@Roger

Rather not, what will the next Panasonic camera be if the designers theories do not deliver what is expected ... poor us.

The clip nicely explains why I never will use a lesser framerate than the maximum; the 50p is the reason why I have bought the Panasonic HDC 900, together with the great image stabilization of course.

I agree to an extent, and 50P was one of the main reasons I bought my TM700, but I believe it's wise to think about fast shutter speeds and high frame rates as two different things. I notice in the clip that Douglas Trumbull specifically makes the point that his high frame rate system captures all of time (effectively a 360degree shutter)..... so I assume that means 120fps uses a 1/120th shutter speed.

I am not saying you should never use a high shutter speed, just that it changes the nature of the perception of motion. Looking at Roger's water fountain test, it is clearly identifiable as a water fountain at 1/30th and 1/60th shutter but becomes a more abstract set of sparkles at the higher shutter speeds.... so much so that you could almost convince yourself you are looking down at a puddle in the rain. It really all depends on what you are trying to achieve.

The early specifications of the three new 1/3" 3 chip cameras from Panasonic suggest they use the traditional range of frame rates (1080 at 25p, 50i, 24p, 60i etc.). Disappointing.....

dave

I am new to this forum, but I have read all the postings on this thread - some of them more than once. I am also new to videography, having yet to buy my first camcorder. However, I am an intermediate-level amateur DSLR photographer (Nikon D200) and have been doing 35mm and/or DSLR photography for the past 50 years. What I'm fairly good at is composition, color, and light, and the interrelationships between shutter speed, lens aperture, and film or sensor speed, also white balance. But I know nothing about the "mechanics" of videography, and am trying to learn about the interrelationships between shutter speed, frame speed, gain, resolution, format, etc.

I've decided that now is the time to jump in. I plan to buy a camcorder in July and practice on it for at least four months before making a six-week trip to equatorial Africa, where I will be in a village with no electricity. Because I want to do serious filming, I'm seriously considering buying the TM900. I recognize this is a fairly sophisticated camcorder (and fairly expensive), and I'm wondering what experienced videographers think about someone like me taking on the TM900 as my first videocam.

Let me tell you why this camcorder appeals to me, based on what I've read here and in the Users' Manual):
- Small size and light weight
- Excellent(?) Leica lens
- Good zoom characteristics
- EVF - essential for my poor eyes in bright sunlight
- Appears to be able to take a good wide angle adapter - desirable for those group shots as well as panoramic ones
- Good marks for low-light situations
- Excellent image stabilization
- Will operate with a 64GB Ckass 4 SDXC card (Can be bought for about $110)
- Reasonably decent still picture capability

My biggest concerns are: (I realize some go beyond this particular camcorder)
- Power - Is there a TM900 external charger available yet? (I could hook it up to a solar-powered charger or drive 25km to the nearest electricity source.)
- Storage - I'll have to resolve the best way to back up my files while in the bush
- Understanding AVCHD (HA/HG/HX/HE) vs. 1080/60p, when to use each, and why

I have dozens of questions, but I'll continue to try to find answers to most of them and will limit myself to two here.
1) Am I biting off more than I can chew by buying this sophisticated machine?
2) Can anyone direct me to a site that explains the difference between AVCHD and 1080/60p and when I should use each? (I have been searching through other DVInfo threads.)

Thanks very much for any help you can provide. I hope I haven't bored all you experienced, professional videographers, but I have found this discussion forum very educational, and I appreciate all the effort that you put into it.

Hi George and welcome!

1. No, if you ever get daunted just press the iAuto button and let the cam do all the work! You won't get the best results that way (especially regarding exposure) but you'll soon learn your way around the menus and get skills in manual modes while having fun learning.

2. 1080p50 (or 1080p60 in NTSC countries) is a bit of an awkward animal to edit with many NLEs as it falls outside the "rules" or normal AVCHD being both higher in bit rate (28Mbps as opposed to the 24Mbps max AVCHD that is allowed) and of course is double the normal frame rate. I (and many others) still use this new format because on the TM900 it gives razor sharp 1080p and lovely smooth motion, especially if used for slow motion effects in post. However, few NLEs currently handle it (Vegas does, and Edius) and you'll need a pretty recent decent spec Windows box to handle the files. I've not got very far (mainly because of time/work pressures) in experimenting with getting those 1080p50 files to be editable on my Mac systems in Final Cut.

AVCHD files give a less impressive result on the TM900 (still pretty good) I think partly because Panasonic only went with 17Mbps data rate for their 1080p30 (or 1080p25) setting, not the maximum allowed (24Mbps), as used on the latest prosumer Sony cams like the CX700 (I believe from memory).

Got to go out but hope that gets you going!

