AC130: Panasonic ag ac130

Justinec101 said:
But would proper autofocusing and a servo zoom really be enough to push a camera like I'm describing into the $10k+ range? There's obviously nothing like that on the market and I'm not sure if it's because it's completely impractical or non-cost-effective, or if it's simply a matter of micro 4/3 being so new that nobody's done it?
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Yes. It's basic physics, unfortunately. As sensor size increases, the focal length must increase for the same field of view. As focal length increases, lens diameter must increase to keep the same aperture. Larger lens elements use more materials, and are much harder to get to perform well than smaller lens elements. Then, there is the motors that drive the servos. Because the lens is larger and much heavier, the motors and gearing needs to be scaled up considerably. Not only is this more expensive, but runs slower and noisier.

Everything is a set of compromises. :(
 
Justinec101 said:
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but if the move to cmos is inevitable, why not come out with a 4/3 fixed lens camera? It seems like if we're accepting the rolling shutter and flash banding, then the only thing that makes a camera like the AF-100 impractical for event shooting is the poor/lack of autofocusing. It seems like a camera like this would be the best of both worlds.
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A lot of event shooting situations want maximum depth of field, not minimum! For that alone a large sensor cam is not the best choice…
 
ullanta said:
A lot of event shooting situations want maximum depth of field, not minimum! For that alone a large sensor cam is not the best choice…
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True, and I suppose that more limited dof is what contributes to the difficulty in getting autofocus to perform properly. As in the case of Sony's VG10.
 
Also, a servo zoom lens of any decent length with a reasonably fast iris that is also parafocal isn't going to be cheap. I mean, the Olympus 14-35/35-100 f/2 combo is nearly $5,000 combined right there, and they're not even parafocal from what I understand, nor do they have nearly the range of even the HMC150. Or a servo zoom. If what you're looking for is a fixed lens AF100 with a servo zoom and range/speed comparable to the HMC150 (which would be a really cool camera), be prepared to fork out a lot of money for it. I mean, 2/3" ENG lenses go for $10,000 easily. A comparable 4/3 lens would probably cost more.
 
That's what I do, Justine. The HMC150 has much worse IQ than the GH2 unfortunately. They don't edit together well at all. DR, color reproduction, and sharpness are all poorer in the HMC150. I'm keeping mine for the CCD no-skew chips for when that's necessary, but I just might get an AC130 at some point.
 
Jesse Brauning said:
That's what I do, Justine. The HMC150 has much worse IQ than the GH2 unfortunately. They don't edit together well at all. DR, color reproduction, and sharpness are all poorer in the HMC150. I'm keeping mine for the CCD no-skew chips for when that's necessary, but I just might get an AC130 at some point.
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I meant more in terms of having two tools for different jobs instead of hoping someone makes an all in one solution. I want to do more cinematic stuff, but the event type work pays the bills (well, a couple of them), so I can't survive with an af-100 or gh2 alone. But having one for the more cinematic stuff would be great. And the HMC would be there for certain handheld shots or for capturing audio. I'm sure I could match the footage up well enough for a few select pieces when I need them.
 
Of course it will......in lens control, zoom range, and in size (if you consider bigger better).
 
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R Hudson said:
Of course it will.
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Why is that?

Having now used both the 160 and the XF100, I can honestly say they are just different beasts. Each of them has it's advantages, however. Whether one is "better" than the other will depend on what you need.

If you need a broadcast-quality codec, 4:2:2 color space and a small form factor, the XF100 is better.

If you need a monster zoom range and prefer a larger, more traditional camcorder form factor (more buttons, switches, etc.), the 160 wins.
 
R Hudson said:
Stephen, I went in to edit but you beat me to the punch :)
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No worries, Hudson.

Another thing I will add is that the lens assembly in the XF100/105 is "good," but not "great." I think the glass in the 130/160 is on another level in terms of providing better out-of-focus area rendering, for sure.
 
SO what if your looking for a more cinematic feel between the two? I know about the af100 and dslrs, but if you had to try and get the cinematic effect between the XF100 and the AC130, which would you prefer?
 
R Hudson said:
Stephen, would you say that the 130/160 does better in low light compared to the xf100?
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To be perfectly honest, I would not say that. At least I didn't see that in my own shooting experiences. The 130/160 may be incrementally better, but not so much so that I'd base a purchasing decision on it.
 
LTAldo said:
SO what if your looking for a more cinematic feel between the two? I know about the af100 and dslrs, but if you had to try and get the cinematic effect between the XF100 and the AC130, which would you prefer?
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I'd go with the 130, simply because of the lens. You get a massive zoom range, giving you the ability to get shallower DOF, and when you do, the "bokeh" is more pleasing on the 130 than on the XF100.
 
Thanks for the straight answer. I've had my eye on the XF100 for some time until I heard panasonic was coming out with the 130.
 
Stephen Mick said:
To be perfectly honest, I would not say that. At least I didn't see that in my own shooting experiences. The 130/160 may be incrementally better, but not so much so that I'd base a purchasing decision on it.
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I appreciate the opinion on that. I have been considering an xf100 for a small event cam and using a DSLR for more cinematic (DOF) and low light (outdoors at night) shots. However the event cam I choose needs to be able to shoot reasonably well in ambient lighting.
 
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