JVC GY-HM200 - alternative to Sony PXW-X70

[Ugo Merlini]

Originally Posted by Kevin Balling

GY HM200 footage and initial thoughts on the camera here.

Shooting with the JVC GY-HM200: 4K handheld camcorder

I read that you tested clips with FCPX. If you can send me a small clip in 4k and in HD I can test with Avid Media Composer (PC side)

Regards

Ugo

[Craig Yanagi]

Originally Posted by Ugo Merlini

I read that you tested clips with FCPX. If you can send me a small clip in 4k and in HD I can test with Avid Media Composer (PC side)

You can access 4K H.264 150Mbp/s demo footage files on this web page: JVC Pro Video Clips

- Craig

[Anthony Lelli]

the ergonomics are much much better than the X70 . Plus it works with any editor right now and we don't have to pay for the updates. But most importantly it works in 50Mbps 4:2:2 in HD with no maybes and no buts and no idiotic proprietary containers like the XAVC-L (that still doesn't work with Vegas or FCP -the ones that count!)

I see that's not touch screen, but I also see that sports one of the best face recognition in the market. I know how that works for the HM600 and that's impressive (interviews with the ability to switch from the interviewer to the talent and vice-versa , all in AF moving with the joystick on the LCD (so with the left hand).

The white Balance is a little complicated to set on the fly (but always better and less complicated than the X70 that doesn't even show on the screen while changing it- You change it and Then it shows the colors).

The AF can be fine tuned for speed and that's also good to have.

streams on Ustream easily, VERY easily.

The pictures are stunning, simply put. 4K doesn't give too much RS, more or less like HD

Ok I don't think that Sony will fix the XAVC-L nonsense any time soon , so I went for this HM200 instead because I was sick and tired of the incompatibility of that proprietary container that nobody uses (beside edius and catalyst and few others that don't really matter)

so well done to JVC , and I also appreciate that Craig is here , that means a lot guys!

[Jase Tanner]

I see LS 300 footage and 2 clips discussing the HM200 but no footage from that camera. Is there some anywhere else Craig?

[Craig Yanagi]

The footage suggestion is meant to test the 4K 150Mbps H.264 fiile on your existing NLE.

Footage for the GY-HM200 will be posted on its respective web page. In the meantime, Rick Young has shot some footage with the HM200 which, subjectively, is quite stunning.

[Simon Denny]

This camera looks great. I don't need 4K but the 50Mbps and 4:2:2 I'm interested in.

Is the sensor 1 x 2/3rd inch

[Anthony Lelli]

Originally Posted by Simon Denny

This camera looks great. I don't need 4K but the 50Mbps and 4:2:2 I'm interested in.

Is the sensor 1 x 2/3rd inch

no, it's 1/2.33" , the same as the gopro hero 3 or Panasonic HX-A500. still a little bigger than 1/3"

the size is 7.8mm diagonal , the AX100 or X70 is 15.86 (pretty much twice as big). to stay in the video standards let's say that's very close to half inch sensors like the EX1 (8mm diagonal)

but the pictures in HD are stunning, no difference with the X70 (well.. almost: meaning that the HM200 looks cleaner , even at high ISO or DB). I have both (but I'll sell the X70 soon). Practically the only noticeable difference is about the DOF.

But for a run&gun kind of shooting or sports the HM200 is definitely better because the AF gets more chances to stay in the face of people for example.

[Ugo Merlini]

Originally Posted by Craig Yanagi

The footage suggestion is meant to test the 4K 150Mbps H.264 fiile on your existing NLE.

Footage for the GY-HM200 will be posted on its respective web page. In the meantime, Rick Young has shot some footage with the HM200 which, subjectively, is quite stunning.

thanks for the link, Avid Media Composer 8.3.1 can play with the clips using direct import or AMA link

compared to sony AX100 how is the JVC GY-HM170 (the 200 is too expensive for me).

Is JVC a good brand compared to Sony and Canon?

