Would Like Suggestions for Small Video Camera to Supplement AG-HMC40

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Denniscasey

Well-known member
My wife wants a very small camcorder for her own use (she thinks my HMC40 is too large). By very small she is thinking something that would even fit in her "normal" size purse--not a big purse.

There are many options in the less than $500 range, but I would appreciate feedback on models you could suggest. As long as we are getting a second camcorder might as well be one I could use as a B camera along with HMC40 (accepting lower quality from B camera of course).

My Media Composer editing software does not like 1920X1080 60P which many point and shoot camcorders only offer--I need 1080 60i or 1080 30P or 720 60P options so variable frame rate selections would be a requirement. Thank you. Dennis
 
Dennis,

I do believe the Panny 900 series handycam has the same imagers and guts as the hmc40. It would be more expensive than $500 but may give you a closer match if you work on the scene files. There has been some discussion of this cam in the past, so try a search. Of course you would have much more limited camera control-capability.

Grant
 
ggrantly said:
Dennis,

I do believe the Panny 900 series handycam has the same imagers and guts as the hmc40. It would be more expensive than $500 but may give you a closer match if you work on the scene files. There has been some discussion of this cam in the past, so try a search. Of course you would have much more limited camera control-capability.

Grant
Click to expand...

A good thought Grant, and it might be the wisest choice. However, that is getting into the "creeping spend" syndrome I am prone to--that is where you start out at one price and then find for just a few dollars more you could get something better and so on. B&H guy suggested a Canon HFR 400 for $299, but said for a few bucks more could get a Canon HFM500 ($500) and for a few bucks more get a Pana V720 for $515. I actually had looked at the Pana HC-X900M (actually more than a few bucks more at $789 at B&H) so I was drifting in the direction you mention. However, my wife wants something really small to take with her and the X900M is also drifting up not only in dollars but in size. Regards, Dennis
 
For sure on the spending creep. When I walk through the cam section at Costco, it is truly amazing how small and cheap some of the cams get. I got a blat from BH the other day about a new Panny consumer cam for $200 and thought I liked the form factor:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/910292-REG/panasonic_hx_wa03h_hx_wa03_full_hd_active.html

Note the durability features, aperture varies very little across the range of the lens and claims to shoot good stills. No idea how it would match to a 40. In any event, you will probably end up making the 40 look like whatever handi-cam you get and not versi-vice.

Grant
 
Grant, I had not really shopped for camcorder since buying the HMC-40 a while back, but I agree with what you say about small and cheap and "feature" loaded consumer camcorders are. In this "connected wireless" age it seems camcorder mfg are keeping up (although reviews are not too kind regarding wi-fi). No doubt side by side video vs HMC40 (or similar priced camcorder) would reveal where compromises have been made to get prices down, but it appears compared to a few years ago there are some very good options at very reasonable prices. Right now fighting "spending creep" and thinking for what wife will use camera for may go with a $300 Canon HFR400 and not get a good companion to the HMC40 like the Panasonic HC-X900M or newer HC-X920 ($859). Dennis
 
You would have to look on Ebay to find one but I use a Panasonic hs250 with my HMC40. What I like is it is still a 3mos sensor and has the large HD for storage, no where as many controls as the HMC40 but I dialed them in as best I could. Works pretty good for the setup I use them in. I used scene1 on my HMC40 and adjusted HS250 for the results I get. Probably could get better but I am content for now. Results can be seen on our Church youtube channel. http://www.youtube.com/gbcoakland
 
Thank you for suggestion Chad, but we ended up getting a Panasonic HC V720 for combination of features (impressive what you can get in consumer camera these days),size, price (I anticipate limited use).
 
You know you could by another HMC40 (I'm selling my camera soon here on DVX user ;) ) but realistically I have one of those Panny camcorder like cameras with a 250GB hard drive and it's a great little camera but they don't appear to shoot 24p, my camera shoot 60p but wow it really bogs down my computer as you're really shooting almost 3x the info so just beware of that. Great for slow motion but ever time I take it into FCPx I curse, even with transcoding to prores proxy. I mainly use it for storm chasing as I can shoot hours and hours of 1080p60!
 
Some limited feedback on Panasonic HC-V720 I bought for my wife's casual use. Very small footprint (high priority selection) and lightweight; in full auto which is where she left setting it did a very good job adjusting white balance in different lighting conditions; good auto-focus; good exposure, good definition, good optical stabilization. Many features we have not yet explored including remote control by i-Phone. I have to say again it is quite amazing what you can get these days in small form factor medium price camcorders. I am still considering Panasonic HC-X920 as a b camera for HMC40---small size, 3 sensors, etc.
 
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