Panasonic Pro AG-HSC1U AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom

I love this camera. It's tiny, but does not feel like a toy. The auto-focus is very good & fast enough 4 my needs. The 12x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilization is great. The image quality is amazing (though I should say I jumped a number of technologies as my previous video camera was S-VHS).

The lack of broad AVC-HD support did cause me some pain (mostly financial) as 2 solve it I switched from Adobe Premiere 2 Sony Vegas (for a number of reasons including the lack of AVC-HD support in Premiere). So far I haven't been successful in being able 2 view AVC-HD videos in any Media Player so I have 2 load Vegas just 2 view the raw video on my PC. I also purchased a much larger 16Gb SDHC card since the included 4Gb card was just too small 4 my needs, & after using the camera 4 a while I plan 2 buy a second battery (I get about 80 minutes out of the battery).

Speaking of the battery, the charger has a strange quirk in that you can't charge the battery at the same time you are powering the camera. This seems weird 2 me, & I have forgotten 2 unplug the cable from the charger once or twice & not ended up with a charged battery (it doesn't matter if the camera is actually connected, or on, there is apparently a switch that is hit when you plug in the camera's power cable so it must be unplugged in order 2 charge the battery). Also, the camera itself will not charge a battery in the camera, so you can either power the camera or charge a battery, never both.

The microphones (all 5 of them) on the camera work great when recording video, as long as the action is fairly close. This isn't a complaint as I would have been shocked if the camera did well at recording far away (it's not magic) & thankfully it does have an external microphone jack (which I admit that I have yet 2 use as I usually digitally record the audio on-site with my Wolverine or Nomad Jukebox 3). For family videos it is does great at capturing very reasonable audio.

You should know that the external backup hard drive is big. The hard drive is nearly as long & as wide as the largest dimensions of the camera itself (not as thick in the third dimension) & while the camera is heavier, the hard drive gives it a good run. The hard drive does work, & it works well, but my feeling is that if they are going 2 force you 2 buy this as part of the package, it should at least have been a large (100Gb or larger) hard drive (especially since the retail price 4 40Gb drives are well under $40). It should be optional or an accessory. I'll stick with my Wolverine 4 this as well.

My biggest complaint is that the camera constantly resets the image numbering. All of the other digital cameras I have owned keep a running count of videos or still images taken & numbers the files accordingly until I specifically reset them (for example, my Sony F-828 is currently generating images like DSC08428.jpg, which means that I've taken 8,428 photos with that camera since I last reset it). Having the file numbers constantly starting from 0 on the media means that I have 2 renumber them all before I copy or take a chance on accidentally overwriting a previous file.

Another complaint about the camera is that it refuses 2 record more than about an hour at a time in "normal" quality. I'm guessing that this is a file size issue & when it comes close it starts blinking the display & then just stops recording. How dumb is this? I understand that the file system on the card might have limitations, but how hard would it have been 2 simply open another file & keep recording until the media was full (hopefully without a video skip between the files)? If there is an option 4 this I haven't found it yet. This limitation caused me 2 miss a few minutes of video in the middle of a performance I was recording, so I was very annoyed. Now that I know about the limitation I can likely work around it, but why should I have to?

The camera takes still pictures that look reasonable, but many of them have a strange "cut-out" quality 2 them (like the foreground & the background are disconnected). I'm not sure whether this is a haloing affect or something else, but I didn't buy the camera 4 stills & 4 the occasional still it's good enough. It will definitely not replace my F-828 4 still photos.

I can't comment on the software that comes with the camera as I don't use it. I did download the "AVC-HD 2 DVCPRO Transcoder" from the Panasonic web site (they didn't make the software easy 2 find) from https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/support/desk/e/download.htm. Note that you'll have 2 go through some significant annoyance because they must send you an e-mail with a custom password (which didn't work 4 me the first time but did the second).

Summary: In general I think this is a great camera 4 HD video in a very small package with the features I needed. There are a few quirks & I have a few other minor complaints, but they are, so far, all easily worked around. All-in-all I am very happy with this camera & now that I know about the file size limitation it's not too hard 2 work around it. Support 4 the AVC-HD encoding is sparse but growing quickly.

The AG-HSC1U is a VERY small camcorder, 4 my particular use the size & solid-state recording was a big part of the choice.

