Panasonic Memory Card Camera Recorder AG-HMC150P Operating Instructions

							
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Shooting
 
The images shot from when shooting starts 
until it is stopped are recorded as one clip.
When recording is paused after a short period, 
a small amount of time may be required after 
pressing the START/STOP button to stop 
recording before writing to the SD Memory 
Card is terminated.
  This means that operations cannot be  accepted if the START/STOP button is 
pressed immediately.
The camera will read information from the SD 
Memory Card immediately after the card is 
inserted. Press the START/STOP button to 
begin recording after PAUSE is displayed in 
the operation status display. (Page 78)
The camera’s factory default setting is PH 
mode 1080/60i recording.
(To view current setting status: Page 42)
The upper limit for the number of clips which 
can be recorded on a single SD Memory Card 
is 900. (However, this number may exceed 
900 clips at times such as when shooting 
immediately after the POWER switch has been 
set to ON.)
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Checking photos taken (REC CHECK)
Press the REC CHECK button while recording is 
paused. The last two seconds of video and audio 
will be played, and the camera will then return to 
the recording pause mode.
Only the POWER and START/STOP buttons are 
operable during REC CHECK.
The REC CHECK images are also recorded 
when a device is connected to the camera and 
backup images have been recorded.
The REC CHECK function does not work when 
PC or PB has been selected as the operation 
mode.
This function also does not work if the REC 
FORMAT has been changed or if the camera has 
been set to CAM mode after having switched to 
PB mode after recording.
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SD Memory Card access lamp
CAM mode (PB mode) 
Illuminated orange:
   Reading/writing possible
Flashing orange (fast):   Verifying card/inspecting 
card for possible defects
Flashing orange (slow):  Accessing  card
Flashing green (slow):   Card write-protected/
no space left on card
Off:   No card inserted/unformatted or incompatible 
card inserted
PC mode 
Illuminated orange:    Accessing card
Off:   A status other than access underway.
SD Memory Card access lamp 
						

							
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Basic shooting operations (continued)
Formatting SD Memory Cards
1  Set the camera’s power switch to ON. (Page 22)
2  Press the MENU button.
3  Select CARD FUNCTIONS →CARD FORMAT 
from the menu.
Select YES when the following screen is displayed. 
Select NO if you do not wish to format the card.
Press the MENU button to close the menu display.
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4  Select YES on the conformation screen. The SD Memory Card will be formatted.
5  Press the MENU button to finish.When an SD Memory Card is formatted, all 
data recorded on the card will be erased and 
will not be restorable.
Save all important data to your computer.
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SD Memory Card recording times
Total available recording times (approx.) when using SD/SDHC Memory Car\
ds manufactured by Panasonic
SD Memory Card 
capacity Recording mode
PH ∗1(Highest quality mode∗3/ 
1920 × 1080 pixels or  1280 × 720 pixels)HA ∗1(High quality mode/ 
1920 × 1080 pixels)HG ∗2(Standard quality mode/ 
1920 × 1080 pixels)HE ∗2 (Long duration mode/ 
1440 × 1080 pixels)
512 MB Approx.  2 min Approx.  3 min Approx.  4 min Approx.  10 min 1 GB Approx.  5 min Approx.  7 min Approx.  9 min Approx.  21 min
2 GB Approx.  10 min Approx.  15 min Approx.  20 min Approx.  45 min
4 GB Approx.  21 min Approx.  30 min Approx.  40 min Approx.  90 min
6 GB Approx.   33 min Approx.  45 min Approx.  60 min Approx. 135 min
8 GB Approx.  45 min Approx.  60 min Approx.  80 min Approx. 180 min
12 GB Approx.  65 min Approx.  90 min Approx. 120 min Approx. 270 min
16 GB Approx.  90 min Approx. 120 min Approx. 160 min Approx. 360 min
32 GB Approx. 180 min Approx. 240 min Approx. 320 min Approx. 720 min
∗1   Use an SD memory class of SD speed class 4 or above when recording on PH\
 mode or HA mode. 
Recording cannot be completed on SD Memory Cards of lower speed classes.\
∗
2   Use an SD memory class of SD speed class 2 or above when recording in HG\
 mode or HE mode.
Recording cannot be completed on SD Memory Cards of lower speed classes.\
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3

