Shooting Still Photos With HMC40--Would Appreciate Forum Advice

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Denniscasey

Well-known member
Using HMC40 primarily for video, but shot video of some very interesting cars and began experimenting with printing still photos "picking" frames out of Avid Media Composer 6 I am learning to use. Results were very good to my inexperienced eye (8X10 inch photo glossy printed on Epson 810) depending on frame selected, interpolation scheme for interlaced video--shooting 1080 i 30). After debating about frame rates I use 1080 i rather than 720p since I like the 1080i video look and normally interlace is not an issue.

However, I am now getting interested in using the "photo" options of HMC40 for some dedicated still photos to see if results of the claimed 10.6 megapixel "photo" resolution will make big difference in my home printed photos. So, I would like to rely on experience of forum members vs doing more "book learning" to answer following questions:

1. On my Avid forum one member said his HDV camcorder (don't know type) quote "can take up to 3 stills while it's recording video which are written to the memory card once video recording stops." In quick read through manual I did not see a similar feature for HMC40 but might have missed seeing it-- is there a way to shoot video but somehow while shooting video get photo at the 10.6 megapixel "photo" level--or does HMC40 offer any kind of "burst" shooting of stills like DSLR's. This would be great feature to use while shooting race cars in action.

2. In past I have actually preferred shooting video even of group photos and then I just go through and pick out the best overall frame to print. However, if I use the dedicated photo (10.6 megapixel) vs just picking frame out of video should I see a night and day difference in printed photo? I ask this rather than experiment on my own because when I first try something and results don't turn out good I don't know if it is my fault (did something wrong) or results are what would be expected.


Thank you as always, Dennis
 
wannabeapilot said:
The dedicated picture quality is atrocious, stick to the video mode Dennis
Click to expand...

Please note sarcasm about advertising hype follows: You mean all those wonderful things Panasonic says in the HMC40 brochure on page 5 ("the AG-HMC40 captures still images with approximately 10.6 megapixel resolution--in still image mode, 3:2 aspect ratio--which approaches the level of a high performance digital still camera") is not the absolute truth???

Seriously, thank you for input because if I got atrocious results when using photo mode and trying to print still photos I would be spending hours trying to figure out what I did wrong rather than blaming it on HMC40 as you point out. What did Panasonic get so wrong--is it bad resolution, bad color or what?? Thanks again, Dennis
 
Dennis is not photo camera, however this is a xample,good for fooling around
 

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Thank you for examples. For future buying choices I would like to understand what to look for in "specifications" or what went "wrong" with way HMC40 processes/uses available pixels (in event I would ever buy something like a video DSLR camera to get a better combination of video and photos). To paraphrase, it seems it is not how many pixels you have, but how you use them (how camera processes digital data).

Admitting my limited understanding, and again just reading HMC40 brochure, one would think that moving from 3.05 available megapixels from three sensors (primary colors) in video mode (if that is correct) to 10.6 megapixels in photo mode one would have to get more "detail"/resolution with same excellent color. From many previous comments on this forum, HMC40 has excellent resolution (at least in video mode) so I would have thought it would get even better in photo mode.

Due to my limited experience as well as internet and monitor differences I could not really see a big difference video vs photo examples you sent Wannabeapilot which in itself says photo mode is not an improvement over video mode but I missed seeing "awful"---I zoomed in on Ford GT section and looked at printing to left of car and also colors in poster above the car.

Felipe, great photo but of course subject matter is great--did you print this on 8X10 inch photo paper or anything to see how it would compare to a DSLR "video" camera?

Thanks again, Dennis
 
Denniscasey said:
Thank you for examples. For future buying choices I would like to understand what to look for in "specifications" or what went "wrong" with way HMC40 processes/uses available pixels (in event I would ever buy something like a video DSLR camera to get a better combination of video and photos). To paraphrase, it seems it is not how many pixels you have, but how you use them (how camera processes digital data).

Admitting my limited understanding, and again just reading HMC40 brochure, one would think that moving from 3.05 available megapixels from three sensors (primary colors) in video mode (if that is correct) to 10.6 megapixels in photo mode one would have to get more "detail"/resolution with same excellent color. From many previous comments on this forum, HMC40 has excellent resolution (at least in video mode) so I would have thought it would get even better in photo mode.

Due to my limited experience as well as internet and monitor differences I could not really see a big difference video vs photo examples you sent Wannabeapilot which in itself says photo mode is not an improvement over video mode but I missed seeing "awful"---I zoomed in on Ford GT section and looked at printing to left of car and also colors in poster above the car.

Felipe, great photo but of course subject matter is great--did you print this on 8X10 inch photo paper or anything to see how it would compare to a DSLR "video" camera?

Thanks again, Dennis
Click to expand...

Yes it was printed to an 8x10, Was a nice personal picture, however will never do a photo job with this camera, far from a Canon or Panasonic DSLR. HMC40 Is a great video camera
 
gfFUC.jpg


maybe it will be easier to see with a crop from both frames, photo-left, video-right

It looks like there is a lot of artificial sharpening with photo mode, and a lot of color noise
 
Wannabeapilot, Thank you for spending this much time educating me and I see what you mean from your crop from both frames. I understand there are lots of ways digital cameras can manipulate the digital data to give effect of more pixels, etc. and appears Panasonic may have oversold the 10.6 megapixel "photo" mode--quoting again from their HMC40 brochure on page 5: " Still Shots with 10.6 megapixel resolution (approximately). The new 3MOS sensors also combine with Panasonic's proprietary Quad-Density Pixel Distribution technology to achieve a resolution that is equivalent to 4 times the normal level. The AG-HMC40 captures images with approx. 10.6 megapixel resolution,,,which approaches the level of a high-performance digital still camera."

I don't mean to take anything away from its primary intended use as a video camera which I still think is great. The more I use the video functions the more impressed I am with value for the money.
 
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