JVC is a video camera company with many years of professional camcorder heritage - and they make great cameras - but that doesn't seem to get them much respect.
The big buzz in high end prosumer camcorders last year was the Ultra High Definition "4K" Sony FDR-AX100, which lists for $1698 (on sale right now for $1598).
Case in point: there was a big update/review of the Sony AX100 at Cinema 5D recently - in part because Sony recently updated the camera with 100mbps Ultra HD.
Lost in the excitement over the AX100 upgrade, however, is the fact that the HM170 has been recording UHD at 150mbps since its release last fall.
Sony has also recently released an XLR adapter for the AX100. The $598 Sony XLR K2M adapter mounts on the AX100's non-standard hot shoe. This addition gives the AX100 XLR mic inputs - but appears to make the camera a little top heavy and awkward. There's still no top handle.
The pro HM170 has other standard features the prosumer AX100 lacks - such as HD 4:2:2 color subsampling, dual SD card slots and manual control of color (e.g., color gain, gamma, master pedestal).
At $1795, the HM170 is only a couple of hundred more than the AX100 - but, as of this post, it is the only professional 4K camcorder you can buy right now for less than $2000 (the $1999 Sony PXW-X70 doesn't count because you have to pay another few hundred to upgrade it to 4K).
To be fair, the HM170 is a traditional 1/2.3" sensor camcorder and the AX100 (and the X70) sport the larger 1" sensor. If you need a 1" sensor, the HM170 is not the camera for you.
I have shot with the HM170's large sensor 4K stable-mate, the JVC GY-LS300, and the latest generation of JVC camcorders are the real deal. Great image quality, good low light performance, pro ergonomics and reasonable prices. They ought to be selling a whole lot more of them.
"If Canon includes a decent codec, a headphone jack and more than 30 minutes of recording time, the EOS One becomes a very interesting video camera and serious competition for the FZ1000 (depending on price, of course). [emphasis added]"
Well, now we know the price. Yes, Canon has come up with an interesting 1" sensor, fixed lens camcorder with a solid codec, 4:2:2 color sub-sampling and a headphone jack - but both the price and the still/video feature set are a real disappointment.
As a serious video camera, the XC10 fails on two fronts - if you're going to buy a fixed lens camcorder, you expect a viewfinder and a power zoom. This camera has neither. And with this lens, Canon has delivered the worst of both worlds. No DSLR-style interchangeability - and no camcorder-style servo zoom. Fail.
In still camera mode, its challenges are more serious. Its maximum still photo frame rate is a snail-like 2.8 fps, it has no built-in flash and it is a JPEG only camera (no RAW). Many point and shoots can do better.
Worst of all, Canon has taken its usual path of overpricing a new camera and making it non-competitive in the broad marketplace - where there are better options at significantly lower prices. This is similar to the mistake they made with the EOS M, which was initially overpriced - and now sells for bargain basement prices.
Eventually, we will see the XC10 marked down severely, but in the meantime, it is another pricing disappointment from Canon.
But instead of lamenting the lost opportunity represented by the XC10, HCR would like to offer alternatives to Canon shooters with budgets below $3000 who have been waiting for Canon to give them a worthwhile upgrade from their entry level Canon DSLRs - but who are not willing to pay $2500 for a fixed lens "camcorder" that has neither a viewfinder nor a power zoom.
