What do you guys think of this camera?

Yodaman

Yodaman

Hey everyone,

I should state beforehand that I don't have the money to buy a camera, but I'm still looking to get an idea and I know I could afford it within the next year. :)

Anyway, here's the product information page: http://pro.jvc.com/pro/hm100/index.jsp

For an independent filmmaker, do you think that would be a good start, or is it perhaps too much power? Also, do you have any recommendations for any specific kind of camera?

Thanks to any and all who respond!

-Yodaman
 
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Well, after doing several more days of research I've eliminated the EOS 7D from my list. The main reasons are:

-Audio gain trouble
-The camera only records up to 4GB per clip (bad for events like weddings and parties)
-The card format it uses (Compact Flash) is incredibly expensive and can't hold that much video (the average clip size is 12 minutes, and 12 minutes is the 4GB maximum a CF card can handle)
-Lenses and filters are also incredibly expensive, and are necessary in order to make the video look as nice as Philip Bloom's (although his incredible talent also helped him out with that!) stunning films
-It only records to .MOV, which isn't bad when you use a Mac, but if you're a person who uses both Mac and Windows, it presents a few issues.

So, while it's a great looking camera, it's just not the right one for me. I started doing more research on the HF S10, and found a ton of stunningly beautiful videos filmed with it. It really showed me that if the person knows what they're doing and possesses the talent, you can do absolutely amazing things with it. I think true talent can be identified by a person getting around a camera's lack of professional features, and making it all work anyway. And if you know what you're doing with things like manual focus, white balance, iris control etc., then you can create some pretty awesome looking shots. :)

Pretty much the only thing that bothers me about the HF S10 is the fact that it's low light performance isn't the greatest, but it certainly isn't bad either. Videos showing its low light capabilities were better than that of the Panasonic AG-HMC40, which costs $1200 more than the HF S200 will. However, I'm not going to be doing a lot of low-light shots, so this isn't a big deal. And if I need to, I can just add lights and then do some digital work and darken areas with a mask or whatever. There's always a way to get around something.

Thank you to all who helped me out with my decision. You provided excellent information to each of my questions, and helped me learn something new about the art of digital film making. I can't wait to get my hands on the HF S200 when it comes out. :)
 
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Alright, that video's totally got me sold on the HF S10 (or 200). :)

What kind of miracles are you expecting when shooting in the dark?
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Good point. I know that all cameras have difficulty "seeing" in the dark, but I do know other cameras are better at it than others. For example, the HF S10 is better at it than the AG-HMC40, which is $1200 more and seems to only offer two more features: 60p mode and direct XLR connections. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that's really the only differences I saw.

Thanks for showing me that low-light video! That's definitely quite the capable little beast, that HF S10. :)
 
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Yodaman said:
For example, the HF S10 is better at it than the AG-HMC40, which is $1200 more...
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This isn't necessarily true. It's possible you've just never seen footage shot in a dark situation in the proper way before.

On the other hand, I'm not overly surprised that Panasonic is charging a lot more for a camera with similar functionality. With their success of the DVX and HVX cameras, they ought to be pretty well tuned in to what their customers like, and are willing to pay. It is, however, a decidedly more pro-sumer camera than the HFS, and that if nothing else dictates a price jump.
 
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It's possible you've just never seen footage shot in a dark situation in the proper way before
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Indeed, especially since all of the sample videos I saw were from YouTube. :P Even then, though, some people who knew what they were doing with gain control and manual focus were saying that the HMC40 just isn't the best camera for night-time shots, or low-light video. The same can be said for the HF S10, but several low-light videos I saw were of better quality than the HMC40 (most likely because the people operating the camera knew exactly what they were doing). Also, the color quality of the HF S10 looked better as well; things looked more naturally colored, whereas the HMC40 gave everything a kind of white overtone. I saw another few videos showing the differences between the Canon XH A1 and Panasonic HMC150. One of them showed the cameras' different white balancing abilities. Both were calibrated to the same white card, under the same lighting conditions, within a foot of each other (the cameras were both in very close proximity to each other). The XH A1 looked better than the HMC150, in that it looked more naturally colored and less "flat" than the HMC150. So to me, Canon seems the best choice when it comes to reproducing correct color tones, and price. :)

Thanks again for all the help Will, you really helped me out!
 
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Yodaman said:
Even then, though, some people who knew what they were doing with gain control and manual focus were saying that the HMC40 just isn't the best camera for night-time shots, or low-light video.
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I think that's a good position to take on any camera really.. cameras work by recording light, so if there isn't any it stands to reason the image quality will be awful. :lol:
 
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Yodaman said:
-The card format it uses (Compact Flash) is incredibly expensive and can't hold that much video (the average clip size is 12 minutes, and 12 minutes is the 4GB maximum a CF card can handle)
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Just for the record, a CF card can hold a lot more than 4GB. I personally have two 8GB CF cards and they go as high as 32 GB.

Not that it sounds like you should get a 7D. It's not a great camera for event photography. I just wanted to make sure you had the proper info.
 
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Just for the record, a CF card can hold a lot more than 4GB. I personally have two 8GB CF cards and they go as high as 32 GB.
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Oh yeah, I know that Compact Flash cards come in sizes bigger than 4GB. I should have been more clear; the 7D can record clips up to 4GBs, and the duration of the 4GBs is 12 minutes. In other words, 12 minutes takes up 4GBs on the CF card. That really limits recording time. And the cards are just too dang expensive! :P

Not that it sounds like you should get a 7D. It's not a great camera for event photography. I just wanted to make sure you had the proper info.
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Thanks, I really appreciate the information. :)
 
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EDIT: Never mind, I got the answer. The actual filter thread size of the camera itself is 58mm, and luckily that makes the MEKAdapter cheap. :P

I also found out that the adapter is just that; an adapter. I'd have to buy a separate 35mm lens. I thought as much when I first discovered the lens, but my previous paragraph (which I am now overwriting) made it sound like I thought I only needed the adapter itself. Hehe.

If anyone's interested, the adapter I'm looking at is here. Still haven't gotten any ideas for lenses though, but I'm looking into that.

Edited again for a silly redundant statement....
 
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