Technical Specs

Price (body only)	$ 1,099 € 1,149 £ 1,099.99
Price (lens kits)	$ 1,399 (18-135mm) € 1,249 (18-55mm) € 1,399 (18-135mm) € 1,449 (17-85mm) £ 1,199.99 (18-55mm) £ 1,399.99 (18-135mm) £ 1,499.99 (17-85mm) £ 1999.99 (17-55mm F2.8)
Body material	Aluminium and polycarbonate resin with glass fibre**
Sensor*	22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor RGB Colour Filter Array Built-in fixed low-pass filter (with self-cleaning unit) 19 million total pixels 18 million effective pixels 3:2 aspect ratio
Image processor*	DIGIC 4*
A/D conversion	14 bit
Image Sizes ( Still) *	RAW 5184 x 3456 3888 x 2592 • 2592 x 1728 JPEG 3:2 5184 x 3456 3456 x 2304 2592 x 1728 1920 x 1280* 720 x 480* 4:3* 4608 x 3456 3072 x 2304 2304 x 1728 1696 x 1280 640 x 480 16:9* 5184 x 2912 3456 x 1944 2592 x 1456 1920 x 1080 720 x 400 1:1* 3456 x 3456 2304 x 2304 1728 x 1728 1280×1280 480 x 480
Image Sizes (Movie)*	1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps) 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps) 640 x 480 (59.94, 50 fps)
File formats (Still)*	JPEG (EXIF 2.3*) – Fine / Normal RAW M-RAW S-RAW RAW + JPEG M-RAW + JPEG S-RAW + JPEG
File formats (Movie)*	MOV (Video: H.264, Sound: Linear PCM)
Lenses	Canon EF / EF-S lens mount 1.6x field of view crop
Dust reduction	EOS integrated cleaning system with fluorine coating Self-cleaning sensor unit (filter in front of sensor vibrates at high frequency at start-up and shutdown – can be disabled) Dust Delete Data – Data from a test shot is used to ‘map’ dust spots and can be later removed using Canon DPP Software
Auto focus	TTL-CT-SIR CMOS sensor 9 cross-type AF points (f/2.8 at centre) Center point additionally sensitive with lenses of F2.8 or faster AF working range: -0.5 – 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
Focus modes	One shot AF AI Servo AF AI Focus AF Manual focus
AF point selection	Auto : 9 point* Manual
AF Lock	Locked when shutter button is pressed half way in One Shot AF mode or AF-ON button is pressed
Predictive AF	Up to 8 m
AF assist	Stroboscopic flash
AF microadjust	No**
Metering	TTL full aperture metering with 63 zone Dual Layer (iFCL) Metering range: EV 1 – 20 EV
Metering modes	Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points) Partial (6.5% at center)* Spot metering (approx. 2.8% at center)* Center-weighted average
AE lock	Auto: One Shot AF with evaluative metering Manual: AE lock button
Exposure compensation*	+/-5.0 EV 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
Exposure bracketing	+/- 3.0 EV 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments
Sensitivity *	Auto ISO (100-3200) ISO 100-6400 in 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments H (12800) expansion
Shutter	Focal-plane shutter 30 – 1/8000 sec 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments Flash X-Sync: 1/250 sec Bulb
Aperture values	0.3 or 0.5 EV increments Actual aperture range depends on lens used
White balance	Auto Daylight Shade Cloudy Tungsten White Fluorescent light Flash Custom Kelvin (2500 – 10000 K in 100 K steps)
WB bracketing	+/-3 levels 3 images Blue / Amber or Magenta / Green bias
WB shift	Blue (-9) To Amber (+9) Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Picture style	Standard Portrait Landscape Neutral Faithful Monochrome User def. 1 User def. 2 User def. 3
Custom image parameters	Sharpness: 0 to 7 Contrast: -4 to +4 Saturation: -4 to +4 Colour tone: -4 to +4 B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, Gvan B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
Image processing	Highlight tone priority Auto lighting optimizer (4 settings) Long exposure noise reduction High ISO noise reduction (4 settings) Auto correction of lens peripheral illumination (vignetting) Creative filters (Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Toy camera, Miniature effect) – during image Playback only RAW image processing – during image Playback only**
Colour space	sRGB Adobe RGB
Viewfinder *	Eye-level pentaprism 100% frame coverage Magnification: 0.95x(-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) Eyepoint: 22 mm Interchangeable focusing screen Ef-A standard (2 other types optional)* Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter
Mirror	Quick-return half mirror (transmission:reflection ratio 40:60) Mirror lock-up (once or multiple exposures)
Viewfinder info	AF points Focus confirmation light Shutter speed Aperture value ISO speed (always displayed) AE lock Exposure level/compensation Spot metering circle Exposure warning AEB. Flash ready High-speed sync FE lock Flash exposure compensation Red-eye reduction light White balance correction CF card information Monochrome shooting* Maximum burst (2 digit display)* Highlight tone priority (D+) Grid Dual Axis Electronic level*
LCD monitor	3.0 ” TFT LCD 1040,000 dots** 100% coverage 160 ° viewing angle Dual anti-reflection
LCD Live view	Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor 100% frame coverage 30 fps frame rate Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image sensor Best view or exposure simulation Silent mode Grid optional (x2) Magnify optional (5x or 10x at AF point) Three AF modes – Live mode/Quick mode/Face Detection Histogram Multi aspect ratios** Remote live view using EOS Utility 2.0 (via USB or WiFi/Ethernet using WFT)
Flash	Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash FOV coverage up to 17 mm (27 mm equiv.)* Guide number approx 13 m (ISO 100)* Cycle time approx. 3 sec Flash compensation +/-3.0 EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments X-Sync: 1/250 sec
External flash	E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites Wireles flash support *(no multi-group support*)
Shooting modes	Auto No Flash Creative Auto Portrait Landscape Close-up Sport Night Portrait Movie* Program AE Shutter priority AE Aperture priority AE Manual Custom
Drive modes	Single High-speed continuous Low-speed continuous Self-timer: 2sec + remote, 10sec + remote
Burst buffer *	Approx. 5.3 fps (speed maintained for up to 58 JPEGs, 16 images (RAW))
Orientation sensor	Yes
Auto rotation	On (recorded and LCD display) On (recorded only) Off
Custom functions *	20 Custom Functions with 59 settings
Menu languages	English German French Dutch Loads more…
Firmware	User upgradable
Portrait grip*	Optional BG-E9 Battery Grip*
Connectivity	USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Video output (PAL/ NTSC) HDMI connector N3 type wired remote control PC Sync flash terminal External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack)
Storage**	SD, SDHC, SDXC cards
Power*	Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery (supplied & charger) Built in battery (date/time backup) Optional AC adapter
Wireless connectivity	TBC
Dimensions**	145 x 106 x 79 mm (5.7 x 4.2 x 3.1 in)
Weight **	Including battery and memory card: 755 g (1.6 lb)