Thanks, Andy. That's a great start. I'm going to get the TM900. If I bite off more than I can chew, then I'll just chew a little bit longer. I'm hoping I can wean myself from the iAuto button ASAP, since I like to decide for myself what shooting compromises I'm prepared to make.

The biggest exposure challenge in Africa will be, I think, capturing very dark faces in bright daylight conditions. I could do exposure bracketing on my D200 and quickly adjust if I had to. I suspect that's more difficult with motion photography.

Another challenge, I suspect, will be in capturing outdoor sound (music, speaking, birds/animals, etc.) in breezy or windy conditions. I will get an external mic. and a deadcat (I love that term) based on what I've read elsewhere in this thread.

And, as I mentioned previously, backup storage is going to present a challenge. I will need something with high capacity and low power consumption. I'm thinking of an inexpensive netbook coupled with an external drive that powers off the USB only, since I will be away from reliable, continuous power for six weeks.

I'm wondering how others may have solved these problems.

And thanks for clarifying fps for me. I'm still confused as to how bit rate fits into the equation (except, of course, to guess that faster is better). Does it affect image quality, or is quality purely a function of resolution? And does bit rate affect file size? Still a puzzlement to me.

I won't be offended if anybody suggests I go to a different thread with these questions. I do realize that they are not specific to the TM900. But I'm confident I'll have more specific questions once I get my hands on the beast!

Thanks again.

George,

Welcome to the forum. I think for someone who cares about the image and doesn't want to spend a lot, the TM900 is a great place to jump in. I know it seems expensive, but for the image it produces, it's quite a value. It's also quite easy to use in comparison to professional units. I think you'll be glad you made the purchase. As far as storage, that is a much discussed topic on various forums. Most resort to multiple hard drives for serious work, but there isn't a perfectly safe, super easy way yet. It is one of the downfalls of digital media, but the upside for productivity is very positive. I'm staring at a box of miniDV tapes with old projects and a few new, unopened tapes. I'm not down on tape at all, it has its advantages, but it would be very hard to go back. Storage will only get cheaper and simpler with digital and I imagine we will ultimately store our work in the cloud and laugh at the days of having our own disc drives. I just finished uploading all of my rendered work to the cloud, but its not practical to load source files yet.

Enjoy you camera!

Thank you, Roger and Andy, for your advice.

Now I'm faced with another challenge: whether to buy the TM900 now or wait a week or two. The price seems to be coming down. Today, two well-known reputable on-line sellers are listing it at US$889.99. The price is about $40 dollars lower at less reputable dealers who resort to aggressive upselling once you place your order.

I wonder if the $110 drop in price is due to rumors of a newer model, or just the competitive market at work.

I've decided to order the TM900 later today or tomorrow. The price now seems stable at $889. I'm going to buy some cards, too, and I'm wondering if anybody can sanity-check my thinking on required speed rating, as follows:

About.com gives me the following two info-bits:
1) "The amount of data recorded at any given second is called a bit rate, and for camcorders it’s measured in megabits (one million bits) per second, or Mbps. The more data you’re recording, the better the quality of your video."
2) "The bit rate also matters if you own a flash memory card-based camcorder. Memory cards have their own data transfer rate, measured in megabytes per second or MBps (1 megabyte = 8 megabits). Some memory cards are too slow for high bit rate camcorders, and others are too fast. They’ll still record, but you’ll pay extra for speed you don’t need."

The TM900 Users Manual tells us to, "Use SD cards conforming to Class 4 or higher . . . for motion picture recording."

So, the highest recording speed on the TM900 is 28Mbps. Converted to MBps (divide by 8) we have 3.5MBps. The SD industry standards for Class 4 SDXC card say it writes at a minimum 4MBps (the standards specify the rating has to be the minimum - not average or maximum or optimal - speed).

Therefore, if I am using only the TM900, am I correct in assuming I should NEVER have to buy any SDXC card higher than a Class 4 rating?

If I pass the sanity-check, then this looks like a very attractive cost effective on-board storage option for the TM900.

SDSDRH064GA11 SanDisk 64GB Ultra Secure Digital Extended Capacity, SDXC, Memory Card, Class 4 15MB/Sec Read/Write Speed (http://www.adorama.com/IDSU15SD64G.html?utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Shopping%20Site&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=gbase)

It suggests I can get an additional 64GB for just about $4.00 over what the cost of the camera alone was two weeks ago.

Does all this make sense, or am I missing something?

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks

Thanks for any help.

@ George

You are correct, that is why I bought the HCD SD900, it uses only cheap cards ;-}

But the card speed also defines your offloading speed of a 64 GB card ...

See also my post:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-avccam-camcorders/497847-hs900-storage-questions.html

7:30am here in California. Can't sleep due to excitement about my upcoming purchase!