So, without any further ado, here are the five 4K cameras below $3000 that Canon DSLR shooters might want to consider instead of shelling out $2500 for the Canon XC10:
1. $1498 Panasonic DMC-GH4 with a $599 Metabones EF Speed Booster. If you need compatibility with your EF/EF-S glass, true 4096x2160 4K, 10 bit HDMI out, time code, color bars, hours of continuous recording, affordable Panasonic power zooms, a fully articulated LCD - plus the option to add the YAGH interface with its XLR inputs and SDI outputs - this may be the camera for you. Here is a terrific piece from Elif Kalkan shot with the Metabones and Canon glass:
2. $1299.99 (on sale, as of this post) Samsung NX-1 with an $80 Canon EF to NX adapter with manual aperture control. This camera would be #1 on the list if there was a Metabones-type Canon to NX lens adapter for it. Its APS-C sized sensor, advanced h.265 compression and LOG-like color profile give it the edge over the GH4. But, for Canon shooters, its limited compatibility with Canon lenses is a challenge. That said, Andrew Reid is nevertheless creating beautiful images with the NX1 and adapted EOS glass:
3. $750 Panasonic DMC-FZ1000. This camera is one third of the XC10's price, shares its 1" sensor size and UHD resolution - but also features the power zoom, electronic viewfinder, serious still photo chops and fully articulated LCD that the XC10 is missing. No, it doesn't have a headphone jack, but you can buy a pretty nice recorder with the $1700 you'll save. Here is the video image quality shooters are getting from the FZ1000:
4. $750 Panasonic DMC-LX100. No mic or headphone jacks and no built-in flash, but this camera has a larger sensor than the XC10 and many of the still and video features the Canon lacks - e.g., a power zoom lens, an electronic viewfinder, 11 fps and the ability to shoot RAW stills. It's a pretty darned good UHD video camera too:
5. $2695 JVC GY-HM200. If you don't need a large sensor or the ability to shoot stills, but want a 4K camcorder with pro mic inputs, SDI out and built-in web streaming - this camera is the best value for your money in this price range. The HM200 was just released, so there are only a few examples of what it can do - but here is one (please watch at 2160p):
And as a bonus for those who aren't ready to upgrade to 4K, there are still a couple of solid Canon 1080p alternatives:
1. $2499 Canon 5D Mark III. After recent mark downs, the full frame 5D Mark III is at the same price as the 1" sensor XC10. If you like the "full-frame look", want native compatibility with your Canon lenses plus the option to shoot Magic Lantern RAW - you might want to consider upgrading from an entry level Canon DSLR to the Mark III.
2. $2999 Canon C100. For $500 more than the XC10, you can buy a real professional Super 35 camcorder with XLR inputs, a viewfinder and 100% compatibility with your Canon lenses. This camera's 4K sensor, downscaled in-camera, still creates some of the best 1080p video in the marketplace.
The bottom line is that you can do a lot better than the XC10 - either near or well below its $2499 price point.
As always, if anything here has helped you to make a purchase decision, please shop using the links above or the displays below and in the margins. And even if you're not in the market for a new camera, please comment and make suggestions below. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these posts coming.
There is a UHD video sample from this camera at 13:48 into this Videoaktiv review (in German). Please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution:
The UHD images are certainly crisp and clear - even on YouTube - but for me, the most exciting thing about this camera (and its big brother, the Super 35mm GY-LS300) is the built-in live streaming capability.
Both new JVC 4K cameras have a live streaming encoder built-in and can transmit 1080p via wi-fi or Ethernet to your internet connected phone/tablet/laptop via an inexpensive adapter (such as the $36 ASUS USB-N53 dual band wireless-N USB adapter).
With these cameras, there is no need to buy a more expensive (and less mobile) external encoder such as the Blackmagic Intensity to get to the web.
Alternatively, you can connect a 4G LTE dongle (such as the AT&T AirCard 3131U or the Verizon UML290) to the camera and go straight to the web from the camera's IP address. Here's a video that walks us through the process:
I'm pretty sure I'm going to ditch my camcorder, GH1, GH2 and GH3 and buy the LS300 for this feature alone.
As always, if anything here has helped you to make a purchase decision, please shop using the links above or the displays below and in the margins. And even if you're not in the market for a new camera, please comment and make suggestions below. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these posts coming.
Click on the image above to order the Sony PXW-X70 from Amazon
A few days ago, Sony Europe announced several new firmware upgrades for its PXW cameras, to include a free 4096x2160 4K upgrade for its shoulder mounted $7999 Super 35mm camcorder, the PXW-FS7.
Seemingly lost in the hoopla around the FS7 news, another important upgrade was part of that announcement - a paid 3840x2160 UHD upgrade for Sony's $2299 1" sensor camcorder, the PXW-X70.
Sadly, at a rumored price of 485€ (about $550USD) for the upgrade, the X70 would become a $2850 UHD "4K" camera - a little more expensive than I had hoped - but also a possible opportunity for JVC.
Click on the image above to pre-order the JVC GY-HM200 from Adorama
With its built-in XLR jacks, ND filters and Wi-fi streaming, JVC's new 1/2.3" sensor camcorder, the $2695 UHD GY-HM200 (scheduled to ship in late March) now becomes the lowest cost pro UHD camcorder on the horizon.
When it ships, the HM200 will become the only game in town for shooters who need a pro UHD or 4K camcorder below the price of the $2799 Panasonic HC-X1000 between March and June (the start of wedding season).
It will be interesting to see whether Sony ends up reducing the price of the X70 UHD upgrade in the face of lower priced UHD/4K competition from JVC and Panasonic. Let's hope so.
As always, if anything here has helped you to make a purchase decision, please shop using the links above or the displays below and in the margins. And even if you're not in the market for a new camera, please comment and make suggestions below. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these posts coming.
