DVuser launch i-Net Video Channel Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 review Sony

36 Pages·2009·5.31 MB·English

FOR THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTION & NON-LINEAR EDITING
Issue 10 • October 2008 • www.dvuser.co.uk • £3.50
Panasonic AG-HMC151
DVuser launch i-Net Video Channel
Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 review
Sony Z5 review
Turtle X review
Sony Z5
New DVuser i-Net video channel
NEWS • REVIEWS • FEATURES • ARTICLES • TUTORIALS • TECHNIQUES • TIPS • COMPETITIONS
For the very best
service, knowledge
and expertise,
contact your Specialist
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For more information on the Sony PMW-EX3 and the XDCAM EX family,
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PMW-EX3
PMW-EX1
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Defining tomorrow. Be part of it.
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Opening Scene
Contents Hello DVuser subscribers and welcome to
yet another issue of the magazine.
There are some really exciting articles
in this issue. Ged Yeates takes a first look at
NEWS Panasonic’s superb high-end P2 HPX3000
HD camcorder, Jim Panks reviews the Turtle X
4. All the latest news from the world of camcorder support system. I, personally, have
digital video production and editing. written a comprehensive overview of the AVCHD
codec and some of the AVCHD camcorders that
are currently available, including the smaller
ARTICLES
handycams such as Panasonic’s SD900 and Canon’s HF11, as well as Panasonic’s superb semi-
professional model the HMC151. I have written this feature from the angle of how AVCHD slots
6. AVCHD for professionals
into professional waters.
22. Technophile Other interesting news, Sony have licensed their SxS technology to JVC. JVC will be bringing
out their first SxS product in March next year; read the full story on page 30.
23. DVuser launch Video i-Net Channel
But by far the most exciting news is not in this magazine, but on the DVuser website. If you are
28. Audio Files a regular visitor to the website you might have already noticed that there is a new category on the
left-hand side called ‘DVuser TV’. We have set up an online video channel. There will be various
30. JVC go solid-state
video reviews, as well as news, tutorials, tips and tricks and interviews. After all, DVuser it is all
about video, so it makes perfect sense that our website should have video content in the form of an
Internet video channel. The reviews for example will be short and to the point allowing the viewer
REVIEWS
to see any given piece of equipment being handled. This will allow the viewer to get a realistic idea
13. Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 review of the physical size, weight and ergonomics of the kit being reviewed. Video reviews will also have
many other great benefits, for example, a review on a tracking dolly kit would enable the viewer to
16. Turtle X review
actually see it in action. The usual (and much longer) written review will also appear on the DVuser
20. Sony PDW-U1 review website as usual, the latter containing more in-depth and technical information.
This new Internet video channel is dynamically database driven, just like the rest of the site. After
24. Sony Z5 review
much research we decided to use QuickTime for the video encoding and Flash for the buttons and
header banner. We looked long and hard at Flash and I even went as far as buying Adobe Flash
REGULAR ITEMS
CS3 just for the video encoding. However, there are too many associated files attached to a Flash
.flv file and website implementation starts to get tricky, not to mention the fact that Adobe have just
33. Sponsors - Thank you
made a total complicated mess of the latest ActionScript. QuickTime has proved to produce better
35. Classifieds quality video using H.264 and at smaller file sizes too. As QuickTime is pre-loaded on all Macs and
most PCs these days, and is a free download also, it made sense to go this way. Read all about
our new online video channel on page 23.
One of DVuser’s principal sponsors ProActive have launched their brand new website. ProActive
are one of the few professional retail outlets that we highly recommend. As far as I’m concerned
ProActive have the best after-sales service on the planet; this is second to none. They continue
to support DVuser, so please show them your support by visiting their new website at www.proav.
co.uk.
Finally, don’t forget about the DVuser forums. This community is an ideal place to meet and talk
to other like minded people as well as getting technical help with kit, or perhaps answering other
people’s questions. I’ve also set up a ‘DVuser TV’ section so feel free to post your suggestions;
perhaps for interviews, news, tutorials and review ideas etc.
