Panasonic announces advanced professional AVCHD AG-HMC152 handheld HD Camcorder

The HMC152 is designed to provide cost-effective enhanced HD production capabilities for video enthusiasts who desire professional features, extended recording capability and the fast, simple and highly reliable workflow offered by tapeless, solid-state recording. The HMC152 features three native 16:9 progressive 1/3" CCD imagers with an Optical Image Stabilisation (O.I.S.) function to ensure stable shooting and a 28mm Leica Dicomar wide-angle zoom lens (35MM equivalent). The HMC152 handheld is capable of both 1080i and 720p recording at 13Mbps, comparable to current HDV compression formats with bit rates of 25Mbps. In addition, an enhanced mode with a higher bit rate is planned to be incorporated into the HMC152 for higher-level use. It supports a full range of HD formats including 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 1080/30p, 1080/25p, 1080/24p native; 720/60p, 720/50p, 720/30p, 720/25p, 720/24p native; and it is 50Hz/59.94Hz switchable.

The advanced handheld utilises the second-generation long GOP HD standard called AVCHD. Based on MPEG-4 AVC/H.264highprofile encoding, AVCHD provides a near doubling of bandwidth efficiency and considerably improved video performance over the older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats. This industry standard format is supported by over 30 companies and implemented in numerous camcorders, NLE systems and consumer HD playback devices.

The HMC152 offers professional HD performance with the simplicity of a digital still camera. Since the solid-state handheld records onto SD and SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) memory cards, professionals can benefit from the reliability and random access of tapeless recording and capitalise on the cost advantages, widespread availability, and growing capacity of standard SD consumer cards. Using the newly announced 32GB SDHC memory card and the camcorder's 6Mbps recording mode, users can acquire up to 12 hours of HD video and audio on a single SD card.

Additional features of the HMC152 include professional XLR audioinputconnections and a wide range of data and signal interfaces includingHDMI out, USB2.0, component out (D terminal), compositeoutand RCA audio out jacks, a 3.5-inch LCD monitor to display thumbnail images for quick viewing and playback, and a Time Code/User Bits menu. The camera also has remote jacks for focus iris and start/stop functions, a pre-record feature that allows the camera to capture footage occurring immediately before real-time recording begins, and a time/date stamp menu option for documentation purposes.

Panasonic's AVCHD camera line brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. Like digital still photography, recording onto SD/SDHC card offers a fast and simple IT-compatible workflow with ultra-reliable performance and resistance to shock, vibration and extreme temperatures and weather. SD and SDHC memory cards are inexpensive, widely available and can be reused repeatedly.  Since AVCHD records video as digital data files, content can be transferred and stored on affordable, high-capacity hard disk drives (HDD) and optical storage media and transferred to future storage media as technology advances.

The HMC152 will be available in the second half of 2008. Pricing will be announced closer to the release date.