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MillimeterPanasonic AG-HMC40 Review
Sep 29, 2009 12:00 PM, By Barry Braverman
Diminutive camcorder works the mosh pit.
Today's shooter is a craftsman who must wear many hats, and here is a camera that can do the same, competently capturing high-resolution video and still images.
In summary
Many compromises come into play when discussing a (relatively) low-priced camcorder. The HMC40, with its tiny imager, struggles more in low light than do cameras of similar resolution with larger sensors. Some touchscreen menu items, such as the shutter and audio level, are awkward to access. And the camera's close-focus capability is not as good as it should be.
Still, the HMC40's performance is impressive, yielding images in the middle of its dynamic range easily on par with camcorders costing two or three times its price. The camera's metadata support is particularly notable as it can offer the shooter-producer the proper tool to create a comprehensive and searchable archive. As we plunge headlong into a file-based, IT-centric workflow, the diminutive Panasonic camera is tripod head and shoulders over competing entry-level camcorders.
Such basic infomation as date and time of recording, frame rate and resolution, and camera serial number is permanently attached to a clip, instantly creating a searchable database for later reference and retrieval. The names of shooters and producers, assignment title, text memo contents, and use prohibitions, if any, can be tracked and monitored easily. This increases the value of the archived resource while potentially avoiding costly snafus down the road, which may include—in the case of stock footage houses and news organizations—embarrassing legal ones. Efficient archiving of assets is a challenge given the current onslaught and sheer volume of material we produce every day. The HMC40, as modest as it is, can play a central role in the greater effort to tame this digital mayhem.
The old adage of using the right tool for the job certainly applies: the HMC40 doesn't replace a Panasonic Varicam, Sony F23, or Arriflex D-21, but there is a place in the shooter's toolbox for the HMC40. You don't want to necessarily spend a lot of shooting time in the mosh pit, but if you must, it's nice to know there's a tiny camcorder that can survive the ordeal.
bottomline
Company: Panasonic
panasonic.com/broadcast
Product: AG-HMC40
Assests: Good image quality given imager size; good metadata support; small size and weight; feature set pro shooters will find familiar; impressive still-photo capability.
Caveats: No balanced audio or XLR connectors out of the box; tiny imager struggles in low light; potential for viewfinder to become cluttered with icons and status indicators.
Price: $2,295 (MSRP)
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