Should I reconsider buying a 150 due to reputed image softness?

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pcascio

Active member
I keep hearing that the image is not real sharp compared to many other HD cameras. One use here, said the 1080 mode looked almost like SD. Would 150 onwers share their views on this issue, please?
 
I've seen sharper HD cameras so if that is the number one thing to you then you might want to look at other cameras first.

I would not say that 1080 or 720 looks like SD however.
I doubt anyone would say that if they saw video from a SD camera next to the 150.
 
I think my FX-1 was/is sharper but it is 1080i vs 1080p.

I needed/wanted true progressive and by the time I de-interlaced the FX-1 was not as sharp.

1080i FX-1 - yes.
De-interlaced FX-1 vs the 150 - No.
 
Its not as sharp as Canon XHA1 which I wish it was but people claiming that the image is too soft dont know how to use the focus assist.
 
I personally think the softness is somewhat nice. It gives it less of a harsh look and gives it that unique panasonic look. I'm definitly satisfied with it.
 
If it is in focus, it is not soft.
It may not have as much resolution, but it is not soft if you were in focus to begin with.
IF you use auto focus, then I don't feel the auto focus selects the correct focal point, but manually, you can be in focus.

As a test, put it in manual focus and point the camera at various object around you.
You will see that the selected point of focus may say it is 20 feet away, when in fact it is only 12 feet, by definition, yeah it won't be focused.

If you do it manually, then yeah it will be in focus and sharp, setting the camera at 12 feet...the distance of the subject.
It still won't resolve more than other high def cameras but it will be sharp if you are in focus, and usable in it's own right.

There will always be something better, but at some point, you have to take what works overall for you.

Like fighting...you may be good, but someone will always be better.
Like sports...same applies.
Like your wife......there may be someone better looking, but will she be compatible with all of your baggage?

:-)
 
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Green Hornet said:
If it is in focus, it is not soft.

Like your wife......there may be someone better looking, but will she be compatible with all of your baggage?

:-)
Click to expand...

Have you been spying on me !?

I can see my wife as the hmc 150 and someone else I know as an ex1 , sharp & clean, but then the rolling shutter where as the hmc 150 it's clean not too sharp but very steady.
This is deep !
 
As explained many times on this forum, pixel shifting reduces sharpness. I compared my HMC150 1080i video to 1080i from SONY HDR-HC3, when I adjusted everything to as perfect as possible (manual focus) , HMC150 is no doubt a little softer, it is inherent from Pixel Shifting technology. When I play videos on my 46" HDTV, you have to be within 3 ft to see the difference. Even 720p looks pretty good on my TV. Those who says it is as only sharp as SD obviously don't know how to use HMC150.

If you absolutely need sharpness, Canon HDV can be a good choice, but you will suffer from limitations by HDV compression, which doesn't handle motion or details in low light.

If you need excellent sharpness, 3CCD and robust codec, $30K is the minimum. Overall, I am very happy with my HMC150.
 
My suggestion is to look at some of the clips in the "Footage" section here and see if it looks too soft for your liking.

I personally was concerned about this as well, but not anymore. I use the HMC with the HV30 and the HMC footage looks consistently better. I wouldn't say that it looks sharper in perfect lighting, but consistently better when cut into the timeline together. Once the light starts to drop, the HMC maintains its sharpness while the HV30 drops off fast. I'm told that this is the case with the XH-A1 as well.
 
seems like an endless cycle. Buy what suits your needs and go shoot. If its well shot etc. no one is going to care what camera you shot it with.
 
Which camera has the most pleasing image to you? Unless you are a special case in your needs, that and that alone should be the deciding factor. As D.R. Gates said above, there is no perfect camera... especially in this price range. Find the one that is least imperfect for what you need.
 
has anybody noticed the detail button on the side of the camera... if you press it you get even more detail in a picture... or sharpness... i am new i just got mine a few days ago so i have been reading and button pressing away just trying things to see what happens... of course after reading about the function but i think it has a nice picture i havent seen alot of other pro hd cams to compare with but i am impressed totally with it...
 
Lol yeah. It actually looks quite bad in the lcd when you use the detail button. If you wanted to do that you could always add the smallest tiniest amount of "sharpen" effect in post.
 
I personally come from the FX1, and do like the HMC150 better... on the sony the only way to get reliable HDV fotage was using those sony HDV tapes, if you used the other ones you will get a ton of dropouts (and those tapes add up quickly)... as far as sharpness, i agree with the "Progressive, Interlace" coment from Hidef1080. Plus i think the HMC150 holds sharpness in lowlight better than the Sony =)
 
As people are saying here and have said countless times, theres so much more to a camera than the sharpness. personally, i've never liked the A1 looking footage and I'm not a fan of any of the HDV cams from Sony. Seem quite lifeless and muted and just too much of a video look to me. I have always liked the way the panny resolves the situaion.
 
I think it was me who made the "sd" comment. I didnt literally mean it looked like sd. I just wanted to stress that there was a substantial diff between the rez of an A1 in 1080 compared to HMC150 in 1080. I've been doing research on what camera to get and the HMC was at the top of my list. My conclusion is a result of all the raw fottage I was able to find on the net.

Here are 512dpi cropped samples taken from raw1080 screengrabs, comparing the two cams.

HMC:
hmc150.jpg


A1:

xha1.jpg


The xha1 is zoomed in closer, but I think you can still get a somewhat idea of the diff.. here are the full size grabs:

hmc: http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm49/astigmatic44/hmc150full.jpg

xha1 :http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm49/astigmatic44/xha1full.jpg


For me the diff is noticeble. From the positive general reception the HMC has garnered...It seems like it;s not a big enough diff for most people.

Personally, I'm getting the Sony FX1000. Better low light than the HMC, better resolution than the XHA1.
 
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