JVC GY-HM170 deal - a 4K professional camcorder with free XLR adapter & dual card slots for $1795

The Rodney Dangerfield of camcorders

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).

But few reviewers (or camcorder buyers) seem to be aware than JVC offers a professional UHD camcorder at about the same price, the $1795 JVC GY-HM170 (on sale right now with a free XLR adapter and top handle) .

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 HM170's $399 XLR adapter, on the other hand, is built into a standard pro camcorder top handle. With the top handle mounted, the HM170 looks like its big brother, the HM200.  In fact, they become identical cameras, with the exception of the HM200's live streaming feature.

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.

That said, if your budget is less than $2000 and you want a 4K camcorder with manual color control, XLR inputs and dual card slots, the $1795 JVC GY-HM170 deal with the free XLR adapter/top handle is pretty much the only game in town.

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.

JVC GY-LS300 review coming soon!

As some of you know, HCR rented a JVC GY-LS300 UHD "4K" Super 35mm camcorder last weekend to run some side-by-side tests with the GH4. Sadly, our partners at Borrowlenses don't have one yet, so we rented it from the great folks at LensRentals. Still putting the review together, but here's a preview pic:

JVC GY-LS300 with Panasonic 14-140 lens and AT835b mic

It was nice to shoot with a real camcorder again - the UHD image quality is great - and the adjustable crop sensor is really cool - but the camera does have a couple of challenges.

Please check back for the complete review!

Blackmagic wins NAB 2015

Best of Show

Micro-budget and independent filmmakers had high expectations this year after the excitement of last year's breakthrough NAB, which saw the introduction of the Panasonic GH4, the first interchangeable lens 4K camera below $2000; the Sony A7s, the first full frame camera with UHD output; the AJA Cion, the first 4K Super 35 shoulder mount below $10K; and the bargain priced Blackmagic URSA, the first UHD production camera below $7000 with XLR mic inputs and a standard external battery mount.

Canon was the odd man out at NAB 2014, with no major new camera announcements in this category. Their floor display was a live demonstration of the overpriced 4K Canon 1D C, which was already several years old at the time of the show.

So, when NAB 2015 rolled around, more breakthroughs were expected from the major camera manufacturers.  Would Sony introduce a 4K A7000?  Would Canon introduce an interchangeable lens competitor to the GH4 below $10K?  Would Panasonic finally give us a successor to the AF100 - with the GH4's features in a camcorder body?  What did Blackmagic have up its sleeve?

As the smoke clears from the big press conferences and announcements on Monday, it seems that all of the major manufacturers have chosen to rest on their laurels - except Blackmagic.

Sony had nothing to show in this market segment this year - while Canon and Panasonic did have new offerings for micro-budget cinematic shooters, the $2499 XC10 and the "under $5000" AG-DVX200.

Surprisingly, however, both of these cameras turned out to have fixed lenses, and "smallish" sensors. A little disappointing in a marketplace that has shifted towards interchangeable lens, large sensor cameras.

Panasonic's timing was especially unfortunate. In a series of leaks overnight and early on the morning of the DVX200's rollout - Blackmagic pursued their now-standard NAB strategy. They posted banners with images of their new cameras around the convention center for bloggers to find and post on social media. Images of their major new camera leaked from their pre-announcement party. And they posted images and tech specs for their new camera before Panasonic had a chance to make their announcement (even now, the URSA Mini product page is up, while there is nothing official to be found about Panasonic's AG-DVCX200 outside of a stale press release).

By the time Panasonic held its press conference Monday morning, Blackmagic had stolen their thunder with buzz surrounding a camera that both outspec'd the DVX200 and undercut it on price.

But it wasn't just a well executed communications plan that won the show for Blackmagic - it was a new camera with features the market has been asking for; an affordable, lightweight Super 35 interchangeable lens camera with good shoulder-mounted ergonomics, built in XLRs with phantom, standard battery mounts and solid 4K codecs (to include losslessly compressed RAW) - all in a rugged body.

