Four AG-HPX250 videos released from Texas Media Systems

Philip Goetz

Philip Goetz

Well-known member
On Tuesday, Sept 20, 2011 Panasonic sent us a prototype AG-HPX250 camera. On Thursday, Sept 22 we shipped it off. Here is what we did:

"Hands on Review of the Panasonic AG-HPX250"
(Stephen Mick joined Texas Media Systems for this)
http://vimeo.com/29509312

"AG-HPX250 Sunrise / Country Road"
(Time lapse and more)
http://vimeo.com/29569326

"AG-HPX250 Fabric Samples"
(Tight patterns properly exposed)
http://vimeo.com/29540897

"AG-HPX250 Bastrop / Austin"
(Wild fire damage and night scenes downtown)
http://vimeo.com/29459839

Thanks Panasonic! Camera brochure: http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/sales_o/broch_pdf/ag-hpx250.pdf
Thanks to Posters on Walls Records and The Sour Notes for music! http://www.postersonwallsrecords.com http://www.thesournotes.com

Call to get on our pre-order list for this camera today 512-440-1400:
http://shop.texasmediasystems.com/Panasonic-AG-HPX250-P2-Handheld-Camera--PRE-ORDER_p_4480.html
 
Hi,

i'm about to buy one HPX250, cause i think that is the best one i can purchase.
I'm also decided on it, cause it have the best characteristic (on the paper) for it's size and it's pricerange.
I'm a little confused to see how the all community of filmmaker/dp ... stay so silencious about that.
It's the fisrt time that we have a best-codec-real 1080p-varicam-with amazing focal possibility-and lightweight camcorder
for this price range and i'm so surprised that nobody talk about !

where are Hvx users ? and dvx users ? and all handheld or shoulder-mounted-camcorder users ? are they so blinded by the dslr revolution and big sized sensors they cannot see it's a major evolution in the "affordable" video world.

I can hear them at this time : oh no it's me, i got the biggest one ( they talk about they sensors... ).
So it's true i'm a little boring with shallow deph of field and photoscopes...

Sorry but when i look at the world throught my real eyes, i don't see blur everywhere !!
you may say , oh my god you don't know it's a real mean to focalize the attention of the public on what you want, it's a drama effect, you can't do without it !
By the way, it's exacly what i see everybody try to fits the look and a lot of persons forget about the art of framing correctly or naturally, or forget about the work of lighting... they think they don't care 'cause they have the look... this remind you something ?

And what about the story, the actor (( what a sh.. here on France'tv channel )) ? 'Yo we don't care we have the look !

And what to think about robocop-guy with amazing gear around a little dslr ? no i'won't go on the subject... what i can say is that they have too much money...
and what to think about scarlet-guy waiting for about 3 years for a "no-face" cam to shoot web stuff ! (with a lot of gear and we go again. )

Oh,... I deviated from the road, uh, not nervous about dslr shooter, i got some dslr and i use it a lot but i'm also a dual DVX owner, and i work a lot with others cam.

So, nobody care but here is what i think about this camera ( HPX 250 )
Best-codec for HD, interesting framerate, full HD (better res than AF100, HVX200, EX series, FS100 etc.)
very good sound, other good stuff like flashband compensation, skew correct.
probably approved soon by BBC, 5 YEARS guarantee by manufacturer.
same batteries than DVX,HVX.. ( coooool !)
3 ring ( focus-zoom-diaph ) perfect !
lightweight ! impressive zoom & ND filters ( another way to get shallow deph of field !)

All i can see in this four vidéos made by a prototype model is that
all this good characteristics are in but i think that the shooter is a beginer ! ( don't take it personnaly ! how could you..)
Skew correct is well perfoming. but wow, IS THIS ULT ? ( ultra luminace technology )
the austin's video by night is pretty bad : whereas the shooter let the auto focus, (oh ugly !) the PAP filter simply don't do its job. Did you let ND filters ? did you select the right PAP filter ? ( 2 possibility, thanks panny )
I think it's a prototype issues but i'll check it as soon as i give a try to a factory model.
I'll post some footage too maybe in a week.

Thank you all. forgive me dslr-world but i prefer directing than focusing !

inefab, (actually on the way to get the smallest one ( i talk about sensor, sure))
 
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I am very excited for this cam - finally going to upgrade my HVX200 to the 250 or 160. I'm a bit concerned about the autofocus (issue) at night.
 
