Panasonic announces AG-HMC70 Shoulder Mount AVCHD Camcorder
 

Panasonic Expands Professional AVCHD Product Line
with the new AG-HMC70 shoulder-mount camcorder

* Affordable, Point-and-Shoot HD Camcorder Offers Benefits of SD Card
Solid-State Recording with Professional Audio Flexibility *

SECAUCUS, NJ (October 31, 2007) – Panasonic announced the expansion of its professional AVCHD product line with the introduction of the AG-HMC70 AVCHD camcorder. As the industry’s first shoulder-mount AVCHD camcorder, the HMC70 records high-quality 1080i images onto readily available SD/SDHC memory cards.

Like Panasonic’s full production quality solid-state P2 HD recording system, this AVCHD camcorder eliminates the need for and cost of a special deck, as well as the time required to transfer content from a tape or optical disc to a PC for editing or content distribution. Since it uses a standard SD or SDHC card, the HMC70’s recording capacity will increase and media cost decrease as the industry announces new higher capacity cards.

Joining the small hand-held AG-HSC1U in Panasonic’s AVCHD camcorder line-up, the HMC70 utilizes the industry standard H.264-based Advanced Video Codec High Definition (AVCHD) video format to deliver crisp HD images. AVCHD delivers twice the recording efficiency of older MPEG-2 codec technologies like HDV, and it is supported by a growing number of nonlinear editing packages including Apple’s Final Cut Pro Version 6.0.1 and i-Movie, Grass Valley EDIUS Software Version 4.5, Pinnacle Studio Plus 11, Nero 7 Premium Reloaded, Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus and Ulead DVD Movie Factory 6 Plus.

The HMC70 features three native16:9 progressive ¼” CCDs to record, or provide a live feed of, widescreen 1440 x 1080 HD resolution images of weddings, sports, concerts, or other events. It can be used by law enforcement agencies for training or surveillance, by schools for use in video production, live staging and documentation, or by broadcasters and newspapers for web journalism. The camcorder is equipped with a 12X 38.5mm to 462mm* Leica wide-angle zoom lens, one-push auto focus, and integrated Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) that ensures stable images, which are most critical when displaying high definition video. The camera also provides excellent color reproduction and inherits the exceptional color rendition of Panasonic’s other professional HD cameras.

The camcorder brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. Like digital still photography, recording onto an SD/SDHC card offers a fast and simple IT-compatible workflow, and ensures ultra-reliable performance because the HMC70 uses no moving parts (unlike tape or disc-based camcorders) in the recording process. The HMC70 is resistant to shock, vibration, temperature change and extreme weather conditions and because it is solid-state, users have instant access to the recorded footage without the need to ingest or digitize. In addition, SD and SDHC memory cards are inexpensive, widely available, and can be reused repeatedly. Since AVCHD records video as digital data files, content can be transferred and stored on affordable, high-capacity hard disk drives(HDD) and optical storage media and transferred to new ones as advanced technology is introduced in the future.

The flexible camcorder provides professionals with continuous record time for long-form HD video production. With just the touch of a button, users can choose to shoot in one of the camera’s three recording modes – 6Mbps, 9Mbps or 13Mbps. Using the new 16GB SDHC memory card (available in November 2007), the HMC70 can record for up to 360 minutes at 6Mbps quality and up to 160 minutes at 13Mbps, the camera’s highest quality mode.

The HMC70’s lightweight, shoulder-mount design facilitates stable shooting and better balance during long recording sessions. The camcorder’s 3-inch 16:9 LCD monitor offers thumbnail display of recorded images so videographers can monitor or delete clips. Professionals can also capture 2.1 Megapixel still images with the camcorder onto the SDHC memory card – even during video recording. The SD card content can be played back directly on a growing number of large HD flat screen displays, front and rear-screen projectors, and PCs that offer an SD card slot with AVCHD decoder software. AVCHD content also can be played back on the Panasonic DMP-BD10AK Blu-ray Disc™ Player and on the PlayStation 3 game system. Using NLE software, content can also be rendered in various formats and delivered on a wide range of media.

