Text from Dennis Lennie’s www.tapelessmadeeasy.com

Panasonic have today announced the AG-HPX301 P2 DVCPRO HD & AVC-intra multi format shoulder mounted small camcorder increasing their portfolio of (BBC HD friendly) AVC intra capable camcorders. Not only is this camcorder small but affordable too. It will retails at a street price of under £8000. This is great value for a 10 bit 1920×1080 camcorder with 3 x MOS sensors and full DVC Pro HD and AVC-I capability.

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The BBC have chosen AVC-I as their long term archive CODEC and so any camera capable of acquiring in AVC-I will no doubt fulfill and BBC guidelines.

The camera is the AG-HPX301is a shoulder small shoulder mounted camcorder recording on to P2 cards. The sensor is a 1/3″ 1920×1080 MOS image sensor( I’m suspect that’s Panasonic’s way of saying its a CMOS rather than CCD sensor. and more significantly records 10 bit 4:2:2. (the minimum HD spec for ITV HD)

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Main Features  
• 2.2M Full HD MOS Image Sensor
• AVC-I High Picture Quality. 10 bit 4:2:2 recording
• Variable Frame Rate (12P to 60P)
• Low profile design/ Well balanced Light Weight (5.9Kg)
• Low Power Consumption (18W)
• Colour Viewfinder/ High Resolution 16:9 LCD screen
• Fully Switchable. 50/60Hz

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The camera has interchangeable lenses and comes as standard with a Fujinon XT17×4.5BRMK14 lens.

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Rather neatly the camera has a built in waveform monitor and vector scope so allowing for accurate exposure monitoring on location- an absolute must in HD production if you want to preserve maximum latitude.

In the press release Panasonic say:

Enhancing all the extraordinary features available on full sized Panasonic P2HD Camcorders, most importantly 10bit recording and 4:2:2 sampling, the AG-HPX301 brings the amazing AVC-Intra codec into the reach of budget conscious professionals all over the world.
This Camcorder incorporates the new Panasonic MOS sensor system giving it the capability to achieve full 1080 imagery in both DVCPRO HD and AVC-Intra.
Interchangeable lenses offer a new level in flexibility to this category of Camera.
Lightweight, robust and with a host of fully professional features, this remarkable new package will break new ground in ‘Cost of ownership’ for cameras capable of acquiring very high quality images.

The list price of camera and lens is £8500 so this is withing reach of a broad range of self shooting AP’s and production companies

Bloom text:

If HD broadcasters accept this for full HD acquisition then Sony will have a problem with the EX3. The full HD chip, AVC I, variable frame rates, HD VF, high quality LCD, 1/3″ changeable lenses…If Letus bring out a relay for this couple it with Ultimate and you will have the Ultimate HD affordable movie cameras…It just looks sooooo good.

I for one will be saving up for one…

Looks bloody amazing!