After the big announcements from Sony and Canon this year, it’s no surprise that Panasonic, a leader in professional camcorders, decided to get its feet wet by announcing their own 3D camcorder – the HDC-Z10000.  The camcorder does have a number of great features that should make it a solid contender in the 3D world. First off, it has the ability to switch between 2D and 3D shooting, it records images in the 3D AVCHD format using the frame sequential method (meaning it records a full frame for each lens on the camcorder), can zoom up to 10X, and has a wide 32mm angle of view. The lenses have f-stops as low as 1.5 in order to capture great footage even in low light situations as well as two independent 3MOS sensors for each lens which should allow each eye’s picture to look its best.

The great features don’t stop there though. This camera also records in full 1920x1080p (which is expected) but can do so at a full 60 frames per second without any interlacing – a relief for any videographer. Like many 3D camcorders coming out on the market, the LCD display can show 3D images glasses free making it easy to see what your final result will be. However, it remains to be seen how effective their version of the technology is.

In the past, Panasonic has won over the prosumer world by having plenty of external controls on their camcorders and the Z1000 is no exception. It has a ring for focus, zoom, and iris giving it a real pro feel, and buttons for OIS, white balance, zebra bars, and many more. Panasonic also decided to include two XLR ports giving this camcorder a bigger edge than most of the camcorders being released today. Lastly, the Z10000 also has two SD card slots with relay recording making it possible to record live events for many hours without the fear of running out of card space. This is quite the improvement over their consumer model which debuted at CES last year.

With all of the amazing features this camcorder has, you’re probably thinking it costs more than $5,000. If so, you might be surprised to know that Panasonic plans to sell the Z10000 for only $3500 and will be shipping in December. With a price point this good, it’s easy to predict that this camcorder will likely be the prosumer choice for 3D shooting soon!

Just a few short days ago, news came out that the firmware for the Panasonic Lumix GH1 got hacked. Now typically, you’d think that was a bad thing, and typically, you’d be right. However, in this case, that is far from the truth. Instead, the firmware hack for the GH1, made by Tester13, allows it to take MJPEG videos with a bitrate of up to 50 Mbps. That’s right; 50 Mbps. This is a higher bitrate than even the Canon 5D Mark II can take right now, with it’s average of 35 Mbps meaning cleaner footage with less artifacts. With the ability to shoot at 50 Mbps, video on the Panasonic Lumix can come out with almost no visible compression at all. The gradients in the footage look smooth and natural, and the detail is, for a lack of a better word, astounding. As an added bonus, since the GH1 scales and processes data by binning individual pixels rather than using line skipping, giving it a cleaner image than a 5D when downscaled from its 12 MP sensor. Also with this hack comes some groundbreaking workflow improvements. Using the 32 Mbit AVCHD mode with this hack, you can edit the native 24p footage natively on a Mac and PC in a fraction of the time.

All this comes at a small price however. First, the camera will often have card read/write errors due to the high bitrate and of course, fills up a CompactFlash card really fast. Also, playing this high bitrate footage will cause many computers to choke. Of course, as a firmware hack, there is at least a small potential that your camera’s hardware could be adversely affected by allowing it to do something it shouldn’t. Lastly,  the sensor size of the full frame 5D compared to the smaller APS-C makes for a greater chance for noise.

Nonetheless, hacks like these do effect one thing: they show camera companies how badly their users want these functions in their cameras. You sometimes have to wonder why they don’t just outright develop these same hacks into upgrades that their users can have. It would be a great chance to score some points with consumers that want to get the most out of their cameras and wouldn’t be of any harm to those who would never use the feature. Other cameras such as the Canon 1D Mark IV could also benefit from a small upgrade too. I mean can somebody tell me why Canon still hasn’t gotten rid of the auto gain control in the 7D and 1D too? Hopefully these companies will take a hint and start providing the relatively easy features that users want out of their cameras so that they can feel good about their purchases and feel good about staying loyal too.

Just today, Panasonic tagged a price on to their recently-introduced LUMIX FX75. This tiny camera with a 24mm ultra-wide angle lens will be going for just $299.95. The newest offering from Panasonic will also include a 5x optical zoom and best of all, record video in the AVCHD Lite format instead of the conventional Motion JPEG format. This should be a huge sigh of relief to cinematographers looking to utilize the benefits of a photographic sensor while still being able to edit in a widely supported format. Of course, if you just got used to editing in the Motion JPEG format, the LUMIX also offers the option to record in Motion JPEG, WVGA (848×480) and VGA (640×480). The camera also takes pictures at 14.1-megapixels and has a 5x zoom to boot.  The LUMIX also has a full touch-screen for operating the autofocus feature on the camera. By pressing on the screen where your subject is, you can set and track a subject in your frame. At the same time, in playback mode, users can use the touch-screen to browse through their collections of photos much like a page in a book. The Panasonic LUMIX FX75 will be available for purchase in mid-July.

Panasonic Broadcast announced today it will begin taking orders for the AG-3DA1, the world’s first professional quality, fully-integrated Full HD 3D camcorder offering SD media card recording. Built to order, this offer is being made as a result of the tremendous demand for the Full HD 3D camcorder since its introduction at the International CES show. Panasonic is now offering video professionals the opportunity to reserve their AG-3DA1 camcorder (list price: $21,000) by placing a non-refundable $1,000 deposit with Panasonic. Details of the program and sales contact information are now available by calling (201) 348-5300 or e-mailing pbtsinfo@us.panasonic.com

Here is the breakdown, at less than 6.6 pounds, the AG-3DA1 is equipped with dual lenses and two full 1920 x 1080 2.07 megapixel 3-MOS imagers to record 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p and 50p in AVCHD. It can record for up to 180 minutes on dual 32GB SD cards in Panasonic’s professional AVCHD PH mode, and offers professional interfaces including dual HD-SDI out, HDMI (version 1.4), two XLR connectors, built-in stereo microphone and twin-lens camera remotes.

