Panasonic's new AG-CX350 camcorder

Chmiola,

Would love your feedback on its lowlight performance. Thanks!

Chmiola said:
My new CX350 arrived yesterday and I'm excited to use it on a few event shoots I have this coming week. Just a heads up for any owners of previous Panasonic cameras; the remote zoom control port is a different protocol than previous UX180 / AC160 cameras and I wasn't able to use the same zoom controller that I've owned forever, the Varizoom RockDVX I have an older LANC controller and that does work, but not the RockDVX. In fact, some of the zoom controllers that B&H has listed as accessories are not compatible.
Click to expand...
 
Barry_Green said:
Yes, this camera and the EVA1 are a major departure for remote control for Panasonic. All the prior Panasonic handhelds used one type of controller, but starting with the EVA1 and CX350, they now conform to the same LANC standard that Sony and Canon use.
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barry,

are you saying that the remote thumb controller for the HMC150 will not work but the remote for the Sony EX1 will?

thanks!
david
 
I seem to be having an issue with the OIS. In normal OIS mode, I get a strange image rotation everytime I stop moving the camera. It's as if the image rotates slightly, then snaps back into place. It's a very abrupt movement, and makes the shot unusable. Anyone else have this issue?

Here's a video of the issue:

https://youtu.be/023MOzxvXgs

I've known some cameras to do this a little bit when OIS is on, but this seems to be way too much correction. I do know it's best to have OIS turned off when using sticks. I only used a tripod in this video to show that it's not my shaky hand causing the issue. The issue does happen when handheld, which is my main concern.
 
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david_p said:
barry,

are you saying that the remote thumb controller for the HMC150 will not work but the remote for the Sony EX1 will?

thanks!
david
Click to expand...

The Sony EX1 and EX3 had a 8-pin remote port (similar to what you might find on broadcast or ENG lenses). Remote controls designed for this 8-pin port will not be compatible with the CX350. There is some discussion of the 8-pin connector and protocol here:
https://www.root6.com/support-2/tips/extending-sony-8-pin-camera-remotes/

Newer Sony camcorders like the PXW-Z90, Z150, and Z280 have a 2.5mm LANC remote port (as do various Canon camcorders). LANC remotes compatible with these cameras should be compatible with the CX350 as well. The connector used is a 2.5mm TRS connector (similar to a headphone plug but smaller diameter). The LANC connector is actually the same physical specifications as the 2.5mm zoom remote connector on earlier Panasonic camcorders, but the protocol is different, so even though the connector from Panasonic zoom remotes will fit, the Panasonic zoom remotes will not be compatible with the CX350.

The Panasonic zoom remotes used simple variable resistance for zoom speed, whereas LANC is a serial digital control protocol with various commands for controlling zoom, focus, start/stop recording, etc. There is more information on the LANC protocol here (if you are curious):
http://www.boehmel.de/lanc.htm
 
LShaped210 said:
I seem to be having an issue with the OIS. In normal OIS mode, I get a strange image rotation everytime I stop moving the camera. It's as if the image rotates slightly, then snaps back into place. It's a very abrupt movement, and makes the shot unusable. Anyone else have this issue?

Here's a video of the issue:

https://youtu.be/023MOzxvXgs

I've known some cameras to do this a little bit when OIS is on, but this seems to be way too much correction. I do know it's best to have OIS turned off when using sticks. I only used a tripod in this video to show that it's not my shaky hand causing the issue. The issue does happen when handheld, which is my main concern.
Click to expand...

Your issue is happening because you have Hybrid O.I.S. turned on. Disable that and the issue will disappear.

Hybrid O.I.S. should never be enabled when using a tripod, it's for handheld use.
 
davedv said:
The Sony EX1 and EX3 had a 8-pin remote port (similar to what you might find on broadcast or ENG lenses). Remote controls designed for this 8-pin port will not be compatible with the CX350. There is some discussion of the 8-pin connector and protocol here:
https://www.root6.com/support-2/tips/extending-sony-8-pin-camera-remotes/

Newer Sony camcorders like the PXW-Z90, Z150, and Z280 have a 2.5mm LANC remote port (as do various Canon camcorders). LANC remotes compatible with these cameras should be compatible with the CX350 as well. The connector used is a 2.5mm TRS connector (similar to a headphone plug but smaller diameter). The LANC connector is actually the same physical specifications as the 2.5mm zoom remote connector on earlier Panasonic camcorders, but the protocol is different, so even though the connector from Panasonic zoom remotes will fit, the Panasonic zoom remotes will not be compatible with the CX350.

