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 colour 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 colours, 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.

Even at the 490mm zoom setting (35mm lens equivalent), this advanced 12x optical zoom lens is free of image degradation. And the AG-HMC41 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.

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.

The progressive 3MOS image sensors record full-HD images with a total, 3.05-megapixel (approx.) resolution [effective motion-image resolution of 2.51 megapixels (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 colours of light (red, green and blue), they render more precise images and more faithful colours than the single light-receiving 1MOS sensor.

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 minimises 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-HMC41 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.
*The AG-HMC41 is not equipped with a flash function. The digital zoom cannot be used.

Drawing on technologies developed for the VariCam HD camcorders for digital cinema, Panasonic has equipped the AG-HMC41 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.

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 digitising. The tiny SDHC Memory Card is durable, too. Its operating range is from -25ºC to +85ºC, so you can stop worrying about harsh temperatures or condensation and just concentrate on your shooting. And of course, you never have to worry about problems with dropouts or clogged heads.

•Using the high compression efficiency of the AVCHD format, up to 720 minutes*¹ of HD data can be recorded onto a single SDHC Memory Card.
•Combined with a maximum data transfer speed of 22 MB/s,*² this makes data transfers to computers easy and effortless.
•SDHC Memory Cards are inexpensive and can be easily purchased on location when needed.

*1: In HE (extended time) mode using a 32GB SDHC Memory Card. A Class 4 or higher SDHC or SD Memory Card is required for PH and HA recording. Use a Class 2 or higher SDHC or SD Memory Card for other modes. (Panasonic SDHC or SD Memory Cards are recommended.)
*2: Data transfer speed varies depending on the usage of SD devices. The speed given here is the maximum speed according to Panasonic specifications.

•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.

•Meta-data recording
The date, camera operator, location, title and other information can be added to the video data.

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 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot (approx.) LCD monitor is especially convenient when shooting wide-screen images. Just use a finger on the touch panel screen to start playback, make menu settings, and even focus the camera. You can rotate the LCD monitor 270 degrees for easier viewing when shooting low-angle or other difficult shots. This lets you check the framing and parameter display on the LCD monitor as you shoot.

•Centre zoom/Focus bar function
The centre zoom function enlarges the centre of the frame for better visibility, and HD focus assist displays a bar that grows and shrinks to indicate the degree of focusing

•Push auto function
Pressing the Push auto button in manual mode temporarily activates the Auto Focus (AF) system for quick focusing.

•Face detection function
The AG-HMC41 is the first professional model to include the Face detection function. It "recognises" faces near the centre of the screen and focuses on them.*¹

•Touch Auto Focus (AF) function
This function lets you focus by simply touching the subject on the LCD monitor. A green frame appears around the subject for quick, easy focusing.*²

*1: The AG-HMC41 does not offer AF tracking.
*2: In manual focus mode, the focus frame disappears once the camera has locked onto the subject.

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.
*Use the menu to select whether the ring controls the iris or the zoom.

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.

The slow shutter function uses image accumulation to allow shutter speeds with frame rates reduced by half or more. The accumulation method provides bright-colour 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.

White balance: 2-value memory (channel A, channel B), 2-value preset (3200k, 5600k) and Auto Tracking White (ATW).
Mode check: Displays a list of the camera settings on the viewfinder and monitor.
Zebra: Select any two levels from among 50% to 105%, in 5% steps.
Centre marker: Provides an accurate numeric display of the brightness at screen centre.
Colour bar: Provides a useful test pattern for setting up your monitor and 1 kHz, audio test tone.
TC/UB recording: Provides a built-in SMPTE time-code generator.
Camera remote: Controls zoom, rec, focus and iris. Allows use of any camera remote controller that is compatible with the AG-DVX100/HVX200/HMC150 series.
Smooth zoom stop: Use the menu to select standard or smooth zoom stopping

The AG-HMC41 comes equipped with a built-in stereo microphone and a 3.5mm EXT, mic-in jack. Adding the optional AG-MYA30G XLR adapter provides compatibility with professional-use XLR terminals for audio output from microphones and Public Audio (PA) systems in studios and auditoriums. Line recording and +48V Phantom powered microphone recordings are possible from the XLR terminals. Featuring two XLR audio input terminals and level controls, the adapter lets you independently switch ch 1 or ch 2 to microphone or line input, with each having its own level adjustment.(Input 2 can be assigned to both ch 1 and ch 2.)