If you are doing Wedding/Event/Broadcast work, this is a great camera. A lot of people will ignore it because of 1/3" chips. That would be a mistake. It seems they corrected some of the lowlight issues, since the night time test has 18db gain, and in the past, the footage would have been too noisy. If one is doing syndicated travel/sports/lifestyle shows, they should at least check out this camera.
 
Haven't been able to keep up -- what's the autofocus issue?

Also, remember the HPX250 can go a lot higher than 18dB -- it's got 24dB and 30dB "Super Gain" in it (as does the AC160). It's noisier than a Ratt concert, but if you need gain, it's got it...
 
Ah come on! Don't bag on the Ratt concerts! Lol! One of my favorite 80's bands:)
I've got a 200a and a 170...as well as 5d2 & 7d...rarely do I use my DSLRs for work...maybe a special shot or two...but my 170/200 kis are with me ALWAYS! Really looking forward to the 250!!! OP...thanks for sharing, the footage looks great. I. Your opinion, how was the "low light" performance?
 
From these very first reviews can't say the low light is very impressive as compared to the FS100. Sure codec is better and ergonomics but low light looks so, so. Hold off full judgement until the bugger is officially released and some proper tests can be done.
 
Also keeping an eye on the 250, although I must say I´d prefered a "middle way" in sensor size like Sony did with the 1/2" EX1.
But besides that, Pana seems to have included everything I want from a camera with that form factor...
Still, Canon could cahnge my thoughts around wit their octobre announcement, we´ll see.
 
all i see is that the lens perform very well, and for sure, it was effectively built around the sensor.
In the video "fabric sample" ( a shot that many dslr's shooter just would't heard about !!, and i'm one of you guy !:laugh:) i was just impressed about
the amazing clarity and precision of the image.
Good job panny !
 
Barry_Green said:
Haven't been able to keep up -- what's the autofocus issue?

Also, remember the HPX250 can go a lot higher than 18dB -- it's got 24dB and 30dB "Super Gain" in it (as does the AC160)..
Click to expand...

If you watch some of the night scenes in this vid:
"AG-HPX250 Bastrop / Austin" (Wild fire damage and night scenes downtown) http://vimeo.com/29459839

The autofocus is doing a lot of hunting - very strange effect. Is is the low light or pre-release camera or what? Most everyone would use manual focus in that situation - I'm just curious about it.
 
inefab said:
Hi,
I can hear them at this time : oh no it's me, i got the biggest one ( they talk about they sensors... ).
Click to expand...

I'll say it once again - I got the biggest one :) And I still think size does matter. I got your points, I'm bored with shallow DOF, too, but I don't agree with your arguments. It's difficult to make wide shots, with great DOF, look cinematic with video camera. If I could afford shooting film and have $$$ for production design, I would actually prefer to choose 16mm for my next feature! But I can't. So, I prefer to use shallow DOF to hide some distracting things in the background and create the mood that's associated with cinema by viewers. I really think it helps the story. Wide shots, with great DOF, shot with cheap video camera break that illusion, IMO. I don't want to zoom in and step back all the time. I don't have rooms big enough for that :)

Sorry but when i look at the world throught my real eyes, i don't see blur everywhere !!
Click to expand...

Neither do I. But also, I don't see 3-point lighting, soft fill, nice rich textures. I'm not even sure I see framing at all. Narrative movie is not real life. The viewers must feel they're watching the movie - it helps to immerse in the story and identify with protagonist. My theory is that because we feel safe - we're watching the spectacle and not real-life. Just like in theatre (I mean stage, not AMC :) ). It puts our natural emotional defense to sleep. That's why we (ok, our girlfriends, not us) cry so easily while watching movies.

And what about the story, the actor (( what a sh.. here on France'tv channel )) ? 'Yo we don't care we have the look !
Click to expand...

Using larger sensor does not automatically mean you don't care about the story/acting.

So, nobody care but here is what i think about this camera ( HPX 250 )
Best-codec for HD, interesting framerate, full HD (better res than AF100, HVX200, EX series, FS100 etc.)
very good sound, other good stuff like flashband compensation, skew correct.
probably approved soon by BBC, 5 YEARS guarantee by manufacturer.
same batteries than DVX,HVX.. ( coooool !)
3 ring ( focus-zoom-diaph ) perfect !
lightweight ! impressive zoom & ND filters ( another way to get shallow deph of field !)
Click to expand...