The Panasonic zoom remotes used simple variable resistance for zoom speed, whereas LANC is a serial digital control protocol with various commands for controlling zoom, focus, start/stop recording, etc. There is more information on the LANC protocol here (if you are curious):
http://www.boehmel.de/lanc.htm
Click to expand...
Thanks for that! I couldn't remember what the EX used, I just assumed it was LANC, and, well, you know what that means...
 
Barry_Green said:
Your issue is happening because you have Hybrid O.I.S. turned on. Disable that and the issue will disappear.

Hybrid O.I.S. should never be enabled when using a tripod, it's for handheld use.
Click to expand...

Hi Barry. Thank you for the quick reply. I noticed this issue when I was panning hand-held. I only used a tripod in the video to see how bad the issue was, and to make sure it wasn't my shaky hands causing it. When hand-held, the issue is just as bad. I will test hand-held without "hybrid" on, just regular OIS.

UPDATE: I tested it hand-held with Hybrid OIS turned off, and that indeed fixed the issue. With Hybrid OIS turned on and shooting hand-held, the image rotates abruptly at the end of pans.

I will keep Hybrid OIS off for good. Thanks again.
 
LShaped210 said:
Hi Barry. Thank you for the quick reply. I noticed this issue when I was panning hand-held. I only used a tripod in the video to see how bad the issue was, and to make sure it wasn't my shaky hands causing it. When hand-held, the issue is just as bad. I will test hand-held without "hybrid" on, just regular OIS.

UPDATE: I tested it hand-held with Hybrid OIS turned off, and that indeed fixed the issue. With Hybrid OIS turned on and shooting hand-held, the image rotates abruptly at the end of pans.

I will keep Hybrid OIS off for good. Thanks again.
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Your pan was a little fast. Whats the result if you pan more slowly? Or is the hybrid OIS useless for anything but a static shot? Firmware upgrade?
 
Jase said:
Your pan was a little fast. Whats the result if you pan more slowly? Or is the hybrid OIS useless for anything but a static shot? Firmware upgrade?
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It's noticeable on slow pans, but it's more pronounced on faster pans. In my opinion, it's not usable. The regular OIS works just fine.
 
It's doing exactly what it says it will. Look at your test case, because you're looking down and panning in a circle, it is effectively looking like it's rotated, so the Hybrid O.I.S. is trying to cancel out what it thinks is rotation.

My view on the Hybrid O.I.S. is that it's outstandingly effective for stabilizing handheld shots. Even so, there are some scenarios where it's not the right tools for the job. Panasonic has made great strides in their OIS performance. It used to be the cardinal rule that you always had to turn OIS off when using a tripod; now it works quite well when on a tripod, so long as you choose the right mode for your intended use.

Hybrid OIS is awesome. It lets me do handheld interviews that look like tripod shots, without having to lug a tripod around. I can do walking shots that are actually watchable with it. It cancels out the rotation and sliding that happen in handheld shots. It's fantastic. But like any other tool, there are times when you have to disable it. As long as you know what it does, you'll be better positioned to know when it would be good, and when you should turn it off.
 
Barry_Green said:
It's doing exactly what it says it will. Look at your test case, because you're looking down and panning in a circle, it is effectively looking like it's rotated, so the Hybrid O.I.S. is trying to cancel out what it thinks is rotation.

My view on the Hybrid O.I.S. is that it's outstandingly effective for stabilizing handheld shots. Even so, there are some scenarios where it's not the right tools for the job. Panasonic has made great strides in their OIS performance. It used to be the cardinal rule that you always had to turn OIS off when using a tripod; now it works quite well when on a tripod, so long as you choose the right mode for your intended use.

Hybrid OIS is awesome. It lets me do handheld interviews that look like tripod shots, without having to lug a tripod around. I can do walking shots that are actually watchable with it. It cancels out the rotation and sliding that happen in handheld shots. It's fantastic. But like any other tool, there are times when you have to disable it. As long as you know what it does, you'll be better positioned to know when it would be good, and when you should turn it off.
Click to expand...