Unlike entry-level cameras, the HMC70 offers professional audio capabilities including two XLR Mic/Line switchable inputs with attenuation, +48V Phantom Power, and both Auto & Manual level with Rec level dials. This allows flexible, high quality audio recording using a wide range of wired and wireless microphones and mixers.

Professionals can instantly transfer content from the HMC70 camcorder to Mac or PC computers with an SD/SDHC card reader or by connecting the camcorder directly via its USB 2.0 interface. Other connectors that provide even greater flexibility include HD/SD component and composite (BNCs), HDMI and RCA audio jacks.

The HMC70 will be available in April 2008. Options will include a VW-VBG6 5,800-mAH Battery, VW-W4307H Wide Conversion Lens, and VW-T4314H Tele Conversion Lens.

* 35mm Lens equivalent

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the North American headquarters of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) of Japan, and the hub of its U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the company’s web site at www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

Two views of the Panasonic AG-HMC70 camcorder. Click the thumbnail images to see 'em big.

Wow this camera looks and feels like a severe let down. What's with all the borderline consumer cams being repackaged in big empty shells?

Well to my eye they're targeting the exact same market as the forthcoming Sony HD1000. I have no doubt it will sell very well in that area. This is the tapeless, HD version of the DVC60 and the like.

I know, but when I read pro I got excited and thought that AVCHD was finally ready for prime time. But then again I should have realized that Panasonic would never name something that was gonna be a flagship camera like that.

The is one ugly camera!

It has the look of "old technology" to me, like the consumer VHS cameras of yesteryear.

Cameras like this and the sony are just reflections of the fact that many of the small 'borderline consumer' HD cameras shoot high enough quality now to satisfy the production needs of large portions of the market. Unfortunately clients still expect to see the video crew show up with something that looks more 'professional' than the camcorder they have at home - so put the camera in a big shell, add some better audio inputs, and you've got a product that will sell well regardless of what the higher end of the market thinks of it.

Maybe there's a business opportunity there - build housings that look like big professional cameras, but have a compartment in the 'lens' to insert the latest, greatest handheld consumer hd camera. As long as the finished video looks good...

Ok Sony, Panasonic, whomever else, if you're going to make a full sized camera, at lease give it full manual control. Hell, this panny looks like it has less manual control than the new Sony. I see no rings of any kind on the lens. I just dont get it.

Let's take a prosumer cam (which I tend to love, dont get me wrong) and put it in an old style housing that takes away the portability advantages of the smaller camera and not give it any type of manual control. I mean come on, where's the focus ring for goodness sake?

Tapeless is good, but a single card slot? Someone correct me if you see more than one.
Why repackage an existing camera if it's just window dressing? At lease give it some expanded functionality. Jeesh.
*shakes his head*

**EDIT**
Ok, I see the reason for having only one card slot now, but what about 2 slots for redundant backup? That could be handy in a tapeless environment, especially if you are targeting event guys and entry level pros.

this is an SD1 with a different mic jack. Plus an even bigger "3CCD" logo.
-Les

Agreed; it seems to be a shoulder-mount version of their SD1.

What I don´t understand is that when you can get 16GB cards now, why the low bitrate 13 Mbps ?

AFAIK the Sony can use the 1/3" lenses like those for the JVC100. All the manual control you could ever need.

Well there are several new Sonys afoot, so it might be important to clarify which ones we're talking about here for the purpose of this particular discussion. There are two with 1/3rd-inch interchangeable lenses:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=103098

However it's the fixed-lens HVR-HD1000 to which this new Panasonic is being directly compared:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=101903

Actually 13 Mbps isn't low. It's the best of all recording settings that Panasonic uses throughout their AVCHD line (the others being 9 Mbps and 6 Mbps). Remember, this camcorder is an addition to their AVCHD camcorder family, not a departure. That means you can't reasonably expect them to make a radical change to their established AVCHD recording bitrates.