Nigel Cooper Founder/Editor DVuser.co.uk
DVuser product review star ratings – how we star up our reviews.
1 star = poor, pitiful, appalling, atrocious, inexcusable - 2 stars = mediocre, second-rate, just average
3 stars = good, decent, fine, above average - 4 stars = great, first-rate, excellent, amazing, brilliant
5 stars = outstanding, exceptional, sheer brilliance, perfection, pure genius
Cover photo by Nigel Cooper Our final ratings are based on a combination of: build quality - durability - ruggedness - features
controls - functionality - usability - cost of ownership i.e. tapes/media cards/servicing costs etc.
Editor: Nigel Cooper - [email protected]
©2008 DVuser. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced, or transmitted Sub Editor: Louise Wessman - [email protected]
in any form or by means of electronic, mechanical,
photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior Contributors: Jim Panks, Ged Yeates, Simon Wyndham.
written permission of the publishers. While every care Published by: DVuser UK. Tel: [phone]
has been taken in the compilation of this publication, we
cannot accept responsibility for any publishing errors or Advertising: 020 7193 1955 Subscriptions: www.dvuser.co.uk/magazine.php
inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential
arising in connection with any information contained within www.dvuser.co.uk
this publication. The views herein are not necessarily
those of the publishers. Acceptance of advertisements
The independent magazine for independent HD video producers & filmmakers
does not imply recommendation by the publisher.
www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • October 2008 • 3
Proactive UK Launch Their Brand New Website.
Proactive UK Celebrate their 10th year with the launch of www.proav.co.uk a
brand new website that is filled with fantastic new offers and information. As
a Sony Specialist Dealer and with official Dealer Status from Panasonic, JVC
and Canon you can rest assured that all of equipment supplied by www.proav.co.uk
carry full manufacturer supported warranties.
The new website has been designed to be both informative and to provide ease of
use navigation which will enable customers to quickly locate products of interest.
Catagories have now been expanded and the new website features even more
products and accessories, all at very competitive prices.
Visit: www.proav.co.uk
Monitor Power Solutions from Hawk-Woods
UK manufacturers Hawk-Woods can now provide a comprehensive
range of LCD monitor power adaptors. These include both V-Lok
and Mini DV battery options, available for a variety of today’s most
popular broadcast monitors.
The V-Lok range of adaptors gives the monitor operator complete
V-Mount compatibility, allowing them to utilise the Hawk-Woods range of
V-Lok batteries as the power source. While the Mini DV adaptor series
is compatible with the popular Sony® NP-F type battery, these provide a
compact on-board or stand-alone solution.
Tel: [phone] or visit: www.hawkwoods.com
New Fluorescent Lights from Ianiro
Ianiro UK Ltd has introduced a new range of fluorescent lights that are
lightweight and robust, making them ideal for both the moving image and
photographic studio markets.
The new lights combine low power consumption (just 1/10th of a tungsten
light) with highly efficient output, giving a good spread of light with no
inconvenient shadows. Available in two and four bar sizes and with either
3,200K or 5,600K light tubes, the new lights operate at a frequency of 56
KHz, ensuring flicker-free performance and low heat generation.
“We have incorporated a range of control options that are designed to make
these lights incredibly easy to use,” says Ianiro UK’s managing director
Nick Allen-Miles. “Among these is DMX functionality, so that users can
link up to a DMX console to control up to 512 channels, and an on-board
Digital Dimmer, which allows users to change the light intensity and see an
accurate readout of the intensity on an LED display.”
The new lights are housed in a lightweight aluminium casing for optimum rigidity and durability and are available with optional Honeycomb and Gel
Frames. All the lights in the range have yokes that can be adjusted in height, from head to foot, with an attached sliding block for maximum flexibility.
