Panasonic AG-HMC40 User Manual

Concept

Small, Light, Easy to Use –– And Exceptional Image Quality

Full-HD Images plus the Versatility Mobility to Cover All Kinds of Events

Monitoring and

Recording at

Construction Sites

The Interval REC function*1 automatically records frames at preset intervals.

Traffic Studies and

Crime Surveillance

Records in HD quality for up to 12 hours*2 and features a Time stamp function.

Newsgathering for TV	Recording at Halls and
and Newspaper Websites	Other Venues
In addition to recording full-HD	Add the optional XLR
motion images, the AG-HMC40	adapter for
shoots still images at the	professional-quality
equivalent of 10.6-megapixel	audio recording.
resolution (approx.).

*1 The maximum recording interval is 24 hours. *2 In HE (extended time) mode using a 32GB SDHC Memory Card.

Newly developed 1/4.1-inch 3.05-megapixel, progressive 3MOS sensors. Also records still images with 10.6-megapixel resolution (approx.)

12x Leica Dicomar zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) Professional-quality PH mode and reliable SD memory card recording Wide-ranging functions include a detachable XLR adapter (option), waveform monitor, and camera remote

Smooth, easy operation with a manual focus ring and touch panel Outstanding mobility with a small body that weights just 2.16 lbs

Weddings and Events

In addition to manual focus, the AG-HMC40's low light capabilities, wide angle lens and long record times make the bride and groom look their best.

SD Memory Card Recorder: Lower Operating Costs, Better for the Environment

SD Reduces Total Cost of Ownership

(1)Faster, easier editing because digitization is not necessary

(2)Lower media costs because memory cards are reusable

(3)Lower maintenance costs because there is no moving mechanism

By reducing editing, media and maintenance costs, AVCCAM can help improve your bottom line. Users can also take advantage of a special 3-year free-repair service program that Panasonic offers for AVCCAM equipment.

The SD Memory Card Helps Preserve the Environment with Its Reusability and Low Power Consumption

The SDHC/SD Memory Card media for the AVCCAM camcorder is totally free from abrasion and dropout. There is no drive mechanism required, as there is for tape and disc-based

recorders, so power consumption is low and

	size and weight are reduced. Malfunctions are less likely to		Reuse
	occur, and there is no need to replace heads or transport	Recording	Initialization
	components. This translates into lower costs and easier

maintenance, greater energy savings, and less waste when	SD Memory Card
the unit is eventually disposed of. All of these features help to
conserve the environment.

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Student Video Production

Students of any age will appreciate its compact and lightweight body.

There's no need for video capturing (digitizing), so editing is quick and easy. The recorded images can be viewed on a monitor or computer.

	You can use AG-HMC40
Style 1	three different ways

With handle detached,

this super-compact camera fits easily into a bag or pack for highest mobility.

5. 31 ches

11.97 inches

(5.35 inches wide)

Style 3

With the optional XLR adapter mounted on the handle, the AG-HMC40 has outstanding audio specs, plus the ability to add two external phantom microphones or line inputs with level controls.

Style 2

With handle in place, the AG-HMC40 is easy to carry and easy to use, even when shooting at difficult angles.

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Superb Full-HD Image Quality

A Small Camcorder That's Packed with Image-enhancing Technologies 3MOS System with Full-HD Sampling and Pro Tuning

Sharp, Crisp Rendering of Every Subject

New Leica Dicomar Lens

Featuring 13 elements in 10 groups, the newly developed Leica Dicomar lens is ideal for full-HD recording. The new lens system uses low-dispersion glass and aspherical lenses to reduce color aberration and boost resolution. Use of a special multi-coating process dramatically reduces flare and ghosts. The result: sharp, crisp, beautifully rendered pictures with vivid colors, delicate nuances, and exceptional shading. This advanced lens also lets you capture 40.8mm wide-angle shots (35mm lens equivalent) - unusual for such a compact unit.

HD Lens Unit (13 Elements in 10 Groups)

Low-dispersion Glass			Highly Refractive Lens
Reduces color aberration to			Makes it possible to fit a 12x optical zoom
produce clear images.			in a compact unit.
				Multi-coated Lens
				Surfaces
				Reduces flare and ghosts.
		Aspherical Lenses
		Enhances resolution and contrast.

