Hello everyone getting back into my favorite hobby will be purchase my first tape-less camcorder. I edit with Avid Media Composer 5. I do not do this for a living just a hobby. The events I will be using the camcorder for is things like Air, and Car Shows, Vacations, and family events. I am looking at the Panasonic TM700 and Sony HDR CX550V and if I can fine a used oneor work a lot of over time Panasonic HMC 150 or the Sony HD AX 2000. If purchase both and use both on a project will have any problems getting them both match on the timeline? I would love to read any suggestion and feedback on the cameras. What are the advantages disadvantages?

The TM700 and its ilk are minute and give outstanding picture quality if you use them in good light. The 50p footage is wonderful. The likes of the HMC151 allow much better audio recordings to be made but they're bigger, heavier, more impressive. Much better in low light of course and no silly auto ND filtration.

My tests of the TM700 show that its constantly running cooling fan degrade the on-board audio hugely - and you won't like this camera without an external mic. The AX2k is a lovely camera but everyone says the small increase in price to the Z5 is worth the money. It's 20x zoom shames the Panny's 13x, but the latter's CCDs don't suffer any of the jello-shutter effects of the VX2k.

You can intercut all of these cameras if your NLE allows comprehensive colour correction.

tom.

Thanks Tom for the reply. I am trying to fine the best two camcorder combinations. One to take on vacation and a procomsumer for family and special events a two camera setup when call for.

cx550 is and EXCEPTIONAL camera for the price

If your getting both id say get the cx550 and the ax2000. Both Sony Products. Similar color space. Both AVCHD Codec. If you can only afford 1 i would say get the ax2000 used. Way better camera.

Although i would suggest dishing out another 200$ and get the Sony XR550. You get 200Gb more space which translates to over 11hours of HD capacity. Would be very nice to have on your long events. No need to purchase cards or dump footage.

Kenneth, I have XR500, SR11 and NX5U. Use the XR500 for family stuff and its great. Also use it as the unattended camera when I shoot theatre with NX5U as the main camera. These mix well together. The latest XR550 is better than the XR500 thought still uses the same "R" sensor that has very low noise level, lower than the NX5U !!! The AX2000 is the Prosumer version of the NX5U and lacks the ability to use the large Sony flash memory and a few other things. AX2000 and XR550 or CX550 would make a good combination.

Ron Evans

I am using the AX2000, CX550, & VG10 together and have no problems with multicam editing in Vegas Pro10. Most of my projects are live theatre and dance concerts. The colors match up well with little cc.

This is my first post and was wondering why no one mentions Canon or Panasonic but I see I am in a Sony forum but that's ok. Great feedback. For others what are you using editing? I have Avid but was thinking of going to Adobe premier. I got Avid MC5 by way of I had Avid Liquid and could not past up the deal getting a $2500 editing software for $500, I use Adobe photoshop also.

It doesn't really matter what editing platform you use Kenneth. Editing is decision making, all day long. Your brain makes those decisions and all you're asking the NLE to do is carry out your commands in real-time, and not faff about rendering, stuttering or falling over.

I can sometimes tell what camera has shot something, but I can never tell whether iMovie or CS5 has edited it.

Like Tom, use whatever editor your happy with using and will work consistently on your PC. I currently use Edius Pro 5.5 as well as Vegas 10 but also have Premiere too. They all excel at some things and are sometimes weak in some area or other. I use DVDLab , DVD Architect 5.2 for authoring but also have Encore too. TMPGenc4 for encoding and Nero for burning. Retrospect 7.7 for DLT tape backups.

Ron Evans

I'd go the other direction, preferring the CX550 over the XR550 - I've owned the XR's, and while it's great to have a huge storage capacity, the price of SDHC and to an extent MS Duos is farily reasonable. I prefer the lighter CX over the heavier and to me a little bit more awkward to handle XR. I was thrilled when the CX550 finally got a VF and bigger screen - advantages reserved to the XR's previously.

