DV-EXPO, Photos and Other Items...
- Thread starter BobDiaz
- Start date
Steve Kahn
Well-known member
I was there today!
Let me say first off that (at least as far as today) the dSLR is not dead. By far and away there were more dSLRs at the expo than any other kind of camera and more dSLR specific tools and conferences as well. This little camera has really changed the industry.
Which brings us to the AF100 - the next camera to change the camera world as did the dvx100. When you walk into the convention center Panasonic is the first booth and the AF100 is the first camera. It's hard to get to it, hard to see it up close because literally all day it is surrounded by people, noobs mostly who really know nothing about the camera. There Jan stands patiently while they ask their questions: "does it have a head phone jack?" one excited guy covered with tribal tattoos asks. "Of course" says Jan, "it's a video camera".
I realize hearing these questions how little most people know about the AF100. I realize when they do understand it how huge it is going to be.
So I step up to bug Jan with more of a dvxuser barrage:
"Can I see the focus assist?"
"No" she says, "it isn't working on this model"
"How about some charts? Some resolution charts? Can we expect to see 1000 lines? What can we expect as an ISO, DR, know the release date? Will auto focus work on all m4/3 as well as 4/3 lenses?"
Before I say her answers, let me say Jan is a really sweet person and works her a$$ off at these things. I have seen videos of her before but it's hard to realize how difficult it is to do what she does all day two or three days in a row. And, I know I have criticized Panasonic in the past for not listening - for being too... inflexible, to put it mildly, by withholding their AVC-intra for upper echelon cameras like the varicam - and not releasing it from their P2 system. For thinking that anyone would actually want to shoot a film on the Varicam (which I checked out. It was like a ghost town in front of the Varicam. Sorry Panasonic, it's over.)
As far as the release date: Jan knows the day, she said with a smile. But she wouldn't say when. She hinted it would be closer to the end of the month. I asked "the 18th?" She answered: "no comment"
As far as charts: the camera is still at 70%. As I said above the focus assist was not operable. That being said I could see no aliasing. I pointed the camera at any source which I thought could be a problem - brick, repeating geometric shapes, metal glasses - and couldn't see anything on the HDTV.
As far as all m4/3, 4/3 lenses auto-focus working: She explained that different companites make their auto focus work in "different languages". Some the AF100 will understand. Some it will not. This needs to be done on a case by case basis and would be a great lens sticky once we figure out which lenses work and which ones don't.
All in all a great day! Great to finally see the AF100! And, thanks again to Jan and Panasonic. This is going to be good!
Let me say first off that (at least as far as today) the dSLR is not dead. By far and away there were more dSLRs at the expo than any other kind of camera and more dSLR specific tools and conferences as well. This little camera has really changed the industry.
Which brings us to the AF100 - the next camera to change the camera world as did the dvx100. When you walk into the convention center Panasonic is the first booth and the AF100 is the first camera. It's hard to get to it, hard to see it up close because literally all day it is surrounded by people, noobs mostly who really know nothing about the camera. There Jan stands patiently while they ask their questions: "does it have a head phone jack?" one excited guy covered with tribal tattoos asks. "Of course" says Jan, "it's a video camera".
I realize hearing these questions how little most people know about the AF100. I realize when they do understand it how huge it is going to be.
So I step up to bug Jan with more of a dvxuser barrage:
"Can I see the focus assist?"
"No" she says, "it isn't working on this model"
"How about some charts? Some resolution charts? Can we expect to see 1000 lines? What can we expect as an ISO, DR, know the release date? Will auto focus work on all m4/3 as well as 4/3 lenses?"
Before I say her answers, let me say Jan is a really sweet person and works her a$$ off at these things. I have seen videos of her before but it's hard to realize how difficult it is to do what she does all day two or three days in a row. And, I know I have criticized Panasonic in the past for not listening - for being too... inflexible, to put it mildly, by withholding their AVC-intra for upper echelon cameras like the varicam - and not releasing it from their P2 system. For thinking that anyone would actually want to shoot a film on the Varicam (which I checked out. It was like a ghost town in front of the Varicam. Sorry Panasonic, it's over.)
As far as the release date: Jan knows the day, she said with a smile. But she wouldn't say when. She hinted it would be closer to the end of the month. I asked "the 18th?" She answered: "no comment"
As far as charts: the camera is still at 70%. As I said above the focus assist was not operable. That being said I could see no aliasing. I pointed the camera at any source which I thought could be a problem - brick, repeating geometric shapes, metal glasses - and couldn't see anything on the HDTV.
As far as all m4/3, 4/3 lenses auto-focus working: She explained that different companites make their auto focus work in "different languages". Some the AF100 will understand. Some it will not. This needs to be done on a case by case basis and would be a great lens sticky once we figure out which lenses work and which ones don't.
All in all a great day! Great to finally see the AF100! And, thanks again to Jan and Panasonic. This is going to be good!
PaPa
Major Contributor
Bobdiaz, just wanted to say a quick thank you for your post. This is the second year now, I believe, that you've posted some great stuff that some of us don't get to see, being very far away.
I'm really excited for the AF100 and may stop waiting for the S35 Scarlet and jump on this bandwagon.
1080p is more than enough for me, at my level. Especially if it's more and aliasing free. The Scarlet and this may be very different cameras for different ball games, and maybe my work just doesn't need it at this point.
Please post more info whenever you have the chance.
I'm really excited for the AF100 and may stop waiting for the S35 Scarlet and jump on this bandwagon.
1080p is more than enough for me, at my level. Especially if it's more and aliasing free. The Scarlet and this may be very different cameras for different ball games, and maybe my work just doesn't need it at this point.
Please post more info whenever you have the chance.
