there must be an opening under the camera where we can reach the audio wheels.


After seeing the photos, NAB just won't come quick enough... :)



Bob Diaz
 
Not sure what you're asking. The HVX has a DISP/MODE CHK button, and it either turns the display on/off, or shows you every possible display readout ("mode check"). It depends on whether you press or hold the button.

I thought the button on the hmc150 said dsp mode not disp. Something like a digital signal processor mode. Oh well, I guess not.
 
Wow, the more I look at these pictures the more I am very excited for the camera to come through.

Hope it is the same size of the DVX.

I'm with you. I'm actually pretty excited to see what this sucker can do. The HDMI out is gonna be sick. I hope a lot of what's being implemented here is going to be implemented in the next HVX class cam.
 
hmmmmm, only one card slot?

In the days of 100Mbps HVX-200 with 4GB and 8GB P2 cards, more than 1 slot was needed.

Today, we are looking at 16GB & 32GB cards at 20Mbps --> 24Mbps, so the need for an extra slot is just not there.

IF I didn't screw up on the calculations, here's the storage requirements for 1 hour of video. All numbers are rounded and expressed as GB (G Bytes):

@ 20 Mbps = 9 GB per hour

@ 22 Mbps = 10 GB per hour

@ 24 Mbps = 11 GB per hour

Thus, even at the highest data rate, 24 Mbps (11 GB per hour):

16GB = 1.45 Hours of video

32 GB = 2.9 hours of video

The longest I can ever recall of having to run a camera non-stop, was at a wedding for 45 minutes. (The minister loved to talk on and on....) That would still fit onto a 16GB card with lots of room to spare. In fact, with a 32GB card, I could shoot a wedding and the reception and still have room to spare.

To me the single slot is a non-issue.


Best Wishes,

Bob Diaz
 
. . . The longest I can ever recall of having to run a camera non-stop, was at a wedding for 45 minutes. (The minister loved to talk on and on....) That would still fit onto a 16GB card with lots of room to spare. In fact, with a 32GB card, I could shoot a wedding and the reception and still have room to spare. To me the single slot is a non-issue. Best Wishes, Bob Diaz

You have a point. However . . FYI . . I haven't had a Catholic wedding go less than 45 mins in years. Most all are over 1 hour. But even . . that still fits :o)
 
@ 24 Mbps = 11 GB per hour




Best Wishes,

Bob Diaz

NAB is just days off. We'll find out if it's the magic 24 very soon. Excited?


By the way, did someone say that, at 24mbps, AVC-HD has the potential to match XDCam EX's codec?
 
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True! if you want time
for a 32GB card recording at 13Mbps (1080i/720p) you can record more then 5 hours straight, and if you want more....well I think your battery won't last more then that...so why bother?
 
You have a point. However . . FYI . . I haven't had a Catholic wedding go less than 45 mins in years. Most all are over 1 hour. But even . . that still fits :o)

I would wager that 20Mbps should be all you would need quality-wise for a wedding. Then save the 24Mbps for non-event projects -- commercials, films, music videos, docs.
 
I would wager that 20Mbps should be all you would need quality-wise for a wedding. Then save the 24Mbps for non-event projects -- commercials, films, music videos, docs.

20 and 24 haven't been listed. It'll be either or if it's either or.

13mbps is the highest listed/official data rate at the moment.

We all just want 24
 
By the way, did someone say that, at 24mbps, AVC-HD has the potential to match XDCam EX's codec?

I think it was Barry himself (correctly if I am wrong).

If they do introduce 24mbps, I hope it is as robust as the XDcam HD codec is. That thing takes a beating.
 
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