Moving from Mirrorless to a 4K Camcorder? Panasonic HC-X1500 - My Experience
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- In this video we take a look at the new camera I bought for my videos. Unlike previously where I'd been using a Sony A6000 mirrorless camera, I decided to try out a modern high end camcorder instead of buying another mirrorless with very good results! We'll take a look at the camera I've gone for and I'll talk about my experiences.
Buy the Panasonic HC-X1500 on Amazon (Affiliate):
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/ camerongray1515
www.camerongray.me/
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
03:09 - What did I get?
13:59 - Unboxing & First Impressions
23:10 - Build Quality
24:55 - Hardware Tour
35:59 - Review
37:32 - Low Light Performance
39:03 - Audio Quality
43:57 - It has a fan!
45:26 - Usability
52:40 - Conclusion
AFFILIATE LINKS NOTICE:
Product links under this video marked “(Affiliate)” are affiliate links where I may receive a small commission on qualifying sales. Affiliate programs that I am a member of include, but are not limited to: Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network and AliExpress Affiliates.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Purchasing through these affiliate links will not cost you any more money, however the commission earned significantly helps fund the production of videos on my channel. - Věda a technologie
Buy the Panasonic HC-X1500 on Amazon (Affiliate):
UK - amzn.to/3pOf9X9
US - amzn.to/3IE1MkR
Buy the Panasonic VW-HU1 top handle with XLR inputs on Amazon (Affiliate):
UK - amzn.to/3oJAams
US - amzn.to/3dFuKCz
Panasonic HC-X1500 は Zoom is the best ⤴️⤴️
This was actually excellent! I just got the camera. You helped me greatly.
I have been on DSLR's and mirrorless for years Canon 5DII, Panasonic GH5, etc., actually just sold my Canon R5 (what?!?) and bought the HC-X1500 - I am very, very happy so far. Great for running + gunning. A real video camera made to shoot video. I will probably add an affordable low light DSLR back into my gear at some point but I don't NEED one yet. 🇺🇸 SUBSCRIBED.
Great review 👍 lm still getting my head around this camcorder but Im super happy with it 😉
Hi Cameron, really very useful to hear your thinking process. I'm trying to work out if a mirrorless or camcorder would be better for my planned rather long duration project. Thanks for posting.
Well, it looks better than what I imagined it to be when I watched your previous review! Congratulations on the upgrade!
Edit: I can understand why you wouldn't want an SDI output, as I think the SDI interface is used for special mixers and interfaces for live video and such, while you'd likely just be recording to memory cards and editing video.
Hello, may I ask which special official software can be used to import the video recorded by Panasonic HC-X1500 into the computer? Copying directly with a card reader I am afraid that the long video will be split into multiple files by 2G each.
I just copy the files off using a card reader with Finder on my Mac (Windows Explorer on a PC), this won't split the files up. If you find the files are split up on the SD card itself, make sure the card is formatted as ExFAT. I haven't tried it but if the card is formatted as FAT32 then it's likely that the camera itself will split the files up to keep them under the 4gb limit of FAT32.
@@camerongray1515 thank you for your reply
Thanks for a great review! Very helpful.
Great job!
i brought the hc-x2000. THANKS
Thanks for the review! I am using this camcorder for almost a 2 years and I love it! I only use auto mode since the focusing system is not so good on manual mode.
Absolutely best video I have watched on this camcorder. Looking to upgrade my Panasonic FZ300 which I am currently using for my channel. Wanting a camcorder to get rid of the recording time limit as the 30 minute limit always happens at the wrong moment. Also the zoom is terrible to control on the FZ300 and hoping this has a much finer control. Great video!
Great video, You really helped me with my Canon XF605, which is very similar to what you describe with your Panasonic . I am surprised about the noise you describe with the Tascam. The XF605 has noisy preamps as well. Have you had any luck finding a field recorder with decent preamps. I am considering the Zoom H6, H5 or the Tascam X8. Thanks for the video Cameron!
Mike
Before I buy the handle, is possibly to connect 2 XLR mics and then at the same time use the mic input from the camera at the same time so that you can possibly have 3 mics in use?
Looks nice. I've never used a mirrorless camera, but I do prefer a dedicated video camera to the DSLR. Mostly because of the smaller sensor, and thus less depth of field issues, but also the much more flexible audio and easier to use controls. This is in contrast to still photographs, where I often want a shallow DOF, and so tend to prefer my 35mm camera to the APS-C DSLR. I do have a couple of video cameras which have handles. The handles are incredibly useful. I don't know why they don't bother with them on cheaper cameras.
I've had the HC-X2000 for over a year now and I love it. The only thing I've not been happy with is my footage looking washed out and over exposed, but I don't blame the camera for that, its on me not dialing in the settings right. Great video as always!
I had the same problem but I got off my last but and dialed in the settings on Cine D profile and now its perfect, sharp, balanced exposure, nice colors - and ready for my post processing. Really enjoying this camcorder!
@@chadj.w.anderson5473 Thanks for the clear explanation, especially the gain was an eye opener....
You talk about recording in cineD profile, which program do you edit in, fcpx or resolve in both I don't get the colour and exposer right.
Have you posted a sample video yet showing the grading
Tell me, the camera does not have the required language, where and how can I install it, thank you in advance
What is the best format to record a wedding?? Thank you 🙏
I still have not figured out which recording format/codec to choose from the 300+ options...
Hey Gray,
I have been using this camera almost 2 years for TV work.
for the price, its great..
Bare in mind that i had a problem 6 month ago, in the ND filters, so, i got a vertical black line in the screen, and when i was changing the filters from 1/4 to 1/16, it disappearing..
Later, that problem gone without any fixing from me.. i thought i was lucky..
Last week i was filming, then i begun to edit my material, i found small problem in the auto focus on the face, so, all the scene was great except the reporter face, was out of focus, which was repeatedly happened later..
I will send it to the workshop of Sony if they might fix the problem.
Thanks for the review.
Is it possible to change the battery when the camera is on a tripod?
May depend on your tripod but can do it easily on my Velbon EF-61 tripod
will you be doing a menu walh through that would be good
Are you able to change the lens at all on it? I’m wanting to have the ability to put a fisheye lens on it as well
The most you can do is fit a "lens converter" which screws onto the front of the lens. These are available in fisheye/wide angle variants and will work fine for the price, but they aren't going to be as good as an actual wide angle/fisheye lens. If you're wanting a camcorder with the opportunity to occasionally use a fisheye lens then this could be a viable option but if you're wanting to use lots of different lenses you're much better off either getting an actual interchangeable lens camcorder or going down the mirrorless/SLR route.
Using Panasonic Camcorders for about 20 years. Still lovin my DVX200
Hey! Nice review! I just bought the HC-1500 I have a hard time making the 4k clips running smoothly in Premiere v22.0, any trouble your side? any tip?
I haven't used Premiere personally (I use Davinci Resolve) however a lot of it will come down to your particular machine. Is it powerful enough to handle 4k content. Additionally, which codec are you using to record and what sort of acceleration does your machine support. E.g. if you're recording in H.265/HVEC but your machine only supports H.264 hardware acceleration, you may be better off recording at H.264. You may also want to look into editing with "Proxy files" where you edit using lower resolution copies of the video so that your timeline is responsive and then you'll substitute in the full resolution files when it comes to finally render.
@@camerongray1515 I realized that I can easy edit 23.98 footage but when I try to edit some 59 the whole thing don't work.
@@8xu7ux84 If your Timebase (frame/seconds) in your sequence settings don't match your footage frame rate it won't play correctly. If your Sequence settings is left to 23.98 your 59 footage will be slowed down to 23.98 I believe.
Did they ever fix the noisy preamps issue on these?
Preamps?
Hi, now in 2023...
I see you got the mid range one between what I am looking at right now..
I like to ask you that been working with both mirrorless and now this one...
How shall one best compare the Panasonic AG-CX10 to the newer HC-x2 usage need, like what can one do that the other cannot?
Please advice me what the main things to consider would be as you see it..
is a huge price difference but many things happens in 2023...
I want to live-send from protest and make small documentaries as well...
I am not good at all the tech stuff but I am good at directing, creating ideas and working
with people...
I want a camera that I can go out with and that is professional so that I can make money by it
as well as do vlogs at home or make short films with actors as well...
Most people tell me to stay away from camcorders..
and instead get a Black Magic 4k or the newer Sigma FP...
The Sigma FP looks really cool, and they seem to listen to their users which I totally like!
I love the cinema look but I also love to catch things quickly that happens around town when I am out n' about....
I of course understand setting up light and mics at home with actors and follow a scene schedule is a totally different work day than
following a protest on the street or making a vlog to CZcams when out with my bike in the country side...
But, I cannot afford right now to buy all kinds of different cameras and a studio,
but I still want to make actors look great in short films as well as have a fairly easy access
to a camera when interesting events happens around town..
so, what do you that worked with both mirrorless and camcorders think about all this?
and Panasonic AG-CX10 vs HC-x2, what are the pros and cons except for the big price difference between them?
do I need HC-x2 in 2023 and forward on, and if so why?
do all of the HC live broadcast the same way?
thans for a great channel and hope to here your thoughts on the topic°
Kind regards from Sweden :)
Is this camera enough if my principal goal is to record concerts apart from simple vacation moments or should I get the HC-X2000? Can I use this one without the top handle, is it necessary? I was considering either getting the HC-X2000 because it seemed more resonable as it comes together with the top handle or the HC-X1500 but without buying the additional handle. If I get this one, I want it to be really because of the lower price, but would it make sense without the handle?
The handle is only really necessary if you either need the XLR inputs for external microphones or would like the built in video light. Without the handle you'd be limited to either the internal microphone or a microphone that connects over a 3.5mm jack. As for filming concerts - are you meaning professionally or just as a concert goer? For professional filming this would likely work fine however it's not the sort of thing you'd want to take into a crowd - it's relatively large and heavy and I doubt people behind you would be best pleased with something this large being held up in front of them (a phone can be bad enough!). If you're filming as a concert goer you'd likely be better off with some sort of small consumer camcorder or an action camera then connect an external mic if needed.
@@camerongray1515 I meant as a non-professional, but at the same time I want the best quality possible, I loved the idea of being able to film in 4k with the HC-x15000 and HC-x2000. Are they really so big? In the pictures over the Internet they don't look so. And yes, I want to have the best sound possible, so probably I would buy the x2000, because the x1500 could actually result being even more expensive. However, I may consider buying the x1500 with a cheaper, not so complicated handle, just to attach any other microphone, is there a possibility? Or maybe I could buy the HC-VXF1? Do you know that model?
I am using it, it's terrible. While recording 4k 30p for 5 minutes, the camera hanged and erased all videos automatically. I am using sony hdxc 270 mb/s v30 memory card, still it happened. Its not good at all.
Depth of field is a function solely of the lens, not the sensor. It is a common misconception. Small sensor cameras have short focal length lens to get a wild field of view and it is that that gives a deeper depth of filed.
Ive been thinking about getting a camcorder for a while
I do have a DSLR camera, but i dont like using it for video (one reason is that it can only record 1080p 25fps, or 720p 50fps, but there are a few other reasons which i wont go into)
I have already ruled out all of sonys camcorders, as i do not like the fact that their camcorders have a permenently attached USB cable, especially as ive had a number of USB cables fail on me, and to begin with at least i will likely be using a USB cable (as the SD card reader in the only computer i currently have isnt very good, and i do not have a decent external one)
Hi folks, the big advantage of ND filters is that they allow you to use slower, more cinematic like shutter speeds, unlike mobile phones.
Hi everyone, I've made several comments so far, I hope they are seen as useful. As you can see I'm suffering from analysis paralysis! Just the be clear I like this channel and have subscribed.
Whar are your experience regarding SD-cards write-speed?
It really comes down to the bitrate you're recording at, I record at the maximum 200Mbps (megaBITS per second) which works out to 25MBps (megaBYTES per second) so a card that can write at over 25MB/s should be fine. That said, higher speed cards aren't that expensive so I'd go for something a decent amount faster than that to get some headroom. Personally I use Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II cards. These have a write speed of 120MB/s so are more than fast enough for to handle the highest bitrates. I could probably get away with a lower speed card but these are relatively inexpensive and have a high read speed which is important for being able to ingest the footage quickly. It's all well and good to have a card fast enough to write the video to, but if it has a slow read speed it'll take an age to ingest any footage from the card.
Me again folks. For H265 editing you need a modern computer. Either a Mac with the M1 chip set or a recent Intel CPU which has Quicksync and which also supports H265. The codec is very good for high quality in a small space but it uses a really long group of pictures to achive this and editing that is very computer intensive. If you have the time to transcode it is not a problem, justconvert the H265 to an rasy to dent format eg DNxHR or ProRes. H264 will also usually be ok.
ouch, the handle costs around a third of the unit's price. Was going to get one except for that. Unfortunate.
Any recommendations for a shallow depth of field lens for this camera?
This camera does not have interchangeable lenses. There are some lenses that can be fitted to the 62mm filter thread on the front but these are more designed for wide angle/magnification type jobs rather than changing the depth of field. With this camera the only way to really do shallow depth of field is to move the camera far back from the subject and zoom in. If shallow depth of field is a major requirement then you'd really need to use a camera with a larger sensor and potentially with interchangeable lenses.
Hi Cameron, keep up the great videos. Could you please speak at 0.75 your current rate as it is really fatiguing trying to listen to you at your current rate. 0.75 is an option in CZcams ;)
I have the Panasonic AG-CX350 and it's the same battery
As somone whos invested into the Sony system if you get the Sony XLR-K3M adapter and an 18-110 or 28-135 G OSS glass its well basically a camcorder that can do a little bit more trick is saving profiles on Sony and rely on power on set fire, but it has to be said yes the Sony A7SIII are going to beat all but the best 3CMOS cameras if you build out a proper rig with a cage but the A6000 is great with a rig OSS lens external power system via cheep 3rd party dummy bat to NPF plate and a dedicated recorder to get over the weak internal sub 100mbps codecs and get that 1080p 4:2:2 8bit 50/60p but sadly only Gen 4/4.1 Sony kit gets the 10bit treatment.
All higher-end cameras have 4:2:2 10bit nowdays thank god but external recorders get you more effective aqusition codecs like ProRes/DNxHD 422 and 4444 and even RAW 12bit codecs like ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW on the higher end side of mirrorless or even camcorders keep in mind SDD media is cheaper then SD cards and bigger so having 2TB of buffer gives you a shoot all day and deal with it later ability.
But as a camcorder user for a dedicated 1-2-3 deploy is stupid simple and easy with dedicated controls and I will always use them for fixed video as having that 24-600mm equivalent is amazing in even my older HVR-Z5E from 2008 that's 3CMOS its noisey but sharp as hell in lowlight but thanks to 170mbps ProRes HQ on a little Atmos Star recorder its very usable.
This is true, can absolutely build really powerful setups with mirrorless cameras, but it also kinda cements my idea behind going for a camcorder. The sheer effort to build such a setup along with the huge cost of buying a suitable camera, lens, XLR adapter, power supply, possibly an external recorder and a frame to attach it all to to make an easily handleable unit vs just spending £1600 on a single camcorder which will do a "good enough" job out of the box just makes a camcorder seem like the ideal option for me.
As you can probably tell with my content, I don't really spend much time with the actual planning of shots or trying to do anything particularly creative/cinematic - my artistic skill is basically nil and I'm usually very tight for free time in which I can work on videos - being able to just hit record and get shots that I know will be good enough is a game changer!
@@camerongray1515 At the end of the day it boils down to what's practical and having just fixed position and good dialogue content is your style and that's what I like about your content is not filler it's ''real'' content all the way through.
Something I forgot to mention was that E-Infinity costs dramatically less than UK MSRP's on kit right now always worth keeping an eye on the grey markets to save a ton on gear.
Hi folks, don't be fooled by the 1" sensors, they are a lot smaller than 1" across the diagonal. The size quoted refers to the diameter of the old videcon vacuum tubes!
Nice 👍
For the money you could have bought a 1" sensor camera, the Sony NX80 (29 - 348mm FOV) or Canon XA50 (25.5 - 382.5mm) both with XLR handle? Both would give you way much better video autofocus because of their phase detect/dual pixel technology, and 1 stop better noise performance. You mentioned that you wanted a camera primarily for internal/indoor use, so the extra 220 - 250 mm reach of the 26 - 600mm sensor of the X1500 wouldn't be a big thing for you. I am curious why to buy an expensive 1/2.5" camera in 2022?
It was almost entirely down to price, at the time of purchasing, this setup cost around £1500 (which was already stretching my budget) whereas the XA50 and NX80 were closer to the £1800-2000 mark. Within my budget the options I was considering were the Panasonic X1500, Panasonic X1E (1" sensor but a relatively old model) or the Canon XA40 (pretty sure all Canon stuff was out of stock at the time too).
@@camerongray1515 oh thats ok then thank you. Excellent video you made. It was a joy to watch, even if i were quite reluctant to pick a 1/2.5 at this price range. You talk crazy fast but its ok.
Yeah, I was a bit concerned about the sensor size too since I was coming from APS-C but given I always film under pretty bright lighting it's not too bad. The deep depth of field is also a nice benefit over my old mirrorless (and presumably a larger sensor camcorder) - sure it's not as artistic but from a "point and shoot" perspective it's probably the biggest benefit I've noticed over my A6000.
@@camerongray1515 on the other hand, that 1 stop better low light performance is not necessarily enough reason. A 1" sensor exactly 2 stops better than a 1/2.5" but the f1.8-f4 lens on the x1500 vs the f2.8 - f4.5 on the 1" cameras save you 1 stop, at least on the wide end. The 3.5" 2.76M screen on the x1500 is crazy good. But the small 0.24" 1.5M EVF is crap. The N80 has quite decent EVF 0.39" 2.36M and an okish 3.5" 1.5M screen, but the XA50 3" screen and 0.24" EVF both are total crap, shame on Canon.
Definitely agreed on the EVF, good job the LCD is so good because the EVF is next to useless, especially compared to the one on my A6000. Suppose it's nice to have if I was filming in a super bright environment and was struggling to use the LCD but other than that I never use it.
Love the accent!
Arrepentido de haberla comprado. Desenfoca mucho las luces por la noche, tanto en automático como en manual
It very much depends on what you're doing, for low light shots such as at night you'd really need a larger sensor such as on a mirrorless or at least a 1" sensor camcorder. Smaller sensor camcorders like this need a decent amount of light to work well. You may get some improvement if you manually lower the gain to get a less bright but also less noisy image but it's really just not suited to low light filming.
@@camerongray1515 muchas gracias por la respuesta
Professionals shooting 'run and gun' like buttons. They are somuch faster to use than raking around in menus. Especially the older Sony ones ......
Hi, from Bangladesh
Hi Cameron, you probably know this by now, your camera has phantom power so you could ditch the batteries.
Yeah, I'm using phantom power, don't think I've ever really used the battery with it, my comment was more just that the reason the microphone is so large is because of the optional battery compartment
why is the sound of this video so bad?
Where about? Sounds okay to me. I'm not an audio expert so it probably doesn't sound amazing since I don't do much post-processing but I still record using a Sony ECM-77B lav mic which is hardly a bad microphone! I do however speak quickly with an accent so I can appreciate that sometimes my speech doesn't come across super clearly.
I thought everyone swore by mirrorless cameras
Both mirrorless cameras and camcorders have their pros and cons. I now use a mirrorless camera as part of a camera rig and while the quality is great and it gives me a tonne of control, it's also significantly more time consuming and requires more tweaking to use and edit footage from. Mirrorless cameras are ideal for people who want to have a huge amount of control over their shot, swap lenses and get a more "cinematic" look, their large sensors are also great in low light. However, with a camcorder you get a much more "point and shoot" solution that out of the box has a better form factor for video use, often better microphone inputs, built in ND filters and generally a pretty good multi-purpose lens. For people who just want a good general purpose camera that will work well out of the box without hassle, a camcorder is often a better solution. Camcorders also generally don't have recording time limits whereas mirrorless cameras often have 30 minute record time limits.
Looks cheaper for quite a degree of what it costs, really.
Never thought that I'd say it about Panasonic/National product but... Really?
And these plastic casting flaws. Just disgusting.
I wouldn't say that the slightly rough seam and slightly mushy buttons are "disgusting" - it's still a very well built camera and feels extremely solid and weighty in the hand. Can't see where it looks cheap, it looks basically the same as other cameras from Panasonic/Sony/JVC that target this type of market, you won't see glossy plastic or shiny metals on cameras that target this type of market, they're basically all going to be the same matte black style.
@@camerongray1515 Well... It was not even expected at the slightest back in 70s-80s, that's why my quite rude comment arose :(
Pity, quality degrades.
edit - and we age to grumpy bastards sometime.
Your are not the first guy to have this opinion, I've read three reviwers, who were not blind-folded Panasonic fanboys, and they were complaining heavily on the cheapo implementation, and low quality, hollow feel of the camera, and all for $2000 and 1/2.5" in 2022, 7 years ago 1/2.5" was ok, and today in smartphones, but in $2000 cameras with XLR handle? Hmm.
ONE FREAKING HOUR! Bro you need to trim your video down to 10 mins.
There are plenty other videos that provide shorter reviews of this camera... My style is to provide as much information as possible for people who want that, or for people to skip through to the part that they want. I'm not really in the business of producing highly scripted short content.
Hello, Iam french, your accent is terrible for me , hi hi hi , in french, je vais acheter le camescope mais sans la poignée, merci en tous cas pour les infos, good evening, je crois !
Look unprofessional 😂😂😂
What's wrong with it? What makes a camera "look professional" - surely it's what you use it for rather than what it looks like, I mean, look at the number of field news broadcasts shot on iPhones!
I still use the x1500 @@camerongray1515
1 hour video and no footages. Get out of here
I'm not a professional videographer, there's already a lot better test footage of this camera out there on CZcams whereas there is limited scope for me being able to film anything decent outside of my usual style CZcams content. I simply wanted to provide information about my experience with the camera as someone who's moving from a mirrorless camera to a camcorder.
Complain, complain, complain, wow! None of that is hard to understand, the buttons are fine, the menu is fine the view finder is what it is, just be glad they put one on there, because this is not a photographer type camera. I think this is the best image quality camcorder in this price range. There's no perfect camcorder, there's no perfect camera, PERIOD, so just talk about the quality and the performance of the camera because that's what most people want to hear.
I'm hardly just complaining, I use this camera constantly and really like it however it does have some downsides and I feel that it's important to point them out so that potential buyers can be informed rather than me producing a glossy video showing off the camera and making it out to be amazing. Based on my experience after using it for over a year - the menu system is fine now I've figured it out and the picture quality is great (especially at this price point), however the viewfinder is poor as I mentioned (sure it's great it has one, but I'm still allowed to criticise it), the auto white balance can be sluggish and a bit temperamental and the audio inputs are so noisy that I've just spent over £800 on an external monitor/recorder so that I can stop using them. It's still a great camera, but if a review only ever points out the good sides, it's not a review, it's an advert.
@@camerongray1515
Lol. ALL cameras have some short comings, so basically you're still complaining, Even the best looking girls have some short comings in some way or another. Just enjoy the camera or return it, it's that simple.
Of course cameras have shortcomings, that's the entire point of a product review video, to discuss these shortcomings so that other buyers can make informed purchasing decisions. I do enjoy the camera, however had I seen a review mentioning the noisy preamps before I purchased I'd have possibly picked a different option. Hence why producing reviews is important to help potential buyers. I can't work out why you're so upset that I pointed out some flaws during a product review video?
Also, in my last video on the Blackmagic Video Assist I actually test the noise floor of the preamps in this camcorder and they're noiser than even a low end PCM recorder and even worse than the basic microphone input on a laptop docking station which is not remotely designed for audio quality! I measured the EIN on the camcorder's XLR input to be -95dB whereas for any sort of professional audio you'd expect an EIN less than -125dB! Should I just pretend that everything is great in my videos and cause people to buy a product that may not be suitable for their needs?
@@thewalkingvloggingman7152 There is nothing wrong at all pointing out faults with a Camera design.
you talk to much
He's giving good advice, go away .