 This is the highest quality mode of this camera.This camera uses the VBR recording system. “VBR” stands for Variable Bit Rate, and it refers to a system in 
which the bit rate (volume of data per given time period) varies autom\
atically depending on the subject which is 
being shot. This means that the recording times will be shorter when fast-moving sub\
jects have been recorded.
Times displayed include time needed for processing, etc. – actual avai\
lable recording times will be 
slightly shorter.
The camera is capable of continuous recording for a maximum of 12 hours.\
Mosaic-like noise may appear on the playback screen under the following \
shooting conditions:
When there are complex patterns in the background
When the camera is moved in large motions or when it is moved very quick\
ly
When a fast-moving subject has been recorded (and especially when HE ha\
s been set as the recording mode)Repeatedly recording or deleting images over and over again may reduce t\
he recording time on the SD 
Memory Card. In such cases, format the SD Memory Card using the camera. \
When a card is formatted, 
all of its recorded data will be erased, and it will not be subsequently\
 possible to restore this data. Save 
any valuable data on your PC prior to formatting.
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Shooting
Removing SD Memory Card
1  Tilt the viewfinder upwards, and open the SD Memory Card slot cover by sliding it to 
the left. Ensure that the SD Memory Card access 
lamp is not flashing orange before opening 
the cover.
2  Press the center of the SD Memory Card so that it pops out slightly, and pull the card 
straight outwards.
SD Memory Card 
access lamp
2 1
Do not remove the SD Memory Card or switch off 
the power in the following circumstances. Doing 
so may damage your SD Memory Card.
 1)   While the SD Memory Card access lamp is still 
flashing orange after an SD Memory Card has 
been inserted.
 2)   While the SD Memory Card access lamp is 
flashing such as during recording or during 
recording finalization. 
Protecting SD Memory Cards
Move the write-protect switch on the SD Memory 
Card to the “LOCK” position to prevent recorded 
contents being accidentally erased from the card.
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LOCK
Write-protect 
switch
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Repairing SD Memory Cards
Never remove the SD Memory Card or disconnect 
the battery or DC cord while the SD Memory Card 
access lamp is flashing, as doing so may damage 
the SD Memory Card. In the event that the SD 
Memory Card has been removed while the SD 
Memory Card access lamp was flashing, or that 
the battery or DC cord has been disconnected 
during recording or the recording finalization 
process, a repair verification screen will be 
displayed the next time the power is switched on in 
order to allow errors to be repaired.
Select YES to begin repairing. When repairing is 
complete, “REPAIR FINISHED” will be displayed, and 
the camera will switch to the recording paused screen.
Select NO to switch directly to the recording 
paused screen without repairing. Memory cards cannot be repaired with the 
camera if NO is selected, but can still be repaired 
by using the AVCCAM Restorer ∗
 contents repair 
software.
An SD Memory Card on which an error occurred 
can be repaired by using either the camera 
that was used for the shooting, or the AVCCAM 
Restorer contents repair software.
A repair confirmation message may be displayed 
after inserting an SD Memory Card which has no 
error, but repair will not be performed even when 
YES or NO is selected.
Repair may take up to 20 minutes or so 
depending on the places where the errors 
occurred on the card.
Use a battery with an adequate charge or the AC 
adapter.
If the repair operation has failed, “SYSTEM 
ERROR TURN POWER OFF” will be displayed. 
In this case, please use the AVCCAM Restorer 
contents repair software.
Depending on the status of the data, it may not 
be possible to restore all data completely. In this 
case, it will no longer be possible to play back the 
clips that were recorded before the power was 
turned off.
Clips with a total recording time of less than 10 
seconds may not be able to be repaired.
Indexes attached during recording cannot be 
repaired.
∗   The AVCCAM Restorer can be downloaded from 
the following website.
https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/
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On the remote control
Press ZOOM/VOL buttons to zoom with the motor 
drive.Zoom speed is fixed at medium.
ZOOM/VOL buttons
ZOOM
START/
STOP
PHOTO
SHOT
EXT
DISPLAY
DATE/TIME
VOL
PLAY
STOP
SKIP SKIP
MENU
ENTER
PA U S E
SEARCH
STILL ADV STILL ADV SEARCH
Digital zoom function
By setting D.ZOOM to any of the USER 1 - 3 
buttons, you can use the camera’s digital zoom 
function. (Pages 43, 88)
With each press of the USER button to which 
D.ZOOM has been allocated, the digital zoom ratio 
will be switched between OFF (x 1)
→x 2 →x 5 →
x 10 →OFF.
The higher the zoom ratio setting, the poorer the 
image quality.
For all settings other than OFF (x 1), the current 
zoom ration will be displayed in the viewfinder or 
the LCD monitor.
The digital zoom function can only be used with 
the 1080/60i and 720/60P recording formats.
The digital zoom function cannot be used unless 
the DRS item on the settings menu SCENE FILE 
screen (Page 87) is set to OFF.
The digital zoom setting cannot be adjusted 
during recording.
The shutter speed cannot be set to 1/15 or 
1/30 while the digital zoom function is in use. 
Moreover, the digital zoom function cannot be 
used while the shutter speed is set to 1/15 or 
1/30.
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Using the zoom function
This camera has a 13 x optical zoom function.
Zoom with the zoom button or the zoom ring.
Zoom button
Set the ZOOM switch to SERVO so that you can 
use the motor-driven zoom.
 