Regards

Ugo

[Howard Lane]

Originally Posted by Anthony Lelli

no, it's 1/2.33" , the same as the gopro hero 3 or Panasonic HX-A500. still a little bigger than 1/3"
but the pictures in HD are stunning, no difference with the X70 (well.. almost: meaning that the HM200 looks cleaner , even at high ISO or DB). I have both (but I'll sell the X70 soon). Practically the only noticeable difference is about the DOF.

Any chance Anthony that you could shoot a little footage with both cameras in a low light situation and post them on line? I often do video of church events and am at the mercy of their lighting and wondering how these two cameras compare. I really hope that the HM200 works well because it would be perfect for me.

[Paul Anderegg]

Same request from me Anthony. Would like to see how each camera does at night, wide open iris.

Would be most demonstrative to shoot full wide wide open iris on both, then zoom in full optical then digital zoom to show the lens ramping. 3 stops of light loss seems insane on the JVC, would really like to see how well it compares against the Sony at maximum telephoto. Then to top it off, do something to show adding lots of gain till each camera is maxed out at wide and then telephoto. The X70 falls apart at high gain when you get into the digital ClearImage zoom range. The JVC doesn't have as many pixels to play with, so maybe it falls apart faster along with the iris closing down so much needing even more gain.

Most interesting test I can think of is very dark, both cameras at maximum gain wide open iris at full wide and full optical telephoto. :-)

Paul

[Anthony Lelli]

A direct comparison with the X70 can be done only in 1080 (X70 @28mbps and jvc @50Mbps 422)

I don't even think about going to catalyst also because I firmly believe that there is no 422 50Mbps in the X70- since it looks exactly like the regular avchd @28Mbps). As you all know the XAVC-L of the X70 is the only format that doesn't work (still), while others do. so... there is no XAVCX-L with the X70.

That said the problem with the JVC is the lens. can't be used below 2.8 and over 5.6 . that's how it is. The noise is pleasant, salt&pepper but it will be the only hope in a church. at 1.8 the JVC looks blurred, because of the lens. Unusable.

so in the end the X70 is the better camera in low light because 2.8 on a 1" sensor equals 1.8 on the small sensor of the JVC. But you can't use 1.8 on the JVC while the Zeiss on X70 is first class pretty much at all the apertures.. Why JVC gave such a poor lens to this beautiful camera? I don't know. A better lens would've been a coupe of dollars more in mass production...
that even if the noise is better handled by the JVC.
A great camera destroyed by a poor cheap lens!
will I keep the camera? Yes. 4K is amazing @3.5
but again for a church I'd shoot X70 , absolutely.

[Anthony Lelli]

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

3 stops of light loss seems insane on the JVC,

Paul

Paul 3 stops loss in HD sounds about right. On top of that consider that there will be 2 more stops in 4K.
if the lens was decent @1.2 then maybe, but it's a 2.8 max 1/2.33 sensor camera. the rest is beautiful, ergonomics and everything, but that lens.....

[Anthony Lelli]

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

Same request from me Anthony. l

ok, the guys @JVC did everything they could processing that little sensor. The software is state of the art. Hands down the best processing Ive seen in years. I can feel the enthusiasm, they gave all the good stuff. Then who decided to save few bucks on the lens?

[Craig Yanagi]

Originally Posted by Ugo Merlini

thanks for the link, Avid Media Composer 8.3.1 can play with the clips using direct import or AMA link

compared to sony AX100 how is the JVC GY-HM170 (the 200 is too expensive for me).

Is JVC a good brand compared to Sony and Canon?

Thank you very much for confirming the compatibility of the 4KCAM 150Mbp/s H.264 files with Avid MC 8.3.1. Its always better that the compatibility is verified by our end users.

Comparison to the AX100 is best left to individual users (YMMV), but what can be said is that the image capture and recording capability of the GY-HM170 is equal to that of the GY-HM200 (sans the XLR audio input capability).

Regarding the brand, JVC is now the leading ENG camcorder company in the US based on overall ownership by the top 24 news production groups.

[Kevin Balling]

Craig. One of the features I find really unique on the JVC HM150--and I use it all the time--is the tele macro feature. Is this included on the HM200?? Thanks for being so hands-on here on DVINFO.