Both two and four bar units are now in stock and retail for £395 and £495 respectively. For more details visit: www.ianirodirect.com
Canon EOS 5D MK2 set to shake up the video world
Ed Note: Yes I know it is a digital SLR, but Canon’s brand new EOS 5D MK2 could be set to
shake up the video world. It features a new full HD video recording mode in full raster 1920x1080
progressive in 30p. I know 30p is not ideal for the video world, but there is a whisper that Canon
could be doing a firmware update to allow for 25p video recording, which would be ideal.
HD recording is by means of H.264 codec, which is superb. Audio is uncompressed Linear PCM via
mini-jack mic input, not so ideal, but Beech-boxes are available.
The quality of the footage on Canon’s website is truly amazing considering the price of this camera
(£1,995inc vat).
I’ll be doing a full review of this new camera in the next issue of DVuser magazine.
4 • October 2008 • DVuser Magazine • www.dvuser.co.uk
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www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • July 2007 • 5
Professionals need to look at these new
Panasonic’s Semi-Professional
AVCHD solid-state camcorders and
AG-HMC151 AVCHD camcorder.
understand that they have a place in
the professional arena.
‘AVCHD for Professionals’ might seem like
a very bold and unrealistic statement and there
are plenty of professionals out there who would
immediately poo poo this idea; and rightly so.
Let’s face it, AVCHD is no substitute for the likes
of HDCAM and Varicam, and it is not supposed
to be. AVCHD is a consumer format, just like
HDV. In fact, for me, AVCHD is an unofficial
replacement for the tape-based HDV format.
So just as HDV had a small/occasional part to
play in the professional world, so does the new-
improved AVCHD.
If you are a working professional who is used
to wielding a DigiBeta or Varicam type high-end
professional camera, and you’ve already heard
about AVCHD and have quickly dismissed it
as an amateur/consumer camcorder for mums
and dads, then read on and prepare to change
your tune. If you have never heard of, or are not
familiar with AVCHD, read on to be brought up
to speed.
I think it is important that professionals get
familiar with the new AVCHD solid-state format
and the place it has in semi-pro and professional
acquisition. I’ve written this feature to explain
about the format, the camcorders, and how
TAPE IS DEAD camcorders like the Z1 were used when full-
they can fit into your professional broadcast
There are already tapeless solutions in the size professional camcorders could not. Smaller
workflow. I’m not saying ditch your high-end
professional arena with the likes of Sony’s HDV camcorders have been used in broadcast
shoulder- mounted camera for one of these tiny
XDCAM HD Professional Optical Disc System productions alongside larger professional
consumer camcorders; that would be ludicrous.
and Panasonic’s P2 solid-state card system. cameras such as DigiBeta, XDCAM, HDCAM,
But I am saying that on rare occasions the
Now AVCHD is the consumer tapeless HD Varicam etc. Instances include using smaller
professional working cameraman has to put
system. camcorders such as Sony’s Z1 by somebody
down his/her heavy beast and pick up a tiny
The days of HDV tape-based portable abseiling down a cliff edge, or the Sony
camcorder; sometimes you will have no choice;
camcorders such as the Sony Z1, JVC A1 HDV camcorder being strapped to the
more on this later.
ProHD and Canon XLH1 are numbered handlebars of a motorcycle for instance. These
(in my opinion). In the past, compact HDV are just two instances where a professional
would have to ditch his/her full-size shoulder-
Transcend 8GB Class 6 SD card
mount professional beast, and replace it with
a somewhat more ‘portable’ recording device.
So yes, the picture quality is nowhere near as
good, but in these examples, professionals
would have no other choice. We have to trade
off one thing to gain another; every advantage
has a disadvantage so to speak.
There are just too many advantages to
tapeless and solid-state acquisition camcorders
and post production workflows, you would need
a very large stick to shake at them all (see
Advantages of solid-state over tape later). Tape
on the other hand only has one advantage, price.
