Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U
by John Frey
on
May 23, 2008 at 9:38:32 pm
We are looking at purchasing 2 of either the Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U cameras for lower-end HD acquisition. B&H now has the Panasonic in stock for $2,100 vs. the Sony for $1,500, although the Pan. has (2)XLR's, better audio controls and can charge the battery on the power supply. It has no tape drive and instead records to SD cards in AVC HD Mpeg4, although not the higher-end version of this codec that is, so far, reserved the Broadcast segment. The camera tech at B&H chose the Panasonic over the Sony, even though it is more expensive, for it's picture quality- (3)1/4" CCDs vs. a single CMOS for the Sony. His choice was made on viewing the HDMI ouput direct to LCD. I realize that both of these cameras are enlarged versions of Palmcorders already in exsistence. Have not been able to find an actual test/review of the Panasonic and was not at NAB to see it firsthand. How well will this version of AVCHD, recorded at the best setting, hold up in sports/action use? How about lowlight? We use Sony Vegas and would consider an Intermediate, such as Cineform, if necessasry. And no, we are not considering any of the other more expensive HDV cameras. Anyone out there with any comments?
John D. Frey
25 Year owner/operator of two California-based production studios.
Digital West Video Productions of San Luis Obispo and Inland Images of Lake Elsinore
Re: Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U by Joe Mizera on Jun 4, 2008 at 6:28:20 pm
I too had a eye on the AGHMC70U, as well as the other cams mentioned here. I was considering an A1U too, but I hate the fact that you can't change tapes while on the tripod. Such an unfortunate oversight.
I've not been able to find a single review, product rating, sameple footage, or any other info on the Panny. I've no doubt it's flawed, and the lower bandwidth AVCHD is likely to dissapoint, but I'd still love to hear from someone who has used it.
I think it's surprising that the only other pro-sumer flash media cams from Panny and Sony are in the $6000 range. Seems we would have wider adoption by now.
Re: Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U by John Frey on Jun 4, 2008 at 7:59:08 pm
I am still trying to find a local vendor with both cameras for a hands-on comparison. I did find some fairly impressive outdoor footage posted on Vimeo in HD from the Sony 1000 at an outdoor Triathalon in France. One of the mags should have a review out soon on the Panasonic. Have you looked at the Casio EX-F1? Just reviewed some 1080i shot with this thing in Asia, edited in Edius and output as WMV and uploaded to Vimeo. Could not believe this stuff came from the Casio semi DSLR/Video Cam! The marriage of Digital Still cams and HD Video Cams is very close indeed!
John D. Frey
25 Year owner/operator of two California-based production studios.
Digital West Video Productions of San Luis Obispo and Inland Images of Lake Elsinore
Re: Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U by Joe Mizera on Jun 4, 2008 at 9:08:18 pm
Thanks for the heads up John,
You know I saw some of these HD1000 clips on Youtube a while back. It was hard to tell much, as Youtube is such poor quality. Vimeo is so much better, and some of the footage looks pretty decent. The content on some of the clips does make it a bit challenging.
I read about the EX-F1 a while back, and this is the first output I've seen. It does close the gap a bit more I must say. In fact the video is quite respectable. The high speed and predictive shot features are however stunning, and now I want one too!
Re: Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U by John Frey on Jun 5, 2008 at 12:02:22 am
I plan to test the EX-F1 at a local distributor for both SD and HD and hopefully bring some footage back on an SD card for testing in my studio. Also the varying framerates. Hopefully there is a rate between 30 and 300 that will be large enough to cut into a timeline.
The burst rate of the photo part of this camera along with the rapidfire flash to match is amazing. For event video, scientific and action sports shoots, this thing would be a great extra tool to have along. Gotta ge the price down a little, though. I imagine Casio and others will be showing similar/better such devices very soon.
John D. Frey
25 Year owner/operator of two California-based production studios.
Digital West Video Productions of San Luis Obispo and Inland Images of Lake Elsinore
Re: Sony HVR HD1000U or Panasonic AGHMC70U by John Frey on Jun 10, 2008 at 5:24:08 am
Joe - Yesterday I tested and purchased a Casio EX-F1 Hybrid camera. Shot 1080i, 720p and SD plus a few stills and some 300FPS clips. So far, I think I made the right choice for how I plan on using it. Today I rigged it out on a DSLR brace with Frezzi light and Sennheiser wireless receiver. If you are interested in seeing it set-up like this, email me @ john@inlandimages.com. This weekend, I have arranged for a shootout between the Sony 1000 and the Pan AG. Will let you know how that turned out.
John D. Frey
25 Year owner/operator of two California-based production studios.
Digital West Video Productions of San Luis Obispo and Inland Images of Lake Elsinore