Thanks, Anthony, for this clarification. I'm sorry I didn't see your referenced post before posting my query. I had wondered about download speeds as well, but decided that if I use swappable cards, I won't have to worry too much about how long my backups take. (I'm an amateur and don't have to adhere to deadlines.)

Given the speed ratings numbers we've talked about, are there any other reason sbeyond the higher capacity available (64GB) that I should consider SDXC of SDHC?

Edit:
Ooops! I just read through your answer to Barry on the other thread (I had missed the second page) and I think I've got all the info I need on SDHC vs. SDXC.

I think my best choice, keeping price in mind, will be Class 6 SDHC.

Thanks much.

Well, I just ordered the TM900 and a Transcend 32GB Class 6 SDHC card on Amazon for a total of $933.69 (US). I also ordered an SDXC-capable USB card reader ($6) and 15 ft. mini-HDMI/HDMI cable ($12) so I can watch my raw footage on my large LED TV.

Delivery in 5 - 7 days, and then I can start practising....Hooray!

I have learned a lot from this thread and others on DVInfo. Now, forgive me, I have two more questions:

1) Previous posts have talked about the Raynox wide angle adapters. I am looking at the Raynox HD6600PRO-46 0.66x model. Does anyone have specific experience with this on the TM900? Online reviews at various selling sites mention that it works well on the TM700, but the Raynox website cautions to be sure that it will mount correctly on your specific cam because the inside glass extends a bit out from the screw mount. I'm hoping the 900 is no different than the 700 in this regard.

2) I already own B&H 72mm Polaroid and UV filters for my D200. Would these work OK on the TM900? It appears I would have to use two adapter rings to get from 46mm to 72mm. Would this present any problems?

Incidentally, the outer screw mount on the Raynox is 72mm, so it will handle my filters without any adapters. I really don't want to buy additional 46mm filters if I don't have to.

Thanks again.

@ Andy Wilkinson: -

I was looking at your pictures of the Rode VMP thinking the same thing about overhang but having received my HS900 I see the shoe mount is in a different position, on the top, nearer the rear, so it will be further back with no worries about the dead-cat should I get/need one.

So, only decision now is whether or not I need one!

:D

George, my advice would be to stay well clear of any sort of filters with a camcorder using such very short focal length lenses. OK to fit a UV if you think you're going to be hit by sea spray or Sahara sand, but otherwise don't do it. Certainly don't use filters with additional screw-on lenses.

You're adding two extra air-to-glass surfaces (which are never spotless) and you're reducing the lens hood's efficiency hugely - just when you most want it. I've demonstrated to disbelievers the image degradation filters can bring to your footage in against the light and wide-angle situations using matched cameras, and they've removed their filters immediately. Just use a microfibre cloth on the front element every now and again, as I've discussed here many a time.

I owned a 6600PRO a few years ago and was pleased with the lens. It sacrifices full zoom through for tight control on the barrel distortion, a fair compromise in my view. I haven't tried it on the 900 but one thing's for sure - the standard zoom is too tele-orientated, and would be a lot more useful if it was moved towards wide-angle.

tom.

@ Andy Wilkinson: -

I was looking at your pictures of the Rode VMP thinking the same thing about overhang but having received my HS900 I see the shoe mount is in a different position, on the top, nearer the rear, so it will be further back with no worries about the dead-cat should I get/need one.

So, only decision now is whether or not I need one!

:D

I was aware the shoe might have been in a different position on the HS900, i.e. under a plastic flap on the top rather than fixable to the front/RH side on the TM900 (with the TM900's provided/removable accessory) - but could never find any pictures that clearly showed this on the HS900 - other than a hint of where it would be on some official Panasonic web pages!

Maybe you could post some pics for the benefit of everyone? I've just noticed this thread has been viewed 31,500 times so I'm sure someone, somewhere would love to see pics of a HS900 with a Rode VMP on top! The deadcat will help a little in mild breezes, just don't expect miracles...

Enjoy your new camera Barry!

Very brief summary of what we've covered below - lots of nuiances I've missed so don't forget you can use the "Seach this Thread" function too...or even read all 265 posts!!! ;-)

Page 1 - TM900 specs, first impressions, link to Panasonic information, new battery type needed, suggested camera settings, No "Bondi Blue", remote control.

Page 2 - Filters and chances of vignetting, editing 1080p50/60.

Page 3 - 1080p50 as slow motion in post, hybrid optical image stabilisation and iZoom test video.

Page 4 - No Bondi Blue (again...), tendency to overexpose in bright sunlight, low light test video.

Page 5 - TM900 and Steadicam Merlin test video, larger battery pics/comments, battery charger.

Page 6 - More TM900 and Steadicam Merlin tests, Rode Videomic Pro/Nikon ME1 discussion, my accessory shoe modification.

