Delivery: Panasonic’s New $14,950 P2 HD Shoulder-Mount Camcorder

SECAUCUS, N.J.: Panasonic announced today that its new AG-HPX600 P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorder with 10-bit, 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording will deliver this month at a suggested list price of $14,950. The AG-HPX600 accommodates a variety of interchangeable lenses. The main unit weighs 6.2 pounds. Power consumption is 18W. Key camera functions can be controlled wirelessly from a smartphone.

The HPX600 has a newly-developed MOS sensor, with options such as wireless metadata input, proxy recording and variable frame rates available upon delivery; AVC-Ultra and microP2 cardupgradability are planned. In 2013, AVC-Ultra will offer master-quality and/or low-bit-rate 10-bit, 4:2:2 recording in full HD to meet a 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, an option will support LiveU for video uplink with real time indication of LiveU’s transmission status and video transmission quality to camera operator.

The camcorder can record in AVC-Intra100/50, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV, and the unit is 50 Hz and 59.94 Hz switchable. The interchangeable lens camcorder will be equipped with Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC); Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS) function to help compensate for wide variations in lighting; and “a highly accurate flash band detection and compensation algorithm that minimizes this effect,” Panasonic said.

It features two P2 card slots and one SD card slot, a side LCD display, optional hi-res 16:9 viewfinder; a simplified waveform and vectorscope; a 10-pin remote terminal enabling remote camera operation, and an optional studio system.

Other options include a $1,600 encoder board for hi-res proxy video recording; a $1,500 software key and module for wired or wireless streaming; a $1,000 software key for variable frame-rate shooting and 24 PsF output; and a $1,950 HD/SD-SDI input board. An optional AG-CVF10G Color HD Viewfinder will be available this month at a suggested list price of $2,500.