donaldk
10-08-09, 06:12 PM
bottomline
Company: Panasonic
panasonic.com/broadcast
Product: AG-HMC40
Assests: Good image quality given imager size; good metadata support; small size and weight; feature set pro shooters will find familiar; impressive still-photo capability.
Caveats: No balanced audio or XLR connectors out of the box; tiny imager struggles in low light; potential for viewfinder to become cluttered with icons and status indicators.
Price: $2,295 (MSRP)
In summary
Many compromises come into play when discussing a (relatively) low-priced camcorder. The HMC40, with its tiny imager, struggles more in low light than do cameras of similar resolution with larger sensors. Some touchscreen menu items, such as the shutter and audio level, are awkward to access. And the camera's close-focus capability is not as good as it should be.
Still, the HMC40's performance is impressive, yielding images in the middle of its dynamic range easily on par with camcorders costing two or three times its price. The camera's metadata support is particularly notable as it can offer the shooter-producer the proper tool to create a comprehensive and searchable archive. As we plunge headlong into a file-based, IT-centric workflow, the diminutive Panasonic camera is tripod head and shoulders over competing entry-level camcorders.
Full review: http://digitalcontentproducer.com/cameras/revfeat/panasonic_ag-hmc40_review_092909/index.html
Company: Panasonic
panasonic.com/broadcast
Product: AG-HMC40
Assests: Good image quality given imager size; good metadata support; small size and weight; feature set pro shooters will find familiar; impressive still-photo capability.
Caveats: No balanced audio or XLR connectors out of the box; tiny imager struggles in low light; potential for viewfinder to become cluttered with icons and status indicators.
Price: $2,295 (MSRP)
In summary
Many compromises come into play when discussing a (relatively) low-priced camcorder. The HMC40, with its tiny imager, struggles more in low light than do cameras of similar resolution with larger sensors. Some touchscreen menu items, such as the shutter and audio level, are awkward to access. And the camera's close-focus capability is not as good as it should be.
Still, the HMC40's performance is impressive, yielding images in the middle of its dynamic range easily on par with camcorders costing two or three times its price. The camera's metadata support is particularly notable as it can offer the shooter-producer the proper tool to create a comprehensive and searchable archive. As we plunge headlong into a file-based, IT-centric workflow, the diminutive Panasonic camera is tripod head and shoulders over competing entry-level camcorders.
Full review: http://digitalcontentproducer.com/cameras/revfeat/panasonic_ag-hmc40_review_092909/index.html