In addition to a camcorder, Panasonic also announced the BT-3DL2550, a 25” professional-quality 3D LCD monitor for field use, and the AG-HMX100, a professional HD digital AV mixer for live 3D event production. Panasonic will offer professional production equipment to allow video professionals to efficiently create 3D content, so consumers can enjoy 3D video using Panasonic 3D home theater systems.

Panasonic today announced the introduction of the LUMIX DMC-ZR3, a fully-featured digital camera complete with AVCHD Lite High Defintion (HD) video recording capabilities, a25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica lens and a powerful 8x optical zoom – giving consumers a wide-range of shooting options, yet in a slim body that is small enough to fit in a pocket or small purse. New to the ZR-Series this year, Panasonic also introduces Intelligent Zoom, which extends the LUMIX ZR3’s zoom to an impressive 10x. Read the rest of this entry »

Reprinted from a Panasonic press release:

Panasonic today announced the release of two of the world’s lightest*, High Definition (HD) camcorders – the HDC-SD10, which uses an SDHC/SD Memory Card as recording media, and the Twin Memory Type HDC-TM10, which records onto both an 8GB** Built-in Memory and an SDHC/SD Memory Card. Each model weighs just 0.5 LB, yet its compact body design has a high-powered 16x optical zoom capabilities and advanced features to produce beautiful 1920 x 1080 Full-HD videos.

The 16x optical zoom of the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 is supported by the Advanced O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) function – an essential element to achieve clear zooming, as it minimizes the hand-shake that often impairs video quality while zooming. Panasonic’s Advanced OIS detects and corrects for hand-shake around 4,000 times per second and works with the high-powered optical zoom to produce clear, stable zoom shots. The new Active mode also extends the hand-shake correction range to allow the shooting of clear, crisp images while walking or moving.

“We recognize that users are looking for camcorders that capture high-quality, High Definition video, but they also want something lightweight that has advanced, yet easy-to-use functions,” said Chuck Kirkman, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “With the SD10 and TM10, we’ve made it easier to record HD video with features such as Advanced O.I.S., Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector and the Pre-Rec function, all which maximize shooting results and minimize common issues like blurring.”

As with most Panasonic camcorders, the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 both feature the iA (Intelligent Auto)*** function, which automatically sets the most suitable Scene mode according to shooting conditions. These include Advanced O.I.S., Face Detection, which adjusts the exposure so faces are captured perfectly; Intelligent Contrast Control, which helps ensure proper contrast; and Intelligent Scene Selector, which determines the shooting conditions and automatically selects the Scene setting that will provide optimal results. Both camcorders are also equipped with AF/AE Tracking (Auto Focus/Auto Exposure Tracking), which automatically tracks a moving subject for consistently beautiful images. This feature maintains the focus and exposure even if the subject moves or turns to one side.

Other features of the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 include:

- SDHC/SD Memory Card Recording – The SDHC/SD Memory Card not only brings significant advantages to smaller and lighter camcorders, but it also differs from a hard-disk drive in that it has no transport mechanism, making it highly shock-resistant and enabling faster recording starts.

- Twin Memory Recording – Relay Recording (HDC-TM10 Only) – The HDC-TM10 records Full-HD images onto the built-in memory or an SDHC/SD Memory Card (optional), and features a Relay Recording function. When the built-in memory is full, this function automatically switches the recording media to the SDHC/SD Memory Card to provide uninterrupted recording. Video data that is recorded using both media types can be merged inside the camcorder and saved to an SDHC/SD Memory Card.****

- Touch Screen and Handy Function Buttons – Both models feature a touch screen that lets users operate a variety of functions by simply touching an icon displayed on the LCD. This allows intuitive operation without having to look away from the subject.

- 1.9-sec Quick Power-On – The power turns on and off by opening and closing the LCD. This start-up allows users to save battery power by keeping the power turned off when the camcorder is not in use, while making sure that unexpected shooting opportunities are not lost. The power-saving Eco mode***** automatically turns the power off when the camcorder is not in use for five minutes.

- Pre-Rec – To avoid missing critical shooting opportunities, when the Pre-Rec function is on, the camcorder continuously records three seconds of images into an internal buffer memory. When the Record button is actually pressed, the three seconds immediately prior are added to the beginning of the clip.

- Auto Power LCD – This feature automatically adjusts the brightness of the LCD screen according to the shooting conditions.

- Built-in Video Light and Flash – Both the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 are equipped with a video light and flash for convenience when shooting in dimly lit places.

- Highlight Playback – This function is for users who want to view recorded images quickly, as “highlights” can be created and played back according to a set time interval.

- One-Touch Copy of Videos to DVD and Easy Playback with the BN1 DVD Burner – To avoid the two-step process previously required to save Full-HD videos from an SDHC/SD Memory Card or built-in memory onto a DVD for playback, the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 feature a one-touch function that makes this process easier.

The HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 are both compatible with Panasonic’s VIERA Link to allow quick and easy viewing of Full-HD video content, as well as with the VIERA Image Viewer function on a VIERA HDTV. This allows users to play videos on a large screen by simply inserting a recorded SDHC/SD Memory Card into the SD Card slot of a Panasonic VIERA HDTV******. It provides instant playback of video clips recorded in the AVCHD format in Full-HD quality. Similarly, video recordings can be easily played by using a Panasonic Blu-ray Disc™ player.

The suggested retail prices of the HDC-SD10 and HDC-TM10 are $549.95 and $599.95 respectively. The TM10 will be available in black and silver models, while the SD10 in black only. All models will be available in September 2009.