Not sure when links to images will appear but Panasonic has announced a whole new crop of cameras pre-NAB at their press conference today. Panasonic Announces 3D P2 HD Shoulder-Mount Camcorder and First P2 HD Handheld with AVC-Intra Recording at National Association of Broadcasters Convention | EON: Enhanced Online News (http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110410005066/en)

AG-3DP1, a 3D camera that shoots to P2 cards? Amazing and cool.

I must say that the AG-HPX250 is a real surprise, I truly thought that the AG-HPX170 would be their last small form-factor P2 camera, I eat my words. Nice, a 170 sized camera that shoots AVC Intra to P2 cards.

Two new AVCHD cameras also.

Nice stuff coming down the pike from Jan and co. Can't wait to see them and try them.

Dan

Here's a PDF of the 250

http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/sales_o/broch_pdf/ag-hpx250.pdf

Also one of the AG130/160 (the AVCHD counterparts to the above)

http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/sales_o/broch_pdf/ag-ac160_130.pdf

The new 250 is the camera of my dreams ! And two for less than the price of an outfitted PMW-F3 ! I predict that Sony will lose a lot of business to this new camcorder - can't wait until it is on the shelves. The HDMI output is also wonderful for playback on HD TVs - no more component only output.

I think the 250 will be a big player for them, particularly for those who DON'T want a large sensor removable lens camera. Contrary to popular trends, shallow DOF really sucks for shooting certain things and in certain styles. I have the 5D MKII and shallow DOF is not the hot tip for run and gunning, there have been times when I have been glad to have my HPX170 to cover shoots like that and the new 250 will be like a 170 on steroids. Full raster, AVC Intra, nice!

I think that this should be a winner. If list is $6,500.00, hopefully it will street for close to $5,200.00

Dan

Comparing it to an F3? They have little in common. One is a cinema replacement camera that does shallow DOF imaging and the other is a run & gun handbombing kind of cam.

What I see that is useful in this camera is out of the box broadcast acceptable material in terms of codec specs and in a small handycam form factor this is new and finally crosses that threshold in this market segment. The showstopper for some will be a 1/3" sensor and for others it will be the CMOS technology, so two things that still have to be brought forward for this kind of camera to be truly a mature camera that will be welcomed in broadcast without much reservation.

Do we have any idea of the list price for the 130/160?

Never mind....saw the list prices between 4k-5k.

I still think they need to address the Canon XA10 marketplace.