T: Zoom in
  W: Zoom out
Gently press the zoom button on the hand strap 
side to zoom slowly, firmly press to zoom faster.
You can change the zoom speed on the handle 
zoom button by selecting one of three speeds with 
the HANDLE ZOOM switch.
Set the HANDLE ZOOM switch speeds by going 
to the setup menus, SW MODE screen HANDLE 
ZOOM. (Page 88)
HANDLE ZOOM switch
Handle zoom button
Zoom button
Zoom ring
Set the ZOOM switch to MANUAL so that you can 
use the zoom ring.  You cannot use the zoom ring if the ZOOM 
switch is set to SERVO. Trying to use it could 
damage the camera.
Zoom ring
MANUALZOOMSERVO
ZOOM switch
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Shooting
Shooting in progressive mode
Selecting 1080/30P or 1080/24P in the REC 
FORMAT option (Page 91) of the setting menu 
RECORDING SETUP screen enables shooting in 
progressive mode.
30P mode:
  Shoot 30 frames a second in the progressive mode. 
  For output and recording, the 30-frame-per- second signal is converted to 60-field-per-second 
interlace.
  This mode gives you high quality images.
Ao Ae Bo Be Co Ce Do De Eo Ee Fo Fe GoGe Ho He Io Ie Jo Je
ABCDEFGH I J30 P
60 i
24P mode:
  Shoot 24 frames a second in the progressive  mode.
  The video signal will be recorded natively.
  However, the external output signal is converted  to a 2:3 format, 60 fps interlaced signal.
ABCDEFGH
Ao Ae Bo Be Bo Ce Co De Do De Eo Ee Fo Fe FoGeGoHeHoHe
24 P
60 i
Note the following when shooting in 
progressive mode.You cannot have a gain of 18 dB.
Set the shutter speed to 1/50 (OFF) for best 
results.
There may be a slight delay to the start 
of recording when you use the 24P mode 
because 4 frames are recorded at a time.
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Shooting in manual mode
Set the unit to manual mode when manually 
adjusting the focus, iris, gain and white balance.
Switching to manual mode 
Move the AUTO/MANUAL switch to the MANUAL 
position to select the manual mode. (  will 
disappear from the viewfinder or the LCD monitor.)
AUTO/MANUAL switch
Manual focusing 
FOCUS switch
PUSH AUTO button AUTO/MANUAL switch
Focus ring
RING (FOCUS/IRIS) selector switch
1  Use the AUTO/MANUAL switch to set to 
manual mode.
2  Use the FOCUS switch to choose how to control focusing.
A (AUTO):
  Auto focus mode
M (MANUAL):
  Manual focus mode
   Turn the focus ring by hand.
 :
   The camera first focuses on infinity, then it 
switches to manual focus.
   The FOCUS switch automatically moves 
back to M (MANUAL) after you move it to 
.
3  The function allocated to the focus ring can 
be changed with the RING (FOCUS/IRIS) 
switch.
FOCUS:
  Adjust the focus.
IRIS:
  Adjust the iris (aperture) setting.
Temporarily switching to auto focus
Even if you have switched FOCUS to M (MANUAL) 
the camera will focus automatically while you press 
down PUSH AUTO. Auto focus may not work properly if there is 
flickering. Select a shutter speed suited to the 
ambient light. (Page 46)
If the auto focus mode is set with any format 
except 60i and 60P, controlling the focus will take 
slightly longer than in the normal focus mode.
If you have set ON for the AF item on the setting 
menu AUTO SW screen, auto focusing will occur 
regardless of the position of the FOCUS switch 
when the auto mode has been established. 
(Page 90)
During macro shooting “AF” or “MF” will be 
displayed in a frame on the screen.
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Shooting
Iris adjustments
RING (FOCUS/IRIS) switch
IRIS dial
IRIS button
1  Use the AUTO/MANUAL switch to set to  manual mode. (Page 36)
2  Press the IRIS button to switch how to adjust the aperture of lens.
AUTO IRIS:    Adjust the iris automatically.
MANUAL IRIS:  Adjust the iris manually.
3  Turn the IRIS dial to adjust the aperture of 
lens when in the manual iris mode. In the auto iris mode, the lens iris can be 
corrected using this dial.
Set the direction of the IRIS DIAL and aperture 
control in the setup menus, SW MODE screen, 
IRIS DIAL. (Page 88)
If you have set ON under A.IRIS item on the 
setting menu AUTO SW screen, auto iris will 
