Panasonic announces UX180 and UX90 pricing & availability

Barry_Green

Moderator
Press release dated 9/7/16:



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Panasonic Announces Pricing/Availability of New 4K Integrated High-Power Zoom Lens UX Camcorder Series

4K Professional Camcorders Boast the Industry's Widest Optical Zoom Angle of 24mm
NEWARK, NJ (September 7, 2016)Panasonic today announced availability and pricing for the first two models in its new UX series of professional 4K camcorders, the UX Premium Model AG-UX180 and the UX Standard Model AG-UX90. The UX180 and UX90 begin deliveries in December and November, respectively, with suggested list prices of $3,795 and $2,295.


The camcorders offer a host of features for the high image quality and advanced functionality required in video production, including a newly-designed Leica Dicomar 4K compact lens with a wide 24mm angle (4K 24p, 17:9), the industry’s widest for an integrated lens camcorder. Both models incorporate a 1.0-type (effective size) MOS sensor, providing the same level of sensitivity as conventional handheld camcorders. Versatile and easy-to-use MOV (QuickTime), MP4 and AVCHD file formats are supported.


When recording in FHD, variable frame rate (VFR) enables 10-step recording at 2-60fps. The variety of recording modes with selectable image quality, frame rate and bit rate settings respond to a wide range of applications, from education and corporate to sports and web video.


The UX series delivers exceptional 4K performance at compelling price points, with breakthrough features such as the 24mm angle lens for wide-angle shooting without requiring a wide conversion lens,” said Steven Cooperman, Senior Product Manager, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. “The camcorders’ extensive focus assist features make 4K shooting easier than ever before.”


UX Series: Expanded O.I.S., Very Intelligent Auto Focus
Features for easy operation and high reliability, such as Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.), Intelligent Auto Focus (AF), and relay and simultaneous recording with a dual SD memory card[SUP]1 [/SUP]slot, support professional camera work.


The O.I.S. correction area has been expanded to approximately 900% when in UHD/FHD mode over the conventional area (vs. AVVCAM models), providing powerful correction even in unstable shooting situations such as low-angle or high-angle shots. In FHD shooting mode, a 5-Axis Hybrid Image Stabilizer combines the effects of both optical and electronic image stabilization to detect and correct hand-shaking in various directions, including rotary.


Intelligent AF makes even difficult 4K focusing automatic and affords high speed, superior tracking performance and stability. AF operation can be customized with adjustments to speed, sensitivity and area width. When the Focus Assist button is pressed, Expand or Peaking is displayed to assist the user's comprehensive manual focusing operation. Additionally, Auto Focus is activated for a subject that is touched on the camcorder’s LCD panel.


The camcorder’s two SD card slots enable virtually unlimited (to 96GB) relay recording by simply changing SD cards, and also allow simultaneous recording. Additional recording functions include pre-rec, interval rec, freeze frame and time stamp. Six files preset with picture quality settings are provided as Scene Files, and any of 44 functions can be allocated to 13 user buttons.


The lens system simultaneously and independently drives four lens groups; the lens size and drive range for each of the four groups can be efficiently suppressed to optimize image quality and zoom power. The camcorders feature three manual rings for zoom, focus and iris control, offering a familiar, professional feel; they are equipped with a digital zoom by any of three fixed values — 2x, 5x or 10x.


Bolstering professional-level capture, four position (OFF, ¼, 1/16/ 1/64) ND filters are built in. The camcorders also feature Gain Selector, Auto White Balance Selector and an Auto Tracking White Balance function. Both UX models are equipped with a terminal for remote operation of iris, focus, zoom and REC start/stop. An AG ROP app for iPad, available free of charge from the Apple App Store, enables wireless remote control with installation of a wireless module (optional AJ-WM50/ AJ-WM30).


A 3.5-type LCD monitor built into the camcorders' handle section can be pulled out and turned 270 degrees vertically for use in high-angle, low-angle or selfie shots.


The Highly Professional AG-UX180: 20x Zoom, Super Slo-Mo, IR Shooting
Premium assets of the UX180 include a high-powered 20x optical zoom, 4K/24p, UHD/60p and FHD/60p multi-format recording, FHD super-slow motion 120fps recording, infrared shooting in darkness (0 lux) and 3G-SDI/HDMI output. The 20x optical zoom covers the range from 24 mm at the wide-angle end to 480 mm at the telescopic end (35mm film equivalent at 4K24p)--the lens can zoom from wide-angle to telescopic in approximately 2.0 seconds.


