Panasonic has set a price of $4695 for its AG-DVX200PJ 4K handheld camcorder which will be available from October 2015. The DVX200PJ is the first in a new generation of large sensor, multi-format camcorders and is capable of capturing 4K/UHD, HD and SD resolutions, including cinematic DCI 4K at 24p.
The DVX200PJ is an integrated lens camcorder, but the newly-designed Leica Dicomar optics offer a decent 13x zoom and maximum f/2.8 aperture, which should satisfy its intended user base. The lens includes a five-axis optical image stabiliser and Panasonic’s Intelligent AF autofocus system to ensure sharp images at all focal lengths. In addition, manual lens rings for zoom, focus and iris together with three levels of built-in ND filter give a high level of manual control for creativity.
As well as 4K/24p and 1080/60p recording, the DVX200PJ offers variable frame rate recording from 2 fps to 120 fps in 1080p mode, increasing the camcorder’s appeal for sports and VFX production. The DVX200PJ has two SD card slots for relay, simultaneous, background and even dual codec recording, essentially enabling simultaneous recording of master and proxy files.
With time-code in/out, 3G HD-SDI and HDMI 2.0 (4K) video outs (4:2:2 10-bit video) and dual XLR audio inputs, the DVX200PJ has been designed with the features a professional would want straight out of the box. Its primary market is likely to be documentary making, reality television and event production, but the 4/3” large sensor and wide maximum aperture will deliver a shallow depth of field with Panasonic claiming “stunning bokeh effects.”
In addition, a quoted 12 stops of dynamic range from the camcorder’s V-Log L gamma curve emulate the natural grey-scale rendition of Panasonic’s Varicam 35, which opens up the scope to use the DVX200PJ as a second unit camera in 4K filmmaking.