True! I agree! Excellent camera for weddings, corporate work, nature. I'm being a little sarcastic here, of course :)

Thank you all. forgive me dslr-world but i prefer directing than focusing !
Click to expand...

You better do both! Not at the same time, of course :)
 
trez said:
True! I agree! Excellent camera for weddings, corporate work, nature. I'm being a little sarcastic here, of course :)
Click to expand...
Yeah that's why i'm gonna buy it to get my money back ! :D
Plus, i do a lot of green screen and W&B studio shot, 10bit are welcome ! i used 422 8bit color sampling in the past and found it a little dirty.


trez said:
I'll say it once again - I got the biggest one :) And I still think size does matter. I got your points, I'm bored with shallow DOF, too, but I don't agree with your arguments. It's difficult to make wide shots, with great DOF, look cinematic with video camera. If I could afford shooting film and have $$$ for production design, I would actually prefer to choose 16mm for my next feature! But I can't. So, I prefer to use shallow DOF to hide some distracting things in the background and create the mood that's associated with cinema by viewers. I really think it helps the story. Wide shots, with great DOF, shot with cheap video camera break that illusion, IMO. I don't want to zoom in and step back all the time. I don't have rooms big enough for that :)
Click to expand...

I believe in alternance !! using small sensor with big definition for wide shot or fast-action shot, ( and a lot of other shot requiring large Dof )
, and S35 or 4/3 sensor for closed and quietly shot and by the same using amazing glass ( i personaly have a ze magic Voïgtlander f 0.95 for this kind of shot ).



trez said:
Neither do I. But also, I don't see 3-point lighting, soft fill, nice rich textures. I'm not even sure I see framing at all. Narrative movie is not real life. The viewers must feel they're watching the movie - it helps to immerse in the story and identify with protagonist. My theory is that because we feel safe - we're watching the spectacle and not real-life. Just like in theatre (I mean stage, not AMC :) ). It puts our natural emotional defense to sleep. That's why we (ok, our girlfriends, not us) cry so easily while watching movies.
Click to expand...
It's a theory and it seem great to me for many fiction work. I'll not say that for documentary work by example.
i think that with all those tools, we can adopt many esthetic approach, to reach better storytelling. The epoch is exciting !
 
I don't get why someone with no interest in this camera has to bore us with his/her reasons for not buying. Pana is not positioning this camera as one suitable for Independent movie making. They have the AF100 for that. But for everything else (a much larger market than independent movie production) this camera has great potential. It will not have the low light performance of the FS100/F3, but for a 1/3" camera it does pretty darn good. With a usable 22X zoom and on board 10bit recording...endless possibilities.
 
I was out at DV Expo last week and got a closeup look at the HPX250 and AC160. Great cameras, we'll definitely be adding them to our rental fleet. But what surprised me a bit, was how big the HPX250 is. Although the lens has a 72mm diameter filter ring, somehow the body has grown noticeably larger than even the HVX200A. I could not accurately assess the weight of this camera — as it was mounted on a tripod head and tethered with a security line — but one of the Panasonic reps and I agreed it is probably at least as heavy as the HVX200A. And I was really enjoying the size and weight of the HPX170 for this type of camera!

Regardless of it's growing size and weight, Full-raster, 10-bit, 4:2:2, AVC-Intra to P2 for under $6,000 makes this camera one of my new personal favorites!
 
Every comment I've made about them has included a reference to the size because, yes, they really are noticeably bigger. That 22x lens takes up space!

I love the size and weight of the 150, it's really pretty much ideal. The 130/160/250 are shaped like it, but bigger. They weigh about six pounds including a battery.
 
I just can't get myself to sell my HMC-150. It is such a perfect mix of size, weight and image quality. I looked at replacing it with the XF100 but it was too small and fiddly with a slant towards auto operation due to its size. These new cameras do walk the line of being handheld or shoulder with any increase needing to be a shoulder mount.
 
Barry_Green said:
Every comment I've made about them has included a reference to the size because, yes, they really are noticeably bigger. That 22x lens takes up space!

I love the size and weight of the 150, it's really pretty much ideal. The 130/160/250 are shaped like it, but bigger. They weigh about six pounds including a battery.
Click to expand...

The million dollar question is where are they?

Initial press release indicated by August, and the latest by September.

We are a few days away from October.
 
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