Page 7 - Polarising filters, ND filters, more test films.

Page 8 - Wide angle adapters, TM900 and Canon 7D comparison test video.

Page 9 - More on wide angle adapters, manual settings.

Page 10 - More on manual settings, menus, shutter speed selection, relay recording clarified.

Page 11 - Rode Vidoemic Pro and deadcat information (link to audio section), editing 1080p50 (again), iZoom and polarising filters clarification.

Page 12 - Fan noise (or lack of in some cases), wide angle adapters (again), recording specs - still unanswered - anyone?

Page 13 - Some discussion on Intelligent Contrast Mode.

Page 14 - Discussion on AVCHD, editing, wide angles for the TM900 etc. series and ultra close up (i.e. macro ideas and lens tips). Discussion on F stops.

Page 15 - F-stops discussion continued. Pics of the Rode VMP (with Deadcat on) on a Rycote bar with my TM900.

Page 16 - Shutter speed discussion. Tendency to blow out highlights and exposure compensation settings discussed again.

Page 17 - More thoughts and demos on shutter speed. Good new user summary.

Page 18 - Just scroll up!

George, my advice would be to stay well clear of any sort of filters with a camcorder using such very short focal length lenses. OK to fit a UV if you think you're going to be hit by sea spray or Sahara sand, but otherwise don't do it. Certainly don't use filters with additional screw-on lenses.

You're adding two extra air-to-glass surfaces (which are never spotless) and you're reducing the lens hood's efficiency hugely - just when you most want it. I've demonstrated to disbelievers the image degradation filters can bring to your footage in against the light and wide-angle situations using matched cameras, and they've removed their filters immediately. Just use a microfibre cloth on the front element every now and again, as I've discussed here many a time.

I owned a 6600PRO a few years ago and was pleased with the lens. It sacrifices full zoom through for tight control on the barrel distortion, a fair compromise in my view. I haven't tried it on the 900 but one thing's for sure - the standard zoom is too tele-orientated, and would be a lot more useful if it was moved towards wide-angle.

tom.

Thanks for your advice, Tom. Regarding filters, there has been considerable comment about the advantages of polarizing filters, so it's interesting to hear your suggestion about eschewing all filters on the Panny. I was thinking a polarizer might provide the opportunity for more dramatic skies in Africa (I probably won't need it for water reflections). But now I will certainly consider what you're saying, especially about impairing the effectiveness of the lens hood, which I imagine I will be heavily relying on.

I'm pleased to hear confirmation that the Raynox .66 might be a good buy. Again, for Africa, I'm looking to capture moods of expansiveness, vastness. I don't see lack of full zoom through as a problem, given that objective.

I have had the TM900 for a week now, and I'm just beginning to understand its more basic features and capabilities. Even so, I am stunned by the clarity and brightness of my test images, shot in 1080p/60 and played back on my 60" LED TV directly from the camera. Also, I'm impressed with how the iA function works (even though I will wean myself from it in due course). I live on a hill in San Francisco with a view south past Candlestick Park to the City and bridge of San Mateo, about 15 miles away. I did a slow zoom in on a sailboat by the bridge, which couldn't even be seen at full wide. As I zoomed, the imager caught a thin telephone line crossing the view about 100 yards away from the camera and locked focus on it for a few seconds before returning to long distance. It's not what I wanted, but it indicates how acute the imaging is.

So far, I simply love this little beast, my first ever camcorder. Thanks to everybody for your advice over the past few weeks.

Just wanted to say a big thanks to Andy for starting the thread and all who have have posted here; I have just spent the last few hours reading the entire thread! And in doing so, have confirmed my initial thoughts about getting the SD900 to work alongside my Canon 5D2 and 60D cameras. I still have my old SD format Panasonic GS400 and it seems many of the operational concepts are similar with the new 900 series.

So, looks like I'll be placing my order soon, selling the GS400, but keeping my Raynox HD7000 Pro WA lens, the old Beachtek adapter and the little Manfrotto 700RC2 head after all!

Thanks again for an interesting and very informative thread.
Peter

George - as nobody has answered directly your query about the 660PRO+900 I'd urge you to try before you buy or get a sale or return deal. This lens does have a hood thread at the front (note I don't call it a filter thread) which could be useful in Africa. Peter's HD7000 was Raynox's answer to those who wanted a full zoom-through, but it 's less powerful and distorts more.

Polarisors are so difficult to replicate in post that I'd admit that it's the one filter you could make good use of in your travels. As their effect is zilch on axis with the sun and max at 90 degrees from the sun you could well find that the pluses outweigh the minuses.

The downsides are:

1) It's very difficult to find multi-coated versions - and would you have bought the 900 if it was plain for all to see that the front element (THE most important one) was completely uncoated?

