Panasonic ag-hpx600 p2 hd camera

[Sanjin Svajger]

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 15, 2012) – At NAB 2012, Panasonic unveiled the AG-HPX600, a new P2 HD camcorder with 10-bit, 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording and the lowest weight of a shoulder-mount unit.

Weighing less than 7 pounds and using low power, the HPX600 incorporates a newly-developed 2/3 type MOS sensor to produce beautiful HD and SD images. The HPX600 will achieve the high sensitivity of F12 (at 59.94 Hz) and a signal-to-noise ratio of 59dB. It supports AVC-Intra100/50, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV as standard. It is 50 Hz and 59.94 Hz switchable for worldwide use.

The HPX600 will allow the user to upgrade his camera as new functionality becomes available.

This future-proof camera will provide inventive functionality and improved workflows, with options such as wireless metadata input, proxy recording, and variable frame rates (available this Fall), and then AVC-ULTRA recording. When available within 2013, AVC-ULTRA will offer master-quality and/or low-bit-rate 10-bit, 4:2:2 recording in Full HD to meet variety of user needs from mastering to transmission (the AG-HPX600 will not support all AVC-ULTRA formats). The HPX600 also features wireless and wired connection ability with Wi-Fi, USB and Gigabit Ethernet. In addition, a future option will support LiveU for video uplink with real time indication of LiveU’s transmission status and video transmission quality to camera operator.

“With its ultra-light weight and low power consumption, the HPX600 is the first shoulder mount that’s easy on the shoulder while being super-efficient on battery usage,” said Joseph Facchini, Vice President, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. “With its innovative design and selectable options, the HPX600 is upgradability to new technology such as wireless remote from a smart phone and much more.”

Ideal for news, sports or live events, the interchangeable lens camcorder will be equipped with Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC) to maximize lens performance, Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS) function to help compensate for wide variations in lighting, and a highly accurate flash band detection and compensation software that eliminates this effect. Original features will include a smart user interface that permits accessibility to the camera’s extensive functions from an LCD display on the side of the camera. The HPX600 will offer two P2 Card Slots and an SD Card Slot.

AG-HPX600 will be available in the Fall at a targeted suggested list price of less than $16,000 (body only) and less than $18,000 with AG-CVF10 new color viewfinder.


Link: For Journalists

[Mark Donnell]

Sanjin - as best I can tell this camera does not record 1080p 60 fps, and thus will not be close to future-proof. Long-range video planners in both the US and Europe are looking at 1080p 60 as the "future-proof" delivery format for television. Perhaps this camera could be firmware-upgraded in the future to 1080 p 60, and if so, it may have a claim to future-proof.

[David Heath]

That press release is more interesting for what it does not say than for what it does.

For example, a big complaint about current 2/3" P2 cameras has been that they are EITHER 720p OR 1080p - not dual. The 3000 range are full 1080 resolution, but with very limited slo-mo facilities and no 720p mode.

What will the HPX600 do?

And surely for any new camera to sensibly call itself "future-proof" nowadays must mean 4k ability, let alone 1080p/60? With the arrival of the latest from Canon and Sony that's especially true. It's conceivable a future upgrade may allow 1080p/60, but almost certainly not 4k.

[Daniel Epstein]

While I am a long time user of Panasonic P2 cameras 2/3 inch and smaller I would never buy a camera for its future proofness although I might like that. If the camera is a compelling purchase for the work I am going to use it for when it is delivered I will buy it. How long it would be that compelling is always a tough call. You can't rely on any manufacturer delivering on future features to a previously released model as a reason to buy it today. It is nice to see Panasonic telling us what they want to do and that can be valuable in committing to a format but it really has to be useful today not sometime a year from now or so. If a year and a half from now the rest of the concept starts to flesh itself out and they upgrade the camera I doubt it will be able to have all the features as a new model would.

[Gary Nattrass]

Brochure here and looks like some of the AVC Ultra codecs will be added when available but as said with 4k etc it is a camera for now and the next five years (the warranty period) and not for future vapourware:

http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/sales.../ag-hpx600.pdf

[David Heath]

Interesting - it looks from the chart (and the comment about "not all AVC-Ultra modes will be supported") that the highest quality is intended for higher than 1080 resolutions, so unlikely to be seen here.

Hence, future upgrades are likely to be what they describe as "AVC longG" and the low bitrate proxy modes.

I can't help thinking that AVC long GOP is likely to need a lot of processing power to edit natively......?

And no word about slo-mo, 720p etc.

[Konstantin Kovalev]

That press release is more interesting for what it does not say than for what it does.

Totally agree.

that the highest quality is intended for higher than 1080 resolutions, so unlikely to be seen here.

Well, the 1080p and 1080i/720p arrows extend all the way to the top, so who knows? With the chart the way it is now, it looks like you won't be able to record 4K at lower quality than 12-bit 4:4:4.

For example, a big complaint about current 2/3" P2 cameras has been that they are EITHER 720p OR 1080p - not dual. The 3000 range are full 1080 resolution, but with very limited slo-mo facilities and no 720p mode.

What will the HPX600 do?

1080p60! At least I sure as hell hope so; firmware upgrade option?

More questions: What's the dynamic range like? Will it have Film-rec or Log output? Will it allow for 4:4:4? Why is the wording singular concerning the sensor(s); is it not a 3-chip cam? Why no kit lens? Inexpensive HD lenses start at around $7000; which means the actual price is more like 25,000 for cam + VF + lens for those who don't already have one.

Also, what's the dynamic range like? who gives a sh!t about DRS if it doesn't actually increase the camera's DR? Red is cramming 18mp into a super 35 sensor AND getting 15 stops of DR, that's a higher pixel density than the 1920x1080 pixels on a 2/3" sensor, what's up?

Kind of happy and disappointed at the same time

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Konstantin Kovalev

Well, the 1080p and 1080i/720p arrows extend all the way to the top, so who knows? With the chart the way it is now, it looks like you won't be able to record 4K at lower quality than 12-bit 4:4:4.

In spite of the "future proof" claims, I think it highly unlikely it will ever be able to be made into a 4k capable camera. The chart also says "Not all AVC-Ultra formats will be supported" and it seems a decent bet that it's the top end one that won't make it onto this camera, at any format.

That's not a criticism. For the market it's likely to be aimed at, I'd see the AVCproxy and AVClongGOP options as being far more useful.

1080p60! At least I sure as hell hope so; firmware upgrade option?

More questions: What's the dynamic range like? Will it have Film-rec or Log output? Will it allow for 4:4:4?

I think the camera is aimed at a lower market sector, maybe roughly comparable to the Sony PMW350, not the higher end models. The clue is likely in the model number - 600. As such a successor to the HPX500 - not the higher end 2000 or 3000 range. In which case, a big question is will it offer the option of a kit lens in the way the PMW350 does? If not - if any user has to go for a full price 2/3" lens - that may limit it's competitiveness against the PMW350 for many.

Yes, a true 1080p/60 option would be nice - but failing that the option of 1080i/30(25) at full resolution AND slo-mo at 720 resolutions would be a step forward. That's one of the main criticisms levelled at all the cameras in the current Panasonic 2/3" ranges.