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

AVCHD just got serious. Panasonic’s new AG-HMC150 camcorder (MSRP $3,995) 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.

Part of the AVCCAM product line, the HMC150 only 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 more expensive 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 quality down to 6Mbps to increase recording time, but you’ll sacrifice image quality, particularly with regard to motion.

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.

Control layout is very similar to the DVX100, though the left and right audio level controls are recessed under a clear plastic screen to protect against inadvertent changes. The dual XLR inputs are also covered with plastic caps.

There is no FireWire port; instead, you can choose between HDMI, USB 2.0 and component out for file transfer. Also, you can output downconverted SD in side crop, letterbox or squeeze via RCA or component. Other features for the HMC150 include a waveform monitor and vectorscope available on command, three ND filters, and Dynamic Range Stretch, which allows you to see detail in darkness.

Our university’s police department asked us to shoot a crime prevention video. We had started this project in HDV and wanted to see how well the AVCHD footage could be edited with the existing footage. My students and I grabbed the pre-production HMC150 camcorder provided by Panasonic and went to work.

My first suggestion is to replace the 2640mAh battery for the slightly pricier 5800mAh battery, a heavier unit that improves weight balance and offers longer run time. Obviously, the images on this camera are superior to the DVX100 because you are shooting in HD. But in its own right, the HMC150 performed brilliantly in low light.

Also, it doesn’t take long to appreciate tapeless acquisition. Files can be selected and played back immediately, and it’s easy enough to delete unwanted footage in the field and conserve storage.

On the down side, sometimes you have to cycle through several menu layers to make adjustments on the HMC150. And unfortunately, the HMC150 inherited the DVX100’s tiny menu joystick, one of my few knocks against the original. Other than that, no real complaints.

My first real issue was in post, as Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 on my Sony Vaio laptop was unable to access the footage. Check your NLE to see if AVCHD is a supported format; you might need to invest in a third-party solution or upgrade to a newer version of your software. By the way, it turns out the AVCHD footage looked better than our HDV footage, so we reduced the record quality to compensate.

PANASONIC AG-HMC150 Camcorder

www. panasonic.com

$3,995

DV Score:

Pros:
Tapeless, excellent AVCHD image, 1/3" CCDs, lightweight, great low-light performance.

Cons:
Fixed lens, no FireWire port, complex menus with tiny control, AVCHD must be supported.

Bottom Line:
AVCHD just got serious.