| |
Model
|
| Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| Picture ? | | |
| Manufacturer | Canon 
| Panasonic 
|
| Name | XL H1A | AG-HMC151 |
| European name ? | XL H1A | AG-HMC151E |
| US name ? | XL H1A | AG-HMC150 |
| lowest US price | | 3199 $ |
| On the market since | June 2008 | September 2008 |
| Manufacturers URL | link to Canon | link to Panasonic |
|
|
Test preview
|
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| slashCAM rating ? | Very good
 | Good
 |
| test picture 1200 Lux | | |
| Test image 12 lux auto-mode | | |
Video
|
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| Video formats ? | MiniDV HDV
| AVCHD
|
| Recording Medium | MiniDV/HDV-Cassette
| SD Card SDHC card
|
| video resolutions EU ? | HDV 1440 x 1080/50i MiniDV 720 x 576/50i MiniDV 720 x 576/25F HDV 1440 x 1080/25F
| AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/25p AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/24p AVCHD 1280 x 720/60p AVCHD 1280 x 720/50p AVCHD 1280 x 720/30p AVCHD 1280 x 720/25p AVCHD 1280 x 720/24p
|
| video resolutions US ? | HDV 1440 x 1080/60i HDV 1440 x 1080/24p HDV 1440 x 1080/30p MiniDV 720 x 480/60i 720 MiniDV x480/24p MiniDV 720 x 480/30p
| AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/25p AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i AVCHD 1920 x 1080/24p AVCHD 1280 x 720/60p AVCHD 1280 x 720/50p AVCHD 1280 x 720/30p AVCHD 1280 x 720/25p AVCHD 1280 x 720/24p
|
| Max Bitrate ? | 25 Mbit/s | 24 Mbit/s |
| Compression format ? | DV MPEG2
| MPEG4
|
| on-board memory ? | | |
| Optics |
| Optics Manufacturer ? | Canon
| Leica
|
| Optical Zoom ? | 20 x | 13 x |
| Wide Angle 16:9 ? | 39 mm | 28 mm |
| Filter diameter ? | 72 mm | 72 mm |
| Image Stabilization ? | optical
| optical
|
| ND Filter ? | 2 | 3 |
| Exchangable optics ? | Yes
| No
|
| Image Sensor |
| Number of sensors ? | 3 | 3 |
| Size of image sensor ? | 1/3 inch | 1/3 inch |
| image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ? | 1560000 Pixel | 1100000 Pixel |
| Image Sensor Type ? | CCD
| CCD
|
| Controls |
| White Balance ? | auto manual presets
| auto manual presets
|
| Focus ? | auto manual
| auto manual
|
| Minimum shutter time ? | 1/16.000 | 1/2.000 |
| Maximum shutter time ? | 1/3 | 1/24 |
| Apperture control ? | auto manual AE-Shift
| auto manual AE-Shift
|
| Infrared recording ? | No
| No
|
| Expanded Focus ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Peaking ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Signal Processing |
| Zebra ? | Off 70-100%
| 50-105% |
| Histogram ? | No
| waveform
|
| adjustable sharpness ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Adjustable color ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Cinegamma ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Black Strech ? | Yes
| No
|
| Knee ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Colorbars ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Misc. |
| Shot Transition ? | Yes
| No
|
| Custom Presets ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Set Time Code ? | Yes
| Yes
|
Configuration
|
| Connections |
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
FBAS ? synonymous: RCA, composite | In Out
| Out
|
YC ? synonymous: S-Video | In Out
| |
YUV ? synonymous: Component Signal | Out
| Out
|
| HDMI ? | No
| Out
|
DV / HDV (FireWire) ? synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394 | In Out
| - |
| USB ? | No
| USB 2.0
|
| Microphone / Audio input ? | XLR Cinch
| XLR
|
| Headphones ? | 3.5 mm mini-jack
| Mini-jack
|
| Lanc ? | Yes
| |
| Time-code interface ? | | No
|
| Genlock ? | | No
|
| Accessory shoe ? | Standard
| |
| HD-SDI ? | | No
|
| Misc. |
| Weight (without battery) | 3435 g | |
| Weight (with battery) | 3750 g | |
| Battery type | Canon BP-950G
| |
| Battery capacity | 5200 mAh | |
| Charger ? | external
| external
|
| Remote control | Yes
| Yes
|
| Size |
| Height | 226 mm | |
| Width | 220 mm | |
| Depth | 496 mm | |
| Relative Size ? | 246 | 0 |
| Viewfinder |
| Viewfinder available ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Color Viewfinder ? | Color
| Color
|
| Viewfinder format ? | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Viewfinder pixels ? | 215000 Pixel | 235000 Pixel |