Once in use the camcorder impressed with beautiful pictures, however 4 interviews one need 2 mount a bracket 2 hold the microphone, I got one with 2 shoe mounts 4 a video light 2 pop the faces & also a microphone, it would be nice 2 have a headphone jack, but there is no such thing, instead there is a recording level indicator on the screen, I was a bit apprehensive about this starting out, but in practical everyday use this works well.

This camcorder is a "Pro" version of the older Panasonic SD1 camera, the colors have been tweaked 2 match the look of other professional cameras, this works well & I find the shots 2 play nicely with much more expensive panasonic pro cameras.

Unlike most serious camcorders this camera is mostly menu driven, there is no exposure-compensation. however there is a small joystick which makes it easy 2 adjust the lighting. the most common used adjustments are accessed by sliding the mode slider 2 Manual & then pressing the joystick once, this will let you toggle through the settings one at a time, you can select a option by moving the cursor sideways - once selected you can move sideways 2 increase or decrease a setting such as aperture, gain, or shutter speed, press downwards 2 exit a option. in practical use this works easy & are simple 2 figure out, I use the aperture all the time & it is the first option when I turn on manual because it was used last. The camera have zebra stripes so it is easy 2 judge exposure.

The camera could possible have a bit more dynamic range, but I have not found it being a problem, I typically shoot outdoors interviews with a graduated ND filter 2 control the sky & use a reflector 2 pop some light in the top of the face which also is in the ND filter, the result look great & do not look like something from a cheap camcorder.

The lens is longer than the other SD cameras with 12x zoom, which really is about as long as you can hold still any way, I use this camera mostly on monopod or handheld in the cockpit of airplanes. The lens is sharp & with no vignetting.

The AVCHD files edits well with Vegas Pro 8, I have not tried the economy compression & only use the best quality setting which looks beautiful on the screen. A added bonus is the 40gig portable harddrive which ships with this camera model, the drive is battery powered & I have successfully dumped 5 days worth of cards 2 the drive with no recharge required.

Generally the camera performs well & overall I am very pleased with this purchase, it plays well with other cameras & I am about 2 pick up a second 4 the company. In my personal opinion this camera is highly recommended as long as you realize that have have some limitations it will serve you well & deliver images you can use 4 production. Ultimately, only you can determine if this camera will "do the trick" 4 you, based on your needs & the performance vs price of the camera, you can find larger cameras with more features at the same price, but they are pretty darn hard 2 stuff in the pocket in the cockpit.

This is a good produce except 4 a few things. The battery life on both the camera & the external hard drive is very poor. The software that comes with the camera can only work on Windows XP or 2000... sorry Mac or Vista users. However Panasonic does have an application that can work on Windows Vista but it is in Japanese's. If you do run Finial Cut Studio 2 in your Mac you can import it in 2 your timeline. I have not got it 2 work with Adobe or Avid editing programs. The audio is quite good give the nature of the camera. Unless you need a small 3 CCD camera that stores on a memory card I would suggest you consider something a little cheaper... maybe a Sony HDV cam? Hope this helps!

The AG-HSC1UP is easy 2 use, light & compact, & takes great video. Transferring AVCHD footage from the camcorder itself 2 a Mac is a breeze. Do note that if you transfer video from the camcorder 2 the included portable Hard Disk Drive (VW-PT2), & then try 2 transfer those clips from the HDD 2 a Mac 4 editing in Final Cut, it can be confusing. Here's a solution:

Connect the portable hard disk drive 2 computer using USB cable & turn on the HDD. Icon "untitled" will appear on desktop.

Open Final Cut. Click Final Cut in menu bar > System Settings > Scratch Disks. Click "Set". Then select destination folder (for example user name > document > Final Cut Documents > new folder (and name the new folder). Then also click "Set" 4 Waveform Cache, Thumbnail Cache, & Autosave Cache.

Then on the menu bar, click File > Log & Transfer. When new screen appears, click icon "Add Folder" in upper left corner. then click "Untitled" icon > Pana > 080311_1 (or whatever number appears). Click Open. Drag clip from "Name" 2 "Untitled Project 1" where it says "Drag Media Here".

