The Panasonic TM900 Users Thread

[Andy Wilkinson]

Thanks Kirk. I have the Sony VCL-HG0737Y 0.7X Wide Angle (and the Cavision 77mm hood for it), bought for my Sony HC1 a few years ago and I'm very impressed with it - great bit of glass. Unfortunately, it fits a camera with s 37mm thread, not the 46mm needed for the lovely lens on the TM900!

To hear the Panasonic VW-W46507H 0.7X is in the same area of quality is indeed very encouraging. Pity no one in the UK seems to have them for sale at the moment!

[Colin Rowe]

Originally Posted by Jason McDonald

With this cam being 60p I would have liked to export it and have it view that way.

Hey Jason, we all would lol. Have you tried editing this stuff ? you need a very high spec PC just to do simple edits. To stream full res would be nigh on impossible, and anybody viewing it would need a hell of a fast broadband connection/PC to play it out.
Mayby one day.

[Alan Christensen]

I have a few questions for folks with TM900's.

1. I have seen some TM900 comments regarding overexposure in bright environments. Some cameras, like my PD170 and the CX700 have an AE adjustment which allows you to dial down the exposure while remaining in autoexposure mode. I find myself shooting in autoexposure mode a lot because I don't want to be riding the exposure constantly as lighting conditions change or as I pan from a brighter area to a darker area. Modern cameras, when their autoexposure settings are accurate, tend to do a very good job of keeping the exposure nice without those visible step changes in brightness that often come when you change a manual setting. The AE adjustment (via custom preset) also allows me to match up my VX2000, VX2100, and PD170 so that they produce identical footage. (My VX2000 is quite a bit brighter than the other two with default settings.)

Is there anything on the TM900 that is similar to the AE adjustment on other cams? Does the intelligent contrast mode get rid of overexposure in bright conditions? If so, does it work well without other undesirable side effects?

2. It would seem that the TM900 is fairly power hungry compared to some of the other cams. This means that you need a big battery to shoot for 3 hours. The 2600mAH batteries are pretty deep (and expensive). Does the big battery stick out so far that it begins to interfere with using the eyepiece? I use the eyepiece a lot on my cams as a lot of my shooting is in bright sunshine. When in darker conditions I often don't want to put on reading glasses to use the LCD screen (sigh...)

3. I have a Raynox 52mm .66X wide angle lens that I use with an HV-30. My impression is that you can use this lens with the TM-900 by using a step-up ring. Anyone have any experience with this particular wide angle lens on the 900? If so, how well does it work? Or any experience with other wide angle lenses? Is the little .8X wide angle lens useful?

[Andy Wilkinson]

Alan,

I can't answer all your questions but here is some info/my perspective.

1. Unfortunately, if you dial down Exposure in the Picture Adjust settings, which can be accessed in Manual mode, then as soon as you switch to i(Intelligent) Auto it ignores them again. Ah well, I guess you can't have everything! However, the good news is that this cam is pretty easy and fast to use in Manual mode most of the time because of the lovely tools to help with Exposure. You can also quickly change between iAuto and Manual when needed because one of the few buttons on the TM900 is for just that purpose. In case you do not know, even in Manual mode you can elect to have Autofocus or Manual focus. The Autofocus is much better than any I've ever had before (including some pro cams I own/have used). The other bit of good news is that the TM900 will remember the Picture Adjust settings after a power off - so next time you go to use it and elect Manual you get those Picture Adjust settings again. I find a setting of -2 on Exposure seems to be working well for me in bright sunny conditions, others may have alternative suggestions. For the record I'm typically using -1 on Sharpness and -1 on Colour as well.

I've not had time to try Intelligent Contrast yet. There are lots of things I need to find time to try - so I'll add that to my list!

2. The TM900 is not, in my opinion, that power hungry. I'm getting amazing longevity out of the 2 batteries I have. I shot Springtime Sunrise on the small battery and barely used half of its juice during the time I was filming. It is perfectly easy and possible to use the viewfinder with the bigger battery on (you've seen my pics of it on cam earlier in this thread I'm sure). I know how it is - I wear glasses too, most of the time, although I take mine off for close up stuff! However, if I buy any more batteries I will probably go with another small one again - as they look a lot neater and last long enough for casual use. For any Pro use, why risk it, just stick a bigger battery on...(or plug it into the mains where you can).

3. I'll let others answer that ....I'm interested in learning more about all the wide angle options too! 35mm is pretty good but at times I wish it was able to do the 28-30mm area!

EDIT: I found this video that demos the "lightweight" Panasonic 0.8x adapter on a TM700 - again I can't seem to find anyone in the UK that sells this one either.....

Panasonic TM700 + wide lens VW-WE08H on Vimeo

Hope this helps.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

I do not use iAuto mode, and I do not think anyone should who wants to take good video with audio. But you still can have AE with exposure shift:

You can shoot in manual mode that also takes advantage of auto exposure. I fix the shutter at 1/60th (NTSC). Then iris is auto and focus is auto. To correct for any overexposure you can dial down exposure in Picture Settings. That will then allow auto exposure, but with a constant dial down from what auto selects. So focus changes and iris changes automatically in "manual" mode. generally, -2 on exposure is ok.

I also use manual auto - setting the audio level appropriately. That gives natural dynamics

If you go to iAuto, audio goes to agc, which is horrible, and shutter speed may go too high.

So in "manual" mode you have want you want - autoexposure (AE) and auto focus and exposure compensation to avoid overexposure, with a fixed shutter. You can also, of course, change to full manual iris and focus or any combination.

