HPX250: HPX255 Now In Stock at B&H

[Dino]

I'm happy that Panasonic is delivering its first palmcorder that can be used with a paint box. The HPX250 has TC In/Out, Genlock In, but now we've got the option of a paint box, making the HPX255 a strong competitor to the Sony EX3, with the exception of removable lens. Cost is approx. $1000-1200 more, plus the $2469 price of the EC4 paint box with 10 meter cable. Longer cables are helpful and get expensive.

We've ordered an HPX255 for our rental inventory and already have the EC4. Having paint control is very helpful for multi-camera shoots, of course.

 

[Danny1280]

What is paint box?

 

[Dino]

What is paint box?

A remote control for the camera offering such controls as:

Iris
Master Ped
Detail
Red and Blue Gains(Paint)
Red and Blue Blacks
Full Menu Access
Shutter/ECS
Gain
Transport Controls for Playback
Record

On shoots with DIT's, the paint box makes it possible to keep scene by scene look continuity, a way to bake in a look, or at least keep a consistent reference for post. Mult-cam shoots are easier when you can control at least one camera remotely to ensure a match from a different angle. It's important to have a scope with a paint box and somebody who knows what they're doing(DIT), or it can get you into trouble.

 

[Freya]

Longer cables are helpful and get expensive.

A shame they can't use a standard cable type like cat5 utp cable or something?

love

Freya

 

[delete]

We just got a few of the Panasonic AG-HPX255 delivered at Texas Media Systems.

 

[Dino]

We've already done three shows with the HPX255 and EC4 paint box. A three day medical switched HD webcast at Stanford, an ISO interview corporate shoot in a studio and a live switched concert. In all cases, especially the latter, the paint box really elevated the capabilities, convenience of the camera. I was amazed at how close the HPX255 cut with Sony HXC-100 triax cameras, which are $60K camera chains with lens, CCU, viewfinder, RCP. The HPX255 and 250 are great green screen and back of the room cameras. Sony's new PMW-200 just doesn't stack up, IMO, with its 8-bit codec and 14x lens, no paint box capability for the same cost of a 255, much less the lower cost 250.