2) Continuity headaches. Shot A is fine, Turn 90 degrees and shot B looks like a different month, let alone day.

tom.

Andy,

I've already pulled the trigger on a non-circular polarizer, understanding they are better for reducing glare and shouldn't be a problem without a silvered mirror in the chain. Will know in a few days! I am going to the Moab desert in early June, so I needed something to cut the glare.

Hi Roger....How has your experience with the linear polarizer worked out? There is no end to the number of threads on DVInfo about circular vs. linear polarizers, and no end to the controversy and conflicting information. After three hours of research, I still haven't come to a definitive answer as to whether a linear polarizer will be OK for the TM900, which has three sensors and therefore might (MIGHT) have the kind of technology that will be defeated by a non-circular polarizer.

So, best to go straight to the horse's mouth (if you'll pardon the analogy). Does the linear polarizer work OK on your TM900? No problems with auto-focus or auto-exposure?

Many thanks......George

My bad, Roger. I just found your answer in May in this forum. Thanks.....George

Bottom of page 11 area for anyone wanting the details...

George - as nobody has answered directly your query about the 660PRO+900 I'd urge you to try before you buy or get a sale or return deal. This lens does have a hood thread at the front (note I don't call it a filter thread) which could be useful in Africa. Peter's HD7000 was Raynox's answer to those who wanted a full zoom-through, but it 's less powerful and distorts more.

Polarisors are so difficult to replicate in post that I'd admit that it's the one filter you could make good use of in your travels. As their effect is zilch on axis with the sun and max at 90 degrees from the sun you could well find that the pluses outweigh the minuses.

The downsides are:

1) It's very difficult to find multi-coated versions - and would you have bought the 900 if it was plain for all to see that the front element (THE most important one) was completely uncoated?

2) Continuity headaches. Shot A is fine, Turn 90 degrees and shot B looks like a different month, let alone day.

tom.

Thanks, Tom. This is good advice. Can you clarify your comment about the Raynox hood thread vs. filter thread? Do you mean the lens will take a hood but not a screw-on filter? That's important to me because I already own a B+H 72mm circular polarizer, which itself has an outside thread so that, presumably, I could also attach a hood, so long as I can attach the filter to the lens.

Thanks......George

Hi George, what I mean about the Raynox having a hood thread and not a filter thread is that tom-here advocated using hoods at all times and in all places but using filters only when *absolutely* necessary.

Your TM900 has a min focal length of 3.45mm (1/8 inch). You add a 0.6x converter and your focal length is now a minuscule 2.27mm. Hold your finger-tips that far apart and marvel. At the same time realise that at those sort of focal lengths *everything* will be in focus, from here to infinity and beyond, almost regardless of the aperture used.

So what does this mean? I'll tell you - it means both sides of your polarising filter will be rendered pretty sharp on your footage. It also means any tiny imperfections on the Rayon's front element are likewise nearly in focus.

This is fine when the front element (filter or lens) are in shadow - well hooded or pointing away from light sources. So yes - you can physically fit your polarisor on top of your Raynox (beware vignetting) on top of your 900. But you've now added 6 extra elements to the what - 15? of the 900, an increase of 45%. The front element is most probably uncoated. Mr Leica would be horrified.

But if it gets you the pictures you want go for it.

tom.

Thanks again, Tom. It's good to know the filter on top of the w/a lens is possible. Since I already own the filter, I'll need only experiment to see if it's actually feasible. I'll report back on my results in due course.
George

Here is one more downloadable video. This uses a lot of zooming and panning, as is relevant for action sports. Also, Intelligent zoom is used at times, so that some shots are 700mm (equivalent). Harsh light conditions, -1 exposure and ND filter, 1/60th shutter, 108060p.

Good footage Mark, I did some yesterday in my garden and the colours over expose somewhat, had the camera in iA so must learn to use the adjustments!

In my footage, yellow & red flowers were really exaggerated and pink and white clothing lost detail so I think I'll try underexposing next time it is very sunny. You say you had a ND filter, is that an aftermarket one or the built in one you are referring to? If aftermarket, what one?

Regarding filters, does adding a CPL or ND filter interfere with the optics in any way; only 1 filter fitted, not both, and what does the ND filter do exactly [don't have time to look it up at the moment - just added that as it came to mind whilst typing so quick replies welcome]!

On a side note, I discovered that my old Panasonic charger for my NVGS5 charges the HS900 batteries too, so a saving for me there :0)

Thanks

Barry

Your 'side note' Barry made me reach for the panasonic charger that came with my 1999 Panasonic MX300 MiniDV camcorder (it's a VSK0592 if you want to source them) and it too charges my 900's VBN battery quite happily.