It is clear when you compare the specs between the new Canon, Panasonic and Blackmagic offerings in this class, that Blackmagic has delivered what many micro-budget filmmakers and 'cinematic videographers' have been looking for with the URSA Mini:

	Canon XC10	Blackmagic URSA Mini 4K EF	Panasonic AG-DVX200	Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K EF
Price	$2499	$2995	$4195	$4995
Sensor Size	1"	Super 35	Micro 4/3	Super 35
Lens Mount	Fixed	EF (add $500 for PL)	Fixed	EF (add $500 for PL)
Max Resolution	3840x2160	4000x2160	4096x2160	4608x2592
Max HD Frame Rate	60fps	120fps	120fps	120fps
Codec	MPEG-4 AVC	RAW or ProRes	MP4/MOV	RAW or ProRes
Shutter	Rolling	Global	Rolling	Selectable Global/Rolling
Mic Input(s)	3.5mm	2xXLR w phantom	2xXLR w phantom	2xXLR w phantom
Headphone Output(s)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SDI Out(s)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Storage	1xCFast 2.0 1xSD	2xCFast 2.0	2xSD	2xCFast 2.0
Stabilization	5-axis (HD only)	No	5-axis	No
ND Filter	Yes	No	Yes	No
Power Zoom Lens	No	No	Yes	No
Viewfinder	No (LCDVF)	$1495 option	Yes	$1495 option
Still Photos	12MP	No	8MP	No
Weight	2.29 lbs.	6.6 lbs.	5.95 lbs.	6.6 lbs.

No, specs aren't everything - it will be important to see images from these cameras in the hands of real shooters - but if the indie market wants a 4K RAW (or 10-bit ProRes), large sensor, interchangeable lens Super 35 camcorder with 160fps HD slow motion and a global shutter that can be either handheld or shoulder mounted without breaking the shooter's back (or bank account), then URSA Mini is pretty much the only game in town.

As regular readers know, I've been looking for a replacement for my trusty Panasonic TM900 camcorder for a few years now.  I want a large sensor, interchangeable lens camera with camcorder ergonomics plus pro mic inputs and a strong, gradeable codec to pair with my GH3, and later, my GH4.

I had almost settled on the $3995 UHD JVC GY-LS300 - but its weak 8-bit h.264 compression was a challenge - and made it difficult to sell my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, with its robust, gradeable 10-bit ProRes and CinemaDNG RAW.

URSA Mini solves this problem.  I can now sell the TM900, the Pocket Camera, the GH1, GH2, GH3 and all of my MFT glass - then buy an URSA Mini EF (plus a $599 Metabones EF to MFT Speed Booster for the GH4) and skinny down to two cameras and one lens system.

Farewell, BMPCC - we hardly knew ye

So, for offering lightweight Super 35 cameras that shooters can afford - and for solving my personal camcorder dilemma - the Blackmagic URSA Mini wins HCR's first annual "Best of Show" award for NAB 2015.

Working on the awards banquet - perhaps at NAB 2016.

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.

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Five 4K camcorders threatened by the $2995 4K Blackmagic URSA Mini

Images courtesy eriknaso.com

Thanks to Noam Kroll and Erik Naso, we have a pretty good idea of what Blackmagic Magic will unveil in Vegas this morning - to include a truly revolutionary $2995 URSA Mini Super 35 camcorder, with interchangeable lenses, a global shutter, Blackmagic's standard CinemDNG RAW, 4K, 12 stops of DR (15 stops on the $4995 4.6K model), an optional EVF and easy compatibility with a shoulder mount.

Even before we see the detailed specs from the Blackmagic press event, we do know one thing - there has to be consternation in the executive suites at AJA, Arri, Canon, JVC, Panasonic and Sony (which is exactly what Blackmagic CEO Grant Petty set out to do when he started building cameras a few years ago).

If URSA Mini can deliver URSA's RAW image quality (or better) for $2995, here are the five 4K cameras that it clearly threatens:



1. $40K Arri Amira. Recently upgraded to 4K, this camera produces amazing images in a near-perfect shoulder mounted form factor. And with Arri color science, it is a perfect match for industry-standard Alexa. But at $40K, its cost is prohibitive for most indies and micro-budget filmmakers. This camera will continue to see considerable use at the high end of the market, but for indies, the price mismatch between Amira and URSA Mini is ridiculous - you could buy a Mini for less than the price of renting an Amira for a week.