With cheap tapeless media like Professional
Optical Disc for Sony’s XDCAM HD and the
prices of Panasonic’s professional solid-state
P2 media falling, add to this the cheap SDHC
cards for the more portable consumer and
6 • October 2008 • DVuser Magazine • www.dvuser.co.uk
FEATURE µµµ
semi-professional AVCHD camcorders and you
have to seriously question the future of tape.
I personally feel that tape is as ‘dead-in-the-
water’ as 35mm film is for stills photography.
Do you know anyone who actually shoots on a
Nikon F3 anymore? Chances are it is a Canon
EOS 5D or a Nikon D3 or D90 for example;
armed with a stack of SD or CF cards; not
a ton of Kodak film stock. I’ve been told that
Panasonic have (unofficially) said that by 2009
they will no longer be manufacturing tape-
based camcorders in the consumer and semi-
professional marketplace. Canon are going to Panasonic’s Semi-Professional
AG-HMC151 AVCHD camcorder.
have to do something with their XL and XM
series of HDV tape-based camcorders if they
are to stay in the game; same for JVC. The
future is most certainly tapeless and solid-state
will/is going to be a very big part of it.
WHAT IS AVCHD?
AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High
Definition) is a high-definition recording format
created by Sony and Panasonic for use in
modern digital tapeless camcorders. The format
is comparable to other handheld video camera
recording formats such as HDV and MiniDV.
AVCHD is an unofficial replacement (in my solid state, and only one (price) advantage of Digital High Capacity) cards have a “write-
opinion) for HDV. The most common type of HDV tape. protect” tab that can be slid back/forth to prevent
AVCHD camcorders use a solid-state flash SD accidental erasure of footage recorded to it, or
(Secure Digital) or SDHC (High Capacity) card, THE AVCHD CODEC to prevent further footage being recorded to it.
but they are also available with built in hard AVCHD is kind of a ‘Super HDV’ if you like, With the write-protect tab in the down position it
drives, smaller DVDs, or the hybrid models only recording to solid-state SD cards instead is write-protected and read-only. SD cards are
which use both built-in computer-type hard of tape; it is the unofficial replacement for available in capacities of up to/including 4GB,
drives with a card slot for SD/SDHC cards. HDV. AVCHD is the most advanced video while SDHC cards are available in up to 32GB.
The AVCHD codec produces identical image codec on the market right now. The AVCHD It is worth noting that SDHC cards come
quality to the ageing tape-based HDV codec, codec is loosely based on Panasonic’s superb in different ‘class’ forms.
only it is more efficient. The primary advantage AVC-Intra 10-bit intra-frame H.264/MPEG-4 These are Class 2, 4 and
of AVCHD camcorders is that they are more codec. The AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec 6. Although Class 2 cards
portable than HDV models as there is no tape- High Definition) codec uses inter-frame long are fine with digital stills
transport mechanism, and they use solid-state GOP compression and AC3 or PCM audio cameras, for use with
SD/SDHC (High Capacity) memory cards (or codec. Both interlaced and progressive are AVCHD camcorders you’ll
Memory Stick for Sony models) for the recording supported in a wide range of frame sizes right need to use either Class
media. Although DVD discs are the original up to full 1920x1080 at bit-rates of up to 24- 4 or 6 as Class 2 won’t
media specified in the AVCHD standard, they Mbps. Compared to HDV camcorders, which be able to handle the
are less popular than the built-in hard drive or are based on the MPEG-2 codec and record at MB/s speed required for AVCHD camcorders
SD/SDHC type. To reduce camcorder size, only 25Mbps constant bit-rate, AVCHD camcorders recording at higher quality settings such as
smaller 8 cm discs, sometimes called miniDVDs achieve higher compression and lower data 24Mbps.
are used. For this feature I’ll be concentrating rates with comparable image quality. Video
on the most popular AVCHD format of solid- compression is MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, colour Here is a breakdown of the class-speeds:
state SD/SDHC cards. space is 4:2:0. at 8 bits.
