The af200 thread

[Spartacus]

Did I miss something? Like an official statement from the Panasconic HQ, saying no new AF200 this year?
Is it clear sth new will come earliest NAB next year...? I read the AF series would have a 3 year cycle - is this common knowledge and I´m just making a fool out of myself here?
If NO, where are the RUMORS?
IBC starts this week and with the BMC being delivered to its first owners, there should at least be an announcement or prototype.

Anyone living near Barry Green and seen him with a constant knowing smile on his face?
Or more than usual FEDEX deliveries to his door?
Riding his bike speaking japanese to his iPhone?
On set with a big black box with m4/3 lenses attached...?

[Kholi]

I think Barry called it (as usual) way back when... that there would be no AF100 successor for quite some time... (Despite people telling him that he was wrong... as usual)

But, I'm sure he'll pop up with shoe in hand pretty soon. Let me get out'a the way.

[TheDingo]

...My suspicion is that an AF200 will require a new sensor to be competitive.

The GH3 should be announced at Photokina in a couple of weeks and I would bet that it will demo new sensor tech, and this tech might some day migrate to an AF200.

[Barry_Green]

Sometimes it seems like people just have an entirely different sense of time than the companies do. I went out on a limb ... a long, long limb... back in September of 2010 when people were talking about an "imminent" Canon competitor to the AF100, and especially when the rumble about "November 3rd" started up. I said then that Canon would NOT introduce an AF100 competitor at the Nov. 3rd announcement. Furthermore, I said they would not introduce a competitor at all, in 2010, at all. And then I went further and said "not only that, they won't introduce an AF100 competitor in 2011 either, and they won't introduce one in 2012 either!" I said January 1st, 2013 would be the earliest any of us could expect to see an AF100 competitor from Canon.

Man, people mocked me.

But look, here we are in September 2012, and -- there was no Canon AF100 competitor in 2010, there was no Canon AF100 competitor in 2011, and we've made it through 75% of 2012 with no competitor. We do have an announcement of a C100, but at the suggested list price of $7999 (vs. the AF100's selling price of $3500) I'd still cling to my limb and say that it still isn't an AF100 competitor.

Why do I bring this up? To point out that these companies have history, they introduce products in given cycles, and it usually takes much, much longer for them to introduce something than the users ever imagine.

So will there be an AF200 at IBC? I sincerely doubt it. The AF100 was first delivered in December 2010, so it's 1.75 years old. That's the absolute earliest that anyone should be even entertaining any ideas about a successor/replacement. 3 years is more typical. So should we expect to see an AF200 (or whatever) announced at NAB? I would find that quite possible. Not guaranteed, obviously, but that certainly seems reasonable given how much the landscape for large-sensor cameras has changed. Remember 2 years ago when the AF100 first came out, it was the ONLY large-sensor pro video camera. There was no F3, no FS100, no FS700, no C300, no C500, no BMC, none of those had even been mentioned or hinted at in the press.

The AF100 is still a current model, and -- at its price point, it still doesn't have any real competition (meaning, a product that does what it does, at its price point). There are alternatives (such as the BMC and the FS100) but those are very different types of products. If you want a pro video camera with variable frame rates, ND filters, SDI output, and everything else the AF100 offers, there's nothing anywhere near its price point that offers its combination of features. So while everyone's clamoring for "new", the company probably looks at it like "what's the rush? there's nothing like it."

Could there be an "AF100A" introduced at IBC? Maybe, but I wouldn't expect there to be such. If there's anything like an "AF200" coming, I wouldn't expect that until NAB 2013 at the earliest.

[Kholi]

In hindsight, I think I like reading your "I Told You So" posts the most. Haha

[groveChuck]

I went out on a limb ... a long, long limb...

[Noel Evans]

But look, here we are in September 2012, and -- there was no Canon AF100 competitor in 2010, there was no Canon AF100 competitor in 2011, and we've made it through 75% of 2012 with no competitor. We do have an announcement of a C100, but at the suggested list price of $7999 (vs. the AF100's selling price of $3500) I'd still cling to my limb and say that it still isn't an AF100 competitor.

I learned long ago that Barry's predictions are usually very accurate.

In addition to the AF100 still being a current model - at its current price point, it's standing in a lone spot in the market. Another large sensor cam for $3.5K (with waveform, XLR, ready to shoot out of the bag Im talking) out there? Nope. Not only that - it still shoots a darn good image. Shooter probably shoots more higher end stuff with his AF100 than anyone here - go look at his stuff and tell me it isnt still relevant.

[dustylense]

I learned long ago that Barry's predictions are usually very accurate.

In addition to the AF100 still being a current model - at its current price point, it's standing in a lone spot in the market. Another large sensor cam for $3.5K (with waveform, XLR, ready to shoot out of the bag Im talking) out there? Nope. Not only that - it still shoots a darn good image. Shooter probably shoots more higher end stuff with his AF100 than anyone here - go look at his stuff and tell me it isnt still relevant.

+2000000000000000 on linking to SHooters use and look he gets out of the camera.

[Jon Furtado]

With this big brew-ha-ha of all the new cameras and pixel peeping going on, I'm pretty satisfied with my AF100. Would I like a fancy C300 or FS700? Sure! But can I count on making that money back before they announce a new camera 4 months later, probably not.

That being said, I hope for Panasonic to make the future AF200 to knock our socks off and an amazing price point whenever they do decide to release it. I don't mind getting more time out of my AF100!

[MikeTexas]

Panasonic is good a not getting caught up in what the competition is doing. They stick to the game plan, and they have a good game plan!

[Igelkott Film]

And I would not buy anything but a camera that changed the way I work for the better.
I was stuck on my Canon XH-A1 and needed a memory card camera but did not have a direction to go in before a heard about AF101.
(cause a bloody hate DSLR)

I want nothing else then global shutter on the next AF200. (I could like other thing to of course)
I would not mind a actual spinning shutter on it as they have an actual shutter on the Lumixes

[cap10kirk]

My AF100 is making me good bread. For the price? It can't be beat.

[TubEfingers]

I'd rather stay focussed on getting new clients/jobs than getting new cams!

[Spartacus]

Well Barry, I still kinda hope your under a NDA and the bomb drops on Friday ;)
Honestly, I thought the AF100 has been around for much longer! Only two years?
But the game has changed and another option seems even more likely: There will be AF500 (in loving memory of the HPX500).
Panasonic and Sony are THE big two in the broadcast world. Sorry JVC;)
So Sony has (Under 20K): F3, FS700, FS100 = 3 cameras!.
Pana has - right.
So who´s up for a an (APS-C, 4k...?) AF500? My guess it will sit between F3 and FS700. Priced like a C300.
But with the one and only - drum roll - PANA MOJO!!!
If not I wait for Photokina and get me some Methadone aka. GH3 ;)

(Disclaimer: I´ve been awake now for 38h and had one on the most horrifying shoots of my life, so cut me some slack here ;o) )

[Mike Harvey]

...(Disclaimer: I´ve been awake now for 38h and had one on the most horrifying shoots of my life, so cut me some slack here ;o) )

After that, I'm surprised you're even coherent