| Display |
| Display available ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Color display ? | Color
| Color
|
| Display size | 2,4 Inch | 3,5 Inch |
| Display format ? | 16:9 | 4:3 |
| Display pixels ? | 215000 Pixel | 210000 Pixel |
| Touch Screen ? | | No
|
| External controls |
| Manual Zoom ? | Rocker Ring
| Rocker Ring
|
| Manual Focus ? | Ring
| Ring
|
| Manual Aperture ? | Menu
| Wheel
|
| Focus switcher ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| ND Filter ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Exp Lock ? | Yes
| |
| Gain ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| White balance ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Push AF ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Audio Levels ? | Yes
| Yes
|
Custom Keys ? synonymous: User buttons | | 3 |
Audio
|
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| Audio Formats ? | MiniDV: 2x48kHz 16bit PCM MiniDV: 4x32kHz 12bit PCM HDV: 2x48kHz 16bit MPEG 1 HDV: 4x48kHz 16bit MPEG 2
| |
| Microphone ? | Stereo internal external XLR
| external XLR
|
| Audio Control ? | auto manual
| auto manual
|
| Audio levels ? | Viewfinder display
| Viewfinder Screen
|
Still
|
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| Recording Medium ? | SD Card
| |
| Medium included ? | 16 MB
| |
| Effective pixels ? | 1560000 Pixel | |
| Resolutions ? | 1920x1080 1440x1080 848x480 640x480 | |
| Standard ? | JPEG Exif 2.2
| |
| Flash ? | No
| |
Misc.
|
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| Specials | optional upgrade for NTSC recordingsimulataneous video signal at RCA and BNC output | -in the US named AG-HMC150
|
Product Shots
|
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| View 1 | | |
| View 2 | | |
Test results
|
| Test pictures |
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| luminance resolution | | |
| chrominance resolution | | |
| lens distortion | | |
| test small ISO image | | |
| noise / internal microphone | | |
| test picture 1200 Lux | | |
| Test image 12 lux auto-mode ? | | |
| Test image 12 lux optimized ? | | |
| slashCAM rating |
| Lowlight ? | Good | Satisfactory |
| Resolution ? | Very good | Satisfactory |
| Color performance ? | Very good | Good |
| subj.Picture impression ? | Very good | Good |
| Optical Zoom ? | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
| Wide Angle ? | Satisfactory | Excellent |
| Configuration / image ? | Very good | Very good |
| Configuration / sound ? | Excellent | Very good |
| Handling ? | Very good | Very good |
| Portability ? | Sufficient | Satisfactory |
| Photo function ? | Sufficient | Poor |
| Optics ? | Good | Very good |
| Dynamics ? | Very good | Very good |
| Conclusion slashCAM |
| slashCAM rating ? | Very good
 | Good
 |
Total score ? (maximal 570) | 405 | 395 |
| Pros | + Excellent resolution in brightness and color + interchangeable lenses + 4 audio channels for HDV + Very well equipped
| Good wide angle + Professional controls
|
| Cons | - unergonomical on the shoulder
| - low sharpness due to pixel shift - 4:3 display with low resolution
|
| Conclusion | The Canon XL H1A has excellent CCDs, which in some aspects tap the full resolution potential of HDV.In combination with very good dynamic behavior and the consistent colors this provides a very good image impression.The standard lens is not satisfying: for less distortion and chromatic aberrations as well as for more wide angle pros need to go for an additional (more expensive) optics. | As it brings many important functions and operating controls the Panasonic AG-HMC151 is a solid choice for semi-professionals.We especially liked the clever layout of the buttons and switches as well as the 35mm adapter-friendly design with a lock-focus function and the integrated waveform monitor.The AVCHD images make an overall balanced impression.But buyers searching for maximum sharpness will have to look elsewhere.The display with its low resolution is no longer state of the art. |
More information
|
| Reviews and Forums |
| [ top ] | Canon XL H1A | Panasonic AG-HMC151 |
| slashCAM Review | | |
| external reviews/tests | www.camcorderinfo.com
| |
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