The future is solid-state; get used to it. Class 2 Card: A speed of 2 MB/s or higher is
Panasonic will cease production of all tape- THE SD & SDHC SOLID-STATE achieved.
based consumer and prosumer camcorders CARDS Class 4 Card: A speed of 4 MB/s or higher is
in 2009. I’m sure Canon will follow suit soon AVCHD camcorders record to 8cm DVD discs, achieved.
after and I have also heard that Sony are internal hard drives and SD/SDHC cards; the Class 6 Card: A speed of 6 MB/s or higher is
questioning the future of HDV. Even though latter being by far the most popular recording achieved.
Sony has just announced the new HDR-FX1000 medium. The SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card
(consumer) and HVR-Z5J (prosumer) high-def has been around since 1999. It was developed By law, all SDHC cards 4GB and over must
HDV camcorders, I’m sure they will almost by Panasonic, SandDisk and Toshiba and was display the Class speed. This is easily
certainly be ditching/replacing their consumer designed to compete with Sony’s Memory Stick identifiable by the symbol, which is basically a
and prosumer HDV camcorders with AVCHD card, which was released the previous year. SD letter C with the number inside it.
solid-state equivalents over the next few years. cards are now a firmly tried-and-tested proven Panasonic are pushing forward with the
There are just too many great advantages to media. SD (Secure Digital) and SDHC Secure AVCHD format for some of their consumer
www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • October 2008 • 7
µµµ FEATURE
and semi-professional camcorders, so it is no
Panasonic’s SD100 and Canon’s HF11.
surprise that Panasonic have some super-fast
and high capacity SDHC cards of 4, 6, 8, 12,
16 and 32GB capacity. These Panasonic cards
also have a ‘Full HD Video’ logo on them. They
are also faster. Speeds of up to 10MB/s Data
Transfer Speed is achievable with the Class
4 SDHC cards, while speeds of up to 20MB/s
Data Transfer Speed is achievable with the
Class 6 SDHC cards.
Panasonic branded SDHC cards cost
approximately (street price) £165 for the 32GB
Class 6 card, £70 for the 16GB Class 6 card,
£50 for the 32GB Class 6 card, £70 for the
12GB Class 4 card. Companies like Sandisc,
Transcend and many more make 4, 8, 16, and
32GB SDHC cards. These cost around £12 for
4GB class 4, £18 for 8GB class 4, £45 for 16GB
class 4, £85 for 32GB class 4.
Recording times vary according to the
recording quality, but as a rough example.
highest quality setting, but does hit 24 if its AVCHD camcorders that I think could be used
Recording to a 12GB SDHC card at 17Mbps at
encoder deems it necessary, so it sounds like in professional applications. Which applications
full 1920x1080 you could expect approximately
an AVCHD VBR codec that uses 21Mbps as an exactly I’ll talk about in the next section ‘AVCHD
90 minutes of full HD footage. At 13Mbps
average. FOR PROFESSIONAL ACQUISITION’.
1920x1080 this would increase to around
Starting at the cheaper end of the scale, my
120 minutes. For wedding guys needing long
THE CAMCORDERS favourite three handycam/palmcorders are the
record times for those boring speeches, it can
AVCHD camcorders are currently made by Canon HF11, Panasonic SD100 and the Sony
reach massive record times of approximately
Canon, Panasonic, JVC and Sony. For now, TG3. The Canon and Panasonic have street
12 hours in a single take with a 32GB SDHC
Panasonic’s AG-HMC151 and Canon’s HF11 prices of around £695 inc vat, while the Sony
card in economy recording mode. Different
are the only models that record at quality TG3 is around £525 inc vat. All three companies
camcorder manufacturers quality settings vary.
bitrates over 23-Mbps; the Sony and JVC were good enough to send me these models
For example, Canon and Panasonic are the
models have a maximum bit-rate of 16-Mbps; to play around with for a few days; my views/
only companies offering an AVCHD camcorder
though I’m sure this will change as new models findings in just a minute.