Solution for editing H.264/MOV footages shot by Canon EOS 7D，550D camera

The COOLPIX S8000 and S6000 will completely satisfy users with their ability to capture the moment with beautiful, sharp images. With a new image processing engine and four advanced image stabilization features that prevent or reduce blur in photos—lens-shift vibration reduction, support for high sensitivities with low noise levels, refined motion detection, a new flash control system—blur and noise are reduced, enabling users to capture the images they intended under circumstances that frequently result in blurred images, such as with super-telephoto shooting, indoor scenes captured under dim lighting, and difficult backlit scenes. In addition, the high-power zoom NIKKOR lenses built into these cameras support shooting of a wide variety of scenes, from wide-angle to telephoto. Basic camera performance has also been refined with optimized image processing engines based on EXPEED, Nikon’s own image processing concept, faster power-up and shooting response, smart portrait mode and the ability to record high-definition movies.

The COOLPIX S8000 offers an effective pixel count of 14.2-million pixels and is equipped with a 10x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that covers a broad range of focal lengths, beginning at the wide-angle 30mm (35mm format equivalent). The refined design makes it the thinnest camera in its class1 with a depth of approximately 27.3 mm. The camera is also equipped with a creative slider function for adjusting the brightness, vividness and hue of pictures to be taken to suit individual preferences, as well as a 3-in., 921k-dot, wide viewing angle clear color panel TFT LCD monitor for crisp, vivid display. This stylish, high-power zoom camera will allow users to capture the moment and make the most of their individual creativity.

More:  http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2010/0203_coolpixs8000s6000_01.htm

The new NEX-VG10 is equipped with the same Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor used in the NEX-5 and NEX-3 digital cameras and is compatible with the high-grade E-mount series of smaller, lighter lenses optimized for video shooting with silent operation and AF.

The camcorder is also compatible with A-mount interchangeable lenses used by Sony’s existing DSLR camera lineup via a mount adapter, which is sold separately, including Sony G lenses and Carl Zeiss branded lenses.

Approximately 19.5 times bigger than the standard sensor found in conventional camcorders, the APS HD CMOS sensor enables an extremely shallow depth of field. The NEX-VG10 can capture full 1920 x 1080 HD video at 30p (29.97p) recorded in AVCHD 60i (59.94i) format at up to 24Mb/s.

source: http://broadcastengineering.com/eng/sony-unveils-hd-consumer-camcorder-interchangeable-lens-20100811/

How to burn Sony Handycam MTS files to DVD with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 6

How to convert MTS to MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4

The compact shape is a far cry from the mammoth Panasonic 3D professional camcorder (which was also on show), and if you take the 3D lens off it will function like a conventional 2D camcorder.This means you get the best of both worlds, with the ability to shoot in high-quality 1080p in 2D, and also in 3D at a lower resolution (960×540, or 960x1080i).Unfortunately, you can’t do much more with the 3D video right now other than pump it out over HDMI straight from the camera — at least with the 3D stills that you can snap you can load them onto an SD card and play them off of AVCHD-compatible Blu-ray players.

The reason for the lower resolution is that the main lens (and single sensor) has to capture the two images from the conversion lens side-by-side. It’s the same method that Sky uses for its 3D broadcasts. However, in live demos of the camcorder connected to a 50in 3DTV, the images still looked sharp and – importantly – had a good 3D effect.

Of course, you’ll need such a TV in order to see the 3D footage from the SDT750. Currently, Panasonic’s Viera TX-P50VT20B costs around £2,100, and the SDT750 will set you back £1,300. Add the DMP-BDT300 3D Blu-ray player for £350 and you’re looking at a hefty total of almost £4,000 for the privilege.

Don’t forget, too, that you’ll need a Blu-ray burner so you can create 3D Blu-ray discs – Panasonic will launch one shortly. Editing video is important if you don’t want your audience to be bored, and a copy of HD Writer AE 2.6T is included for this purpose. Currently it runs on Windows only, but allows you to edit 3D footage from the SDT750 as easily as you would with 2D video.