be forcibly selected when auto mode has been 
established. (Page 90)
The lens aperture can be adjusted in the focus 
ring by setting the RING (FOCUS/IRIS) switch 
to IRIS. However, as this will make it impossible 
to adjust the focus in the focus ring, please set 
the focus control method to A (AUTO) with the 
FOCUS switch. (Page 36)
When this camera’s lens aperture is open, the 
F-value will be F1.6 when the lens zoom is set 
to maximum wide-angle (W), and F3.0 when set 
to maximum telescopic (T).
While the lens aperture is open, the iris displays 
on the viewfinder or LCD monitor will show 
OPEN when the lens zoom is set to maximum 
wide-angle (W), and F3.0 or OPEN when set to 
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Using focus assist
Pressing the FOCUS ASSIST button enlarges 
the center of the screen or displays a frequency 
distribution graph in the top right of the screen, 
enabling the focus to be aligned more easily, 
and therefore particularly useful when using 
manual focus. The screen display that appears 
after pressing the FOCUS ASSIST button can be 
changed with the FOCUS ASSIST setting in the 
settings menu SW MODE screen. (Page 89)
FOCUS ASSIST button
EXPANDED: 
The central part of the screen will be enlarged by 
a factor of about 4 in the vertical direction and by a 
factor of about 6 in the horizontal direction.
“EXPANDED” is displayed on the screen during the 
expanded display. The center of the angle of view is shifted slightly 
from the center of the LCD monitor.
GRAPH: 
Frequency distribution graph will be displayed in 
the top right of the viewfinder or the LCD monitor.
Adjust the lens focus ring so that the graph area 
expands toward right as shown below.
Focus not aligned White area moves to  the right as focus is 
aligned
BOTH:  Display both enlargement and graph at the same time.
This function cannot be used while the digital 
zoom function is in use.
Press the FOCUS ASSIST button again to return 
to the original screen.
The graph cannot be displayed in both the 
viewfinder and the LCD monitor at the same 
time. To display the graph in the viewfinder, 
please close the LCD monitor.
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Shooting in manual mode (continued)
Adjusting the gain
When the display is dark, increase the gain to 
brighten the display.
GAIN switch
1  Use the AUTO/MANUAL switch to set to manual mode. (Page 36)
2  Switch the gain with the GAIN switch.L:
  Set here under normal conditions. (0 dB)
M:
   Increase the gain of the image amplifier.
(The default value is 6 dB.)
H:
   Increase the gain of the image amplifier.
(The default value is 12 dB.)
You can change the M and H gain values 
using the MID GAIN and HIGH GAIN items on 
the setting menu SW MODE screen. 
(Page 88)
If the AGC item on the settings menu AUTO 
SW screen is set to anything other than OFF, 
the gain setting will be set to automatic during 
automatic mode, regardless of the position of 
the GAIN switch. (Page 90)
When a slow shutter speed (1/15) has been 
set, the gain is fixed at 0 dB regardless of the 
GAIN switch setting. (Page 46)
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Light intensity adjustments
Use the ND FILTER switch to change the ND Filter 
used (filter to change light intensity).
OFF:
  ND filter is not used.
1/4:    Cuts light intensity by up to about 1/4.
1/16:   Cuts light intensity by up to about 1/16.
1/64:   Cuts light intensity by up to about 1/64.
ND FILTER switch
Adjusting the white balance
In order to reproduce the white accurately, adjust 
the ratio between the three RGB primary colors. If 
the white balance is not adjusted properly, not only 
will the white be reproduced poorly but the color 
tones of the entire screen will also be downgraded.
When you are shooting in manual mode, readjust 
the white balance whenever lighting conditions 
change.
You can save adjustments and reselect them by 
setting the WHITE BAL switch to A or B.
You can also use the preset values.
Use the settings to suit the shooting conditions.
AWB button WHITE BAL switch 
						