The format spec allows up to 24 Mbps; most likely we'll see that in an AVC Intra codec on a later, higher-end Panasonic camcorder. For now, there's nothing wrong with 13 Mbps as the best recording setting for this and other Panasonic AVCHD camcorders. It's right in line with 15 Mbps on some HDD-based AVCHD camcorders and 12 Mbps on some disc-based AVCHD camcorders. Hope this helps,

Thanks Cris.

I must say I´m a bit confused.
I thought that the codec was the same be it Sony or Pana or Canon but I guess it´s not.

So you can´t just compare the bitrates from different companys as I did?

Cheers

Hans

Is it reasonable to consider the possibility that an AVCHD camcorder such as this one could have a firmware update that will allow it to optimize the bitrate recording from 13Mb to 24Mb? If not a firmware update, maybe a hack?

I'll say that as someone who uses the DVC60, which is quite close to this camera, only SD, and with a focus ring, the body especially looks pretty good, and the rest of the camera might be decent too. I certainly would appreciate a few of the new features it has. (Though obviously, not having used it, I'll reserve true judgement)

The lack of a focus ring is a bit silly, and the controls look a bit lackluster, but other than that, it doesn't look all that bad. Their ergonomics of the DVC60-style body are great (and this one looks even better), they're incredibly stable on the shoulder, you can pop AB batteries on the back with an adapter, and the viewfinder is miles ahead of anything else I've seen in its price range.

One of the local schools around me shoots on DVC60s also, and even with all the student abuse, they all still work admirably. I'd imagine these cameras will be similar in that respect.

All in all, not a bad offering, though as I said, the lack of proper controls is a poor move, but it might have some promise.

1/4" sensors... not available until April '08... same ole low bit rate for AVCHD, topping out at 13mb/s... I'm surely not excited.

Well, I guess it has its market for those consumers and prosumers who prefer tapeless, and the camcorder will have XLR audio inputs; However, this could have been a breakout camera for Panasonic if they did max out the AVCHD codec @ 24mb/s.

I agree with Chris. I think AVC-Intra will be the codec of choice for Panasonic's next step up. However, I think AVC-Intra @ 50mb/s is quite a big leap from their AVCHD offerings.

I think Panasonic didn’t want to spend time designing imagers for this thing so they decided to use the exact same chips that are in the AG-HSC1U. Same goes for the bit-rate. Since they released the AG-HSC1U without a focusing ring, I’m not surprised that they decided to release this without a ring either but I really hope they will reconsider if it’s not already in the plan at least to compete against Sony’s HD1000U. This is going too far and I was really hoping that Panasonic would release a successor to the AG-HSC1U with a focusing ring around the lens, 2 memory card slots and a bit rate that goes up to 24MBps but with this announcement, I’m starting to have second thoughts although I’m still wishing that it will happen.

Back then, I thought Canon went too far with the HV20 having 24p in a camcorder that doesn’t have a traditional focusing ring but I think Panasonic beat them by releasing a shoulder mounted camera with XLR inputs.

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscell...allery_dv_expo

I give credit for Panasonic putting an extremely affordable price tag on this but like I said in the post above, it should have a focusing ring even if it forces them to increase the price tag by a little. Does anybody have an idea on how much it would cost Panasonic to add one for each unit?

13 Mbps is just silly. Yeah, yeah, it is MPEG-4, not MPEG-2, thus it provides the same visual quality with lower bandwidth. Still, I would expect full-blown 24Mbps from a pro camera.

The primary reasons for low bandwidth (aside of conspiracy theories that 24Mbps AVCHD could topple HDV) are bandwidth and capacity. 16Mbps is the limit of the lowest grade Class 2 SDHC cards. I can understand that Panasonic and Sony don't want to handle calls from infuriated customers about jerky motion and lost frames, but here we are talking about a professional camera. The users of such equipment are generally not idiots and can read manuals. If the manual requires Class 4 or Class 6 memory card, then such a card should be used.