The SDT750 will be available in October for a cool $1,399.
Be Knowing the Most Popular AVCHD HD Camcorder Video Format – MTS Video File

August 23, 2010 Kodak is announcing a few different camera models and photography accessories, aimed at the holiday sales season.  KODAK EASYSHARE M590 Digital Camera, the ultimate social networking accessory for people who love to share their pictures. With Kodak’s exclusive Share Button, consumers can tag pictures and videos directly on the camera for effortless uploading to popular social networking sites including FACEBOOK, KODAK Gallery, FLICKR, ORKUT, and YOUTUBE. Pictures can also be tagged to email and to send to any KODAK PULSE Digital Frame.

Kodak’s rather mundane $199.99 EasyShare M590 is being billed as the world’s slimmest digital camera with 5x optical zoom.Otherwise, things simmer down with a 2.7-inch LCD, some kind of image stabilization, face recognition, unspecified HD video capture, and microSD card support.

The new 10-inch PULSE Digital Frame will be available this fall for US $199.95 MSRP at major retailers and Kodak.com. With all the features of Kodak’s current 7-inch PULSE Digital Frame, including Wi-Fi connectivity and a customizable email address, the 10-inch PULSE Frame is the perfect gift for the holiday season. The KODAK PULSE Digital Frame makes it easy for consumers to keep their frames fresh with new pictures and share with family and friends. Pictures can be emailed directly to the PULSE Frame from mobile phones, computers and any device with email capability. It also connects to FACEBOOK and KODAK Gallery photo albums, offers easy set-up with no software to install, and has an intuitive touchscreen interface.

KODAK M590 Digital Camera Features:

• Share Button for easy upload to KODAK Gallery, FACEBOOK, FLICKR, ORKUT, and YOUTUBE sites, as well as email
• World’s thinnest* 5X optical zoom digital camera (uses SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON lens)
• Built-in image stabilization
• Kodak’s Face Recognition feature
• Kodak’s Smart Capture feature
• 2.7-inch bright LCD with KODAK Color Science technology
• Li-Ion rechargeable batteries and in-camera charging
• HD picture and video capture
• Uses MICROSD/MICROSDHC Card

The KODAK EASYSHARE M590 Digital Camera will be available this fall for US $199.95 MSRP in silver, red, purple and blue at major retailers and Kodak.com.

source:  http://camcordervideoshare.com/camcorders/kodak-introduces-new-digital-camera-m590/

The Panasonic AG-HPX370 (US$11,700 list; $9,200 street price) is a 1/3” 3-MOS shoulder-mount HD camcorder with interchangeable lenses. It records everything from 480i to 1080p in 10-bit AVC-Intra 50/100 and 8-bit DV/DVCPRO50/DVCPROHD formats, with variable frame rates in 720p. Its MOS sensors capture a true 1920×1080 image with remarkably high sensitivity and low noise; and its “rolling shutter” skew is comparable to other affordable high-quality CMOS cameras like the PMW-EX series Sonys.

Introduction

Last year, Panasonic introduced the AG-HPX300, a shoulder-mount interchangeable-lens HD camcorder using three 1/3” sensors and recording AVC-Intra and DV formats to P2 cards. It was generally well received, but there were some grumbles about image noise and excessive skew (rolling-shutter or “jellocam” artifacts) in 1080/24p from its diminutive, 2.2 Megapixel (true 1920×1080) MOS sensors.

It’s a year later, and we now have the AG-HPX370, an updated version of the 300 with U.L.T. (“Ultra Luminance Technology”) MOS sensors. U.L.T. sensors claim F10 sensitivity (59.94i, 2000 lux) using new higher sensitivity photodiodes combined with lower noise pixel transistors. The camera adds P.A.P. (Progressive Adaptive Processing), 3D adaptive processing said to give progressive mode the same sensitivity and image quality as interlaced mode. The upshot is a camera with about a stop higher sensitivity, lower noise, and less skew than the 300 had, with a mere $100 increase in the list price (I cover the differences in a bit more detail in my 370 preview).

Actually, the 370 is one of a series of cameras: the HPX370P for the North American Market, and the HPX371E for Europe. The AG-HPX370 Series brochure also mentions a 372 and a 374 (no telling what happened to the 373). As far as I can tell, all have “WorldCam” 50Hz/60Hz standards interoperability, AVC-Intra and DV/DVCPRO50/DVCPROHD recording on P2 cards, 480/576/720/1080-line formats, and variable frame rates in 720p.

If you think of the HPX300/370 series cameras as the shoulder-mount, MOS-sensored, interchangeable-lens versions of the HPX170 you wouldn’t be too far off base. But aside from the form factor differences, the 300 and 370 bring two major improvements to Panasonic’s line of sub-$10,000 professional camcorders: true 1920×1080 resolution, and AVC-Intra recording.

The 370 traces its lineage back to two roots:

• About a decade ago, Panasonic offered a line of 1/3”, 3-CCD shoulder-mount camcorders with interchangeable lenses. The AJ-D200/210/215 cameras recorded standard-definition video to DVCPRO25 tapes, and offered a Frame Movie Mode similar to that on the Canon XL1.

The HPX370 picks up where the D200 series left off: it’s a full-sized ENG camera with 1/3” chips—updated for HD, variable frame rates, and AVC-Intra recording on P2 cards, of course, but it will also record standard-def DV if asked.

• In 2002, Panasonic introduced the AG-DVX100, the first affordable 24p camcorder. It was a 1/3” 3-CCD handheld unit shooting 60i DV to tape, using an advanced pulldown scheme to record 24p with minimal losses.

