Panasonic AG-PX270

[Josh Bass]

To quote Anakin Skywalker. . ."NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

[Mark Williams]

I didn't buy a 250 because of the lens issues so I hope it is not the same.

[Michael Warren]

Originally Posted by Joe Lawry

Actually looking into it.. its not a new lens. its the 250's lens.

Do you know something we don't? I agree that it looks like the same lens, but Panasonic tell us it's a "newly designed lens", and they may have simply needed to refine to element design and servo to make improvements, without scrapping the whole design.

[Joe Lawry]

No, sorry didnt mean to jump to conclusions. Maybe its been overhauled. Hopefully.

[James Hobert]

So it's been a few months since this was touched on but as more details are released this camera is shaping up to be pretty amazing. It's not 4k, sure, but here's a few specs which seem pretty exciting:

- It's actually AJ-PX270 (not AG as in the thread title) which I believe is more of their "pro" lineup.
- 1080p60 at 50Mbps LongGOP and over 200Mbps when long recording times aren't needed
- 3G-SDI Output
- 10 bit 4:2:2 recording INTERNALLY
- Approximately 12 stops of Dynamic Range (as described on another site)
- 22x Zoom Lens
- SLOW, CREEPING ZOOM! - Listed at 2 Seconds FAST, or up to 180 Seconds SLOW (That's 3 minutes!)
- Dual Micro P2 Slots
- Killer LCD with 1.56M dots
- Killer new OLED EVF
- Flash Band Compensation built in to limit banding when there's camera flashes at events, etc.
- Newly developed Sensor
- Newly designed lens
- Wireless and wired networking capability

Not bad, huh?

[Jack Zhang]

I almost want to go for this camera save 2 critical flaws IMHO:

1. 1/3'' sensors.

2. P2 workflow.

P2 has NEVER been PC friendly save Adobe Premiere and maybe Edius. (which I don't edit on)

I may be waiting for the Sony 1/2'' equivalent when XAVC (non -S) Long GOP 1080p60 at 50mbps comes out.

[Tim Polster]

Panasonic may have a winner with the PX270 but we will have to wait until they are in the hands of users/reviewers. The previous generation had user issues with auto focus which Panasonic played down to the tune of "pros don't need autofocus anyway...". Lets hope they let go of their pride and fix the situation with this cameras.

I am waiting to see if Canon brings out a competitor as the only thing lacking on the XF300 was the sensitivity imho. I like how the PX-270 is only 5 pounds comapred to 6 with the XF300 and that is has a super codec for 50mbps recording that can handle 1080p60. Canon will have to move beyond Mpeg-2 in order to get 1080p60 so it will be interesting to see what they do, if anything.

P.S. You forgot the 12 axis color matrix along with 3 axis for skin tones! This is a first for under $15,000 Panasonic cameras. Great news for folks needing to match between different brands of cameras or just dial in the color you want.

[Scott Hiddelston]

Tim,
I had a very small opportunity to get my hands on the PX270 yesterday at the Cascade Mt. Show in Portland. It was an engineering example, which I was told was pre-production. The zoom rocker was phenomenal, in my opinion nicer than even the XF300. The zoom rocker AND the zoom ring could be used at the same time without switching, and the zoom ring did not exhibit that "slack' in the ring at the outer extreme which makes it difficult to get a slow start on a zoom. The EVF is large and clear, but the LCD is disappointingly small compared to the lovely one on the XFR300. I tried what I felt was difficult auto-focusing scenes, like maximum zoom and moving from subject-to-subject, and maximum zoom in difficult light and low contrast, and the focus held perfectly throughout. No hunting at all. On the other hand, at the Canon booth it was all Cinema EOS with no-one even remotely interested in talking XF and its future.

[Tim Polster]

Hey Scott,

Thanks for the update. Great to hear about the servo motors and auto-focus. I am excited to try out this camera. If they had to sacrifice one screen i am glad it was the LCD and not the EVF. I always trust the EVF the most since it is enclosed and not affected by ambient light.

Shame about Canon...

[James Hobert]

Not sure there's a better small sensor camera out there than this one...

Here's a link to a great "First Look" write up of the new PX270 by Barry Green:
OTHER: First Look: Panasonic PX270

Also here's a nice demo video that is included in that first look above:

Panasonic PX270 Demo Footage on Vimeo

[Josh Bass]

Yes, on paper/message boards it sounds amazing, however when I think of the price plus media and batts I get the threatenings of a reversal in my gastrointestinal processes.

[James Hobert]

It uses the same batteries as the HPX250/HPX170/HVX200/DVX100, and also has a new battery with a built-in charge meter on it. Plus, it shoots 10bit, 4:2:2 50Mbps video right onto SDHC cards. Can't get much cheaper than that.

[Josh Bass]

My mistake, I should have clarified. I don't own any batteries/cards etc., so I'd be buying a complete kit if I got one. Bag too.

[Roshdi Alkadri]

I was thinking the same thing and it's worth it in the end. It's like any previous package i may have purchased, be it a DVX100 back in the day or an HVX with the batteries, media, bag etc.

I don't see this as much different.

[Phil Goetz]

We started this thread in Sept 2013 and are proud to now have a pre-order link available!

Panasonic AJ-PX270