HVX/HPX or HMC?

[moshandwallies]

So why people keep filming with HVX/HPX when there's the HMC that records on SD cards instead of P2 cards?
I'm asking this because I don't really know which camera I should get.

[suckmadeck]

• Well with the HVX and the HVX200A you don't have as much control in the menus like you do with the HPX, the HPX has way more options for scene files and other things like that. However if you're just getting into the Panasonic HD/P2 workflow then the HVX although a heavy camera is quite simple to setup and get a nice clean image from it. With the HPX you could spend days setting it up just right and tweaking thing.

• Now with the HMC, the AVCHD codec is quite sluggish with editing software in my experience and is quite a compressed video. P2 on the other hand works great with most if not all editing software and playback is nice and smooth and is uncompressed.
  

• The HMC also has from what I can remember quite a lack luster menu (doesn't seem like it's been laid out well imo) and so I'm not sure you get as much control.

• Another thing as well is the fact that the HVX/HPX has dual P2 card slots, compared to the HMCs 1 SD card slot. Having 2 slots is great so you don't have to pause the session as you swap out cards and safely store them away.

• Also, P2 cards in general are way more sturdy and reliable than a SD card, especially if you have to use the older kind of SD cards. Say you're battery dies midclip, with P2 you could restore that clip right up to the point the battery powers off, I'm not sure if you can even do that with SD cards/HMC.

The big thing for me is the compression and colour information. You get 8bit 4:2:0 I believe with the AVCHD codec and with P2 DVCProHD you get 10bit 4:2:2 which means you have way more space to play with colour and grading in post. DVCProHD which the HVX & HPX shoots is 100mbps for 50p/60p and 48mbps for 24pn/25pn, whilst the max the HMC with it's AVCHD codec can do is 24mbps MAX and 21mbps average.

• The HVX also can play back tapes, so if you're moving from a VX/DVX or something that shot Mini DV, you can still playback DV tapes and capture them which is quite handy (if anyone can even get a hold of tapes these days )

Sorry if this was all over the place but hopefully you get my points.

[moshandwallies]

• Well with the HVX and the HVX200A you don't have as much control in the menus like you do with the HPX, the HPX has way more options for scene files and other things like that. However if you're just getting into the Panasonic HD/P2 workflow then the HVX although a heavy camera is quite simple to setup and get a nice clean image from it. With the HPX you could spend days setting it up just right and tweaking thing.

• Now with the HMC, the AVCHD codec is quite sluggish with editing software in my experience and is quite a compressed video. P2 on the other hand works great with most if not all editing software and playback is nice and smooth and is uncompressed.
  

• Now with the HMC, the AVCHD codec is quite sluggish with editing software in my experience and is quite a compressed video. P2 on the other hand works great with most if not all editing software and playback is nice and smooth and is uncompressed.

• The HMC also has from what I can remember quite a lack luster menu (doesn't seem like it's been laid out well imo) and so I'm not sure you get as much control.

• Another thing as well is the fact that the HVX/HPX has dual P2 card slots, compared to the HMCs 1 SD card slot. Having 2 slots is great so you don't have to pause the session as you swap out cards and safely store them away.

• Also, P2 cards in general are way more sturdy and reliable than a SD card, especially if you have to use the older kind of SD cards. Say you're battery dies midclip, with P2 you could restore that clip right up to the point the battery powers off, I'm not sure if you can even do that with SD cards/HMC.

The big thing for me is the compression and colour information. You get 8bit 4:2:0 I believe with the AVCHD codec and with P2 DVCProHD you get 10bit 4:2:2 which means you have way more space to play with colour and grading in post. DVCProHD which the HVX & HPX shoots is 100mbps for 50p/60p and 48mbps for 24pn/25pn, whilst the max the HMC with it's AVCHD codec can do is 24mbps MAX and 21mbps average.

• The HVX also can play back tapes, so if you're moving from a VX/DVX or something that shot Mini DV, you can still playback DV tapes and capture them which is quite handy (if anyone can even get a hold of tapes these days )

Sorry if this was all over the place but hopefully you get my points.

Wow thank you so much for this detailed answer! Just what I wanted to know

[lydius]

I have seen some HMC footage that doesn't look terrible, but yeah, in general AVCHD is consumer-level shit quality. If you care that much to spend on a prosumer camera, get one with features that actually make the quality of the video better vs. something more convenient and easier for the consumer. Plus HVXs have never been cheaper while an HMC will still run you around a grand.

further benefit: you will get ripped forearms and upper body in general if you get an HVX, it can be tiring to do a lot of handheld with that beast. HPX feels like a toy after coming from HVX.

[bataaard]

I own an hmc, it's slower than the hpx in the menus yes. That's annoying.

The codec thing is not really a problem if you white balance and expose your image properly. Everything ends up butchered by youtube anyway.

I've had the battery dying while i was filming, or the camera getting shut down after getting hit.
When i turned the camera back on, it gave me the option to repair the clip, and managed to do it everytime with the hmc.

I've never had any problem on premiere pro (mac and pc) with the hmc's files.

An important note:
The xtreme is only good with the hmc / hpx.
It sucks on the hvx.

[Billy Bitchcakes]

Good post suckmadeck but you missed out the fact that P2 with the HVX runs at about 1GB per minute, and P2 cards are crazy expensive. So the dual slot thing isn't much of a bonus when a 32gb SD card will hold about 10x as much footage as a 32gb P2, at about 1/10th of the price

[suckmadeck]

Good post suckmadeck but you missed out the fact that P2 with the HVX runs at about 1GB per minute, and P2 cards are crazy expensive. So the dual slot thing isn't much of a bonus when a 32gb SD card will hold about 10x as much footage as a 32gb P2, at about 1/10th of the price

Very true! But it depends if you're willing to shell out £200 on a 64gb card for the higher bitrate e.t.c

[suckmadeck]

I own an hmc, it's slower than the hpx in the menus yes. That's annoying.

The codec thing is not really a problem if you white balance and expose your image properly. Everything ends up butchered by youtube anyway.

I've had the battery dying while i was filming, or the camera getting shut down after getting hit.
When i turned the camera back on, it gave me the option to repair the clip, and managed to do it everytime with the hmc.

I've never had any problem on premiere pro (mac and pc) with the hmc's files.

An important note:
The xtreme is only good with the hmc / hpx.
It sucks on the hvx.

Cheers for clearing that up!

[moshandwallies]

I own an hmc, it's slower than the hpx in the menus yes. That's annoying.

The codec thing is not really a problem if you white balance and expose your image properly. Everything ends up butchered by youtube anyway.

I've had the battery dying while i was filming, or the camera getting shut down after getting hit.
When i turned the camera back on, it gave me the option to repair the clip, and managed to do it everytime with the hmc.

I've never had any problem on premiere pro (mac and pc) with the hmc's files.

An important note:
The xtreme is only good with the hmc / hpx.
It sucks on the hvx.

Yo thanks! I really don't know what to get, because I see some cheap HVX with P2 cards and HMC is still around 1000 euros.. gonna think about it. Also I don't think I'm gonna get an Xtreme, impossible to find and the few ones are mad expansive. I've seen Xtreme footage on HVX and looks like it has got some blue vig, not sure if it happens on every HVX

[CHONGO]

I have only ever owned an HVX200. But if I ever went the route of getting something "new," I would get the HPX170. Eliminating the tape deck saves a lot of room.