From capacity standpoint, 13 Mbps is about 100 MB/min, so a 2GB card is good for 20 minutes, 8GB card is good for 80 minutes, cool. With full 24Mbps rate the capacity almost halves, still, 40 minutes on a 8GB card sound pretty reasonable to me. A 8GB card can be found for about $100, again pretty reasonable price for media that can be reused practically infinitely (10,000 times or so).

Yet another feature that Panasonic could implement is having several card slots and recording onto them in order. When one card fills up, it would switch to another one. Add an LED or another means that displays a card currently being written to, and a hot-swap, and here you go: inifinite recording time, just remove a filled-up card and insert an empty one. This would be a good use for the huge plastic box this camera sports. Umm, isn't this how P2-equipped camcorders work?

Ummmm, which card is that?
Because last I read - according to the specs listed in this article, " a standard line conforming to SDHC class 2 (Greater than 2MB per second) and Platinum II which is class 6* (Greater than 6MB per second). "
There doesn't appear to be a limitation on Class 2 cards from handling full 24mbps, seeing that they can sustain greater than 2MB per second here.

1 byte == 8 bit ==> 2MBps == 16Mbps.

And the 2MB specification is provided at a minimum speed for the class 2.
On average, does the calculated write speed still fluctuate around the 24Mbps?
It shouldn't really matter anyway.
I would just assume people getting an AVCHD camcorder that's capable of shooting 24Mbps would have no problem getting a class 6 SDHC card anyways.
That can handle it no problem.

What strikes me as quite odd about the maximum bit-rate for this camera, is that Panasonic is also coming out with a new consumer AVCHD camcorder that records at a much higher maximum bit-rate (13mbps for the HMC70 vs 17mbps for the SD9).

Looks like a terrible cam to me :s

But what tha.. do I see xlr-connectors? :/
and no focus ring!

wouldn't it be way better to do it the way around..

AG-HMC70 Focusing Ring?
 

What happen to the "AG-HMC70 Focusing Ring? How you do the "Manual focusing" if without the ring on lens? Can anyone tell me or will this pro-cam worth the money?

Its pretty clear the game that Panasonic is playing here its the same one Sony plays. They need to cripple the camera enough so only TRUE entry level people will buy it. Right now I like the cards better than their p-2 because there cheaper and avalible anywhere. If they gave this camera manual focus or REAL manual focus and 1/3 inch chips it would step on their HVX-200 market. Sony did the same thing by maing their new full size(the HVR01000 i think) a one chip and full auto. They know that there are alot of wedding guys out there that also do industrial work and for those they want to sell the pro cameras. I do like this camera though put a anton/bauer on it and better chips and a focus ring and id buy it id even spend $3,000 if it was good in low light.

Looks like the right tool to me.
 

I think Panny has the right idea with this camera.

They are obviously targeting wedding videographers (as evidenced by their recent ad campaign for the cam) who do a few weddings a summer. They are going after the people using an old single-chip Handycam-style camcorder. This allows for 3-chip AVCHD capture for about the same price as a VX-2100.

I don't mean to offend anybody, but I consider it a "baby steps" camcorder. I can't think of a better term for it. The larger size, SDHC recording, XLR inputs... All that will be more than what the target market is accustomed to. There is a little more control available on the HMC70 than on their old camcorder, but not enough to overwhelm the budding pro. They kept the sensors small and mechanicals to a minimum to keep the price low. Of course, Panny hopes that users of this cam will upgrade to an HVX in a few years.

As a bonus, the larger size will give them a more professional look. It's a sad reality that some clients judge a videographer by the size of his camera.

As long as it performs well in low light, they should sell lots of these.

