The Camera

The HMC150 offers both a 3.5-inch LCD screen and a color viewfinder.

AVCHD just got serious. Panasonic’s new Pro AG-HMC150 camcorder looks very much like the company’s six-year-old AG-DVX100 SD workhorse. Under the familiar die-cast magnesium chassis, however, there are some very big improvements, including newly designed progressive CCD, 3 of them in this camera.

Part of the AVCCAM product line, the HMC150 records in HD using the AVCHD format, which is based on MPEG-4 compression. Three progressive 1/3" CCDs — the same ones found in Panasonic’s Television Network's AG-HPX170 and AG-HVX200A camcorders — offer 1920x1080 image capture. You can record in 1080i/60, 1080p/30, 720p/60 and 720p/30, as well as native 720p/24 and 1080p/24.

Based on the chassis of Panasonic’s popular DVX100 camcorder, the new HMC150 is lightweight and well balanced, with three built-in ND filters and image stabilization.

Another big change is a tapeless workflow. The HMC150 records to SD or SDHC memory cards, not Mini DV tape. You can record up to 90 minutes at the highest quality (21Mbps) on a 16GB SDHC card. You can reduce your Mbps down to 6Mbps for capturing in Standard Definition (SD), while still recording a higher quality video than normal non-HD cameras.  Quite an approvement in SD picture.

With no tape transport or moving parts (except the zoom lens motor), the HMC150 weighs less than 5 lb. when equipped with the supplied battery and microphone. The Leica optics open to 3.9mm (30mm still camera equivalent) — wider than the DVX100 — and the HMC150 incorporates a 13x zoom with three fixed speeds, accessible from the handle or variable speed from the zoom rocker.

The Panasonic AG-HMC150 is a sign that the AVCHD format has matured from a cumbersome consumer format to a nimble HD choice for event videographers and Television Networking pros. Beyond the obvious advantages, the AG-HMC150 delivers stunning image performance and a proven camcorder design. We think this camcorder is one of the most notable of the year. Let's take a closer look with our Panasonic AG-HMC150 review to see why it's a standout camcorder.

The powerful new tapeless AG-HMC150 joins the Panasonic line of professional HD camcorders. This new AVCCAM camcorder features highly-acclaimed functions for the popular AG-DVX100 Series of DV-tape based camcorders to tapeless HD recording. Using the cost-saving AVCHD format to record onto SDHC or SD Memory Card media, the AG-HMC150 produces exceptional images and responds to creative production needs. It also features a 28mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle lens — widest in a professional camera of this class — and a newly developed 1/3-inch 16:9 progressive CCD. It further enhances image quality by adding a higher-quality PH mode to the clean, extended-time recording abilities of the AVCHD format. The AG-HMC150 handles full-pixel (1920 x 1080/1280 x 720) 24p and 30p progressive recording, and includes cinelike gamma and other versatile functions to meet the special needs of creative image production.