2. $16K Canon C300 Mark II (and $2.5K XC10). Canon's pre-NAB announcement of these cameras was clearly designed to steal the limelight at the show. URSA Mini has pretty much stolen it back. The C300 Mark II costs 5 times is much and lacks the Mini's internal raw recording.  Plus, it requires expensive rigging to get it up on your shoulder. As for the XC10 - it costs almost as much as Mini, but is a fixed lens, 1" sensor toy by comparison.



3. $9K AJA CION. Beautiful ProRes images in good light and nice shoulder mounted ergonomics - but no internal RAW. Overpriced compared to every Blackmagic RAW camera, to include Mini.



4. $8K Sony PXW-FS7. With its shoulder mount, optional viewfinder and extensible hand grip, URSA Mini appears to be a clone of the FS7 - but for $5000 less. Plus, Mini has the internal 4K RAW recording the FS7 lacks.



5. $4K JVC GY-LS300. URSA Mini very nearly strangles the LS300 in its cradle. JVC introduced this promising camera late last year, but has yet to ship it in meaningful numbers in the States. Despite the fact that its h.264 compression gave it the weakest codec of any of the cameras on this list,  it had the advantage of being the lowest priced UHD "4K" Super 35 interchangeable lens camera on the market - until today. Unfortunately for JVC, even with the viewfinder and a shoulder mount, Mini will be about the same price as the LS300 - with higher resolution, wider DR and a superior codec - and the LS300 is another camera that needs expensive rigging to get it up on your shoulder.

As far as Panasonic goes, we don't know much about their new "heir of DVX100" camcorder yet, but if it is not competitive on price, it will be stillborn at this morning's press conference.

Bottom line is that URSA Mini will force prices down even faster and further than we have seen already over the past couple of years.   Even if you never buy a Blackmagic camera, you should send Grant Petty a thank you note (unless, of course, you just bought a $2995 4K Blackmagic Production Camera).

Please keep checking back during the day for more updates - and for HCR's view of what all of this means for micro-budget shooters.

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.

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Adorama offering free lenses or adapters with preorders of new JVC GY-LS300!

As reported earlier, JVC is going all-out to get its soon-to-ship Super 35mm camcorder into the hands of videographers and filmmakers with a terrific promotion - and the major online retailers have started to include it on their GY-LS300 product pages.

Now, when you pre-order your new LS300 from Adorama for $3995, you get your choice of either a free Rokinon 24mm or 35mm cine lens - or a Canon EF, Nikon or PL mount adapter.

This is a real bargain - "4K for $4K" (sorry, RED) - plus compatibility with your existing lenses straight out of the box (unless you're an NEX shooter :)).

And the image quality is top-notch.

I don't know how I missed this, but when Matthew Allard did his LS300 test a few weeks ago (which I wrote about in this post), he compared the UHD and HD output from the LS300 with UHD/HD output from the Sony A7s - both recorded to the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q+ in ProRes.

Using the same Zeiss lens on both cameras, the results were surprising.  To Matt's eye (and mine), the LS300 produces "a sharper, more detailed UHD image than the A7s."  Here's the video:





This is the camera many shooters have been waiting for since the beginning of the large sensor, interchangeable lens camera revolution - an affordable Super 35 camera with the ergonomics and features of a traditional camcorder - plus image quality that beats (or at least matches) the best of the still/video hybrids.

There will be a lot of DSLR/DSLM upgraders who will want ditch their unwieldy "rigs" and buy this camera - if only to get away from the hassle of screw-on ND filters and XLR adapters,

This is very good news for JVC - and potentially bad news for Canon, Sony, Blackmagic and Panasonic - whose $4000 offerings are either less capable (Canon, Sony and Panasonic) or less ergonomically friendly (Blackmagic).

Panasonic is especially weak in this price class, with the AF100 long overdue for a refresh.

If Panasonic wants to compete with JVC in this market segment, any new "AG-AF200" will have come in below $4000 - especially if they stick with a micro 4/3 sized sensor.  It's going to be an interesting NAB.

