New Panasonic camera preview from NAB

[Danilo Del Tufo]

Hi guys, there's a new camera coming from Panasonic, it will be presented officially at Cinegear. Someone lights up the picture of the new Mysterious camera from Panasonic, now we can see more clearly at the buttons and lens mount. Hope you enjoy! :-) You can see the image here: Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

[Jack Zhang]

Looks like a Varicam very likely priced and ergonomically similar to the FS7. Or, it could be a new addition to the DVX series. Don't get me wrong, the DVX200 is quite fully featured, but the crop factors really limit the camera and what it can do when 4K broadcast standards are going to end up being 4K 60p.

[Chris Hurd]

That's one of at least two, probably three new cameras that will be announced at CineGear in June.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

That's one of at least two, probably three new cameras that will be announced at CineGear in June.

By Panasonic only or including other manufacturers?

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

By Panasonic only or including other manufacturers?

Well... it's hard for me to say for sure. At least one, from Panasonic at least, with certainty. Cryptic enough for ya?

[Dan Brockett]

Hopefully Canon will introduce a sub $10k 4k pro camera at CineGear, they could totally steal Panasonic's Thunder.

[Cliff Totten]

Canon doesn't seem to care about sub $10,000 4k. Everybody else is playing together in that market and Canon CLEARLY has decided to stay out of it.

The 5D-IV was the worst marketing calculation I have ever seen a camera company do. They deliberately mised several 4k target points to protect their C300? Using a laughable 20 year old CODEC, cropped in sensor scanning and blocking 4k out over HDMI to FORCE you into young that horrific dynosaur CODEC?

Canon didnt throw their fans a 4k bone with the 5D-IV....instead they threw them a slap in the face!

Canon has become crazy and they dont seem to care anymore.

[Chris Hurd]

Canon is in a position where they're intentionally "last to market" by corporate policy. My fingers are crossed like Dan's are. I have a feeling there will be two or three thunderclouds at CineGear... I sure hope one of them is Canon's, but I'm keenly interested in any and all, no matter what marque.

[Rakesh Malik]

Originally Posted by Cliff Totten

Canon has become crazy and they dont seem to care anymore.

Given the response that the C700 has been getting, I'd say that Canon is doing at least SOME thing right. It's not exactly going to be popular with independent film due its $30K price tag, but it's still from all the reports I've seen a great camera.

[Dan Brockett]

I have shot with the C700 a bit (test footage only, not a real project) and interviewed Russell Carpenter ASC and director Tyler Stableford about their experience using the C700 to shoot "The Calling" It is a great camera. Problem is, the C700 is the new kid on the block and IMHO it's going to be tough to build a buzz at that price point when you can get into an Arri Amira for the same cost or the hot new Varicam LT for considerably less. it is the only true digital cinema camera with DPAF though, that's kind of cool and the ergonomics, images and features are excellent. So far, though, I am not seeing a lot of Hollywood projects utilizing it. That can always change. Canon always seems to come to market overpriced IMHO, the C300 MKII is a great camera but when it debuted at $16k, many thought that was too high for the meager features it offers along with great color science. But if you go almost anywhere in LA on a documentary, BTS, EPK shoot or to the set of the Netflix Show, "Gracie and Frankie", it's all C300 MKII so apparently that strategy works for Canon.

Canon knows they need a sub $10k 4K digital cinema camera and they will come out with it, it's just a matter of when. As far as the 5D MKIV, that's a stills camera that happens to shoot video, I have the 5D MKII and MKIII, it's always been that way. To try to turn it into a video camera is wishful thinking. You can regard it as a video camera all you want, but Canon doesn't. They don't even consider the 1DX MKII a video camera, it's still just a stills machine that happens to shoot video to them. Canon, for their own reasons, doesn't want to compete with the GH5, A7 series and Fujinon XT-2, that is their strategy to market, right or wrong.

[Jack Zhang]

I think the three will come from Panasonic, Canon and RED. I highly doubt Sony will show something. If they want to wait, they might do a reveal at IBC, but by then the GH5 would have already propagated throughout the market.

[Steve Burkett]

There's rumour of a C200; ties in with some other stuff I read recently about a possible C100 Mark III that did 4K at 60p which seemed unlikely, but a camera inbetween the C100 and C300 offering 4K at 60p and at a price between the 2 is just the sort of thing I'd see Canon pushing for if they wanted to offer 4K 60p at a price lower than the C300.

If so, it will be interesting to compare it with Panasonic offering. I certainly don't see a need for Canon to steal Panasonic's thunder as someone here so succinctly put it. Healthy competition is good for the camera industry and I'm curious to see what Panasonic and Canon both do to address the FS7, which seems to dominate in the $5k to $10K range.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

...I certainly don't see a need for Canon to steal Panasonic's thunder as someone here so succinctly put it.

Ha, ha Steve, have you worked in marketing? At a high profile venue like Cine Gear, It's all about stealing a competitor's thunder, the same as it is in the movie business, restaurant business, car business, etc. That is a temporary effect anyway, once both cameras are reviewed, their advantage and limitations made public by reviewers, the market will achieve stasis. If both cameras are good, both will sell in heathy numbers. If one clearly has a better value equation, it will dominate the other in sales, we've seen it over and over again in pro video. The broadcast and pro video business is a dog eat dog brawl for sales and reputation. To pretend it's all Whiskey and bons mots at the club isn't reality.

[Leon Lorenz]

I talked to a Canon sales rep a few days ago and he told me that Canon will be releasing a new 4K cinema camera in June or July and it may be called the C200. He didn't know if it will do 60P at 4K, however, I believe any cinema camera in this day and age will need to or it won't succeed very well. Why they crippled the C300 MK2 with no 60P at 4K I'll never know and that is the reason I choose not to purchase it.

Leon Lorenz
Canadian Wildlife Productions

[Leon Lorenz]

I talked to a Canon sales rep a few days ago and he told me that Canon will be releasing a new 4K cinema camera in June or July and it may be called the C200. He didn't know if it will do 60P at 4K, however, I believe any cinema camera in this day and age will need to or it won't succeed very well. Why they crippled the C300 MK2 with no 60P at 4K I'll never know and that is the reason I choose not to purchase it.

Leon Lorenz
Canadian Wildlife Productions