Where is Panasonic in this game?

I doubt a updated AF-100 will be announced at NAB. The camera is only one years old. Panasonic was first to deliver a camera that has what we wanted. Basically a DSLR that works for video first. The other guys have caught up now but really the FS100 is the only competitor in the $5K price point and I wouldn’t sell my AF-100 to buy it. If I was in the market for a new camera and didn’t have the AF-100 i’m not sure the FS100 would be my choice even though I would like the S35 sensor. The Canon is now retailing at $16K. What’s the deal? Wasn’t it supposed to be $12K? At $16K that puts the C300 at three times the price. Its in a totally different class and should only be compared to F3 and Scarlet.
+1
Wouldn't buy it if I was loaded. $16K what???? I thought Canon was going to come out with a 5DMK2 price point or slightly higher to undercut panasonic. I mean the 5DMK2 indirectly spawned the AF100 et al...
 
You really think most experienced cinematographers want to re-program their brain from the FOV they have embedded for each cinema lens? It's hard enough to get them to let go of film.
Agreed, but if they're not letting go of film then they don't belong in this conversation. This is new school technology. Adapt or dinosaur.
 
Look at the cinema glass they're going to be selling. Why do they need to sell a camera for $5k, if they're going to sell a cinema zoom at $40k or prime set at $30k? They're obviously not going after the low budget indie crowd with the c300, they'll let them use their 5d.





+1
Wouldn't buy it if I was loaded. $16K what???? I thought Canon was going to come out with a 5DMK2 price point or slightly higher to undercut panasonic. I mean the 5DMK2 indirectly spawned the AF100 et al...
 
Enough already, mate. $7000??? You got gold nuggets coming out of your ears or what. Shhh. $5500-$6000 is the right price. Were I an engineer, I'd frankenstein an HPX250 and an AF100. There is no reason why with these two cameras technologies cannot be merged at the price of one. Simply drop the lens, yank out the 1/3 sensor, drop in the AF100 sensor - voila. Or even make that long 18-616mm lens available to buy for the AF200 so the zoom still functions as it were an HPX250. Now, that, I'd sell my **** and a kidney to buy.

On the other side of the studio from me right now are four studio camera setups each worth $100k+, and another in the $60k range. Comparatively speaking in the pro market, $7k is peanuts.

As for your other comments about worth, it's worth whatever Panasonic can sell them for and make a profit, not what the cost of parts are. If they can sell an HPX250 body with a m4/3 chip for $8k and enough people are willing to pay for it for them to make a profit, then that is what it's worth.

[EDIT] Also, there is no way they're going to be able to stick the 250's lens on there and keep it under $5,500. Most decent 2/3" lenses are well over $10k, and an equivalent m4/3 is going to be even more expensive.
 
On the other side of the studio from me right now are four studio camera setups each worth $100k+, and another in the $60k range. Comparatively speaking in the pro market, $7k is peanuts.

As for your other comments about worth, it's worth whatever Panasonic can sell them for and make a profit, not what the cost of parts are. If they can sell an HPX250 body with a m4/3 chip for $8k and enough people are willing to pay for it for them to make a profit, then that is what it's worth.
Your comments are valid, just don't fan the flames of a $10K AF200, that puts earthlings like me out of the universe.
Most of my comments are light-hearted anyway, mainly opinion mixed with desire. .So yeah, you're right and so am I.

By the way, across from me right now is a camera phone and a GH2 and my super expensive AF100. LOL. What the blazes
are you doing in here if you've got access to half a million in gear? Go away!
 
Based on the amounts of tutorials I sell, I'd guess Panasonic is really cleaning up with the 160/AF100 and GH2 cameras. If they plan a move into the Scarlet/C300 territory I'd imagine it will be very carefully considered before they do anything. Already so many folks are saying how disappointed they are that the C300 and Scarlet were much more expensive than they could afford- not necessarily a good market to go into...

-Noah
 
Look at the cinema glass they're going to be selling. Why do they need to sell a camera for $5k, if they're going to sell a cinema zoom at $40k or prime set at $30k? They're obviously not going after the low budget indie crowd with the c300, they'll let them use their 5d.
Great point. I had no idea they have $40K glass, really? So I guess the next 5D still won't be an improvement at that price point? That's the point I was trying make.
 
By the way, across from me right now is a camera phone and a GH2 and my super expensive AF100. LOL. What the blazes
are you doing in here if you've got access to half a million in gear? Go away!