The Pansonic 700 series look quite good overall, and have tempted me, but as much as I like the Panasonic specs, when it comes to mixing/editing/cc, it's easier within the same brand.

I'd add to the "you can't go wrong with a CX550" vote. Get an FV70 or a couple extra FV50's, a couple memory cards, maybe a hood and mic depending on your shooting situations, and you've got a very competent little camera rig.

It doesn't really matter what editing platform you use Kenneth. Editing is decision making, all day long. Your brain makes those decisions and all you're asking the NLE to do is carry out your commands in real-time, and not faff about rendering, stuttering or falling over.

I can sometimes tell what camera has shot something, but I can never tell whether iMovie or CS5 has edited it.

Good Point thanks

Thanks again everyone for the feedback. I picked up the CX550 today at Sammy's. Now the next one if I can afford it is AX 2000 or 5U for major projects.

Kenneth - read the posts here that compare the price / spec of the AX with the NX. The general consensus is that although it was high time Sony added XLRs to their prosumer cams, the price difference made the NX5 a much better bet.

I'd be interested to see the Sony sales charts for the two models. I feel the AX is somewhat overpriced - especially as I reckon its depreciation is going to be higher in that second-hand buyers will be after the posher model..

tom.

Yes I chose that NX5U because I wanted the FMU128 but at the time the price difference in Canada to the AX2000 was only $200 and the NX5U came with a bigger battery and the mic. I would have chosen the NX5U on that basis alone even if I wasn't going to immediately get the FMU128.

Ron Evans

Hey guys I was going through the manual and I had one issue dose the 550 only do 1080 60i only or can it do 720p also and other formats?

Never mind I got my answer. It seems that most consumer unit just do 1080 60i except for the Panasonic TM 700 which dose 60p. What would be a the reason I would want to shoot 720P?

60i is interlaced video and thus shoots 1 field every 1/60 of a second or half the vertical resolution. From time code 2 fields equal 1 frame so 60i is 30 ( 29.97) frames. 1280x720 60P records full frames at 60fps so will have a full frame of resolution rather than a field every 1/60 sec. The resulting video will be smoother on a flat panel display since the display will not have to deinterlace which on lower cost displays cause artifacts. Unfortunately if the display is a 1080p display it will have to scale up to the pixel display of 1920x1080 from 1280x720 so may also introduce some artifacts !!!! Extracting stills from a 60p video should also result in more detail.

60i and 60p have the same temporal motion, the camera exposes at the same rate in one case recording a field and the other a full frame.

1920x1080 60p would be nice but not yet available in other than some low cost cameras and is not part of any specs for distribution.

Ron Evans

There is also the argument that if you have 60p, you can do better slow motion vs. 30p - twice as many frames to work with when "stretching" the clip. May or may not matter to you, but if slo-mo is important, could be a factor to consider.

Congrats on the CX550, we really probably should get Chris to add a forom specifically for this and related cameras, I see so many people picking this baby up for all the things it can do!

There are threads scattered around DVi talking about this camera/series (AVCHD thread in particular). probably wuld be good to bring it all under one thread - HDMom had SR/XR threads for a while...

Kevin:

For 60p, the only flavor available to you from these cams is 720/60p from the NX5. But, when you are multi-camming with a CX550v, you will probably want to shoot the NX in 1080i to match with your CX550. As for choosing between the NX and AX, you might save the $500 difference between the AX and NX, and put that money towards bigger batteries for your cams and maybe a decent shotgun for the AX (if and when.) I got the NX5 because its additional features, including the FMU, were things I want and need for what I do and also because, at the time, there were some major rebates on things like the FMU. I have been very pleased with CX550 -- I've got two of them.