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.

And for the latest deals, news, tips and techniques, please follow HCR on Blogger, Twitter and YouTube  - and circle us on Google+.

4K JVC GY-LS300 Super 35 camcorder in stock now!

Although it is still on pre-order for $3995 at Adorama, if you need a 4K Super 35 live streaming camcorder right now, you can get the JVC GY-LS300 from Electronics Basket via Amazon.

The camera is in stock and ready to ship. Here are a couple of examples of the images it can produce:







This is the least expensive interchangeable lens Super 35mm camcorder you can buy with a camcorder style body, power zoom compatibility and XLR inputs - plus built-in 1080p live streaming. Please keep checking back here  - I will rent one of these as soon as I can and shoot a side-by-side with the GH4 for you to take a look at.

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.

And for the latest deals, news, tips and techniques, please follow HCR on Blogger, Twitter and YouTube  - and circle us on Google+.

Free Metabones adapter or Rokinon lens with new 4K JVC GY-LS300 at 3/18 LA event!

4K JVC GY-LS300 - $3995 at Adorama - click image to pre-order

In another sign that JVC is going "all out" with the introduction of the GY-LS300, selected dealers are offering a Metabones adapter (EF, Nikon G or PL) or one of two Rokinon full frame Cine DS lenses (24mm or 35mm) for free with the purchase of JVC's new 4K Super 35mm camcorder.

This would be a savings of up to $799 (for the Rokinon 24mm Cine DS lens).

Three dealers offering this promotion are:

• Adorama in New York
• EVS in LA (Glendale)
• VSA at several locations in the Midwest
• G&G in Saddlebrook, NJ

If you want to see the camera in person before you order, EVS is hosting the LS300's "LA debut" on March 18th from 1:00 to 3:00PM at their Glendale store.  JVC execs and techs will be there - and there will be a free (with security deposit) "rent before you buy" promotion.

And if you don't need interchangeable lenses, you can get the new 4K JVC GY-HM200 with its fixed 12x zoom lens, and 2/3" sensor for just $2695.

The HM200 is going to put a lot of pressure on the much more expensive 4K camcorders from Sony and Panasonic, the FDR-AX1 and HC-X1000 (as well as JVC's own GY-HMQ10) .

My guess is that the prices of these cameras will have to come down.

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.

And for the latest deals, news, tips and techniques, please follow HCR on Blogger, Twitter and YouTube  - and circle us on Google+.

Is it a cinema camera or not? Newsshooter reviews the "4K for $4K" JVC GY-LS300 Super 35mm camcorder

4K JVC GY-LS300 - $3995 at Adorama - click image to pre-order

Kudos to Matthew Allard at newsshooter.com for posting the first English language review of this exciting new micro four thirds mount camcorder - the camera I call  "the Panasonic AF200 that should have been".

And kudos to JVC for doing what Panasonic should have done with the micro four thirds mount - adapted it to an affordable Super 35mm camcorder.

From the review, here's Matthew's real-world example of what this $3995 camera can do in a documentary/newsgathering scenario:


 
Matthew's review speaks for itself - but I found it interesting that JVC told him that "the GY-LS300 is not being marketed as a cinema camera."

Then why the heck was Craig Yanagi from JVC at Sundance with the LS300 last month?


 

As with any company introducing a new product, there is probably a little confusion in the marketing department over messaging - but JVC needs to get a handle on this, or they will miss a golden opportunity to make inroads with independent filmmakers.

Whether JVC's "ENG-centric" marketing department likes it or not, Super 35 is a cinema format - and the LS300 is likely to be seen as a relatively inexpensive and easy to use entry level cinema camera by film schools, DSLR upgraders and other low budget filmmakers.

This is a real opportunity for JVC to enter a marketplace where they have not been competitive.  I hope they don't screw it up.

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.

And for the latest deals, news, tips and techniques, please follow HCR on Blogger, Twitter and YouTube  - and circle us on Google+.

4K JVC GY-LS300 price drops to $3995 - less than 1080p Canon C100!

Pre-order price drop - JVC GY-LS300 now just $3995 (click on the image to pre-order)

I have never seen a 10% pre-order price drop - until now.