(for now) that record at the maximum quality
come out. Also, it is only Panasonic and Canon Other higher end AVCHD camcorders are
24Mbps. The Canon model is the HF11
that have Progressive scan models. Sony’s are Panasonic’s semi-professional shoulder-mount
handycam costing around £695. Panasonic
interlaced models only; for now. built-in lens AG-HMC71 priced around £1,500.
models such as their high-end consumer
There are various models of AVCHD camcorder This is aimed squarely at the corporate/wedding
handycam, the HDC-SD100 has a maximum
out there already, and some pretty cool ones videographer. Then there is the Panasonic
quality recording setting of 17-Mbps/VBR.
that should be either available, or about to hit semi-professional AG-HMC151 model, costing
Panasonic’s semi-pro model, the AG-HMC151
the streets by the time you read this. I won’t around £3,000. The AG-HMC151 is an AVCHD
(street price around £3,000 and AVCHD
go over every make and model here, instead version of the HVX200 P2 camcorder, or a
equivalent to the HVX200) has bit-rates up to
I’m going to pick out my personal favourite tapeless DVX100 if you like. Although smaller
24Mbps. It records at 21mpbs average on its
and of a non-shoulder-mount type, the AG-
Canon’s HF11 AVCHD solid-state camcorder. HMC151 is the better and more professional of
the two.
Panasonic name their professional (non-
consumer) range of AVCHD camcorders
‘AVCCAM’; fine by me.
The new AG-HMC151 handheld model
incorporates three 1/3-inch progressive CCD
imagers that produce stunning 1920x1080
resolution footage far exceeding older Long
GOP formats like HDV. The AG-HMC151 is
equipped with a high-performance wide-angle
Leica Dicomar 13x zoom lens with 24 and
30-frame progressive capture in a full range of
HD formats, making it well suited for all types
of acquisition. With a full range of professional
video and audio features the HMC151 is aimed
at video professionals and enthusiasts looking
for the best in affordable HD.
The Panasonic AG-HMC151 supports a
full range of HD formats including 1080/60i,
8 • October 2008 • DVuser Magazine • www.dvuser.co.uk
FEATURE µµµ
1080/50i, 1080/30p, 1080/25p, 1080/24p
Panasonic’s SD100 AVCHD solid-state camcorder.
native, 720/60p, 720/50p, 720/30p, 720/25p,
and 720/24p native and is 50-Hz/59.94-Hz
switchable., a host of advanced video functions
like Cinelike Gamma and Dynamic Range
Stretch (DRS), Professional level connections
including HDMI out, Component Out (D
Terminal), Composite Out and RCA Audio
out jacks, XLR audio inputs, USB 2.0 for file
transfer, remote control for Zoom, Iris, Focus,
Start/Stop, three neutral density filters and
three user sets, two locking XLR inputs with
switches for mic/line, +48V Phantom Power,
a 3.5-inch LCD monitor to display thumbnail
images for quick viewing and playback, and a
time code/user bits menu, Auto/Manual level,
and internal/external assignment, professional
level assist functions like waveform monitor,
vectorscope and two focus displays, a variety
of editing solutions (Render files to almost any
format or media). The camera also has remote
jacks for Focus Iris and Start/Stop functions,
cards are inexpensive, widely available, and camcorders such as their newer Z7. Sony will
a pre-record feature that allows the camera
can be reused over and over. Because AVCHD probably give these CF adaptors away with
to capture footage occurring immediately
records video as digital data files, content can their newer HDV tape-based camcorders like
before real-time recording begins. Then there
be transferred and stored on affordable, high- the HDR-FX1000 and HVR-Z5J, hence there
is free downloadable AVCHD Transcoder for
capacity hard disk drives (HDD) and optical is no need (for now) for Sony to bring out
conversion to DVCPRO HD available at www.