See I think the shoulder mount does more than make you look professional. I really dont care how I look, I need shoulder mount cameras to do decent hand held work and to give you room to put stuff on your camera ie wireless recievers. Id like to see Panasonic put that new camera they are releasing in the fall into a shoulder mount id buy that in a minute.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=114838

Some quick and rough snapshots of the AG-HMC70, been sitting on them for awhile -- now finally uploaded: http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/browseimages.php?c=56

Chirs,
What did you think of it?

Randy

I would also like to hear what anyone who has seen this thing in person has to say about it.

the price point is extremely attractive but the no focus/iris/zoom ring is not so attractive.
which one wins?

can this the B cam to the HMC150?

thanks in advance

-john

I saw it and tried it out. It had a decent zoom control, XLR Mic/Line switchable audio inputs with phantom power and mic attenuation, fast autofocus, and it records efficiently on SD/SDHC memory cards. I think that it could be a B cam to the HMC150. Unfortunately, Panasonic, while giving the camera great audio control/features, decided to skimp on the manual video control that is essential to anyone using the camera professionally.

How does the camera handle exposure? Is there a menu adjustment or a exposure wheel? Does the lcd monitor display f-stops? Is there adjustable gain?

Thanks for the info

Even so, a lot of my work is weddings and theater stuff. Right now I'm shooting with a XH-A1 and mixing in stuff shot from my trusty and well worn DVC-30's (which have started to have tape transport problems)

Even though the DVC-30 always made great pictures it looks like *&#!% compared to the canon 1080 cam.

I would jump on another Canon but i like the idea of tapeless workflow (I spent $4,000.00 on tape last year) and i prefer the color reproduction on the Panasonic's.

the HMC 150 will clearly be a better camera but i don't know if i can wait that long, I have a lot of jobs this summer and i can really use an HD replacement for my DVC 30's
I doubt we will see serious availability of the 150 until january

So i guess what I'm asking is if it's a lock down shot at a wide angle (like the back of a wedding hall or theater) do you think The HMC70 will work.


(also my wife shoots with me and she is more comfortable with auto settings)

thanks
John

I saw the camera at the Camera Company show in MA last month. The autofocus did seem to work very well, and the picture quality (albeit judging only by what I saw on the monitor at the Panasonic booth) looked very good. It also felt very comfortable on my shoulder. If I remember correctly, the viewfinder and LCD were OK. The mic looked kind of cheap, but I didn't get to test it out. The camera does have BNC connectors on the back for composite and component out, as well as HDMI output, which was nice.

Note that the camera's CCDs are 1/4" progressive. I don't know how the HMC70 imaging will match with your XH-A1.

Does your editing system handle AVCHD and can you mix it with HDV on the same timeline?

The only way to know for sure if this camera is right for you is to test it out for yourself.

Best, Jim

I'm not sure. I didn't get to explore the menu. I put the camera down after being told by the Panasonic rep that if manual focus was important to me, that I should wait for the HMC150.

Jim

Making these cameras without manual focus makes absolutely no sense to me what-so-ever. Anyone hear a good explanation for this?

It's nice to hear someone else say this. I've been using Sony's as my personal cameras for years now, but every time I've ever used a Panasonic I just liked how they handle color.

my dvc30's have an assignable ring which i really like so that would have been my personal choice. However 90% of the time auto focus works for me. the other 10% of the time I'm looking to create an effect, in which case i will use another camera anyway (the canon for now and the hmc 150 when it becomes available)

I'll tell ya, had panasonic not gone P2 I wouldn't have bought the canon. I am considering P2 now but just because the price of memory is falling.

Still by the time i get 2 cameras and enough cards to shoot 8 hours of footage i've spent what like $15,000

If i was working on a film set it would be no problem to offload footage and reuse the card but there isn't a lot of down time at a wedding.

but still, I am spending a lot on tapes ...so.... i'm screwed ether way. (laughing at myself)

later
john