JVC rolled out their GY-LS300 Super 35 camcorder in November of 2014 at a list price of $4450.  There has been a lot of buzz about this camera over the last few months (it was Videomaker Magazine's "best of show" camcorder at CES 2015, for example) - but we have seen very little footage (besides this) and no major US reviews.

Quietly, however, the major retail sites have marked the US pre-order price down to $3995 (interestingly, the camera is already in-stock in the UK for £3450.65).

Unless I missed it, the US price reduction has not been announced or even acknowledged by JVC - nor has it been widely promoted by retailers.  Have pre-order numbers been so soft that JVC is cutting prices before the camera ships in the US?  Or is the company simply reacting to Canon's new Cinema EOS prices?

Whatever the reason, what was a good deal for shooters who want to step up to a large sensor, interchangeable lens 4K camcorder - but don't have a big enough budget for the Blackmagic URSA - has suddenly become even better.

$3995 for a Super 35 camera that can record to true 4K makes the LS300 a very attractive choice when compared to a (relatively) low resolution $3999 Canon C100.

With their video-capable DSLRs under pressure from the A7s, NX1 and GH4 - and with the C100 and C300 now under pressure from the LS300 and URSA - it will be interesting to see how Canon responds at NAB 2015 (if they respond at all).

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.

And for the latest deals, news, tips and techniques, please follow HCR on Blogger, Twitter and YouTube  - and circle us on Google+.

Finally - sample video from the new $4450 "4K" MFT mount Super 35 JVC GY-LS300

After its introduction and a press release from JVC a couple of months ago, we haven't heard much about this camera.  With its Super 35mm sensor, micro 4/3 interchangeable lens mount, UHD/30p or UHD/24p recording, internal 4:2:2, dual card slots, 3 built in ND filters, shotgun mic, XLR jacks, top handle and camcorder form factor, the LS300 has remained a tantalizing prospect.

This was especially true since JVC priced it at just $4450, the lowest price point ever for a Super 35mm "4K" camcorder and only about $500 more than it would cost to buy a $3297 GH4/YAGH combo plus the $599 Metabones Speed Booster/Focal Reducer the GH4 needs in order to mimic a Super 35 crop.

With a GH4, however, you would still need to buy the top handle, ND filter and mic.  And dual card slots are not an option.

That said, we have seen impressive 4K video from the GH4 - but we have had no idea what kind of images the LS300 would produce - and JVC wasn't talking.

Well, that's starting to change.  JVC announced a few days ago that they would take the LS300 to Sundance this week to show it off to independent filmmakers  - and rental house Delimex in Belgium has the camera in stock and has produced a slick narrative style short to promote it.

Here's the video (hat tip to Philip Johnston, the HD Warrior, for the find):





Sadly, the clip is downscaled to 1080p HD, so we don't get the full benefit of Ultra HD - and there's not much motion, so we can't tell whether the sensor has a challenge with CMOS skew - but the skin tones look natural, the blacks seem to hold up in low light and the bokeh is gorgeous.

This is the first JVC camera that looks to be competitive with sub-$10,000 large sensor, interchangeable lens 4K/UHD camcorders from Sony, Blackmagic, Aja, and Kinefinity.  And its feature set and UHD resolution make the $4499 1080p-only dual pixel Canon C100 look overpriced.

Note that Panasonic is MIA from this list. Unfortunately for Panasonic, since Sony's NEX-FS100 trumped their AG-AF100 back in 2010, the company seems to have ceded this market to its competitors.

With the introduction of the Varicam 35, GH4, FS1000 and LX100 in 2014, Panasonic is now competitive at both the low end and the high end  - but they left a huge gap in the middle, and JVC has driven through it with a truck.

It is long past time for Panasonic to replace the aging AF100 with a modern large sensor camcorder - but the market will not wait for them.

Personally, I'm saving my nickels for a sub-$10,000 4K Super 35 camcorder, and right now, the LS300 is one of the top contenders, along with the $5995 Blackmagic URSA and its global shutter.

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.

And for the latest deals, news, tips and techniques, please follow HCR on Blogger, Twitter and YouTube and circle us on Google+.