Following up on Dave's recommendation, I'd suggest getting an NPFV75 battery rather than another NPFV50. The "75" has much longer running time than the "50" but the "75" does not project out the back of the camera like the "100" battery does. I've got "100" batteries (which I find very useful for how I use the cameras) but they do stick out enough to interfere with access to the CX550 viewfinder. This is usually not a problem for me, but it can be a problem when shooting in bright lighting where it is otherwise difficult to see the viewscreen.

60i is interlaced video and thus shoots 1 field every 1/60 of a second or half the vertical resolution. From time code 2 fields equal 1 frame so 60i is 30 ( 29.97) frames. 1280x720 60P records full frames at 60fps so will have a full frame of resolution rather than a field every 1/60 sec. The resulting video will be smoother on a flat panel display since the display will not have to deinterlace which on lower cost displays cause artifacts. Unfortunately if the display is a 1080p display it will have to scale up to the pixel display of 1920x1080 from 1280x720 so may also introduce some artifacts !!!! Extracting stills from a 60p video should also result in more detail.

60i and 60p have the same temporal motion, the camera exposes at the same rate in one case recording a field and the other a full frame.

1920x1080 60p would be nice but not yet available in other than some low cost cameras and is not part of any specs for distribution.

Ron Evans

Thanks again Ron;

I do a lot of Air Shows and Motorcycle races and so on. When I purchase AX 2000 or 5U what would be the best setting for this? Forgot will the 550 be able to capture the action also?

With the NX5U, Kenneth, my answer to your question would be 720/60p.

I do own a NX5U and a CX550v, I find unfortunate the 720/60p not being available on that CX550V camera.

There is also the argument that if you have 60p, you can do better slow motion vs. 30p - twice as many frames to work with when "stretching" the clip. May or may not matter to you, but if slo-mo is important, could be a factor to consider.

Congrats on the CX550, we really probably should get Chris to add a forom specifically for this and related cameras, I see so many people picking this baby up for all the things it can do!

There are threads scattered around DVi talking about this camera/series (AVCHD thread in particular). probably wuld be good to bring it all under one thread - HDMom had SR/XR threads for a while...

Thanks Dave but I have just discover a problem that maybe you can help me out with. I shot some video around the house and imported the files on my system and into MC5. I played the clips back and listing to the audio on my headphones and I hear some noise in the video it sounds like the auto focus but I am not sure. It is very low but it is there. It almost sounds like a low DV camcorder tape motor but it is getting into the audio. Any Ideas? My setting for audio is set 5.1

Check the stabilzer as well as the auto-focus for the noise. Sometimes the advanced stablizer can cause the noise to be picked up by the mic.-namely the internal mic. Try shutting off both to isolate the problem.

It could be the zoom motor if your finger is hovering on it. Try also switching to stereo audio as I find that a better sound anyway, you really don't want to hear yourself breathing do you? I use the Bluetooth mic in 5.1 mode when recording on a tripod in the theatre with the mic down at stage level. Works well as I just extract this centre channel in Vegas afterwards..

Ron Evans

Check the stabilzer as well as the auto-focus for the noise. Sometimes the advanced stablizer can cause the noise to be picked up by the mic.-namely the internal mic. Try shutting off both to isolate the problem.

Yep that was it I went to Sammy's and Ken in Pasadena told me what it was doing. Well looks like an external mic soon.

If I purchase a Hood do I still need a UV?

You do NOT need a UV, hood or no hood. If you fit a UV you reduce your hood's efficiency hugely.

i always put a uv on any cam i buy. once that lens is scratched, theres no fixing it without having issues.where can i buy a 37-52 hood for the 550. ive heard this one works well throughout and eliminated the dreaded blue spot. also, will the xlr adaptor ive seen for other cameras work well with this one utilizing the mic input jack? ive seen this attached to the bottom of that camera.

Unless you're shooting in a sandstorm, short of a freak hit with a bat fragment or hockey puck, you shouldn't have anything near the lens to scratch it. And it's one more piece of glass to have a bit of lint or fingerprint on it, just enough inside the focal range to play havoc!

