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Aug 22, 2007
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Panasonic welcomes AVCHD format with new camcorder
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by Chuck Gloman
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In the world of low-cost HD, you have a few choices. HDV, based on MPEG-2 technology, is used in camcorders from Sony, JVC, and Canon. Most of these camcorders feature mini-DV tape acquisition, though most are compatible with HDD-based recording devices. Panasonic's previous entry into low-cost HD is its AG-HVX200, which uses the well established DVCPRO HD codec and records on P2 solid-state flash memory cards. Joining the pack is AVCHD, an MPEG-4 solution developed through a rare collaboration between Sony and Panasonic.
The first professional camcorder to tout AVCHD is the new Panasonic AG-HSC1U, part of Panasonic's PROLINE series. Perhaps the best adjective to describe the size of the unit is lilliputian. How else do you describe a camcorder that practically disappears into the palm of your hand? Thankfully, the camcorder's performance is larger than life, fueled by 3-CCD imagery at a list price of $2,099.
Small But Serious
When it's outfitted with SD card and VW-VBG130 battery, the HSC1U weighs a little more than one pound. Video is recorded in 1080i/60 only -- no SD in this package. It uses three 1/4-inch, native 16:9 CCDs with 560,000 pixels.
The camcorder offers three recording speeds, offering up to 90 minutes at the lowest quality and about 40 minutes at highest quality on the provided 4 GB SDHC card. The highest quality looked a little less grainy on extreme close-ups, but the two lesser speeds were virtually identical to my older eyes.
A Leica lens closes down to F1.8 and the 12x zoom offers macro capability. The microphone has five distinct elements, allowing Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1 surround sound recording, and the audio will zoom in with the picture.
Fitting nicely in your hand (or in a lady's purse next to her derringer), the fixed lens stays shut until the camera is switched on to camera mode. A built-in flash to the left of the lens is useful for still mode.
The camcorder does have one major omission: no viewfinder. Instead, it uses a sharp, three-inch LCD screen. When you pull out the LCD screen, several controls are revealed. Underneath the pull-out LCD screen is the auto and manual switch -- push it down to manually focus the image using the MF +/- adjustments. I would rather adjust a ring, but this feature lets your thumb do everything. Unfortunately, it's very awkward with human-sized fingers.
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| The Panasonic AG-HSC1U might be small, but it uses MPEG-4 compression and 3-CCD imagers to produce quality HD footage. |
Near the focus switch, the Power LCD button lets you dim the LCD display slightly, while the reset button puts everything back into factory preset. A small garage door slides up and reveals the parking space for the SDHC card. Be sure to close the door before use. A plastic access door conceals the AV connector jack, component connection, a mini-plug mic input, and the power port.
The other side of the camera has another plastic covered port with the USB 2.0 and HDMI connections. The battery fits underneath, slides easily in place, and is recharged with the included VW-AD21 charger. (It won't charge by plugging the camera into the wall outlet.)
On the rear of the camcorder is the power switch with off, camera, playback, and JPEG still settings, as well as a record button in the center. There's also a menu button on the lower left, a trash icon (similar to a still camera) on the right, and the smallest toggle button I've ever seen. I never liked Panasonic's AG-DVX100B's toggle button, this is even tinier, about the same size as the little purple "dot" on my laptop keyboard.
On the top are the still image button and the zoom toggle, which is recessed so deeply into the camera's body that it's hard to operate. You have more than one speed level -- more or less pressure changes the zoom rate -- but it's not accurate enough for feather zooms. The same rocker switch also controls the volume for playback.
More In The Box
The camcorder ships with cables and a nifty, gray fabric pouch for camcorder transport that offers no protection (you'll want something sturdier). The package also comes with a 40 GB hard drive with SD card reader (VW-PT2ZP), which stores roughly 900 minutes of ADVHD video.
Powered by a 90-minute CGA-S303 battery or AC, the hard drive has few features. With an SD card slot on the front, the PT2 illuminates when accessing or when an error occurs. In the center are a large "cancel" button and an even bigger "copy" button. A LED graph tells when the hard drive is at 50 percent, 75 percent, or full. There's even and on/off switch and a HDD safety button on one side, with a covered port on the opposite side with the AC/charge port and a FireWire input/output.
I took the HSC1U on an outdoor shoot and it performed well. However, as I have said in reviews of other lower-priced HD items, keep your expectations in check. With its small CCDs and lens, its images don't match the quality of camcorders like Sony's HVR-Z1U -- but it is less than half the price and has a compact form factor that's tough to beat for discrete HD acquisition.
As far as manual settings, you can control the gain, shutter speed, iris, and more. The camcorder also offers a number of shooting modes. There are too many menu levels for my taste, but at least you have control.
With enough footage to begin editing, I realized that this was the first camera I'd seen in a while without a FireWire output -- it does have a USB 2.0 connector, which is technically faster than FireWire. I decided to use the hard drive's FireWire connection.
I loaded the enclosed editing software, HD Writer Version 1.0E for SD1, the only program I had that could read the footage shot with the camera. Your current choices include Corel's Ulead Videostudio 11 Plus and Pinnacle Studio 11 Plus and Ultimate. Apple Final Cut Pro 6.0.1 offers AVCHD support through its Log and Transfer interface, while Sony Vegas 7 only supports AVCHD files from Sony camcorders.
The software loaded easily, but my Sony Vaio laptop's 1 GB RAM wasn't enough to allow smooth playback (you need 2 GB). The footage did transfer from the SDHC card when I inserted it into the hard drive/reader, though it took quite a while to load. The good news is that the NLE software is nothing out of the ordinary, with drag-and-drop icons that make it easy to use.
I did use the camera during one of my classes, and the 5.1 channel surround actually works, but not with the separation you would want. There was a slight delay between each sound source, but with the microphone elements that close together, it's really more of a bargain basement surround sound solution (not completely unexpected, considering the price).
The positives for the Panasonic HSC1U include its small size, affordable price, 3-CCD technology, and a hard drive and reader included in the price. The few negatives include a lack of viewfinder and manual features that are difficult to access. Plus, the AVCHD technology is still new, so your editing choices are severely limited at the moment.
Chuck Gloman is an awarding-winning producer/director of photography with more than 800 commercials to his credit, and is director of the TV/Film Department as well as an assistant professor at DeSales University. Contact him at chuck.gloman@desales.edu.
GOOD FOR GOVERNMENT
The small, lightweight form factor makes the Panasonic AG-HSC1U a viable option for discrete acquisition of HD images. However, the new AVCHD format does not yet have universal NLE support, so your post options are limited.
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