Cameras: News and Updates

Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Re-Establishes Internal Video Operations with Panasonic AG-HMC150 AVCCAM Handheld Camcorder

By Staff
posted Jul 20, 2009, 12:15

(Secaucus, NJ) The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, a civic organization serving nearly 6,000 businesses that service the city�s 330,000+ residents, was recently able to affordably re-establish its video communications department with the purchase of Panasonic�s AG-HMC150 professional handheld AVCCAM camcorder.

The Chamber�s diverse communications work ranges from coverage of member events, awards and other news for posting on its web site, www.cincinnatichamber.com, and YouTube, to shooting promotional footage on behalf of several major urban festivals, such as The Taste of Cincinnati and the city�s Oktoberfest celebration, the nation�s largest. For the past several years the Chamber had outsourced video projects in a cost-savings measure, but with the advent of the economical, full-featured AG-HMC150, the organization was able to gear up to once again handle its own video production.

Director of E-Media Bart Johnson who has directed audio/visual work for the Chamber for the past 25 years, explained that with the purchase of an HMC150 (from Industrial Video of Cincinnati), Lowel light kit, wireless audio package (a dual channel Azden 325ULT kit with 35XT transmitter for handheld and press box use) and Libec tripod, he is now able to single-handedly cover a massive event such as the Taste of Cincinnati, providing material to local television stations for immediate on-air coverage and sourcing footage to production houses to prepare promo spots for the following year�s event. He routinely covers smaller-scale news events such as the Canadian Ambassador�s recent visit to the city, creating footage for on-line use that will also be integrated into a highlights reel shown to Chamber members at their annual meeting.

�When I was researching camcorders, I was persuaded that AVCHD had a lot to offer as a format, and I was inclined to purchase Panasonic equipment,� Johnson said. �I�ve worked extensively with Panasonic cameras in the past, from U-matic through DVCPRO; I trust the gear, which has always been bullet-proof for me.�

�I really like the open-standards SD media, readily available at commodity-level pricing,� he continued. �The HMC150 arrived set-up, ready to work out of the box. I value its modern, compact form factor; it�s so portable and light (under six pounds) that I can be out with the camcorder and a tripod working all day at a spread-out festival like the Taste of Cincinnati.�

Johnson said, �I shoot a lot of awards ceremonies and luncheons indoors with available light only. It�s amazing how much better the HMC150 performs in low light than previous cameras I�ve worked with. Given the camera�s dynamic range in tandem with our little Lowel kit, I�ve been able to put off any additional lighting gear purchase.�

�The camcorder has incredible audio,� he said. �I can assign the XLR in to either or both channels, or mix with our wireless mic, which it performs beautifully with. The camcorder can even send phantom power to an external mic. The indicators are always up: it�s really first-class.�

�I like to monitor the levels, and use the zebra patterns a lot,� Johnson added. �I use Auto focus most of the time, which is very rarely fooled. The white balance and auto tracing are impressive, especially when moving from full sunlight to shadow.�

Johnson customarily shoots in 1080i in the camcorder�s HG mode on 16GB SDHC cards, which gives him up to 160 minutes of recording per card. To date, he has done simple editing for the web with an AVS Video Editor, but intends to shortly invest in either an Edius Pro or Premiere Pro NLE package. He delivers material to broadcast stations and post houses on portable Lacie drives.

For more information about the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, visit www.cincinnatichamber.com.

About the AG-HMC150

Based on the proven design and advanced functionality of the highly popular DVX100, the HMC150 professional handheld AVCCAM camcorder provides professionals and enthusiasts alike the flexibility of high-quality 1080/720 AVCHD recording at bit rates up to 24Mbps and a simple, solid-state SD memory card workflow. AVCHD, the industry�s new MPEG-4 / AVC Hi Profile compression format, provides a near doubling of bandwidth efficiency with improved video performance over the older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats. The handheld incorporates three 1/3-inch progressive CCD imagers to produce stunning 1920 x 1080 resolution picture quality. It is equipped with a high-performance 28 mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle Leica Dicomar� 13x zoom lens and 24- and 30-frame progressive capture in a full range of HD formats, making it well suited for all types of projects. For more information on the HMC150, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a Unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic�s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.