In HD shooting modes, an i.Zoom function increases the zooming capability to a maximum of approximately 30x, while maintaining high resolution. iZoom seamlessly switches on when the 20x optical zooming limit is reached. For worldwide use, the UX180 is 59.94Hz/50Hz switchable.

The UX180 supports dual codec recording (UHD[SUP]2[/SUP]/FHD or FHD 100 Mbps+/FHD 8 Mbps); sub-recording files can be used for preview, off-line editing and online transmission. FHD (8 Mbps) sub files can be transmitted via mobile networks so editing work can be performed before the delivery of the main recording files, facilitating workflow efficiency.


The camcorder's 16-axis color correction provides an independent effect to each of 16 phases of video images, enabling color matching of multiple cameras under the same lighting conditions as well as creative image rendering. Additional image adjustment functions include detail, skin detail, chroma level, chroma phase, master pedestal, gamma and knee setting. The camcorder is equipped with eight selectable gamma modes, including two Cine-Like Gammas, drawing on technologies developed for the VariCam.


The high-resolution OLED EVF features a 1.77 million dot display. LCD/EVF displays include waveform and vectorscope, ZEBRA, Y level marker and level gauge. Beyond 3G-SDI/HDMI output, the UX180 offers a video/audio out for monitoring, two channel XLR audio, USB 3.0 Host/Device and TC Preset In/Out to sync multi-camera shooting.


The Highly Affordable AG-UX90: 15X Optical Zoom, UHD/30P Recording
The standard UX90 is a high cost/performance model with a 15x optical zoom, an industry-best 24.5mm wide angle lens (FHD), and UHD/30p and FHD 60p recording. In HD shooting modes, the i.Zoom function increases the zooming capability to a maximum of approximately 25x.


Professional interfaces include HDMI output, two-channel XLR audio, USB 3.0 Host/Device, and video/audio out for monitoring. The UX90 has a 0.24-type EVF.


For more information about Panasonic professional video products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast or contact Panasonic at 877-803-8492.




1: Video-shooting at 100Mbps or higher requires an SD Card compatible with UHS Speed Class 3 (U3).
2: Excludes UHD 60p, 4K
 
The NAB announcement was that something called the UX series was coming, but practically no specifications were revealed, and the price points were quoted as "under $4,000" and "under $3,000", with availability estimated to be "in Fall." So there's a lot more info in these press releases, including that the UX90 is drastically below $3,000, and up-to-date estimated availability.
 
The camcorder’s two SD card slots enable virtually unlimited (to 96GB) relay recording by simply changing SD cards, and also allow simultaneous recording.

Hmmm... 96GB seems a little small for "virtually unlimited" relay recording. I wonder if this was supposed to be 960GB ???
 
The Panasonic UX90 is certainly priced pretty aggressively at $2295 considering that the similarly spec'd Sony PXW-Z150 (1-inch sensor, 12x optical zoom, UHD/30p) currently goes for almost $1000 more. The UX90 pricing also fits better with the rest of the Panasonic 4K 1-inch sensor camera lineup with HC-X1 (20x zoom, FHD/120p, UHD/60p) at $3199 and UX180 (20x zoom, SDI, and TC) at $3795.

Still, it's kind of confusing to have 3 models that all seem to fit in the same family, but then give one of them a distinct model name HC-X1. Feels a little bit like Panasonic couldn't decide on feature sets, so they went with 3 models where they could have gone with 2. But maybe this will make more sense as more details emerge?

Now, the Sony Z150 can record 10-bit 4:2:2 internally (in HD) and I'm sure that's one of the things everyone wants to know about these new Panasonic models as well. Any mention of color depth or chroma subsampling has been notably absent from any of the press releases or product brochures so far. Not sure if that means that they are still working on the camera firmware and these details haven't been finalized yet, or because everything is 8-bit 4:2:0 so what's the point of touting it.