Those same 24p recording modes are available in the 370 (along with a whole bunch more), and the 370’s menu system is a direct descendant of the DVX100’s menus: anyone with a DVX100, HPX200, HPX500, or HPX170 will feel instantly at home with the HPX370.

Great news all around, then—unless you’re a 300 owner; there is no upgrade path to retrofit the 370’s improvements. No worries, though: the 300 is still a fine camera; perhaps 90% of this review is pertinent to the 300 as far as operational functionality is concerned, and as I write this, HPX300s can be had new for $7,300.

A quick summary of the camera’s features, in no particular order:

• Interchangeable lenses; Fujinon 17x 4.5-77mm f/1.6 zoom supplied.

• WorldCam flexibility: 50/60Hz formats and standards.

• DV, DVCPRO50, DVCPROHD, AVC-Intra 50, and AVC-Intra 100 recording on dual P2 cards.

• 480, 576, 720, and 1080-line recording formats, with 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i, 50p, and 59.94p frame rates as appropriate.

• Variable frame rates in 720p formats.

• 14-bit sampling and 20-bit internal processing.

• Flash Band Compensation to stitch together “split frames” when a camera flash is captured.

• DRS (Dynamic Range Stretch) for controlling contrast.

• HD-SDI outputs, genlock input, TC in and out.

• Full DV/DVCPRO50/DVCPROHD capability over IEEE 1394 (a.k.a. FireWire, i.LINK).

• Shutter speeds as low as 1/6 sec and as high as 1/7200 sec.

• Six customizable scene files. Four such files can be stored on an SD or SDHC card. Eight lens files and four shading files are also available.

• Four-position ND filter: clear, 1/4, 1/16, and 1/64 (for 2-, 4-, and 6-stop compensations).

• Three user-definable buttons on the camera, plus the user-re-definable RET VIDEO button on the lens.

• The camera can be remotely controlled using the optional AJ-RC10C and AJ-EC4G controls.

• Pre-record (3 seconds in HD, 7 seconds in SD).

• One-shot recording: anywhere from 1 frame to 1 second per button push.

• Interval (time-lapse) recording with intervals between 2 frames and 10 minutes.

• One-clip mode: instead of making each recording a separate clip, one-clip mode appends each new recording to a single clip.

• Proxy recording: if you install the optional AJ-YAX800G proxy card in slot 2, the camera will capture an MPEG-4 proxy either to the remaining P2 card (in parallel with the full-res DV/AVC-I recording) or to an SD/SDHC card.

• Shot Marker: you can set an OK/NG metadata flag on a clip either while shooting or in playback.

• Text Memo: you can reserve text-note metadata fields in each clip that can later be filled in using P2 Viewer software on a Mac or PC.

• Unislot: the camera can accept a 1- or 2-channel unislot wireless receiver, which can be used in place of, or in addition to, the camera’s XLR inputs (the camera can record four channels of audio).

Design

The Panasonic AG-HPX370 is a shoulder-mount, interchangeable-lens camcorder of conventional design. Its operation and handling will be very familiar to anyone used to operating a 2/3” ENG camcorder. An EVF and a 17x Fujinon zoom lens are part of the standard kit, as is a shoulder belt, but no power supply, battery, tripod adapter, or microphone are supplied, as is normal with high-end cameras (Panasonic kindly supplied a tripod adapter as well as an Anton-Bauer “Tandem” AC adapter/charger, a Dionic90 battery pack, and an on-board microphone for this review).

The camera weighs 14 pounds with lens, EVF, microphone, 2 P2 cards, and a 90 Watt-hour Anton-Bauer Dionic90 battery good for four hours of shooting. It’s 23” long, 10” wide, and 10” tall (stripped down, the body alone is 14” long, 5.5” wide, and 10” tall).

Panasonic HPX370 compared to Sony PMW-EX1 and Panasonic DVX100.

It’s big as far as 1/3” camcorders go, but the body is the normal size for a shoulder-mount ENG unit. If the camera looks larger than it should, consider that its lens is a bit smaller than the comparable lens on a 1/2” or 2/3” camera, so the body seems larger by comparison.

Operator’s side of HPX370 with LCD flipped open and folded back into the body.

Pictures show the camera with optional equipment: microphone, battery and/or AC adapter, tripod plate, and P2 card(s) not included with the camera.

Windows on the review camera’s operator-side flip-down panels were covered with a protective film; the film has wrinkles in it that show up on some of the images. The underlying windows were smooth and defect-free; I just didn’t feel I should peel off the tightly-attached protective films from a camera I didn’t own.

The 370 takes advantage of a compact, dual-card P2 “transport” to consolidate everything a shooter needs to handle to the left side of the camera. Shooting controls occupy the front third of the left side; audio and recorder controls fill the rear third. The middle third contains both a flip-out LCD and the media slots: two P2 cards and one SD/SDHC card slide in sideways beneath the LCD’s docked position.

Two P2 cards and an SD card plug in horizontally beneath the LCD.

An operator needn’t move away from the left side even to change recording media.

At the front of the camera is a 17x Fujinon 4.5-77mm f/1.6 zoom lens.

The stock Fujinon 17x lens.

The lens is a fully manual ENG-style lens with internal focusing, a bayonet-mount rubber lens shade and 82mm filter threads. Both iris and zoom may be servo-driven or manually operated, and all lens controls are silky-smooth. The power zoom rocker drives the lens end-to-end as quickly as two seconds or as slowly as three or more minutes. The lens has both a flange-back (back-focus) adjustment and a macro ring with a positive-locking slide switch to prevent its inadvertent operation.