EBay has plenty of listings for hoods, on the cheap. They are of course mostly all made in China (I tried some even cheaper India made ones, the quality was not so hot), but for the price, hard to beat - I got a handful of the 37mm ones that screw directly onto the threads, with a little knurled ring to snug down to keep the hood from spinning.

The 37MM one shows up in the sides of the ultra wide 550 lens on full wide, particularly if you move the camera with the OIS on - you get to see the OIS "work"! I Dremel tooled the sides down a bit, and that made the hoods usable while still looking decent. I suspect you'd have to go to the 52mm hood with a step up ring (or is it a step down, I get confused with that!) to have a "stock" hood clear the frame - that's what the MC50 hood looks like to me, and based on my rough measurements and estimates, the 42 and 46mm ones would still show in the frame on full wide.

I also modded an old A1u Hood that looks pretty nice, but they are MUCH more $$$, not sure if the old HC1 hood would be wide enough, but again about 4x the price of an inexpensive import one, even if you have to buy a step up/down ring for a couple $$.

i always put a uv on any cam i buy.

That was good advice in the days of soft lens coatings and (relatively) huge chips (35mm gates) but as the chips have got smaller, so too have the focal lengths. As Dave accurately points out, the two extra air-to-glass surfaces you're introducing can very quickly come in under the dof wire at wide angle and middling apertures. We've all seen the effects of this the first time any light hits that new, protruding, front element.

Modern multi-coatings are pretty tough. I know - I have Zeiss T* coating on my spectacles (same as on my Sony Zeiss lenses) and I clean my specs daily and have done for years on kitchen towel (pulped Canadian Redwoods). After 2½ years the coating is still pristine perfect, so you can clean your camcorder's front element weekly with not a worry in the world.

Use as deep a hood as you can for mechanical protection as well as flare supression.

tom.

has anyone tried the studio 1 or beachtek xlr adaptor for the 550? i know you can attach the unit to the bottom of the camera on the tripod screw and take the mini jack into the audio slot. im wondering if the audio would sound good through this on this cam as well as it does on the 2000 or other cams that dont have xlr.
also, for those using the 550, are you manually wb, which is what im used to or are you using the auto?
cant seem to find a 52mm lens hood that has a stepdown to 37mm. ive heard the 37mm still gives you the blue dot.
thanks

ps
anyone used an led light on the cam, im looking at one with a dimmer that should help with this cam in lowlight especially at wedding receptions.

Haven't tried an XLR adapter, I'd expect the sound would be good, no real complaints with the audio so far.

The whole "blue dot" thing is simply a bit of lens flare, and the few times I've been able to re-create it, zooming in around 5% eliminates it, no big deal IMO. Frankly, I've had such a time reproducing the problem I just don't worry about it. Any hood will help reduce the angle of potential light getting to the lens elements (and causing the "dreaded blue dot"). The 37mm hoods I've tried have to be trimmed to not enter the sides of the frame, thus the suggestion that perhaps a larger size of hood (surmising the 52mm might be large enough to clear), with a step up ring with 37mm threading for the camera, and threads for the 52mm hood to screw into. Step up/down rings are pretty standard with still cameras, so shouldn't be hard to find one to go with a 52mm hood.

I've got some Sima 20LX lights as a cheap solution, but am looking for something with a dimmer myself - it's always hard with a small light source not to be "blinding" the "talent", even with diffusion! The CX550V is pretty good in low light to start with, particularly once you turn on low lux mode (which shuts itself off after the camera sits, so you have to REMEMBER to turn it "on"!).

Almost forget WB... Auto is actually fairly accurate, especially when shooting people, as the intelligent functions auto adjust for optimal skin tones... BUT you can manually WB, and I usually will just select the "indoor" or "outdoor" presets if I know the lighting will be shifting/challenging - making for a consistent WB for post.