Steve Kahn
Well-known member
On a side note... I went to the Zeiss booth to ask a question but the stuffy rep totally ignored me, looked away and talked to another stuffy guy (probably because I look like a kid that doesn't have the money for their stuffy compact primes)!
So that's it Zeiss! You and me are through! Never! I will never again look at another Zeiss lens... ever again... at least not until I buy one of them... or better still all of them... when I have enough cash. (CP2 + AF100 = amazing (damn you Zeiss!))
So that's it Zeiss! You and me are through! Never! I will never again look at another Zeiss lens... ever again... at least not until I buy one of them... or better still all of them... when I have enough cash. (CP2 + AF100 = amazing (damn you Zeiss!))
Last edited:
powervideo
Well-known member
Nice report Steve!
digitalfilmmaker
Active member
Yeah it was crazy busy even early in the day.
Fear not I asked Jan if they were just using a GH2 and charging quintuple the price. She denied it.
A little boxier than I'd like, but slap a tiny pancake lens on it and it's a great little documentary in a box. Solid sound, monitoring, and artistic possibilities of shallow DOF and low light. Done and done.
This is going to sell like hotcakes and make reality TV look a whole lot prettier.
Fear not I asked Jan if they were just using a GH2 and charging quintuple the price. She denied it.
A little boxier than I'd like, but slap a tiny pancake lens on it and it's a great little documentary in a box. Solid sound, monitoring, and artistic possibilities of shallow DOF and low light. Done and done.
This is going to sell like hotcakes and make reality TV look a whole lot prettier.
BobDiaz
The Professor
THANKS!! :thumbsup:
I returned to DV Expo today with my video camera. Jan was nice enough to give me an interview. This was a one sided interview, because my voice is almost shot and I can hardly speak. However, she did say some interesting things.
I'd start editing it now, BUT I have to teach a class today, so it will have to wait for editing tonight.
Bob Diaz
Bob,
Thank you for starting this thread. I also attended DV Expo today and sat through the AG-AF100 presentation by Jan. I had my GH1 with me and snapped photos of her presenting the charts with intent to post them here. After the presentation, I asked Jan for permission to post my shots of the slides here on DVXUser. To my surprise, she offered to give me the original presentation file! So, attached to this message are a picture of Jan presenting the first slide and a link to the entire presentation converted to a PDF for everyone to read. Thank You, Jan, for your GREAT support of the DVXUser community!!!
There was a Q&A session after the presentation, but most of the questions that Jan answered have already been covered by Barry and her elsewhere on DVXUser. I asked a specific question about whether there will be remote control of focus on Lumix lenses. Jan's answer was "that will be a tough one" which I interpret to mean that it will most likely not be on the camera. Her presentation did say that remote start/stop and aperture control will be included. Other than that, you can read the rest for yourself. There are a few new nuggets in the presentation, including the new official price of $5,000.
Thanks for a Good Show!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/2j3qiaa7gcu7snp/DVExpo_AF100.pdf
Thank you for starting this thread. I also attended DV Expo today and sat through the AG-AF100 presentation by Jan. I had my GH1 with me and snapped photos of her presenting the charts with intent to post them here. After the presentation, I asked Jan for permission to post my shots of the slides here on DVXUser. To my surprise, she offered to give me the original presentation file! So, attached to this message are a picture of Jan presenting the first slide and a link to the entire presentation converted to a PDF for everyone to read. Thank You, Jan, for your GREAT support of the DVXUser community!!!
There was a Q&A session after the presentation, but most of the questions that Jan answered have already been covered by Barry and her elsewhere on DVXUser. I asked a specific question about whether there will be remote control of focus on Lumix lenses. Jan's answer was "that will be a tough one" which I interpret to mean that it will most likely not be on the camera. Her presentation did say that remote start/stop and aperture control will be included. Other than that, you can read the rest for yourself. There are a few new nuggets in the presentation, including the new official price of $5,000.
Thanks for a Good Show!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/file/2j3qiaa7gcu7snp/DVExpo_AF100.pdf
Last edited:
Ron Rodenmeyer
Well-known member
+1
BobDiaz
The Professor
Thank you all for the kind comments. I joked with Jan that Barry couldn't make it, so she's stuck with me doing the interview. 
It's an interview where I don't talk, because my voice was almost shot.
When I asked Jan to talk, I realized that there are already several videos where people talk about the specifications. So, rather than repeat the same information, this time cover the marketing of the camera and why the decisions were made to go with its configuration.
One interesting this is that in the past, a Product Manager was mostly an unknown person who worked for the company. However, because of the forums, Barry and partly myself, Jan is very visible to the users. This is also a two way street, because Jan can see what the users are thinking and want. That becomes important as she works on future products.
Last of all, thanks to Jan for being willing to do the interview.
Bob Diaz
It's an interview where I don't talk, because my voice was almost shot. When I asked Jan to talk, I realized that there are already several videos where people talk about the specifications. So, rather than repeat the same information, this time cover the marketing of the camera and why the decisions were made to go with its configuration.
One interesting this is that in the past, a Product Manager was mostly an unknown person who worked for the company. However, because of the forums, Barry and partly myself, Jan is very visible to the users. This is also a two way street, because Jan can see what the users are thinking and want. That becomes important as she works on future products.
Last of all, thanks to Jan for being willing to do the interview.
Bob Diaz
I love it when she says the reception of the cam is "just short of nutty."
Priceless.
I do like where the USER 3 button is positioned.
Priceless.
I do like where the USER 3 button is positioned.
Talk about thinking and posting the same thing at the same time.
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
Great interview, thanks Bob and Jan!
hyphygreek
Well-known member
Thanks!