Front view of HPX370 with lens removed.

The lens docks to the camera’s standard 1/3” breech-lock mount, and its control cable connects to a port on the lower right side, below the mike connector.

Above the lens mount there’s a four-position rotary selector for the camera’s ND filters.

Four controls span the lower front of the camera: a REC toggle button with a rubber cover, a three-position SHUTTER switch behind a flip-up cover, an unprotected white/black balance switch, and a thumbwheel control for menu and frame rate selections (until I learned to leave the shutter switch’s cover lowered to differentiate its feel from that of the balance switch, I frequently groped blindly for the shutter switch and wound up triggering black balances instead).

Closeup through the lens mount: those are 1/3” MOS sensors way back in there.

While the lens mount seems small to those used to dealing with 2/3” cameras, it’s positively gargantuan compared to the small sensors behind it.

The HPX370’s main operator controls.

Operator controls are well laid out, though I would have put additional user buttons to work had they been available.

At the top, + and – SYNCHRO SCAN buttons let you set fractional shutter speeds without having to dive into the menus; they can also be used to select the frame rate in variable frame rate (VFR) recording: you change frame rates by pressing in the thumbwheel and using the SYNCHRO SCAN buttons to choose a rate, saving you a trip into the menus.

I wasn’t initially able to make that shortcut work; I had to select my rate in the SCENE FILE menu. But after a few format changes, the jog wheel started working as described and stayed working; I’m guessing something in the camera just needed to be reset.

The DISPLAY / MODE CHECK button toggles most VF data overlays on and off, and also lets you see current button assignments and battery levels. The SCENE FILE selector gives you six scene files (a.k.a. custom presets or picture presets) to change the look of the picture; these are as widely customizable as on other scene-file-wheel cameras from the DVX100 onwards.

The FRONT AUDIO LEVEL lets you vary the sound recording level without having to use the main controls at the back of the camera: very useful for single-operator run’n’gun work. The FOCUS ASSIST button lets you expand the VF display for closer focusing (but not while you’re recording, alas), while the MONITOR dial varies the level of both camera alerts and audio monitoring though the side-mounted speaker or through headphones.

Three USER buttons (as well as the RETurn video button on the lens) let you trigger various functions:

• REC REVIEW plays back the tail end of the last clip recorded; normally assigned to the lens-mounted RET button, pressing it plays the last two seconds, while holding it down plays the last ten seconds, a nice feature that saves you a trip to the menu to assign a review duration.

• SPOTLIGHT or BACKLIGHT auto-exposure compensation.

• ATW triggers auto-tracking white balance (which can also be assigned to the B position of the WHITE BAL switch).

• ATW LOCK holds the current ATW setting.

• 24 dB GAIN, which is the only way you can get the gain to +24dB.

• Y GET displays the brightness level of the center of the image; a small square appears in the display when Y GET is active, along with the brightness from 0% to 100%+.

• DRS toggles dynamic range stretch on and off.

• TEXT MEMO adds a text-memo metadata “slot” in the current clip, letting you create a text memo afterwards.

• SLOT SEL switches the P2 card slot selected for recording or playback (the 370 does not have a dedicated SLOT SEL button).

• SHOT MARK adds “shot mark” metadata to a clip.

• MAG A. LEVEL magnifies the audio meters to fill the width of the display.

• PRE REC turns the pre-record function on and off.

• PC MODE switches the mode of the USB port; a very useful menu-bypassing shortcut when connecting the camera as a USB drive.

• WFM lets you toggle a waveform monitor, a vectorscope, or both sequentially on the LCD display.

• FBC toggles flash band compensation on and off.

That’s a lot of really useful functionality to spread across a mere three buttons; I usually found that I wanted to have quick access to two or three more functions than I had buttons to assign them to. I wound up setting the main button to Y GET and USER 1 to WFM with both WFM and vectorscope enabled (what can I say, I’m a bit of an exposure freak), and reset USER 2 for whatever else I most wanted on a moment-by-moment basis.

Four silver flip switches sit on an angled panel. ZEBRA toggles zebras in the EVF and LCD; GAIN is a three-position gain selector (each position may be set to -3, 0, +3 +6, or +12 dB); OUTPUT chooses between colorbars and video with either manual or automatic knee, and WHITE BAL is a PRST (preset)/A/B white balance switch.

As with many Panasonics, toggling the AUTO W/B BAL button on the front while WHITE BAL is in its PRST position flips the preset color temperature between 3200K and 5600K.

The WHITE BAL B position can optionally be set to engage ATW (auto-tracking white balance). Additionally, the OUTPUT’s auto knee ON position can be programmed to trigger DRS instead of the auto knee.

Below the four-switch panel, a MENU pushbutton works in concert with the front-mounted thumbwheel to control the menus, and a POWER switch switches the camera on or off. The camera comes up gratifyingly quickly; you can be recording within two seconds of flipping the switch.

Rear left-side controls with cover panels flipped down.

The monitor speaker is behind a slim slot just above the LCD. The LCD itself can face out (as shown) or in (for protection), or can flip out from the camera, rotating 90 degrees down or 180 up and forwards for mirror-mode shooting. No controls reside behind the LCD, so there’s no need to keep pulling it out from the body, as is often necessary on smaller cameras.

Media slots below the the LCD each have a status LED (don’t pull a card with a yellow lamp, or you’ll be sorry!). The SD/SDHC slot is a push-to-latch, push-to-release slot, while the P2 slots have flip-out eject levers. A magnetically-secured door covers the slots when access isn’t required.