That makes sense to me. Gotta say if you can hand hold for an interview and it looks like its on a tripod, that very impressive. Can you tell me if its easy to switch form one OIS mode to another.
 
boo said:
Chmiola,

Would love your feedback on its lowlight performance. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Boo, I've been really pleased with the low light performance so far. I did an event shoot yesterday in a typical hotel conference space, dim overhead lighting, and it handled well. Much better than my Panasonic UX180 and AC160. At +12 gain it still had decent dynamic range and retained enough detail in the shadows. A tad noisy, as to be expected, but not unacceptably so and I haven't really tweaked settings for low light yet.

It's not a miraculous low-light performer like some DSLRs with an F1.8 lens on it, but for a fixed lens servo zoom cam to do events I'm totally pleased.
 
Sounds good so far. I am hoping to get to compare one to my PX270 once I get a glut of work out the door and get over some crud. If the camera can gain a stop on the PX270 while being as clean or cleaner they have got me. Also looking forward to trying out the hyper zoom in 1080p 35x sounds enticing!

I think the OIS on the PX270 ended up being great. It started with a mis-direct in that it acted like a still camera's OIS. Three firmware updates later and it was killer. I have routinely handheld shots at 22x zoom with the camera against my face. I am sure five years of tech advances will being even more improvements.
 
Jase said:
That makes sense to me. Gotta say if you can hand hold for an interview and it looks like its on a tripod, that very impressive. Can you tell me if its easy to switch form one OIS mode to another.
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It takes a trip into the menus, about three seconds. So it's not an instantaneous button press, but it's not onerous either.
 
Hi,

I have used the CX350 for a week now and havebeen trying to figure out the settings for HLG. The factory settings in the scene file produces a very dull and flat image when viewed on a hdr tv (in hlg mode). Highlights are not bright and blacks are grey when compared to images from the GH5 and Fuji XT-3. Also images from the Sony 280 have much more spark. Any suggestions on how to tweak the image. There seems to be a fault in the firmware also. When the camera is turned on with the scenfiles set to HLG the flag for 2020 does not go up so the files are flagged as rec709 . The material maybe in 2020 mode but I am not sure. Any other experiences like this.

P S would love to see a book on the camera. The manual leaves a lot to your imagination DS
 
MatsWedin said:
Hi,

I have used the CX350 for a week now and havebeen trying to figure out the settings for HLG. The factory settings in the scene file produces a very dull and flat image when viewed on a hdr tv (in hlg mode). Highlights are not bright and blacks are grey when compared to images from the GH5 and Fuji XT-3. Also images from the Sony 280 have much more spark. Any suggestions on how to tweak the image. There seems to be a fault in the firmware also. When the camera is turned on with the scenfiles set to HLG the flag for 2020 does not go up so the files are flagged as rec709 . The material maybe in 2020 mode but I am not sure. Any other experiences like this.

P S would love to see a book on the camera. The manual leaves a lot to your imagination DS
Click to expand...

As a guess you are seeing 709 on your wide space monitor which would leave 'white' as a 'dull grey'. you need to give it a huge crank up in post either by using the curves, applying a LUT or understanding and using the correct 709 to 2020 conversion.
 
MatsWedin said:
Hi,

I have used the CX350 for a week now and havebeen trying to figure out the settings for HLG. The factory settings in the scene file produces a very dull and flat image when viewed on a hdr tv (in hlg mode). Highlights are not bright and blacks are grey when compared to images from the GH5 and Fuji XT-3. Also images from the Sony 280 have much more spark. Any suggestions on how to tweak the image.
Click to expand...

Although you have said the tv is in hlg mode, is does not sound like this is so. Use mediainfo to read the metadata on the playable file. Specifically, look for the parameter "colour transfer characteristic" (or similar.) You could also use ffprobe or mkvinfo for this. The metadata for transfer should say something like "HLG, or ARIB-STD B67 or 18." The tv itself also has to be supporting of HLG. Not all HDR compatible tv's support HLG. Cranking up the contrast or gamma settings in the NLE could be the wrong solution. Some HLG (notably Sony A-series) is 8 bit, and therefore not compliant with HLG on all devices.

How are you playing the file? From a flash drive? Direct HDMI connection from camera to tv device? If the latter camera and TV both must support HDMI 2.0b for HLG.

You can dropbox me a short file and I can troubleshoot it.
 
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