storage media such as Optical Professional an AVCHD equivalent of the aging Z1. The
panasonic.com/avccam, built with a durable,
disc, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. HVR-Z5 is kind of a Z1 replacement, but is still
die-cast magnesium chassis frame for reliable
Anyone who is familiar with Panasonic’s HDV tape-based.
performance in tough environments, lightweight
HVX200 will feel right at home with the So if you want a semi-professional native
(under 6lbs.), hand-held design similar to the
AG-HMC151 as it is pretty much the same SD/SDHC solid-state AVCHD camcorder, you’ll
popular AG-DVX100, three-year warranty
camcorder, only slightly smaller and it uses have to look in Panasonic’s direction, probably
program (One year plus two year extension
SDHC cards instead of P2 cards. at the new HMC151.
upon registration).
As you can see from the specs above, the
Panasonic’s AG-HMC151 AVCHD camcorder
Panasonic AG-HMC151 is aimed squarely PLAYBACK & EDITING
brings the benefits of solid-state recording
at the semi-professional market; the same With simple playback on many consumer
to budget-conscious working professionals.
market as the HVX200 and newer HVX201AE devices and players, from computers and video
As with digital stills photography, recording
P2 camcorders, only with more affordable game consoles to Blu-ray players and flat panel
video onto SD/SDHC cards offers a fast and
recording media. displays with SD card slots, with AVCHD it is
simple IT-compatible workflow with ultra-
Sony on the other hand are sticking to easier and quicker to view your footage on
reliable performance, with resistance to shock,
consumer camcorders for their AVCHD range. other devices without having to either edit/burn,
vibration, extreme temperatures and adverse
This could be because Sony have CF (Compact or plug your camcorder into the HDMI socket
weather conditions. SD and SDHC memory
Flash) card adaptors which come free with of your TV. Sony’s PS3 for example has an SD
card slot right on the front, simply remove the
card from your camcorder and stick it right in.
I tried this with my PS3 and 46” Bravia TV and
the images produced from both the Canon HF11
and Panasonic SD100 were pretty amazing
considering both these camcorders cost less
than £700. Once the card is in the SD slot on the
PS3, you simply select ‘SD Slot’ from the PS3’s
menu and hit play. You can then flick through
clips and play them. In this instance, the PS3
is acting like a regular solid-state deck; nice!
You can play back AVCHD footage off SDHC
cards on many other regular games consoles
and domestic Blu-Ray players that have the SD
card slot.
AVCHD is currently supported by a variety of
editing solutions including: Grass Valley Edius
PRO v4.5, Apple’s iMovie, Apple’s Final Cut Pro
6.0.1, Pinnacle Studio Plus 11, Nero-7 Premium
Reloaded, Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus and DVD
www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • October 2008 • 9
µµµ FEATURE
Panasonic’s SD100 menus
stick putty), then jammed into the right/left side
of the dashboard up against the windscreen
inside a car pointing at the driver. Because
the cameras are so small and light, they don’t
necessarily need the usual grip equipment,
Blu-Tack and other cheap products can work
equally as well.
CANON HF11 & PANASONIC SD100
CONSUMER PALMCORDERS
I spent a few days with these two compact
handycam camcorders after Canon and
Panasonic UK were kind enough to courier
them over to me. I’m not going to go into any
lengthy technical stuff here, it isn’t even going
to be a full-on review. I’m briefly going to give
you my findings of these two new sub £700
AVCHD HD solid-state handycams.
The size and weight of both these compact
camcorders is approximately the same.
However, I personally preferred the Panasonic
SD100 simply because it is about 20%
narrower than the Canon HF11 and with better
ergonomics too. The Panasonic fits in the hand
perfectly and moulds into the contours of your
palm. The Canon on the other hand is more
‘brick-like’ in comparison.