Up to 120x Zoom Power

12x Optical Zoom and 10x Digital Zoom

Even at the 490mm zoom setting (35mm lens equivalent), this advanced 12x optical zoom lens is free of image degradation. And the AG-HMC40 is

also equipped with a digital zoom that instantly magnifies the image by any of three fixed values. 2x, 5x or 10x. Use it together with the 12x optical zoom lens, and you get super magnification equivalent to a 120x zoom, without the drop in light intensity that happens when using a lens extender.

*The image quality decreases as the digital zoom magnification increases.

Image with Wide-angle Image with 12x optical zoom Image with 12x optical zoom x 10x digital zoom (120x)

Take Clear Shots While Walking or Zooming Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS)

Because the hand-shake correction is done by actually driving the lens, there's none of the image degradation that occurs with electronic stabilization. You can capture beautiful, high-quality shots even in situations where hand-shake is typically a big problem - such as when zooming, shooting indoors in dim lighting, or shooting outdoors at night.

*Hand-shake from strong vibrations may remain. Also, visible differences may be slight under some conditions.

Highly Nuanced Image Expression

3.05-megapixel Progressive 3MOS Sensors

The progressive 3MOS image sensors record full-HD images with an effective motion-picture resolution of 2.51-megapixel (approx.). This produces full-raster HD images with high resolution and superb image quality. Because each of the three separate image sensors receives one of the three primary colors of light (red, green and blue), they render more precise images and more faithful colors than the single light-receiving 1MOS sensor.

What's the 3MOS System?

1MOS

Light

RGB filter

Image sensor

Light of any color other than the filter color is absorbed.

3MOS Light

Prism

Image sensor

The 3MOS system offers three times the light utilization of a 1MOS system.

3MOS (metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensors process the three primary colors of light (red, green and blue).

Suppresses Blocked Shadows and Blown Highlights

Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS)

A gamma curve and knee slope are estimated to match the contrast of each pixel, and applied in real time. When dark, bright, and intermediate shades are all contained in the same scene, this produces excellent gradation for each shade and minimizes blocked shadows and blown highlights.

The images that result are enhanced by a visually wider dynamic range.

Image with OIS OFF

Image with OIS ON

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High-quality Digital Stills

Still Shots with 10.6-megapixel Resolution (approx.)

The new 3MOS sensors also combine with Panasonic's proprietary Quad-Density Pixel Distribution technology to achieve a resolution that is equivalent to 4 times the normal level. The AG-HMC40 captures still images with approx. 10.6-megapixel resolution (in still image mode, 3:2 aspect ratio), which approaches the level of a

Image with still shots high-performance digital still camera.

For example, you can use it to shoot both motion and still images for a website.

*The AG-HMC40 is not equipped with a flash function. The digital zoom cannot be used.

Images with the Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS) Effect

Image with DRS OFF

Image with DRS ON

Blown highlights	Blocked shadows
are suppressed.	are suppressed.

Highly Detailed Image Composition

Advanced Pro Tuning Functions

•Matrix settings

Lets you choose basic color hues that convey the desired overall image mood.

	Matrix settings
NORM1	For colors suited to shooting outdoors or under halogen lights.
NORM2	For colors more vivid than NORM1.
FLUO	For colors suited to shooting indoors under fluorescent lights.
CINE-LIKE	To reproduce colors similar to those in movies.

•Knee point settings

Controls the highlights within the frame. (AUTO/LOW/MID/HIGH)

•Adjustable H detail level, V detail level, detail coring and skin detail

Corrects edges and removes image noise.

•Adjustable chroma level, chroma phase, color temp and master pedestal

Sets the basic levels for brightness and other signals.

•Two scene files

The AG-HMC40 can save two sets of camera settings as scene files for instant recall later in similar shooting conditions.

Cine-like Gamma Curves

7-mode Gamma for Richer Gradation

Drawing on technologies developed for the VariCam HD camcorders for digital cinema, Panasonic has equipped the AG-HMC40 with advanced gamma functions that address seven different shooting scenarios and enhance your creative abilities. This includes the cine-like gamma, which produces the characteristic warm tone of film recordings.

Image with VIDEO GAMMA Image with CINE-LIKE GAMMA

AG-HMC40 Gamma Modes

HD NORM	Suitable for HD recording
LOW	Works to flatten out a high contrast scene
SD NORM	Normal setting for SD (This was available in the DVX100 series.)
HIGH	Provides more contrast and color gradation
B.PRESS	Provides more contrast and blacks in low contrast scenes
CINE-LIKE-D	The Cine-like mode shifted to prioritize dynamic range
CINE-LIKE-V	The Cine-like mode shifted to prioritize contrast
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