Angus Farquhar, Online Video Producer

Pro HD camcorder in miniature - JVC GY-HM100

JVC chose the FCPUG Supermeet in San Francisco last week to make a pretty significant announcement - the launch of the tiny JVC GY-HM100 camcorder.

But it’s not just the fact that it is small that really makes it stand out from the crowd, it’s the fact that it shoots full 1920x1080p HD at 35Mbps in to a Quicktime file and records it straight to two SDHC cards while maintaining full manual controls (many of them physical).

What that means in practice is you can shoot on really cheap media, then just pop it out, slot it in to you computer and begin editing. No capturing and no format conversion.

Having just just published 11 videos from the press room of the CES show in Las Vegas with a Sony EX1, I can attest to the benefits of a file-based workflow, but my aching arms would dearly have loved to have been carrying the 3lb HM100 rather than the 6lb (plus wide angle lens) EX1.

Like the EX1 the HM100 also shoots in XDCAM EX but instead of recording on rediculously expensive SxS cards (32GB = £750), you can use a bog standard SDHC card (32GB = £70), which are coming down in price every day.

Annoyingly I just bought a Sony A1E as my second camera. If only JVC had been a bit quicker I could have had a totally tapeless workflow.

MacVideo were in San Francisco and posted a good video of the launch of the HM100 that shows just how small it is and how easily it imports in to Final Cut.

Posted by Angus Farquhar (12/11/09 19:13)