The rear third of the camera has two LEDs, a green one indicating a USB connection and a red one for warnings (media full, battery low, etc.). Three pushbuttons handle timecode setting, and two thumbwheels control audio levels for channels 1 and 2. These wheels are stiff and well recessed to avoid accidental operation, yet have knobbly bumps so you can spin them when you want to, even with gloves on.

Slide switches choose which audio channels you’re monitoring and toggle channels 1 and 2 between automatic and manual gain control.

A flip-down panel covers transport controls, the menu controls used in playback, audio input routing switches, timecode free-run/set/rec-run selection, and a handy switch that toggles data and menu displays on the SDI outputs. All the mode switches with day-glo orange backgrounds are visible with the cover door closed, so you can instantly see how the camera is configured.

Rear view of HPX370 with all port covers removed or opened.

The backside of the camera has an Anton-Bauer gold mount battery plate with DC tap, but you can swap it out for a V-mount plate, and Panasonic even offers an NP-type adapter that slots into the V-mount plate for those with a stock of the older batteries. There’s also a 4-pin DC power input; a small tally lamp beside it; a 12V accessory power output; dual XLRs for channels 1 and 2, switchable between line and mic levels, as well as 48v phantom power; an SDI output; a proper, robust six-pin IEEE1394 port for DV-format streaming, and a remote port for connecting a paintbox or CCU. All ports have rubber weather covers, with the 1394 port’s cover tied to the camera while the others are linked to each other.

Right side of HPX370.

Older cameras put a tape transport (or the five-slot P2 bays used on other Panasonic shoulder-mounts) on the right side because they had to, but since the 370 uses only two P2 cards, there was no need to stay with tradition and make the operator reach over or walk around the camera just to change media. As a result, the right side of the camera is a blank expanse aside from I/O spigots. It’s not only a matter of convenience: a right-side card bay is less secure, especially in crowds.

Rear right-side ports with covers opened or removed.

Both USA type A and USB type B port reside behind a tethered plastic cover: the camera can act either as a USB drive (device) or as a USB controller (host), so it can either connect as a drive for a Mac or PC, or offload its clips to a USB-connected disk drive.

BNCs provide a second SDI output (both outputs are identical); a genlock input; and timecode in and out. Dual RCAs supply audio for monitoring. All are sealed with tethered rubber covers, all interconnected and normally attached to the screw beside the TC IN port.

Note that the camera lacks Y/C, analog component, and HDMI outputs, and it has no “pool feed” video input (unless you get your pool feeds in DV/DVCPRO50/DVCPROHD via the IEEE 1394 port).

Top view of HPX370, with P2 card for reference.

A carrying handle runs the length of the camera. At its front is the EVF, which is adjustable side to side but is otherwise permanently attached. Behind it there’s an accessory foot with 1/4″x20 tapped hole, a REC start/stop button with a side-mounted lock switch, and 1/4″x20 and 3/8″x16 threaded sockets towards the back. At the rear there’s another tally lamp with its own switch (which also controls the tally lamp at the base of the camera). Aft of the handle there’s a covered slot for a “unislot” plug-in wireless audio receiver; the slot accepts both single- and dual-channel receivers.

The base of the camera has fittings for a standard tripod plate adapter and a non-adjustable shoulder pad. It’s not the cushiest shoulder pad around, but the camera is light enough that it doesn’t matter; it’s comfortable as it is.

The EVF eyepiece can be removed; the LCD opens past 90 degrees.

The 3.2” LCD has about 921 kilopixels, and it’s quite sharp, resolving about 400 TVl/ph or better both horizontally and vertically. It has very good color reproduction and a wide (if not hemispheric) viewing angle; Panasonic’s on-camera LCDs have improved quite a bit in the past couple of years.

The EVF is fixed to the camera and has only a tally lamp switch on its front side; zebras are controlled with the side-panel switch and other settings—brightness, contrast, color, and peaking—are set through the menus.

The EVF adjusts laterally by about two inches, enough to accommodate almost any right-eyed operator but insufficient for left-eyeball types. The eyepiece can rotate up or down as required, or it can be removed entirely, though the tiny 0.45” LCOS panel behind it is too small to be usefully viewable without the eyepiece’s substantial magnification. With the eyepiece attached, the apparent image size is like watching a 40” TV from about 8 feet away. It’s adequate, if not stellar; it’s a very slightly less magnification than the Sony PMW-EX1’s EVF provides, while EVFs on Sony’s EX3, 320, and 350 project an image that’s about 20% larger.

The EVF panel is sequentially illuminated by red, green and blue LEDs, so rapid eye movement results in color fringing, but the display is crisp and clear, with about 1.2 million pixels—it’s definitely a focus-capable display, with about 500 TVl/ph resolution.

