New JVC GY-HM70 AVCHD Camcorder

[Zach Love]

I wonder if the 1/2.3" is a misprint. Brochure says lens is listed as 3.76mm on the wide end w/ a "29.5mm" FOV 35mm equivalent. The math doesn't add up. 3.76mm on a 1/2.3" chip is extremely wide.

As is listed a 1/2.3" chip is in between a 1/2" & 1/3" chip.

According to AbelCine's FOV calculator a "29mm" FOV 35mm equivalent on a 1/2" camera (Sony EX1) is 5.6mm, on a 1/3" camera (JVC HM600) is 4.2mm & a on 1/4" camera (JVC HM150) is 2.3mm

My guess is the chip is 1/3.2". That would be much closer for the 3.76mm lens to give you a 29.5mm FOV 35mm equivalent.

If this is true, you have a larger chip than the JVC HM150 but smaller than the HM600.

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My other initial impressions are:

I love that JVC releases high resolution photos when they release a camera. Keep it up JVC.

No XLR inputs? Really limits the use of the camera.

Optical zoom is only 10x. But 16x is painted large on the side. I wonder how good "Dynamic zoom" really is.

I like that the lens hood has a built in (flip down) cover. Every camera should have these, I don't understand why some manufactures haven't caught on (*cough Panasonic *cough Canon)

Why is there a cable from the viewfinder down the camera? It doesn't look removable, so why aren't those connections just run internally through the handle? I'd think that cable might get annoying sticking right out in front of your nose.

f/1.2 is nice, stinks that it drops down to f/2.8. That's a lot of light you lose through the zoom (espicially for just a 10x lens). Though I think I've seen worse (but it is on 20x to 22x zooms).

Why is the HDMI on the side & not on the back w/ the RCA jacks? Is there anyone that needs HDMI at that position instead of at the rear.

Overall, I think if I had to choose this or a HM150, I'd go with a HM150 in a heart beat.

[Randy Johnson]

The article I read about it said it uses the same chip as this camera
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/839193-REG/JVC_GY_HMQ10U_GY_HMQ10_4K_Compact_Handheld.html
I for one am excited I do weddings (currently with a AG-HMC 150) and I would love a shoulder mount camera, The mini jack doesnt bother me I will just get a beactek box. I dont really need interchangable lenses. Im hoping they are throwing there hat into the Sony NEX 50U ring where it will have the image of a DSLR in a affordable shoulder mount camera.

[Zach Love]

I find it hard to believe that they'd stick a 4k chip in the HM70.

The HM70 seems like it is trying to compete with a Sony HXR-MC2000U, or Panasonic AG-AC7 or HMC80.

Though it would be nice if JVC released a shoulder mounted, interchangeable lens, 4k camera. Even a chip of 1/2.3" with those specs would be exciting. Even nicer if it had a larger chip.

[Randy Johnson]

Well from the article I read they are but you need to understand they can put that chip in it but it doesnt mean its as good as the other camera. I mean they may have made this camera because they had a lot of those chips lying around but theres a lot more to it than just dropping in a chip.

[Scott Kase]

I shot with the GY-HM70 in the JVC booth this week at the WPPI Show in Las Vegas. Very Impressed with the picture quality. Having built in dual battery System(hot swapable) and Dual Memory is helpful.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Randy

I also doubt it as it would kill the HMQ10 sales. Why pay $5K for one when you can get the 70 at less than half the price. It certainly looks like it's targeted towards the educational market and possibily the entry event market and would be a direct competitor with the older HMC80 (which has XLR's) or the cheaper Panasonic AC7

I wonder if you just might be a little disappointed with it after your HMC150?? They also wouldn't fool with trying to make it compete with the HM700 series either which have IMHO, the nicest form factor of all as it totally balanced with the SM pad further forward but sadly the 700 has a low res and tiny EVF much like the 150 (like looking in a tunnel) It's about time they went the Sony route and put in a decent LCD and loupe... Once you have used that EVF system you are spoilt for life!! Even the HMC80 has the same but the LCD is lo res.... I think the Sony EX-3 was the first to use the idea and that wowed me and I enjoyed the big viewing area ... the EA-50 has the same except the monitor is hi-res so you get an awesome image to work with.

There is obviously a market for sub $2K cameras otherwise the MC2000, HMC80 and AC-7 would not still be in production and this certainly might be a contender for events!! If your budget is under $2K then it looks like it's the pick of the bunch

Chris

[Paul R Johnson]

Blow the spec - that's one ugly looking camera! It also looks very army wearing to hold. It isn't a shouldermount camera, it just has one end hooked on your shoulder, the rest of the weight is very far forward.