The best news is that both models have a
small mini-jack type microphone input socket,
so you can plug in a Sennheiser wireless
Movie Factory 6 Plus, to name a few. possible to use a full-on full-size professional Lavalier mic system for example when you are
camera for shooting 100% of any given doing interviews or using a presenter.
AVCHD FOR PROFESSIONAL programme. The build quality of both units is roughly the
ACQUISITION Panasonic’s HVX200 P2 camcorder same. As expected from consumer camcorders
So, where do these consumer and semi- will continue to be used alongside full-size like these, they are built from polycarbonate
professional AVCHD camcorders come into camcorders for broadcast acquisition, and the plastic, which is relatively tough.
play for professionals? new AG-HMC151 will almost certainly find its I found the image quality of both units to
If you are a working professional in the place alongside the HVX200 too. However, be comparable overall, though the ‘reds’ on
broadcast sector, the chances are you’ve had for production companies shooting on the Panasonic were a little over-saturated for
to use more compact model camcorders on the Sony’s new 2/3rd inch PDW-700 XDCAM HD my personal taste. The Canon HF11’s colours
odd occasion where a full-size shoulder-mount tapeless camera, there is now a better option were somewhat toned-down in comparison;
model simply couldn’t be used for size/weight to the usual tape-based Z1 and A1 for when a preferable for me personally.
reasons. compact camcorder is needed. Why shoot most Under low-light conditions, both were very
During the LandRover G4 challenge, Sony of the programme in a tapeless environment, similar, although the Panasonic perhaps had
A1s and Z1s were used alongside full-size only to slow up the whole production and post- the edge. I walked into my dark garage from
XDCAM HD and HDCAM. These smaller HDV production by using HDV tape camcorders outside with the cameras on full auto; there
camcorders were used by people abseiling alongside? was slightly less noise/grain with the Panasonic
down cliff faces, inside Land Rovers and in So, I’d recommend using a solid-state AVCHD SD100; but only by a small margin.
other confined and extreme conditions where model such as the Panasonic AG-HMC151, As with all consumer camcorders, both these
the full-size cameras simply could not be used. or the very compact Canon HF11 handycam, units had a tendency to overexpose by half-to-
This footage from the smaller HDV camcorders Panasonic SD100 or Sony G3; the latter is the one-stop. This is because they are aimed at Mr
was cut in with the HDCAM and XDCAM HD smallest and toughest of the three as well as the Dad and Mrs Mum. To them, the bright pictures
footage to make up the full programme. As less cheapest, only it does not have a mic input. look great, to professionals, they look washed
than 15% of this programme was shot on HDV, Last year the Red Devil skydiving team used out with horrible greys instead of blacks. It is
it is acceptable for HD broadcast as stipulated Sony G3 AVCHD camcorders fitted to their easy enough to fix this by using the ‘exposure
by the likes of Discovery HD and BBC HD. helmets. This AVCHD shot footage was used compensation’, just knock it down a stop and
Panasonic have similar stories with their as part of a bigger programme. you’ll be happy. However, the full auto mode
HVX200 compact camcorder being used Anyone who has ever seen the TV programme goes out the window when using the exposure
alongside their Varicam and other high-end Top Gear will have already witnessed footage compensation, which is a good thing in my
HD shoulder-mount broadcast models such as shot on small handycam-style camcorders book.
the HPX3000. Again, as long as the HVX200 is similar to these smaller AVCHD camcorders I was amazed at how well my medium and fast
used for less than 15% of the entire programme mentioned here. A small Panasonic SD100 or pans across my garden held up. Grass usually
duration, it is perfectly acceptable, as TV HD Canon HF11 could be stuck on top of a large blocks up like a mosaic with HDV camcorders
broadcasters understand that it is not always blob of ‘Blu-Tack’ (or similar non-permanent
10 • October 2008 • DVuser Magazine • www.dvuser.co.uk