 
Dingo, the unlimited recording refers to relay..swapping the recording card out before it fills up while it starts on the empty one..rinse, repeat: endless. Size of SD card only determines how often you have to swap.

This caught my eye..: "The standard UX90 is a high cost/performance model with a 15x optical zoom, an industry-best 24.5mm wide angle lens (FHD), and UHD/30p and FHD 60p recording."
"Standard"? Referring to a future upgraded version? Maybe just bad translation or choice of words.
So does the 90 do 24p @ UHD or just 30?
 
Brochures for both the UX cameras are now available on the Panasonic website:
http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/ux/index.html

UX 90 Brochure
UX 180 Brochure

According to the brochures, only the UX180 supports Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160 @ 24fps) recording. Both the UX90 and UX180 support UHD (3840 x 2160) recording in 24p and 30p.

The specification documents also list the "Recording Video Signal" as 8-bit 4:2:0 and the "Video Signal for External Output" as 8-bit 4:2:2. The UX180 specs have a note that external output of UHD/59.94p/50.00p becomes 8-bit 4:2:0 so presumably 8-bit 4:2:2 output only applies to UHD/30p and below.
 
This answers the question we had about the HC-X1 bit depth. Both cameras have the same sensor and image processing. Was hoping for 10-bit 4:2:2 output.
 
Hmmm... 96GB seems a little small for "virtually unlimited" relay recording. I wonder if this was supposed to be 960GB ???

I was wondering about this, too. But their brochure clearly states that the cameras can record to 128GB cards, and the recording time on that card is twice that of the 64GB cards. So my interpretation is that in relay recording, it will only fill each card to 96GB, then switch to the next card. Maybe Barry can clarify?
 
From reading the brochures, it looks like the UX180 and HC-X1 use the same sensor, while the UX90 uses a different one. The sensors on the UX180 and HC-X1 both have 8.79 Mpixels for UHD and FHD modes, and 9.46 Mpixels for 4k mode. But the sensor on the UX90 has 17.78 Mpixels for FHD mode, and only 8.59 Mpixels for UHD mode. So the UX90 significantly crops the sensor when going from FHD to UHD (similar to what the DVX200 does, but the DVX200 has a larger sensor). This is also confirmed by the lens, which has a (35mm equivalent) wide angle focal length of 24.5mm at FHD, but 35.4mm at UHD. On the other hand, the UX180 and HC-X1 uses the full sensor for 4k, and slightly crops for UHD and FHD. This is also confirmed by the lens that goes from 24mm at 4k to 25.4mm at UHD and FHD. So my conclusion is that if you're shooting UHD, then the picture quality will probably be significantly better on the UX180 and HC-X1 than on the UX90. But if you're only shooting FHD, then the picture quality on these 3 cameras will probably be similar. But if you're only shooting FHD, then you can probably find a cheaper camera, too.

So in my opinion, the UX180 and the HC-X1 are the two cameras that should be classified in the same family, while the UX90 should be in a different family. But who am I to say? :smile:
 
Ah..well we shall then see if the mention of the "standard UX90" leads down the road to different version..
 
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Terry, You contacted a consumer Panny rep regarding the HC-X1 and UX180. Yet Panasonic in their brochures advertise these cameras as "Professional" cameras. Are these cameras being marketed through Panasonic's consumer division?
 
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The HC-X1 is marketed by the photo division of Panasonic.

The AG-UX180 and AG-UX90 is marketed through Panasonic Professional.
 
FYI, we had a similar situation with the HC-X1000; it was clearly and obviously every bit as professional in design and features as any Panasonic professional handheld camcorder at a comparable price point, but it was marketed through the consumer/stills division. So it looks like the HC-X1 is in a similar situation. From what I have been able to determine, the primary differences are, as Terry said, that they're pretty much the same camera except the UX-180 adds the 3G-SDI port and the timecode i/o port. I don't know what the differences in price or warranty will be.
 
Terry,

Do you have any idea if we will see and future P2 camera out of Panasonic? It seems they have abandoned the format and codecs that are the strongest. Hearing that the UX180 is from the professional division is encouraging. Does the UX prefix mean the same as PX just ultra-high def? Thanks
 
Barry, B&H has the HC-X1 listed at $3,199.99USD and the UX180 at $3795USD.
 
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