Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
- HD formats: 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native); 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)
- Three latest design 1/4.1 Progressive 3MOS Imagers for full HD resolution
- Long record time: 3 hours with included battery (7 hours continuous with 5,800mAh Battery)
- Touch Panel 2.7 inch Widescreen LCD displays Thumbnails & Audio Metering
- HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video and Stereo Audio Out with included cable
Product Description
The AG-HMC40 handheld combines Full HD AVCHD video recording with high-resolution 10.6-megapixel still photo capture, giving you the benefits of two professional cameras in one affordable package. Compact and lightweight, the HMC40 is a versatile HD camcorder offering high-quality AVCHD recordings, high-resolution still photo capture, an easy-to-use SD card workflow, and professional audio capabilities for a wide range of applications and markets including schools, government agencies, event videographers, web designers and more.With a full resolution 3-megapixel, 1/4-inch 3MOS imager, the HMC40 produces stunning 1920 x 1080 video in AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264), delivering images far superior to HDV. When used for digital still photography, the camera captures photos with 10.6-megapixel resolution directly onto the SD card as a JPEG image. The camera can also be connected directly to a PictBridge photo printer (no PC required). And unlike HDV tapes, video and photos can be accessed randomly and immediately from the SD cards and played back on a number of consumer devices.
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
Very difficult to get started because Booster software had to be ordered and mailed. The Serial No. on the camera is not the Serial No. used to register the product. The Serial No. has to be obtained on-line. Panasonic website is quite difficult to manuever. It was very difficult to find anyone who knew anything about this new camera.
Rating: 5 / 5
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
I recently upgraded to this camera and am very satisfied. I am a film student and the Hmc40 fit perfectly with my budget.
The image quality is indeed awesome, and the battery lasts extremely long. Almost unnecessarily long compared to my last cam.
I highly recommend it
Rating: 5 / 5
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
I’ve owned this camera for about two months now and I believe I’ve found the holy grail as far as the best quality picture producing camera in it’s price range. HD is one of the best inventions that advanced technology has produced in the past ten years and the Panasonic AG-HMC40 is one of the best HD prosumer cameras on the market today. For twenty years I have been buying and using various brands of camcorders and have always stuck with Sony, but I have lately been impressed with some of the new AVCHD cameras from Panasonic. I already own three other CMOS camcorders and have been impressed with the CMOS technology.
I would not hesitate a bit to recommend the AG-HMC40 to anyone looking for the best prosumer HD camera in this price range. If I had to pick a word that best describes it: “spectacular!”
Rating: 5 / 5
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
Needed a HD camcorder that would replace my dead JVC HD7. The JVC had better manual controls in terms independent controls of Shutter and Aperture. Manual Zoom was okay on the HMC40, handling was okay (very light weight), top handle is removable (but sometimes had to put back in — screws don’t align with socket). The image quality was okay too (not too saturated compared to the HD7). Auto White Balance is okay, but not great — just do a manual white balance. The touchscreen is a nice novelty (has dedicated record/ Zoom/ quick menu/ full menu/ Erase buttons at bottom of screen), and there are 3 independent USER1,2,3 buttons to customize the camera. It’s only 12x zoom.
Converting AVCHD to DVD MPEG2 is a bit lacking — I get super pixelated results. On the internet, they recommend a high end encoder because the Adobe Media Encoder or Vegas Video don’t do a good job. The Optical Stabilizer is Excellent compared to the JVC HD7′s terrible stabilizer. Over a good camera, you just need a fast PC/Mac to do post-processing. In the CD disc, there is a utility to convert the AVCHD files to HDV, MPEG2, and Canopus DV codec. Still testing that utility…
I recommend Class 6 SDHC card to record, although the manual said I can use Class 4. On a 16GB SDHC card with Highest Quality recording, you can record up to 1hr 30min. Stock Battery last about 90min. I highly recommend the extended battery from Panasonic — records up to 7hr with LCD screen open!
I did not get the XLR adapter, but was satisfied with the RODE Video Mic connected to the HMC40′s miniplug. Also I like the option to connect to a pair of headphones. Overall a nice cam for less than $2000. Get this cam if you’re starting out or on a tight budget or just need a second camera.
Rating: 4 / 5
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom
This camera is truly an amazing piece of equipment. It is so easy to use and so intuitive, I was up and running in no time. The focus / zoom wheel is smooth as butter, the menu is easy to navigate, the functions are easy to understand. The camera is light and compact, but big enough to feel like a real camera. The picture quality is amazing, and what a good price!
Rating: 5 / 5
Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom