Review Panasonic HC-X1500 camcorder

realspeed

realspeed

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Bazza
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First impressions

This came yesterday so spent last 2 days digging into the menu and setup. Having had a panasonic camcorder before made it a bit easier. Couple of things about it First how long it takes to charge up the battery so a good idea to have a spare not panasonic they are very expensive . Having a large range of recording methods is nice just a question of which suits and if an editing program can handle it.
I used to us windows media viewer program to view and here I had a lot of head scratching.

my windows 10 didn't recognise the HEVC codec in sound but did in watching, very strange took me a day to sort out and eventually made VCL the default and that work as it has that codec built in. my adobe premier Elements 2020 video editing is not really powerful enough for editing so will have to look at something else I guess.
Ok using the camcorder is really nice better when the handle comes for it ordered waiting supplies (covid delay issues). from the features it offers the results are amazing compared to the Sony camcorder , Then comparing a pro against a consumers version. Panning is a treat no more jittering and focus is almost instant make a big difference as well.
One can stream direct without wires not that I am inteested just yet, early days



One thing that annoys is you can't use a wireless remote apart from an Ipad or similar and I uderstand . there are wired units whch seem to work well mine did for zoom and on/off but I miss that wireless freedom
If filters needed to put on (it has ND filters built in) then the lens hood doen't fit.
Mine was version 1.2 and the new version is 1.3 . Usual way of upgrading ,I did have a fight with the camcorder to accept the new version but I won in the end.

As I said at the start first impressions not been out to give it a proper tryout only in the back garden, too cold to mess about at the moment

apart from those little niggles yes it is a great bit of kit

video test my unstedy hand caused slight stalling (early this morning) Handle with inbuilt light arrived a few days later so tried it out in second video link

View: https://youtu.be/LusxH9uHGZE


View: https://youtu.be/Jlymz7nmL64
 
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realspeed said:
video test my unstedy hand caused slight stalling (early this morning) Handle with inbuilt light arrived a few days later so tried it out in second video link
Click to expand...

quite jerky left to right ?
 
KIPAX said:
quite jerky left to right ?
Click to expand...

wrong setting. as it does 50fps I should have at least doubled the shutter speed . so now upped it to 125 shutter speed

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still getting used to it but look
with the battery that came with it
the run time

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and still not completey flat
 
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redone is this better setting now 50 fps shutter 1/125sec




I must remember the 7+ second rule as well
 
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Thinking on it what I do like is being able to have a choice of recording to SD cards
1- folow on recording = first card full goes onto second card
2 - simultaneous recording = records on both cards so if on card fails there is a backup
3- can be set so one card only records part of a scene while the other card records all of the video. Bit unusual I think but anyway
even other setting to choose from aas well as the above
 
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realspeed said:
Thinking on it what I do like is being able to have a choice of recording to SD cards
1- folow on recording = first card full goes onto second card
2 - simultaneous recording = records on both cards so if on card fails there is a backup
3- can be set so one card only records part of a scene while the other card records all of the video. Bit unusual I think but anyway
Click to expand...

always simultaneous for me... thats one of the things i look for when purchasing camera or vid.. especially if a paid for job :)
 
I would be rendering at 25fps for youtube, the ideal shutter would be 1/100 for 50fps if it has it.
But don't get too hung up on that even with variable ND built in there is no real harm in cranking shutter higher for most scenes.
With a scene like above examples your 50fps will seem more stable playing at half speed but depending what you are editing with dropping to 25 doesn't change speed unless you want to.
 
4wd said:
I would be rendering at 25fps for youtube, the ideal shutter would be 1/100 for 50fps if it has it.
But don't get too hung up on that even with variable ND built in there is no real harm in cranking shutter higher for most scenes.
With a scene like above examples your 50fps will seem more stable playing at half speed but depending what you are editing with dropping to 25 doesn't change speed unless you want to.
Click to expand...
I think youtube reduces to 25fps anyway but I may be wrong. I would normally agree with the 1/100sec but tried it and found 1/125sec works ok, so will stay with that
as I said this is a new to me camcorder so any hints/tips most welcome.
My original camcorder the panasonic HC-X900m served me well for about 10 years and travelled with me to many different countries. Time took a toll on it and it started to have a few problems and not worth repairing due to cost.
So went onto the Sony FDR-ax53 because of the image stablisation but most of the settings were governed by the camcorder, IE set aperture and and everything else adjusted to that. So although a good camcorder it was too restricting. sold that with a few extras which helped pay for this one.
This new panasonic menu could possibly been laid out better but so many options available to play/adjust to ones liking
What a difference between a consumer and pro camcorder even down to the hand strap. No velcrose here but a proper adjustgable strap

If I had one issue and that it does not have a screw in hood but a one with a built in shutter. this means that to add a different filter it is a case of getting a different hood and lens cap, or do without the one that comes with it.
 
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the hood for the screen just arrived and what a difference it makes to viewing. well worth the money

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No because I use a special pen stylus designed for touch screens , it also stops fingerprints marks

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sorry I was answering on the pad but to add the photo have to go to desk computer. Far easier using this to touch the on screen menu
a.JPG

touching screen with hood over
 
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Update
The handle has XLR 3 pin ports so why not use them? First problem was finding a suitable stereo microphone. Most have connecting cables prewired into them so no chance of connection a suitable cable. many also had cross over heads when I wanted one that swivelled left to right or straight ahead.. One actuially went up/down which to me seems pointless. Rhode do one but powered by a 9V battery not always available on holiday. Lot of head scratching plently of directional microhone but not stereo.
It actually took a bit of finding but I did find one by BOYA ( BY-SM80) that comes with a removable lead and powered by 2xAAA batteries.
Neext was finding a lead to connect from microphone to camcorder handle that was not too long. So went for a "JEEUE 2XLR Male to 3.5mm TRS Stereo Y-Adapter Cable Breakout Lead" which is exactly what I wanted .

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4_28TQyvV0
 
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