All the pins line up which would suggest Panasonic are happy that these two components should be allowed to mate up, even though the BVN stipulates that it must only be charged with the specified charger (and therefore needs to remain on camera, disabling the cam from service).

tom.

That's good Tom,

My charger is the Panasonic VSK0581, I just happened to look at it when I had the "hang on a minute, I wonder" moment!

To be honest, I was wary at first but it did line up nicely and the charge light came on so I figured it must like it; I let it charge a bit and it was fine. I checked the measurements on the supplied charger and the only difference was that the one supplied has a slightly higher wattage output when charging, not sure what effect that has; maybe takes longer to charge with my old charger perhaps? [not a genius as you may guess by that last statement]!

Thanks

Barry

"In my footage, yellow & red flowers were really exaggerated and pink and white clothing lost detail so I think I'll try underexposing next time it is very sunny. You say you had a ND filter, is that an aftermarket one or the built in one you are referring to? If aftermarket, what one?

Regarding filters, does adding a CPL or ND filter interfere with the optics in any way; only 1 filter fitted, not both, and what does the ND filter do exactly"

Yes, then TM900 overexposes in bright light, badly. As the optimal shutter speed is 1/60th of a second, one needs to really block out light. If apertures are closed down that can sometimes lead to diffraction problems. So, an ND filter basically blocks light allowing one to use wider apertures. That's all it does. One should use a good-quality filter. I used :
B+W 46mm #102 Neutral Density (ND) 0.6 66-011250 B&H Photo Video


In this video, mostly in very bright light, auto mode blew out all flowers. Setting manual iris to eliminate zebra stripes resulted in rich color (1/60th shutter):

A Short Trip to NYC using the Panasonic TM900 on Vimeo

Mark,

I used a regular polarizing filter on the TM900 and it worked beautifully. I'm sure a CPL will work fine also, although I read several articles that a standard polarizor is preferred if it doesn't interfere with the metering. I didn't see any negative effects and the interferance is typically due to a reflecting mirror as on a DSLR.

This video was made with a cpl, exploiting its main advantage - dealing with reflections. I did not have any exposure issues, and it was really effective in minimizing reflection and glare through the glass cases that are the norm in museums:

One Day in London with the Panasonic TM900: The British Museum on Vimeo

Just a heads up if you're looking to fix a polariser to the TM900 or TM700 (same size threads).

If you also shoot with dSLRs you've probably already got various polarisers but probably not of the very narrow 46mm width that the TM's take. The answer is to use step-up rings to adapt to your larger filters.

I have 72mm and 77mm polarisers to match my Canon L glass but I was not able to find a 46-72 or a 46-77 step up ring. However if you go 46-67 then 67-72 (or 67-77) they work fine and without any vignetting at widest angle.

In the UK you can get these rings from Speed Graphic Home - for the widest range of photo accessories (http://www.speedgraphic.co.uk)

Oh and one other little tidbit that I don't recall reading in the thread: the backlight compensation function works really well. Therefore you may not need to bother delving into the manual exposure functions. Its not a sticky function though - switching the cam off resets it to OFF.

Pete

Thanks for the tip on the step-up rings.

But I am puzzled by this: "the backlight compensation function works really well. Therefore you may not need to bother delving into the manual exposure functions."

Backlight compensation as I understand it increases exposure. The problem with the TM900 is that it overexposes in sunlight. So I do not see how the overexposure button helps you avoid manual mode where it is most needed. Of course, it help when there is backlight! Maybe you jus meant in that scenario, not generally?

I'm with you Mark. The backlight button adds an arbitrary 1.5 stops or so to the exposure so is like a stopped clock - right only twice in 24 hours. For me the spotlight button (does the 900 have this facility?) is a far more useful tool as it ensures that highlights don't over-expose.

tom.

Mark, yep sorry - it was a general tidbit to add to the sum of knowledge in the thread rather than a specific recommendation on how to deal with perceived over exposure in sunny conditions.

Tom, I wouldn't say the backlight compensation function is arbitary at all. I've used it dozens of times in scenarios where the compensation required has varied from under a stop to a heck of a lot more (as measured with my two 5DII's with which I shoot stills at the same time) and its performance has been impressive. Same goes for the TM700. Neither appear to be adding a fixed value for compensation.

Its big advantage is that you can be ready to shoot very quickly indeed rather than delving into the manual function menus. And it will of course adjust itself if the amount of backlighting changes such as if clouds temporarily obscure the sun; therefore it works well for a locked down unattended cam.

Pete

Interesting! I didn't realise the 900 used iBLC (intelligent backlight compensation) but of course - with a camera as clever and competent as this, why on earth not? Thanks for the info Peter. But I can only access this iBLC using the camera's remote?