[Randy Johnson]

Like I said it CAN have the chip doesnt mean its going to have the specs theres a lot more to image quality than the chip itself.ie you can put a ferri engine block in a Ford but without the rest its still a Ford. Now from the way it looks I think the Sony looks awkward to hold on the shoulder, although I havent tried it yet but the viewfinder looks like it comes back to far to be comfortable and that the whole thing is front heavy (not just from the weight). but like I said thats just from what I see I bow to Chris's experience on that one.

[Zach Love]

Randy, do you have a link to where you read the HM70 & the HMQ10 use the same chip?

I'm not saying the HM70 doesn't have the same chip, I just think it doesn't add up. The biggest thing the the focal length of the lens & the FOV they say it has.

If the HM70 has the same 4k 1/2.3" chip as the HMQ10, & it only gets a "29mm / 35mm FOV" at a 3.76mm focal length, then the camera isn't ready a lot of the chip. Kind of like the crop mode (ETC / electronics teleconvter) on the Panasonic GH2 or GH3. Only, again, my estimated math, things don't add up.

In the GH series ETC / crop mode, the camera only uses the center 1080x1920 pixels. If you do that with the HMQ10 you get a 1/4.6" chip. With a chip that small, a 3.67mm lens isn't going to give you that 39mm 35mm FOV equivalent.

A 3.67mm lens on a 1/4.6" chip is going to be almost a normal FOV (40-50mm FOV range in 35mm equivalent terms).

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

It isn't a shouldermount camera, it just has one end hooked on your shoulder, the rest of the weight is very far forward.

Lots of camcorders are like that today -- Canon XL H series, Sony EX3 and others -- I'm not saying it's right, but JVC shouldn't be singled out for this. All of the major manufacturers are responsible.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Zach Love

do you have a link to where you read the HM70 & the HMQ10 use the same chip?

I'll tell you what's better -- we'll get a yes or no confirmation direct from JVC.

A link to some other site proves nothing, sorry. There are a few sites out there that I won't allow links to because their "data" is highly questionable. DV Info Net was built on getting solid info direct from original sources. In this case the source will be JVC itself... a simple check of the published specs at JVC give an immediate indication that it's NOT the same chip as the GY-HMQ10U. To wit:

JVC GY-HM70 -- 1/2.3" 12M pixels progressive scan CMOS (official source)

JVC GY-HMQ10U -- 1/2.3" 8.3M pixels back-illuminated CMOS (official source)

[Adam Grunseth]

Despite its lack of obvious features like XLR, I am very excited about this camera. I am gearing up to do multi-camera live HD production. A true high def studio camera is out of my reach financially. Looking to do things in as affordable way as possible, this camera is looking great!

I don't need a camera with on board sound as my audio is all being done separately. The same goes for 24p recording. Though it is nice feature, my video switcher will only do 720p or 1080i at standard broadcast frame rates, so no 24p. So for me, this camera seems to be exactly what I am looking for.

[Randy Johnson]

Heres where I read it.
JVC Announces New $2000 Shoulder-Mount GY-HM70 | Studio Daily

I wonder it were are starting to get past a time where one chip cameras can be considered for professional production. I know back in the day one chips gave poor color reproduction ie reds looked purple but maybe the one chips are getting good now to. Maybe not we'll see.

[Chris Hurd]

Well, there were two flavors of single-chip camcorders. The more common variety had a complimentary color filter which sacrificed color accuracy for lower noise. The less common and significantly better variety had a primary color filter whose color accuracy nearly equaled a three-chip. An improved DSP (digital signal processor) alleviated the image noise issue.

These days nearly all but the cheapest 1-chip camcorders have an RGB primary color filter. Consider also that just about all of the big high-end digital cinema cameras (RED, et al) are single-chip.

[Petter Flink]

Originally Posted by Randy Johnson

Heres where I read it.
JVC Announces New $2000 Shoulder-Mount GY-HM70 | Studio Daily

I read that was well.
My first idea were that the HM70 used one of four sensors from the Q10 and the Q10 did used four sensors merged which created their own data stream, hence the four SD cards.
But then I read about the single 1/2.3" both cameras is said to use, but the Q10 uses a 8.3MP sensor and the HM70 uses a 12MP sensor so my wild ideas went down the drain.

My guess is that the JVC rep and/or the studiodaily.com people just mixed something up.