There is no reason to use iAuto that i can see.

[Colin Rowe]

[quote]
You can shoot in manual mode that also takes advantage of auto exposure. I fix the shutter at 1/60th (NTSC). Then iris is auto.
So in "manual" mode you have want you want - autoexposure (AE) and auto focus and exposure compensation to avoid overexposure, with a fixed shutter. You can also, of course, change to full manual iris and focus or any combination.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Another option for a wide angle adaptor is the 46mm 0.7 JVC GL-V0746, which costs the same as the Panasonic 0.7 one. It is relatively big and heavy.

Here is a comparison shot without and with the lens on:

YouTube - Test Video: Use of JVC GL-V0746 Wide Angle Adaptor on Panasonic TM900

0.7 seems a lot wider than a 0.8.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

"You can shoot in manual mode that also takes advantage of auto exposure. I fix the shutter at 1/60th (NTSC). Then iris is auto !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????"

Is this a question?

[Colin Rowe]

Hi Mark, no, not a question, more a confusion, how do you figure on getting auto iris, when in manual mode, surely you have to select an f stop. From what you are describing, one may as well be in auto mode. Surely the reason for using manual settings is to make sure nothing alters when you take the shot, ie exposure, shutter, white balance etc.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

How do I "figure"?

You did not master the guide book, and I was trying to help others out because I have actually used the camera (have you seen the videos I posted in this thread?). I am sorry you are confused.

No, you do not have to select an f-stop. In fact - as i said - if you select shutter speed and do nothing else in "manual" mode iris/gain is left in auto. So is white balance. Get it?????????!!!!!!!!!!!

Manual mode gives you the *option* to select individually wb, f-stop, shutter. It does not just lock them all down by pressing "manual". Understand????!!!!!!! You can lock them all down or only one or a set.

If you have the camera, you "surely" could have tried this yourself.

I forgive you.

[Colin Rowe]

No I didnt realise that was the case, and thank you for pointing it out. So in reality it is not a true manual mode. I am used to using cameras that lock everthing down in manual, and yes, I do have a TM900 and think its a fine little camera, I have actually cut footage from it with my EX1, they work reasonably well together. Your right, maybe I should read the manual a little more thoroughly. By the way, the exclamation and question marks were simply to illustrate my confusion.
Cheers.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

No problem.

But it *is* a true manual mode if you want it to be. Panasonic "Manual" is just a mode in which essentially you can choose: aperture priority - set the iris only - shutter priority - set the shutter only - or set iris and shutter. So you can have "true" manual mode if you want. And, independently you can set wb, or leave it auto, or set focus manually or leave it auto. Every combinations of options you would want. Pressing iAuto sets everything - iris, shutter, focus, wb, audio agc - to auto all at once.

[Phil Lee]

Hi

Just to add you don't get aperture priority, only shutter. Once you click the iris option, shutter speed is fixed at whatever it happens to be as far as I know and you are now in full manual mode for exposure, no auto adjustment.

To ask a question, when in manual mode initially, both shutter and iris are in auto mode, when you press the shutter menu option, that immediately puts you in shutter priority mode, how do you cancel that mode? Pressing the shutter menu item again cancels the adjustment options, but the shutter is still in manual. This can be confirmed by touching the LCD screen to see all the configuration icons and the shutter speed is shown on the screen. When the LCD shows the shutter speed, this confirms it is in shutter priority.

The only way I have found of getting out of shutter priority mode is to click the IA/manual button as once switched to full auto then back to manual, resets shutter priority. Wondering if there was a quicker way.

Regards

Phil

[Andy Wilkinson]

Ditto, my experiences are the same as you Phil. I'd love to know if there is a trick I'm missing too!

Need to spend more time with this cam!

EDIT: OK, got the camera out and played with this some more. Put it in Manual, select and adjust your Shutter speed on the LCD (typically 1/50th in PAL land, maybe 1/100th for doing certain things in post with slow motion etc.). It will then, as discussed above, give you AE (Auto Exposure) using the "dialed down" settings (e.g. -2 previously set in the Master Menu > Record Setup > Picture Adjust - on Page 7).

As long as you DON'T touch the Iris menu icon on the LCD Side Bar Tab you could shoot all day long in Manual with "user defined Auto Exposing settings". However, if you want to know what Iris is set at (and I'm that type so I'm always checking this!) and touch the Iris button on the LCD Side Bar Tab then it seems, from what I've just observed, just touching the Shutter menu icon AGAIN will return you to this "user defined AE status" - no need to touch iAuto button on the camera side at all. This is new to me as I was using it by selecting Iris settings totally manually for each and every shot, e.g. in that last film, - i.e. not relying on any Auto Exposure at all - so I'm pleased that Mark/Colin's discussion made it emerge. It gives another very useful way of using the cam!

Regarding Shutter Speed, I actually think it's good it'll keep whatever shutter speed you've selected in Manual Mode ad infinitum (even after power down back up) as, of course, this is something we rarely want to change in video.

So to go back to Alan's original question number 1, then the answer is now YES. Great news, and now I also see no obvious reason to touch that iAuto button anymore!

[Claire Watson]

Yes, there is no need for iAuto at all if you understand the camera's operation.

I wish my iAuto button would go away, ha! Never used by choice but darn it I keep squeezing it accidentally when handling the camera. I don't mind resetting exposure but I don't want to have to reach for my grey card each time but fortunately custom WB is retained, but you do need to know one thing which is that after a trip to iAuto it will have been switched to AWB.

So remember to reselect custom WB.

NOT RESET WB

just

RESELECT custom WB.