							
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Shooting
White balance adjustments 
1  Use the AUTO/MANUAL switch to set to manual mode. (Page 36)
2  Set the shutter speed. (Page 46)
3  Place a white pattern in a location with the same lighting conditions and light source as 
the subject, then zoom in and fill the whole 
screen with white.
Something white (a white cloth or wall) near the 
subject can be used instead. Do not include bright spotlights in your shot.
4  Set the WHITE BAL switch to A or B (whichever one you want to save the 
adjustment in).
5  Press the AWB button. Adjustment takes a few seconds. 
(The following messages appear on the 
screen.)
  Message during adjustment
 
  AWB Ach ACTIVE  
 
  Message after adjustment
 
  AWB Ach OK  
An error message appears on the screen 
when white balance adjustment is not 
possible.
   Message when adjustment cannot be 
done
 
  AWB Ach NG  
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White balance cannot be adjusted if the ATW 
(Auto Tracking White) function is working.
If you have set ON under ATW on the setting 
menu AUTO SW screen, ATW will be selected 
when auto mode has been established 
regardless of the WHITE BAL switch position. 
(Page 90)
Make the necessary adjustments if one of the 
following error messages appears, then try 
adjusting the white balance again.
Error messages Adjustments
LOW LIGHT Increase light or increase 
the gain. 
LEVEL OVER Reduce light or decrease 
the gain.
If the messages repeatedly appear even after 
trying a number of times, consult your dealer.
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Using presets 
Use this feature when you have no time to make 
white balance adjustments.
1  Use the AUTO/MANUAL switch to set to 
manual mode. (Page 36)
2  Set the WHITE BAL switch to PRST.The current white balance value appears. White balance values 3200 K and 5600 K 
are preset in the PRST position. 
Guide to the preset values 
P3.2K (3200 K): halogen light 
P5.6K (5600 K): outdoors
3  Press the AWB button.White balance switches between 3200 K and 
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Black balance adjustments
In order to reproduce the black accurately, adjust 
the zero level of all three RGB primary colors. If the 
black balance is not adjusted properly, not only will 
the black be reproduced poorly but the color tones 
of the entire screen will also be downgraded.
It is not normally necessary to adjust the black 
balance. Adjust it when:You use the camera for the first time.
You use the camera after not using it for a long 
time.
The ambient temperature changes greatly.
You switch to the normal (OFF) shutter speed or 
to slow shutter.
You switch between the progressive and normal 
(60i) modes.
White balance can be adjusted automatically by 
pressing the AWB button, while black balance can 
be adjusted by holding the button down. Set the 
conditions for white balance adjustment before 
proceeding.
  Message during adjustment
    ABB ACTIVE  
 
 Message after adjustment 
 
  ABB END  
Black balance can be adjusted by holding 
the AWB button down even when the ATW 
function is in use.
You cannot adjust the black balance while you 
are shooting.
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Auto Tracking White (ATW) 
Using the ATW function enables the recording 
environment to be automatically analyzed and an 
optimum white balance to be constantly maintained 
during recording.
You can allocate the ATW feature to one of the 
positions on the WHITE BAL switch (A, B, or 
PRST). Allocate it by going to the setup menus, 
SW MODE screen, ATW. (Page 88)
The ATW feature is set to work in the auto mode at 
the time of shipping. (Page 90)
White balance sensor
Depending on the environment, there may be 
some error in the adjustment.
Use the procedure described on the previous 
page whenever you need more precise white 
balance.
Do not block the white balance sensor when 
using the ATW feature. ATW will not work if 
you do.
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Shooting in manual mode (continued)