The progressive 3MOS image sensors record full HD images with an effective motion-picture resolution of 2.51MP. 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.

With a lens that features 13 elements in 10 groups, the newly developed 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 is a sharp, crisp, beautifully rendered picture with vivid colors, delicate nuances, and exceptional shading.

Even at the 490mm zoom setting (35mm lens equivalent), this advanced 12x optical zoom lens is free of image degradation. Additionally, the AG-HMC80 is 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.

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.

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.

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-HMC80 captures still images with approx. 10.6-megapixel resolution (in still image mode, 3:2 aspect ratio), which approaches the level of a high-performance digital still camera. For example, you can use it to shoot both motion and still images for a website.

Drawing on technologies developed for the VariCam HD camcorders for digital cinema, Panasonic has equipped the AG-HMC80 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.

The AG-HMC80 features the image-enhancing PH mode that Panasonic developed exclusively for AVCCAM camera recorders. It delivers a maximum AVCHD bit rate of 24 Mbps (average: 21 Mbps). Designed for professional image production, this mode lets you record 1080/24p and 720 progressive images in addition to 1080/60i from the AG-HMC80's 1920 x 1080 full-raster HD images.

In addition to AVCHD recording, the AG-HMC80 provides DV recording thanks to the application of a number of P2 HD based technologies to this shoulder-type AVCCAM. This means that you can continue using your present editing system just as it is. Images are recorded onto an SD Memory Card, for greater efficiency than conventional tape-based recording.

Unlike with videotape, there's no need for cueing with the SDHC memory card because recording automatically begins in a blank section of memory. Nor do you have to worry about accidentally recording over important footage. You can delete unwanted clips instantly right on the spot to preserve memory capacity. Editing after shooting is smooth and easy, with no need for digitizing. The tiny SDHC Memory Card is durable, too. Its operating range is from -13-185°F, so you can stop worrying about harsh temperatures or condensation while never having to deal with dropouts or clogged heads.

• Shot Mark: To simplify shot selection, you can add a mark to the thumbnail images of each clip. You can then display and play only the clips that have shot marks.
• Pre-REC: This helps to ensure you always get the shot you want, by letting you continuously store, and subsequently record, images and sounds for three seconds before the REC button is pressed in standby mode.
• REC Check: You can check the end of the most recently recorded clip with one-touch ease.
• Last Clip Delete: Only the most recently recorded clip is deleted with this one-touch function, adding practical convenience to everyday operation. It can be assigned as a User button function if desired.
• Metadata Recording: The date, camera operator, location, title and other information can be added to the video data.

The AG-HMC80 has three modes for shooting and recording in DV mode. It can be selected from Side crop, Letter box or Squeeze.

The 230,000-pixels (approx.) electronic viewfinder (EVF) lets you check even fine details in the image. Raising the viewfinder instantly switches it to a 2.7 inches wide LCD monitor, so you can easily check the result after shooting. Plus, the viewfinder tilts up or down, and slides to the right or left, to provide the optimal position for use.

Image data is recorded as a file for each scene. Thumbnail images and file information are automatically attached to each file to enable smooth, easy confirmation and deletion of files displayed on the LCD monitor.

The manual focus ring can be used to control the iris too, by switching the Focus Ring (Focus/Iris) selector. Use it whichever way best fits the shooting situation. For example, you can set the camera to Auto Focus and use the manual focus ring to control the zooming. You can also add backlight correction or spotlight correction to the auto aperture function.

A horizontal analysis of the input signal's brightness level can be displayed on the monitor. This lets you adjust the standard black and white levels while checking the Waveform Monitor (WFM), making it easy to get highly accurate adjustments.

There are multiple focus assist functions on the AG-HMC80, including both the standard center zoom, as well as a focus bar. Additional focus assists include a face detection, which recognizes faces near the center of the screen and focuses on them.

You can make automatic, intermittent recordings at set intervals from one frame per second to one frame every two minutes. For example, use Interval REC to record operations at a construction site, to shoot sunsets, or to capture time-lapse recordings of growing plants.

You can insert time and date information into the video signal. This could be convenient, for example, when observing animals over an extended period, in certain academic uses, in surveillance, court reporting, legal depositions or law enforcement applications.

The slow shutter function uses image accumulation to allow shutter speeds with frame rates reduced by half or more. The accumulation method provides bright-color images with less noise than those captured using conventional gain-up, so you get the higher sensitivity needed for nighttime shooting without illumination. And the Synchro Scan function is ideal for capturing images on monitors.

The AG-HMC80 comes equipped with a built-in stereo microphone and with XLR-type audio input terminals (2 channels, mic/line switchable, 48V compatible) on the rear panel. You can switch audio channels 1 and 2 separately to either line or front microphone input, which is especially useful when recording interviews or narration. In addition, an external microphone terminal (3.5mm stereo mini jack) is equipped.

The AG-HMC80 is equipped with HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output, component video outputs and composite output (BNC), allowing HD images to be down-converted and output as Standard Definition images while they are being recorded or played. At the same time, a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio can be selected for Side crop, Letter box, or Squeeze images. Audio output (RCA terminal) enables a wide variety of applications, such as viewing on an external monitor or Standard Definition dubbing.

The AG-HMC80 is equipped with an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output terminal for digital transferring of high-quality HD video and audio signals.

The standard USB terminal (Type B) allows the AG-HMC80 to connect to a Windows PC/Mac in device mode. This lets a Windows PC/Mac installed with the provided AVCCAM Viewer software to upload, copy, and write HD video files, as well as transfer them to AVCHD-compatible editing software for HD production.

 

DV files can also be transferred via USB 2.0, when the camera recorder is set in AVCHD mode.