Because I'm on break at my other/"real" job at a TV station... these particular toys ain't mine :happy:
 
Because I'm on break at my other/"real" job at a TV station... these particular toys ain't mine :happy:
That doesn't make me like you any better, mate! Your real job is at a flaming TV station??? Oh, man. I just hate some people. :happy:
Are they hiring?
 
Look at the cinema glass they're going to be selling. Why do they need to sell a camera for $5k, if they're going to sell a cinema zoom at $40k or prime set at $30k? They're obviously not going after the low budget indie crowd with the c300, they'll let them use their 5d.

And the use of EF glass (not sure if EF-S lenses wil work with the new sensor) is limited as doesn't appear to have auto focus or IS.
 
Image stabilization I can understand, but autofocus? Really?!? What Canon camera gives you autofocus in video with EF lenses? None.
 
And then when they get it, they complain that it isn't fast enough or doesn't work properly 100% of the time.
 
Image stabilization I can understand, but autofocus? Really?!? What Canon camera gives you autofocus in video with EF lenses? None.
Actually what I meant was remote focus, using the lens motor, not actual autofocus, which can even be problematic on a still camera.
 
No, no, no. Stop saying $10K.
$5500 is what it's truly worth.
The technology already exists, a merge of HPX250 and the AF100 will blow the socks off everyone at the $5K price point.
LOL ... OK, I'll say under $7.5K.
But dtz, you've got to give Panasonic some wiggle room! Remember the marginally acceptable resolution results of the AF101 test Alan Roberts did for the BBC? And remember the highlight problems the AF100 had in the Zacuto shootout? Maybe the problems are in the sensor, or maybe they're in the in-camera processing, but it will take some engineering to get the image quality up there with the big dogs. Also, I suspect it costs more to put AVC-Intra capability into a camera, as opposed to AVCCAM.

Oh yeah, one more thing :laugh:: No, no, no. Don't say HPX250 when talking about a large sensor camera. A built-in lens with anywhere near that range and aperature would be massive (and expensive). Stick with the AF100 philosophy of a camera with lots of manual controls, and a lens mount that can take Nikon and Canon adapters.

(But even the AF100 as it currently exists is a great camera, and better than my current camera, so take my criticisms with a grain of salt. :))
- Ken
 
No, no, no. Don't say HPX250 when talking about a large sensor camera. A built-in lens with anywhere near that range and aperature would be massive (and expensive).

And it's not just that. Would you really won't to have a servo focus ring on a S35 chip camcorder?!!
 
Actually what I meant was remote focus, using the lens motor, not actual autofocus, which can even be problematic on a still camera.

The C300 is (currently) the only Canon that will allow you to do that anyway without connecting to a laptop over USB (if the EOS Utility even lets you do that in movie mode).
 
Wow, it's hard to read some of these posts with all the pot smoke in the air!
Seems that some of you want a magical camera with a unicorn horn and covered with fary dust.

I guess I don't understand... Is your AF100 no longer meeting your clients needs in under a years use?
 
I was speaking only to resale value of lenses as it applies to the potential longevity of the m4/3s format - meaning of course that the ability (or lack there of) to autofocus on non-m4/3 bodies does come into play.

One other note about autofocus for DSLRs, it can be used in this way (I know, 'cause I've done it): If you've run out of the house with your trusty DSLR, but don't have a loupe, it can be high near impossible to get focus in the bright sun. By switching to still mode, your camera can get autofocus, then you switch over to movie mode and BAM! It's in focus (usually).

Not ideal, but for getting a nice video of the family, it IS a solution. I'm not the only one using thousands of dollars of equipment to shoot family movies, am I?
 
I was speaking only to resale value of lenses as it applies to the potential longevity of the m4/3s format

Of which is strictly your opinion based on nothing. We're too early into the game to know what the potential resale value is. And if the photography world moves towards mirrorless cameras (of which I provided evidence of one photog's opinion) then that outlook is good.

One other note about autofocus for DSLRs, it can be used in this way (I know, 'cause I've done it): If you've run out of the house with your trusty DSLR, but don't have a loupe, it can be high near impossible to get focus in the bright sun. By switching to still mode, your camera can get autofocus, then you switch over to movie mode and BAM! It's in focus (usually).

I would never trust that method. But then, I usually don't just "run out of the house", because professional results demand a professional workflow.

I'm not the only one using thousands of dollars of equipment to shoot family movies, am I?

Is that all you're doing? Because, if so, I fail to see what your ultimate point is.
 
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