New Panasonic 4k camcorders

zijital said:
I was thinking the DVX200 would be a good replacement to an aging EX1, though the short lens is the biggest drawback for events where you're stuck at the back of the room.

These two cameras have my interest w/ the longer zoom range. Though I agree with Darren, a big factor is if (or how much) the lens stays open as you zoom.
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I would go towards the PX270 if it is truly an EX-1 style camera you want to replace.
 
Bassman2003 said:
I would go towards the PX270 if it is truly an EX-1 style camera you want to replace.
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I'm finding there are some great practical advantages to 4k. But, if you really couldn't care less about 4k, and trading the 1" on the new UX cameras or the m4/3 sensor on the DVX for a 1/3" sensor isn't a big deal to you, this isn't a bad idea. Still get good low light, and AVC-Intra. AVC-LongG can be recorded and regular SDXC cards, as well.
 
Speedster159 said:
I think I know what to replace my HC-X1000 with now! I been having problems with mine from dirt on the sensor, iris stepping, and low sensitivity.

UX180 is higher speced than the HC-X1000 and the UX90 is lower speced than the HC-X1000. I'll likely go for the UX180.
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I am waiting to see too for a replacement for my FDR-AX1 which is similar to the HC-X1000.
 
These seem like a step forward but a bigger sensor doesen't help me for the live sporting events I shoot. I was really hoping for a small sensor 4K or UHD 60P camcorder at NAB. A 1" sensor is a decent compromise but even smaller sensors for easier focus are more for what I am looking for. The first crop of 1/3" sensor 4K camcorders from Sony and Panasonic were both fairly weak offerings in my opinion. There needs to be a significant leap forward in sensor technology to get the noise floor low enough so that amplifying the image doesen't end up destroying the image quality. The increased pixel count required for 4K or UHD make it impractical to use current 1/3" sensors as the amplification required to expose these sensors in even modestly lit situations makes the IQ unusable. Should be interesting to see how this segment progresses.
 
True North said:
These seem like a step forward but a bigger sensor doesen't help me for the live sporting events I shoot. I was really hoping for a small sensor 4K or UHD 60P camcorder at NAB. A 1" sensor is a decent compromise but even smaller sensors for easier focus are more for what I am looking for. The first crop of 1/3" sensor 4K camcorders from Sony and Panasonic were both fairly weak offerings in my opinion. There needs to be a significant leap forward in sensor technology to get the noise floor low enough so that amplifying the image doesen't end up destroying the image quality. The increased pixel count required for 4K or UHD make it impractical to use current 1/3" sensors as the amplification required to expose these sensors in even modestly lit situations makes the IQ unusable. Should be interesting to see how this segment progresses.
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I'm curious why they don't use 2/3"... it's been the standard for pro sports broadcasts for decades, there are are plenty of 2/3" 4k cameras out there with decent IQ. And in the format of the UX cameras (8bit 4:2:0), it's not going to compete with the P2 broadcast cameras. Plus, it's not like they haven't been making 2/3" glass forever.
 
My comments about the PX270 go more towards the class or level of the camera within the system. The EX-1 and the PX270 are/were class leading, broadcast intent cameras. In the Panasonic space it is the cameras with the AJ letters. In my experience, the image is just more refined with the AJ series cameras. The many cameras without the AJ letters can make nice images, but if you want a lateral move from the EX-1, the PX270 is your closest option imho.
 
Camera you linked to has a chip that is smaller than half inch. 2/3 is a bit bigger thsn 1/2.3. I do see how you made that mistake.
 
Panasonic does have some cameras with 2/3" sensors, but they tend to be in their higher end broadcast and ENG-oriented cameras like the AJ-PX800 (which is HD only) or the AK-UC3000 (which can shoot 4K). These are both 3-chip cameras (MOS rather than CCD) though, and it seems like the UX90 and UX180 are more likely to have a single-chip sensor.

The Panasonic FZ1000 has a 1" sensor (20 MP) and has a 16x zoom lens (f/2.8 to f/4) so that may something more like we might expect to see in the UX90 and UX180. It would be nice if they used a lower resolution sensor (4K or 8 MP) for better low light performance though. The higher megapixel count makes sense for a hybrid (stills/video) camera, but less so for a pure video camera.
 
My absolute favorite things about the EX1 were:

1. True mechanical lens
2. 1/2" sensors.

Honestly, for events/sports those features make it a good camera even today. IF Panny would come-up with their own true mechanical lens with decent zoom range and 1/2" sensor(x3) that would be (to me) the optimum sports/event cam. I really don't know why nobody is competing directly with Sony in that area (PXW-X200).
 
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