The next time you open Final Cut, click File > Import Files > Documents > Final Cut Documents > Capture Scratch > Untitled Project 1 > & there, by golly, will be Clip #1.mov. Click on Clip #1 (et al) & it will appear in the browser window.

It's easier just 2 get some extra SDHC cards & forget the HDD.

After reading many reviews of this camcorder & others, I decided 2 make the jump 4 this one. I had previous experience with other panasonic professional camcorders so I had some idea going into this what 2 expect. I rate it a full five stars because of the outstanding image quality, ease of editing, small form factor, & because it uses SDHC cards which are readily available & affordable. The high definition image quality is nothing short of fantastic. There is fineness in detail. When shooting into bright light with people between me & that light, it compensates very effectively so everything is naturally exposed. There is a film-like quality 2 it that looks fabulous. In bright sunlight I always use an ND & polarizer filters. This camera turns on instantly & I am ready 2 start shooting. It has a good selection of manual controls. There is no manual focusing ring. Why they left that off, who knows. I use a step up ring 2 use readily available 49mm filters. Battery life is excellent but get another one or two- that goes without saying. Better safe than sorry when you are in the wild. It is small, lightweight & easy 2 operate. I use it handheld most of the time with a flash bracket I bought in a second hand shop 4 $3. This bracket allows me 2 better hold the camera more steadily. I also use cinesaddles instead of tripods & fluid heads. The built in OIS works great. I like the variable speed zoom servo. I can get silky slow zooms & fast ones if needed. It is still photo capable & I have used it but it's of lesser importance 2 me.

Perhaps the best part is that it records 1080i/60 directly onto SDHC cards. No tape mechanism 2 jam. After shooting you pull out the card & place into your computer 4 fast & easy transfer. iMovie '08, Final Cut Express 4, Adobe Premiere CS3, & other software titles work flawlessly in handling the high definition footage. Editing is quick & easy. It does come with a handy self-powered 40gb HD 4 transferring footage in the field from the SDHC card. Very thoughtful of Panasonic 2 include this. It means you only need one or two cards 2 shoot with. An 8gb card will hold 83 minutes of HD footage or a 16gb card will allow you 2 shoot 4 two hours & twenty minutes. Remember don't forget spare batteries! The LCD viewfinder is large & bright. I have no trouble using it on the brightest of sunlit days. The 5.1 audio works great & does an excellent job when shooting interviews. I just love this camera & would not go back 2 tape ever again. We will be putting up sample footage on our website www.kineticimagefilmgroup.com soon.

Included Accessories: Panasonic AG-HSC1U Camera, 4GB SD card, AC adaptor, power & DC cables, A/V cable, battery, wireless remote, USB cable & software CD-ROM.

Panasonic's AG-HSC1U PROLINE Camcorder is the world's smallest, lightest 3 Chip HD Camcorder around. This little Palmcorder has all kinds of professional features. On board is a three inch Widescreen (16:9) LCD monitor. It can capture 2.1 megapixel 16:9 still pictures, even during video recording. The AG-HSC1U comes standard with a portable 40GB media storage unit 4 off-loading content from the 4GB SDHC memory card. A 12X Leica Dicomar lens captures vibrant, accurate color & minimizes harmful reflections -- making images crisp, clear & free of flare & ghosting. It also provides slow, smooth zooms 4 remarkably professional playback. Audio is recorded 2 5.1 channels, immersing you in sound & bringing you into the action. A Zoom Mic zoom in & record the sounds related 2 your shot's main subject. The lightweight, imaginative design makes it easy 2 carry & use anywhere - even mounted on a helmet, robot or a small animal! Use your imagination; the possibilities are endless. Faster record startup. (only 1.7 seconds from the time the monitor is opened) Record high quality widescreen still images (even during video recording) Fast, accurate Auto Focus (Manual Focus as well) No noise from a tape or disc transport 2 get into the on board microphone 5.1 channel surround sound audio recording with 5 microphones on board (Dolby AC-3) Super directivity Zoom Mic function. 2 channel external Mic input (3.5mm phone plug) 3 widescreen LCD side screen, Digital Zoom Off, 1-30X, 1-700X Uses the latest MP4 compression scheme (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) Five program AE modes in manual mode, Fades 2 Black or White with Audio Fade Three modes of Audio - Auto / Manual / Manual + AGC audio levels Directional keys make it easy 2 navigate