Panasonic's update to cure noise issue

Wow, looks nice. With a c-mount adapter or something and a few nice primes, I could see this being amazing for narrative work, even if it is intended for ENG.

I wonder what will become of the Varicam? I hear the new model is 1080p (from my "confidential source") but it will have to either drop in price or add a bunch of features to justify costing twice as much.

Well, it's awesome to see 2/3'' HD cams get more affordable, although the infinity looks like it's probably even nicer than this.
 
All kinds of new stuff, yippee! I bet it's mostly fueled by the need to cut P2 prices down. Panasonic probably saw this to begin with in their research charts. Now we've got all kinds of P2 stuff to use and look forward to! =)

Go Panasonic!
 
Seems like Panasonic is really trying to push P2 over tape which makes me a bit nervous in purchasing an SDX900. At what point will they stop supporting the camera in terms of making tape decks or tapes for it? If the price drop is just due to the movement towards HD over SD, then why not drop the price of the SPX800 by a few grand. I would definitely buy an SPX800 for $15,000 still knowing it would only do SD. I get the feeling the reason for the price drop is linked to the fact that Panasonic wants to phase out tape, but is afraid nobody will buy the remaining SDX900s they have in stock if they announce they will no longer support DVCPRO 50 tape based cameras in three to five years. Of course, if the SPX800 suddenly has a dramatic price drop before NAB, I will be happily proven wrong and will purchase an SPX800 along with a few P2 cards with the money I save. : )
 
Europe is today just starting with HD, so count for enough years to support the SD tape format with decks and tapes. No worries there.
 
This seems to be the P2 replacement for the HDX-400, a camcorder mostly aimed at the news market. So only 60p and 60i framerates.
 
contentlab said:
i was more thinking that NBC shooter would be interested.
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Well, I knew it. My guess is, something around $28,900 USD MSRP, WITHOUT glass and WITHOUT any P2 cards. It's a $40K+ package (my guess) by the time you're done. So now, we have the $5,600 HVX200 and the $40-something thousand (again, I'm guessing) 2/3" HPC2000 (which I'm sure, ISN'T the "new" Varicam). Which leaves a $35,000 gap in their product line.

I doubt Panasonic will productize a mid-line 1/2" HVX-type shoulder-mount product in the meantime. It's either the 1/3" HVX or the full-blown pro 2/3" HPC2000. NOTHING IN-BETWEEN! So what's left? Infinity? The $27K JVC? I'm still looking at the ONLY mid-line priced pro 24P cameras on the market: the Sony 2/3" DSR450 SD DVCAM for $15K with everything, and/or the Sony 1/2" PDW-F330 XDCAM HD for $22K with glass (my "street price" guess).

Although the SDX900 dropped like a rock in price, it's close enough in total price, once you add glass, to "step up" to the PDW-F330, over the SDX900, even though it's only 35Mbps HDV and 1/2" CCDs (thanks, Barry, the heads-up thread on the SDX!).
 
There's the $32,000 HDX400, so there is something in-between. Granted it's 1080i-only, and $32,000, but it closes the gap a bit, but not all that much.
 
If this is the "P2 version" of the HDX-400 which is $32k shouldnt it be cheaper than 28,900 because you dont have that DVCPRO HD tape drive?
 
Again Anders, you're posting my thoughts. The answer is: their POV is not yours or mine. It's (not the customer POV but it is the manufacturer's) merely a market's POV.
 
Mmm. I doubt it's really only 1080i. I think it's probably also 24p over 1080i like the 200 does, and note that the 2000 also does 720p.
 
Barry_Green said:
There's the $32,000 HDX400, so there is something in-between. Granted it's 1080i-only, and $32,000, but it closes the gap a bit, but not all that much.
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Right, Barry. Like most of us, I'm only looking for a, "video movie-making machine," so whether it's SD or HD, I assume, for most of us, it's 24P or nuthin'.

Wait, Barry--that's going in the wrong direction! Hmmm . . . come to think of it. If the 1080i-only HDX400 is pricing out at $32K without glass, that suggests that the HPC2000 has got to price out at some kind of premium above that, yes? Or will Panasonic announce a price reduction on the 1080i-only HDX400 at NAB, and then be able to price the HPC2000 more competitive with Sony PDW-F350?
 
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doccutter said:
Mmm. I doubt it's really only 1080i. I think it's probably also 24p over 1080i like the 200 does, and note that the 2000 also does 720p.
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The HDX400 is an interlace camera ONLY. It does NOT and will NEVER do "24p."
 
NBCshooter said:
The HDX400 is an interlace camera ONLY. It does NOT and will NEVER do "24p."
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Sorry, I should have been more clear, the 2000 says 1080i and 720p, and I was replying to someone claiming that it didn't do 1080p, and I responded by suggesting that the 2000 probably does do 1080p, but like the 200 does, since it's a limitation of the DVCPRO HD codec.
 
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