The Panasonic AG-HMC151E
Ever since my decision of becoming a cinematographer, I realised that I needed to dramatically upskill in the realm of camera and camera technology if I want to be able to succeed.
So I sat down and tried to research online the camera model we are currently using in our Production Skill module: the Panasonic AVCHD AG-HMC151E. And what shall I say? I found appallingly little about it.
Which is why I roamed the internet a bit more to find bits and pieces of information (manuals, websites, blogs) I could gather to write a decent blog post about it. And here is the result so far.
The AVCHD in Panasonic AVCHD stands for 'Advanced Video Codec High Definition' and is, as the name suggests, a high definition video format used in video cameras that doubles as a standard for recording and playback. Thus, this camera is able to work with both SD and SDHC, class 6 and above. Being able to record different formats, it is furthermore able to record footage in interlaced and progressive images, depending on whether you record for TV (i) or film/dramas (p).
As you can see on the image above, taken from the Panasonic manual, most switches, buttons, dials and rings are located on the left side of the device. On the front of the camera, you find first the focus ring, followed by the zoom ring - and underneath the front of the camera, the button for the white-balance is located.
Further important parts that are worth mentioning are the iris dial and iris button, the nd-filter switch, the gain switch and the white balance switch, all neatly stacked next to each other. Another important part of the camera is the flippable LCD-monitor that allows you to get an impression of the framing and/or the footage taken so far.
Underneath the LCD-monitor there are further switches that control the access to the different audio channels, the display modes, the shutter speed, zebra, the OIS for handheld shots, and so on. Above that patch you can see the navigation buttons for the camera menu or the playback of thumbnails. And finally, to the right of the image, you can see the 90°-flippable viewfinder with the SD-card slot hidden underneath it.
Looking further on the back of the camera, you have a neat hold-down power switch, the record button, and a mode button for switching between recording mode and playback mode as well as a mode lamp next to the battery compartment with its release button. Furthermore, under the plastic lid to the right, you have various jacks for headphones, video and HDMI cables, Looking then to the right side of the device, you can, among other things, use a zoom button for easier access while operating the camera in handheld-mode. Furthermore, on the right side, you have the audio inputs for both mono and stereo in XLR-format.
On top of the camera, the most basic switches and buttons for zoom and recording are located on the handle, together with the sensor for the white-balance and the remote control.
Going through the digital menu of the camera, you are offered a lot of options, e.g. card settings, operations, recording setup and display setup, thumbnail setup and play setup. Looking onto the actual monitor display settings, depending on the mode you selected via the monitor button, you can either have a blank screen or various modes, telling you the time code, battery life, (capacity) information on your SD-card, zoom and volume levels, display of your f., luminance, gain, nd-filter, and so on.
I also found a very useful chart on the actual recording times, depending on the size of the SD-card and the quality/resolution you film in. Since I constantly tend to overestimate the recording time of any given SD-card, I find this quite handy for future references:
Further reading through the manual provided plenty of tips and tricks for me to pick up along the way, amongst that the recommendation to always take trial recordings before actually filming to test that the camera works reliably and the footage is fine. Also, to be careful with strobe lights, since the laser beams might damage the light sensor (CCD) if directed at the lens (which then works as a magnifying glass for the laser to cut through your CCD).
Plus, regarding white-balance, it was helpful to finally know what to do when the camera tells you that dreadful 'low light' message. While increasing light is still rather logical, though not always attainable, increasing the gain would have been valuable knowledge to me on Katie's shoot... Also, I did not know that the camera could also communicate a 'level over'-message, which would naturally mean that you decrease either light or gain to improve upon it.
Also, knowing about the focus/iris switch on the camera is a neat feature, since I already experienced filming situations where I was profoundly confused on why the image turned dark by using the focus ring.
References:
Matsushita Elec. Industrial Co. (2008) Panasonic AVCHD AG-HMC151E Operating Instructions.
Shedworks (n.d.) All About AVCHD [online] https://www.shedworx.com/hd-information/avchd [Accessed 23 November 2017]