The AG-HMC41 is equipped with both component (Mini D4) video outputs and AV output (AV multi terminals), allowing HD images to be down-converted and output as SD 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, letterbox, or squeeze images. Audio output (AV multi terminals 2 channels) enables a wide variety of applications, such as viewing on an external monitor or SD dubbing.

The AG-HMC41 is equipped with an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output terminal for digital transferring of high-quality HD video and audio signals.
*The AG-HMC41 cannot output HDMI, component and composite signals at the same time. Also, a separately purchased cable may be required for connecting the AG-HMC41 to a professional monitor.

The standard USB terminal (Type mini B) allows the AG-HMC41 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

Unlike tape, AVCHD files require no digitising*¹ and can be directly and quickly transmitted*² to an HDD in a Windows PC/Mac. This makes it easier to use motion images in new IT applications*³, like content production, Internet distribution and source material archiving. AVCHD&s direct editing also saves you time and effort in TV program production. And AVCHD means lower costs for both media and equipment maintenance.

*1: Editing may require conversion to an intermediate codec, depending on the editing software. The conversion speed will vary depending on the hardware specifications of the Windows PC or Mac, the software used for converting, and the file format being converted.
*2: Maximum speed: 22 MB/s (Using a Class 10 SDHC Memory Card. Speed depends on the hardware specifications of the Windows PC or Mac). Some computers may not recognize the SDHC Memory Card. If that occurs, use an SDHC Memory Card Reader.
*3: AVCHD-compatible software is required. The minimum system requirements for using the software must also be satisfied.

AVCCAM Viewer*¹ for Windows PC/Mac*² makes it easy to preview AVCCAM files and other AVCHD motion images, still image and meta-data, with very simple operation. Files can be played from an SD Memory Card, Blu-ray Disc, or hard disk, and saved to a PC (hard disk) from an SD Memory Card or Blu-ray Disc. Files can also be copied or deleted, meta-data can be displayed, and data can be written to an SD Memory Card or Blu-ray Disc*³. AVCCAM Restorer software can also be used to restore files that were damaged, for example, by a power interruption during recording.

[Windows PC]
•CPU: Intel® Core^TM2 Duo (2.4 GHz or faster)
•OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 (32-bit), Windows Vista® SP1(32-bit), Windows® XP SP2 or later(32-bit)
•RAM: 1024 MB or more for Windows Vista®, 512 MB or more for Windows® XP (1024 MB or more recommended)

[Mac]
•CPU: Intel® Core^TM2 Duo 2.6 GHz or faster
•OS: Mac OS X 10.6(Snow Leopard)/10.5 (Leopard)/10.4(Tiger)
•RAM: 1024 MB or more (2048 MB or more recommended)

*1: AVCCAM Viewer software can be downloaded for free from the following Panasonic website. PASS registration is required. For details, please visit the following website and click on "Support and Downloading Information."
*2: Copying and playing data on Blu-ray Disc (BD-RE Ver3.0) are not supported by Mac OS X 10.4(Tiger).
*3: Do not insert a disc [DVD(AVCHD)] produced with the provided HD Writer 2.5E software into a device that does not support the AVCHD standard. If it is inserted into such a device, the disc may not eject. Also, do not play the disc with a device that does not support the AVCHD standard.

You can easily copy AVCHD data onto the built-in HDD of a Panasonic DVD recorder. You can also copy HD images onto a BD or DVD.

Full-HD images recorded in AVCHD can be previewed on a monitor.

Compatibility with existing HD editing environments AVCHD files can be transferred at high speed by using the USB 2.0 interface to connect the AG-HMC41 or an SDHC Memory Card reader to a Windows PC/Mac. This dramatically improves productivity when compared with the time-consuming task of digitising.