Digital Video - January 2008 - (Page 18) REVIEW PANASONIC AG-HSC1U PINT-SIZED OPTION When it’s outfitted with an SD card and VW-VBG130 battery, the HSC1U weighs a little more than one pound. Video is recorded in 1080i/60 only — no standard definition in this package. It uses three 1/4”, native 16:9 CCDs with 560,000 pixels. The camcorder offers three recording speeds, ranging from up to 90 minutes at the lowest quality to about 40 minutes at highest quality on the provided 4GB secure digital high-capacity (SDHC) card. The highest quality looked a little less grainy on extreme close-ups, but the two lesser speeds were virtually identical to my older eyes. A Leica lens opens up to f1.8 and the 12x zoom (4mm-48mm) offers macro capability. The microphone has five distinct elements, allowing Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1 surround sound recording, and the audio will zoom in with the picture. Fitting nicely in your hand (or in a lady’s purse next to her derringer), the fixed lens stays shut until the camera is switched on to “camera mode.” A builtin flash to the left of the lens is useful in “still mode.” The camcorder does have one major omission: no viewfinder. Instead, it uses a sharp, 3” LCD screen. When you pull out the LCD screen, several controls are revealed. Underneath the pullout LCD screen is the auto and manual switch — push it down to manually focus the image using the MF +/- adjustments. I would rather adjust a ring, but this feature lets your thumb do everything. Unfortunately, it’s very awkward with human-sized fingers. Near the focus switch, the Power LCD button lets you dim the LCD display slightly, while the reset button puts everything back into factory preset. A small garage door slides up and reveals the parking space for the SDHC card. Be sure to close the door before use. A plastic access door conceals the AV connector jack, component connection, a mini-plug mike input and the power port. (continued on page 48) Introduced at NAB last year, the HSC1U comes bundled with a 40GB SD-SDHC compatible storage device (below). SMALL BUT SERIOUS PANASONIC WELCOMES THE AVCHD FORMAT WITH NEW CAMCORDER. BY CHUCK GLOMAN I n the world of low-cost HD, you have a few choices. HDV, based on MPEG-2 technology, is used in camcorders from Sony, JVC and Canon. Most of these units feature MiniDV tape acquisition, though most are compatible with HDD-based recording devices. Panasonic’s previous entry into this market is the AGHVX200, which uses the well-established DVCPRO HD codec and records on P2 solid-state flash memory cards. SCORE PANASONIC AG-HSC1U PROS: The small, lightweight form factor makes the Panasonic AG-HSC1U a viable option for discrete acquisition of HD images. CONS: No viewfinder. The AVCHD format does not yet have universal NLE support. BOTTOM LINE: The positives far outweigh the negatives. MSRP: $2,099 CONTACT: www.panasonic.com/business Joining the pack is AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition), an MPEG-4 solution developed through a rare collaboration between Sony and Panasonic. The first professional camcorder to tout AVCHD is the new Panasonic AGHSC1U, part of Panasonic’s Proline series. Perhaps the best adjective to describe the size of the unit is Lilliputian. How else do you describe a camcorder that practically disappears into the palm of your hand? Thankfully, the camcorder’s performance is larger than life, fueled by three-CCD imagery at a list price of $2,099. 18 dv january 2008 www.dv.com http://www.panasonic.com/business http://www.dv.com
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