Tom. The BLC can be toggled on / off in the menu, you say you can only access it via the remote!! It is obviously only available in auto mode or when you have the camera in floating iris mode

Tom, the Backlight Compensation function is available to me in both auto and in manual modes. Its within the Record Setup Menu.

No need to use the Remote Control.

As Colin says, it is not available when you set the Iris manually - it is greyed out - but it is not greyed out when you set the shutter speed manually and shows as ON if indeed that is what you have set it to be; however it does not appear to function if you have set the shutter speed manually.

It is a sticky setting between manual and auto so long as you don't turn off the cam, in which case it of course reverts to OFF. Therefore it would be a good choice if you have set your cam to the various manual exposure settings for a given scenario and then suddenly the shooting conditions change and you do not have time to readjust ..... just switch the cam to auto. that might happen for example if you are shooting a bride and groom entering a function room for their wedding breakfast and they take a different route to their table from that which you were expecting.

Pete

I've just returned from spending the best part of a month on a family holiday in my wife's native Mauritius. This time we stayed in 3 hotels: Le Mauricia in Grand Bay (as it is near where one of my wife's brothers lives); then Sugar Beach; and then The Hilton, both in Flic-en-Flac.

I agonised for some time as to which cams I would take from my collection (the EX3 was always out for size/weight/attention attracting reasons) but I was very close to taking the Canon 7D and a few selected lenses but was worried about weight, potential overheating and the fact that I have only two 16GB CF cards for video storage (and did not want to buy many more) and I did not want to take my MBP to off-load footage.

In the end I took the tiny TM900 as the "main cam" with the Kodak Zx5 waterproof cam for the kids to use during watersports/snorkling/fun in the pool and sea etc. I have lots and lots of 16GB SDHC cards. My wife had the Nikon P6000 for stills and both the kids took there point and shoot stills cams.

I also took my Rode Videomic Pro, its deadcat and the Rycote extension bar and a 46mm Polarising filter for occasional use in specific circumstances and the Jobi Gorillapod for any static timelapse/sunsets type stuff. I had 1 big and 1 small battery for the TM900 with me - more on that later.

Both cams got used very extensively. In fact, almost as soon as we'd landed we met one of my wife's sisters who had just arrived from Toronto and she asked me to video her School Reunion in Port Louis the day after. There were going to be 55 women there, some having returned to Mauritius from all over the World specifically for this event. She told me I'd be one of only 2 blokes - the other running the disco and karaoke! How could I say no.... I would have liked a bit more notice(!) but to sweeten it further she offered several weeks free supply of Phoenix Beer (at the horrendous hotel prices) to "seal the deal" - since she was also staying in the same hotels with us anyway.

The TM900 suited the mostly run and gun shooting I needed to capture family events (as well as that school reunion) and my kids having fun doing things like waterski-ing, watching dolphins etc. I used it almost exclusively with 1080p50 at 28Mbps, in manual mode (but with auto iris and auto focus). I needed to have the picture adjust settings for exposure dialed down to -3 or -4, occassionally -5 in the strong sunlight, sometimes just -1 or -2 in the shade but soon became very fast at adjusting this on the fly. Shutter speeds were almost always locked, either at 1/100 or 1/50 depending on shot (i.e. if I think I'll slow it down in post). Back light compensation also got used now and again in the way described in this thread immediately above. The 20x intelligent zoom, in combination with the highly effective image stabilisation was brilliant since 95% of what I was shooting needed to be hand-held. The viewfinder got useda lot in such bright conditions too. The "instant on" function was also terrific.

The only time I used 1080p25 HA video (i.e. more normal AVCHD at 17Mbps) was with timelapse stuff and the School Reunion (since it was an all day event). I was worried about using a huge chunk of my available SDHC memory (as well as battery longevity) but in the end I managed to do it with both the batteries (easily) by simply using every opportunity (i.e. when there was a few minutes lull in the proceedings) to top up charge. Remember, the TM900 needs to be switched off to charge the battery on the camera (unless you buy an external charger) - one unfortunate change over the older TM700. Anyway, my 2 batteries got me through the day no problem in the end.

I also greatly enjoyed the (very easy to use) in-camera editing/trimming of clips function to make the most efficient use of my available memory capacity during the trip. The good, sharp and clear viewfinder (albeit oversaturated) and simple touch screen operation made this a joy to do sitting in the shade by the pool with my free beers! For example, I got that school reunion down to a mere 16GB of the best bits that I'll use for further edit selections to make their film. In all I have just under 100GB of video from this trip. Well, I've just quickly viewed some of the footage on my big monitors now I'm back and I have to say I'm absolutely delighted! Most of the time I got the exposure right (the zebras and the histogram being essential here) and in the times when I needed manual focus the blue peaking worked a treat for nailing it.