Source: http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/awilt/story/review_panasonic_ag-hpx370_1_3_3-mos_p2_hd_camcorder/

How to convert down Panasonic AJ-HPX3700 HD MXF to MPEG files

Product Features

PC World Review

NO 2. Canon EOS 50D

Product Features

• 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with improved noise reduction
• Body only; lenses sold separately
• Enhanced Live View shooting includes Face Detection Live mode
• New Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction setting; HDMI output
• Capture images to Compact Flash Type I or II memory cards (not included)

PC World Review

NO 3. Sony Alpha A900

Product Features

• 35mm full-frame 24.6-megapixel Exmor CMOS image sensor
• Body only; lenses sold separately
• SteadyShot INSIDE in-camera image stabilization; Dual BIONZ processors for up to fast 5 fps performance
• 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD photo-quality display; Intelligent Preview Function reduces trial-and-error
• Accepts CompactFlash and Memory Stick Duo Media memory cards

PC World Review

NO 4. Nikon D300

Product Features

• 12.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor for high resolution, low-noise images3
• Includes AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II lens
• Nikon EXPEED image processing; D-Movie HD Video for cinematic 24 fps, 720p HD movie clips
• 3-inch Super-density 920,000-dot VGA LCD; one-button Live View
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

PC World Review

NO 5. Canon EOS Rebel XSi

Product Features

• 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for poster-size, photo-quality prints
• Large 3.0-inch LCD display; includes Canon’s EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens
• DIGIC III image processor provides fast, accurate image processing; improved Autofocus and framing rate
• EOS Integrated Cleaning system, plus Dust Delete Data Detection in included software
• Stores images on SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

PC World Review

NO 6. Olympus E-30

Product Features

• Autofocus Live View with Multiple Exposure shooting lets you create artistic effects in-camera
• Six Art Filters instantly give your images a variety of creative looks
• Features like Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology and In-body Image Stabilization ensure clear, crisp images in any shooting situation

PC World Review

NO 7. Sony Alpha DSLR-A700

Product Features

• 14.2-megapixel resolution for incredible detail; new Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor
• Body only; lenses sold separately
• Quick Auto Focus Live View for composing shots in the LCD monitor; Manual Focus Check Live View enables critical focus in macro and tripod shooting
• Auto HDR (High Dynamic Range) captures more scene contrast than a single exposure can handle by combining two exposures into one shot
• Dual media slots for Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC media (sold separately)

PC World Review

NO 8. Pentax K2000

Product Features

• 10.2-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-sized prints
• Includes 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DA L lens and AF200FG flash
• 2.7-inch wide-view LCD panel; Shake Reduction Technology
• Dedicated, reprogrammable Help button displays information on LCD
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

PC World Review

NO 9. Nikon D5000

Product Features

• 12.3-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor
• Outfit includes the 3x AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens with image stabilization
• D-Movie Mode with sound; record 720p HD movie clips
• Vari-angle color 2.7-inch LCD monitor; one-button Live View
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

PC World Review

NO 10. Nikon D700

Product Features

• 12.1-megapixel FX-format (23.9 x 36mm) CMOS sensor; body only
• 3.0-inch, 920,000-dot VGA color monitor; 170-degree wide-angle viewing and tempered-glass protection
• Fast, accurate 51-point AF system; 3D Focus Tracking and two Live View shooting modes
• Base ISO range from 200-6400 can be expanded to range from ISO 100 (Lo-1) to 25,600 (Hi-2); 0.12-second start-up speed
• Capture images to CF I/II cards; compliant high-speed UDMA CF cards that will enable recording speeds up to 35 megabytes/second

PC World Review

Solution for editing H.264/MOV footages shot by Canon EOS 7D，550D camera

The TM700 uses a 3MOS dent arrangement that should accomplish abundant in low ablaze with the red, blooming and dejected colors candy alone for crisp, active footage. The camcorder has 32 gb of congenital beam accumulator and agenda slots for SD/SDHC/SDX memory.

The TM700 can almanac HD at 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60 frames per additional and can abduction 14.2-megapixel still images (in still angel mode) and 13.3-megapixel still images from recorded video.

The camcorder aswell has a nice 12x Leica-branded lens with an f/1.5 breach for cutting in low light. Even nicer is that the lens can go as advanced as 35mm-equivalent which may not attempt with your wide-angle still lenses but is abundant for a camcorder this small. There’s aswell a chiral ascendancy ring for abacus artistic furnishings to your footage.

Other useful—but now standard—features cover optical angel stabilization which Panasonic says it’s bigger by 5 stops; 5.1-Channel Surround Sound Arrangement with a zoom microphone aftereffect for isolating specific voices; and a wind babble canceller.

The Panasonic HDC-TM700 is a rare camera that breaks new ground. The main advantage of this camcorder is its 28 Mbps in 60P mode – the camera can record with a resolution of 1920×1080 at 60 fps PROGRESSIVE E. This capture twice the information of the method interlaced image, resulting in fluid motion. The TM700 also capture a more vertical resolution of consumer video cameras when used in 60P mode.

There are many features of this device, which blur the distinction between “consumer” and “prosumer”.

Whether you duplicate the lens 35mm “wide” or not, is a hell of a lot bigger than any other consumer cam lens, I tried. My $ 6,500 Sony EX1 has a 31.4 mm equivalent lens, so the TM700 is the same order. For me, make a big difference in the practical use of the camera. There is more I need to bring together constantly and / detsigns of an advanced flywheel adapter. All this makes me added acceptable to 18X zoom (since there is no buoy advanced adapter cam).

TM700 great affection I have not mentioned peak abroad are discussed. Quite simply, “agency peak that the camera sets the altar on fire with a color camera abettor as a board to make real focus. The camera covers a peak response on whether to fire chiral. Panasonic calls it” Manual Focus Assist . This certainly helps make analytical focus with 260k pixel LCD screen. Redness peak is blue, I also yellow, but blue acquiescently reach.

Another upside for the TM700 cams negative reviews are added to absorb chiral ring. Panasonic has done an excellent job of implementing this devotion, and is easy to acclimatize linked zoom, focus, speed bang, iris and ring application. This is a shot off the win on TM700 because the contradictions are not even an act of accepting ring (which absorbs the wheels are far below acceptable totalernative).

