Panasonic Intros 3 Small, Lightweight Pro Camcorders

At CES today, Panasonic unveiled three of the industry’s smallest and lightest 4K 60p camcorders.

According to the company, “the HC-X1500, HCX2000 and AG-CX10 offer a high standard of on-site mobility and portability, as well as the high-quality 4K 60p recording capability demanded by professionals. The wide-angle 25mm Lens and 32x i.ZOOM (4K recording) achieve high-spec optical performance thanks to Panasonic’s exclusive high-precision AF, which also provides high-speed, accurate focusing for both 4K and Full-HD shooting.”

The new models have a variety of professional functions, such as two manual rings, an ND filter, a built-in LED video light3, and 24-bit high-resolution linear PCM audio recording. Users can further customize the recording formats according to the shooting environment or preference.

All three camcorders will be available in late March 2020.

The new models support 4:2:2 10bit internal recording and the new, high-efficiency HEVC codec, and built-in Wi-Fi supports HD live streaming without additional equipment.

In addition, the AG-CX10 supports the broadcaster-targeted P2 MXF File Format. Ethernet HD Live Streaming and an NDI|HX compatible IP connection function are equipped, and connectivity is provided for use as a live camera.

The 4-drive lens system controls the lens groups independently. This integrated lens offers an optical 24x zoom that ranges from 25mm wide angle to 600mm tele. i.ZOOM achieves 32x at 4K resolution, and 48x at FHD.

Equipped with a Leica Dicomar Lens world-renowned for its high standards of lens resolution, contrast, and quality, the camcorders “produce stunningly beautiful images while suppressing flaring and ghosts,” according to Panasonic.

Two manual rings are provided, one for focusing and the other for zoom or iris operation. The manual rings are different sizes, so the appropriate ring be accurately identified by touch. ND Filters can be selected from 1/4, 1/16, 1/64, and Clear, while glass is newly used as a countermeasure against scorching from sunlight condensation.

High-speed, high-precision AF including face detection AF/AE

face detection AF/AE provides precise focusing and sufficient exposure for subjects, and together with the precise focus lens drive achieves superior focusing speed, stability and tracking performance for both 4K and full-HD. In addition, subject tracking with color recognition can be activated on the LCD panel.

For both UHD and FHD modes, in addition to O.I.S. (optical image stabilization), electronic image stabilization operates to detect and correct handshake in five axes, including rotational blurring. The Ball O.I.S. System reduces friction on the drive section, achieving delicate correction even for small-amplitude handshake. “This produces beautiful images with suppressed handshake even at high, 24x optical zoom,” according to Panasonic.