Panasonic Ships AG-HPX600 P2 HD Shouldermount Camcorder

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 combines high cost-performance, easy operation, breakthrough expandability and a future- proof design to meet needs in a wide range of uses, from image production to broadcasting and sports. A 2/3-type shoulder-type model, it accommodates a variety of interchangeable lenses. The camcorder’s compact body provides superb mobility with the industry’s lowest weight* of approximately 6.2 lb for the main unit, along with low power consumption of 18W.

“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 Steve Cooperman, Product Manager, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. “With its innovative design and selectable options, the HPX600 can control key camera functions wirelessly from a smart phone.”

Featuring a newly-developed MOS sensor, 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 upon delivery; AVC-ULTRA and microP2 card upgradability are planned. 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 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.

Ideal for news, sports or live events, the HPX600 can record in AVC-Intra100/50, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV, and the unit is 50 Hz and 59.94 Hz switchable for worldwide use. 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 algorithm that minimizes this effect. The HPX600 delivers seven-mode gamma selection and extensive digital image settings; there are two P2 card slots and an SD card slot.

Innovative features include a smart user interface that permits accessibility to the camera’s extensive functions from an LCD display on the side of the camera; a newly-designed (optional) 16:9, 3.45-inch, 920,000-dot resolution LCD color viewfinder, which doubles as a LCD monitor when open; a simplified waveform and vectorscope; a 10-pin remote terminal enabling remote camera operation; and an optional camera studio system.

Standard features include Scan Reverse for use with a cinema lens adaptor; Digital Zoom function for 2x and 4x close-ups; Variable Shutter Speed from 1/12 to 1/2000 sec plus Synchro Scan; and a four-position (CLEAR, 1/4 ND, 1/16 ND, 1/64 ND) optical neutral density filter wheel. Professional interfaces include MON out (can be set to output HD-SDI), HDMI out, HD/SD-SDI in/out**, genlock in for multi-camera operation, timecode in/out, USB 2.0 and a two-channel UniSlot compatible wireless receiver. The HPX600 has two XLR audio inputs, and records up to four channels of 48kHz, 16-bit audio. 

Available Options Facilitate Low-Cost System Support

• High-Resolution Proxy Video (with the optional AG-YDX600G Video Encoder Board). With this option, the AG-HPX600 records proxy files onto SD/SDHC memory cards or onto P2 cards. It supports high-quality video (QuickTime/H.264) and audio formats at a low bit rate. High-quality proxy files can be used for breaking news and other scenarios benefitting from proxy workflows. Moreover, this streamlines the production workflow by allowing the editor to review the content details during offline editing. The AG-YDX600G will be available this month at suggested list price of $1,600.
• Streaming with a Wireless or Wired LAN (with the optional AG-SFU601G Upgrade Software Key and AJ-WM30 Wireless Module). These options enable use of a wireless or wired (Ethernet) LAN. Proxy files*** can be streamed or viewed via a standard web browser on a PC/Mac, tablet or smart phone. While viewing the streamed files, metadata can be added to the P2 files. Using a PC/Mac also enables a cloud-based workflow by uploading and sharing video data via network. The AG-SFU601G will be available this month at a suggested list price of $1,500.
• Variable Frame Rate Shooting and 24PsF Output (with the optional AG-SFU602G Production Package Upgrade Software Key). In 720p mode, the frame rate can be set in the range of 1 fps-60 fps, and in 1080p mode it can be set to 1 fps-30fps. Either 24p/30p Native mode or over 60p mode can be selected for recording. In addition, the 24PsF format can be output from SDI OUT for uncompressed data recording. The AG-SFU602G will be available this month at suggested list price of $1,000.
• HD/SD-SDI Input Board -- The AG-YA600G will be available this month at a suggested list price of $1,950.

The optional AG-CVF10G Color HD Viewfinder will be available this month at a suggested list price of $2,500. For further information about the AG-HPX600, visithttp://www.panasonic.com/broadcast.