Some accept business deals on the fan. The fan turns off some stuttering when activated, although not consistently. The fan was definitely not a case for me so far. I usually use a microphone if a foreigner is difficult to capture superior sound.

I am a slim camera can normally find fault with customer equipment. But I did not start full of TM700. It has a wealth of beautiful appearance, as the acceptance of the face (advertising Automatic Face assertive), exceptional low light reaching the baseline stammering and blushing can play, on an “instant on” technology (the ability of the camera can unaffected by opening the LCD viewfinder or expansion of the tent), Archangel stabilization and prosperity of customization options paper, all shares on tape less workflow … and I could go on.

If you’re an arcade, a “flagship client if TM700 camera because you wonder if you are definitely suffering about 60P. After all, is the 60p mode (and the resulting image quality is high), this camera apart from its competitors, Sony and Canon. I think that creates TM700 mode 60P, probably the best image quality can be found in a consumer camcorder. But you need a fast PC with the right software to edit material. When you change the material, some floor homework at this point before making a purchasing decision.

If you want, 60P … and it can handle 60P … Then you’ll love this camera.

Source from:  http://camcordervideoshare.com/camcorders/the-newest-panasonic-camcorder-panasonic-hdc-tm700/

How to convert Lumix AVCHD Lite to MPEG-4 MP4 and H.264 MP4 formats

How to convert AVCHD Lite videos to MOV format on Mac

There have been a succession of rumours and leaks regarding the next Flip camcorder over the past week or so, now all has been revealed with an announcement from Cisco, makers of the Flip product line, who have officially unveiled the new Flip Slide HD to the world.

The full product specs are as follows:

Internal Memory: 16GB (4 hours)
Screen Size: 3.0″ Transflective Touch Screen
Screen Resolution: 400 x 240 pixels
Video Resolution: 1280 x 720
Frame Rate: 30 frames per second (constant frame rate progressive scan)
Video Bitrate: 8.8Mbps (average – auto adaptive algorithm)
Video Format: H.264 video compression, AAC audio compression, saves as MP4 file
Lens Type: Fixed Focus (1.5m to infinity)
Aperture (): f/2.4 (fast lens for great results in low-light environments)
Zoom: Smooth multi-step 2x digital
Interface: 8 Touch-Sensitive Buttons (Power, Play, Delete, Record and 4 way navigation), Touch slide strip (to quickly scroll through videos)
Dimensions: 4.13″ x 2.17″ x 0.98″ (H x W x D)
PC Connection: Built-in flip-out USB arm (up to 2.0 USB speed)
TV Out: HDMI™ Mini Connector. Standard HDMI™ cables sold separately (buy now)
Battery Life: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, charges on both USB and Flip Video power adapter (buy now).
Tripod Mount: Yes
Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista (), Windows () 7
Mac OSX
Min. Requirements: (PC) 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or faster processor, Windows XP SP2 with 512 MB of RAM, Vista or Windows 7 with 1 GB of RAM, and USB 2.0 port
(Mac) 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM, OS X, Leopard 10.5 or Snow Leopard 10.6, and USB 2.0 port
Software: Pre-loaded FlipShare™ software for instant viewing, editing, one-click emailing, and online sharing:
Browse, playback, organize and archive your videos
Create movies with video clips, music and titles
Edit clips and create still-image snapshots from video
Instantly upload to Facebook™, MySpace, YouTube  and other video sharing sites
Share your videos privately using attachment-free emails or greetings cards (free and unlimited video sharing)
Create private Flip Channels to share your videos with groups of family and friends

Edit Flip Camcorder Videos in Windows Movie Maker

JVC has included the function of short-range wireless Bluetooth’s latest camcorders. If you think that Bluetooth is used for data transfer here, you’re wrong. The “JVC Everio GZ-HM550″ uses Bluetooth v2.0 technology for remote control, sound control with handsfree and headset, as well as for GPS Geotagging.

You can remotely control the JVC Everio GZ-HM550 using your Smartphone, other Bluetooth devices. JVC has developed an application that facilitates the user to control the shooting, recording, playback and zoom. You can pair the Bluetooth GPS puck geolocation of photos and video. These images are developed such that it synchronizes easily with Google Earth, once you carry your PC or laptop. Finally, when you connect the Everio with compatible Bluetooth headset, you can control the volume of his microphone or overlay track a director yourself.

The “JVC Everio GZ-HM550″ sports 10.6megapixel BACK-ILLUMINATED CMOS lens, which is capable of recording Full HD video and can also capture 9.3 megapixel images, but without any interpolation. It stores files in its internal memory of 32 GB of storage or SD / SDHC. It also includes face detection, 16x “Konica Minolta zoom, and recording time. This camcorder can be triggered automatically if no movement detected. The camera comes with image stabilizer Advanced . The 2-Way offers belt grip handle solid. You can create DVDs directly with SHARE STATION.

The Everio uses technology Super LoLux, improves low light sensitivity, allowing users to take clear pictures in low light environments. You can share pictures and videos captured on the Everio any website social networking like Facebook, YouTube and etc, through the web browser Everios chip that converts all video formats to formats compatible site. It is very easy and convenient. You can export files with one touch and you can also download the video on Youtube with a key.

• Convert JVC Everio MTS/MOD/TOD footages to editable format with flawless quality
• How to Convert Canon Camcorders JVC Everio MOD files to MP4, 3GP, AVI, FLV, MOV, etc. on Mac