It's mostly personal/family stuff but I'm sure a few selected bits will appear on the web in due course - so watch this space!

Bottom line, the TM900 really "delivered" as a small, light, highly flexible, reliable run-n-gun and travel cam offering stunning image quality. During my intensive use it acquired a few minor (cosmetic) case scratches - I used it every day out in boats, on the beach etc. being very careful when around sand and salt water/wiping it down lightly every night etc. but those scratches will just remind me of all the great things it captured for a few years to come.

It worked flawlessly. So glad I have it and took it!

Thanks for the update on all this Andy. And nice to hear the camera performed well on what was obviously an enjoyable trip. As you say, it's a question of "horses for courses" when selecting the best tool for any particular shoot or occasion.

Peter

Has anybody done a comparison of the TM900 and the SD90? Half the price, wider lens, 40x intelligent zoom (21x optical), single cmos.

Way lower spec than 900 series. Google it, all the information is out there

Thanks Colin. I've seen the surface level specs but looking for the major advantages of the TM900 over the SD90. I can't find any direct comparisons of actual footage. I've read the SD90 is noisier in low light but not by as much as you would think. I'm just wondering how big the gap is in image quality and usability. The SD90 is wider than my HV40 with a .6 Raynox WA converter when I borrowed my brothers SD90. This alone blew me away. And 21x optical (40 ia) is just remarkable. I'm just wondering how much better the 3mos is than the the single and if it warrants double the money. Onboard memory doesn't matter to me. Both have 1080 60p. So it basically comes down to how much better the image quality is for double the money as having that type of range on the lens is pretty remarkable as far as the SD90 goes. My last family camera was a GS300 (one of the few 3ccd consumer camcorders in it's day) but haven't touched it since my HV40. Many thanks.

Kevin

Hi all,

I'm trying to connect my HS900 to view/edit footage but the software is not seeing it. I'm using WinDoze 7 in a parallels environment on my Mac and the bundled HD Writer software.

I'm connecting the camera, powered by mains, plugging in the USB, and when I chose "connect to PC" the HD & SD card show up in WinDoze explorer as expected. According to the manual, the wizard should automatically open when I connect but doesn't. Neither does it show up in the HD Writer window when I select "Media playback". According to Panasonic, the camera is successfully connected if it shows in explorer so I'm confused!

Help welcomed :0)

Thanks

Barry

Dont know a thing about Mac's Barry, could be your set up. Try putting the card in a card reader and see what happens. Saves on the hassle of conneting the camera every time as well.
I think you may have to convert te clips or playback on a Mac, check this out http://www.panasonic-video-converter.com/2011/08/play-panasonic-tm900-avchd-108060p-video-on-mac/
Are you using FCP ? If so this cant import the Pannies MTS files, they will need converting to ProRes
Seems the same applies to i movie. http://prores-aic-converter.com/?tag=panasonic-tm900-to-aic

Conventionally, it's been said to turn off all OIS when doing steadicam work. Does this still hold true with the latest OIS technology on the TM900?

Got my TM900 tonight! Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll be using it for my wedding tomorrow along with my HMC-150, 5Dmkii and 60D. Tapeless goodness! I apparently bought a spare of the stock battery and not an extended one Can someone recommend an extended battery and how long should I expect the battery to last. VERY impressed so far.
BIll

Little battery lasts about 1hr, maybe 75 minutes continuous use. Note that you may not get maximum battery life until the battery has been conditioned a few times (fully charge, almost fully drain, then fully charge etc.).

My (genuine Panny) big one is closer to 3 hrs. However I've "survived" all day with the little battery and "instant on" enabled for doing lots of impromptu shots on a recent holiday where the TM900 "lived constantly" in my palm - almost every day - so it really depends how you use it. I also managed to film a recent all day event (in Mauritius - mentioned above) with just one big and one small battery and frequent charging when there was a lull in the proceedings. Not ideal but it worked out OK. If the camera is locked off on a tripod, then of course try and use AC power too (if available - although that will not charge the battery when the TM900 is actually turned on).

I recorded the moon last night for about an hour continuous and it still showed 26 mins on the lcd. That was with LCD open. So I think it'll do for now. The big battery looks to be $125. I'll see after the wedding today.

Here's a clip...

Panasonic Tm900 Test on Vimeo

Bill.
I have used my TM900 on several weddings. I have 2 of the standard batteries. Battery 1 does the arrival service and photoshoot. Battery 2 does the reception and greeting line, still about an hour of use left in it.
During the meal both batteries are charged, leaving ample power for the, speeches, cake cutting, first dance etc, etc.

Thanks Colin. I'm thinking of setting up the TM900 as a wide on the first dance tonight just for kicks. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
Bill