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Panasonic AG-AF100A topic
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Panasonic Introduces The AG-AF100A Series Micro Four Thirds Camera Recorder Featuring Full HD Progressive Recording And 10 Bit 4:2:2 Camera Live Output Via SDI Terminal

    Osaka, Japan (November 5th, 2012) — Panasonic Corporation will release the new AG-AF100A Series Memory Card Camera Recorder in November 2012.

    The AG-AF100A Series is the professional HD camera recorder with a Micro Four Thirds mount. As with the conventional model AG-AF100 Series, AG-AF100A Series can use a wide range of lenses including Micro Four Thirds compatible DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) lenses and Cinema lenses with a mount adapter. AG-AF100A Series also features two-channel XLR audio input terminals and more functions to meet the professional needs.

    In addition to the professional high quality PH mode (average approx. 21Mbps, maximum 24Mbps), AG-AF100A Series complies with the AVCHD ver. 2.0 (AVCHD Progressive) standard in its new PS mode (average approx. 25Mbps, maximum 28Mbps) for recording, playing and outputting (via HDMI only) Full-HD progressive (1080/59.94p, 1080/50p) images. The PS/PH modes support uncompressed 16 bit LPCM 2-channel audio recording.

    The AG-AF100A Series can newly output HD signals with 10 bit 4:2:2 quality via the camera’s live output function and record onto the external devices, such as P2 Recorder, compatible with 10 bit high quality recording through SDI. P2 Recorder also syncs Rec Start/Stop with the AG-AF100A series trigger.

    The AG-AF100A Series is newly equipped with the expand focus assist function, which enlarges the center of the displayed image, and 2.39:1 (cinema scope size) safety zone marker.

    The AG-AF100A Series will be available in November 2012 at an open price in Japan.

    Via: http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20121105_570918.html

  • 44 Replies sorted by
  • paglezpaglez

    Good news ,BUT the same sensor, same poor DR, etc...

  • lolodigitallolodigital

    which same sensor ? GH3 sensor ? GH2-AF100 sensor ?

    GH3 sensor could be a good news about the HDMI out color space which could be hacked to 422 ...

  • John_FarragutJohn_Farragut

    Interesting. Why does GH3 get 50Mbps codec, and the AG-AF100A not? Or maybe specs are incomplete.

  • John_FarragutJohn_Farragut

    Also, I hope more competitively priced compared to FS100?

  • RRRRRRRR

    Well, this should be competetively priced overall.. As it seems under-specced and all it could be an interesting option at 2kUSD, body only (imo).

    It wouldn´t surprise me if they use the gh2 sensor though. :) The information tells us that external recording can be done.. and this tells me that there is reason to doubt the relevance of this product.

  • paglezpaglez

    No news about new sensor, ergo same sensor than original AG-AF 100

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    @paglez

    Not sure if there is a sensor change between the two. For the DVX100 line there was a sensor change between a 4x3 sensor to a 16x9 sensor in the DVX100A, and with the HVX200 line there was a small sensor change in the HVX200A as well bringing from a noisy ISO 320 to a clean ISO 500. I'd venture there is a small sensor change in the AF100 also, but I'm not sure what the benefits are. The sensor might be on par with the GH3.

  • paglezpaglez

    'The sensor might be on par with the GH3'

    If so, its name would'nt be AG-AF 100 A, but other different. (marketing strategy)

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    Not true. Like I said, the DVX100 and HVX200 have sensor changes with just "A" or "B" model increments.

  • truestorytruestory

    I have been waiting for Panasonic to announce a new AF100 series with AVC intra 100mbps422 with internal recording at the least. The M43 is a fabulous format and panasonic has failed dismally in promoting to higher end productions. Along comes BMCC with 10 bit 422 prores, 12 bit raw and is about to clean up around the world and what does Panasonic do, bring out a shitty update requiring an external recorder to get a 10 bit codec. Sony has obviously got the message at boardroom level and are responding accordingly with F5/F55 etc. If panasonic wants to remain in this market they need to offer something a little bit more substantial than this..

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    Agreed

  • RRRRRRRR

    It´s a bit like the saying about beating a dead horse. Obviously, if they price it radically differently to before they might have an incentive for someone to bother.

  • svartsvart

    I don't think there is any way they put a new sensor into a product that barely sells.. Sensors cost millions of $$ to develop and fab. I would wager that they haven't even broken even with the costs of the original design. I think this is just a firmware update and a new model #. This is done all the time in the product design world. Just give it an update and a new model # and try to get more sales on the same hardware.

  • sam_sticklandsam_stickland

    @Brian202020 I've got a DVX100B and it' still got a 4:3 sensor, unless there's some trick I've been missing this whole time!

  • JaskettiJasketti

    I guess there has to be some hardware change too as it is said that AF100 could not output 10bit (not even with an impossible to do hack).

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    @svart

    Like @jasketti said, there is at least a minor hardware change going from 8bit to 10bit output.

    @sam_strickland.

    The DVX100A and DVX100B have a 16x9 "capable" chip. The original DVX100 needed an anamorphic adapter to get a 16x9 image.

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/282865-REG/Panasonic_AG_LA7200G_AG_LA7200_Anamorphic_Lens_Adapter.html

    http://www.adamwilt.com/24p/index.html#DVX100A

  • svartsvart

    @Brian202020 That's not necessarily true that you'd need a hardware change to go from 8 bit to 10 bit. It depends on what is generating the signal. If it's an FPGA or DSP/processor then it could be as simple as a new program. If it's an hardware conversion ASIC that generates the signal then, yes, it could be hardware limited but I seriously doubt it. I'd bet that it's DSP generated and then buffered through a dumb driver IC. That's the most sensible route. As for the hearsay from some source that says they heard from Panasonic that they can't do something because of a hardware limitation.. I design electronics and I use that excuse all the time to keep people from requesting features.. :)

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    I know nothing about FPGA or DSP or IC. I do know if the original AF100 could, through firmware, make the SDI 10 bit, they would have done it for free, or a paid update, or a AF100A as soon as they realized they were losing customers to the competition. There is no logic to waiting so long to releasing a software update. Logic says since it took this long it has some updated hardware of some kind.

  • svartsvart

    Nah, just because it's software doesn't mean it's simple. Even then, there is tons of PV and testing to be done on the software, and then again on the system to make sure it's rock solid. Nobody wants to send out a software update and get a bunch of bricked units back into service. Either that or they suddenly discovered that it could be done, or had to rewrite the software to re-allocate resources or who knows. The large corporation train moves very slowly.

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    In either case it would be faster than a hardware update. A hardware update has more time and cost factors involved than a software update.

  • svartsvart

    That depends too. When I do hardware updates, things usually work or they don't. There are no in-deterministic states like what are possible in software. I can usually load a schematic, make the changes, give to the PCB layout guy, and send it to the PCB manufacturer within a day. From there, a week for PCB and stuffing and I'll know if it works.. I then give it to the software guys who spend months blaming hardware for stuff not working before they find their bugs and it works. :)

  • JaskettiJasketti

    @svart I hear you on the corporations using exuceses, not too hard to believe that and it is true the information is more or less hearsay. Could this then disprove the word on "AF100 is not hackable" too.

    And if not hackable I hope someone finds a way to make the new firmware fit into af100 models... but makes me also wonder why panny dont allow it?

  • svartsvart

    Most companies don't like hacking their products because they are afraid that the user will return the product if it becomes broken. If this happens during the warranty period then this is lost revenue. They also don't like when their products are tampered with and then used because it could cause false advertisement. While the hack helps panasonic right now, if the hack somehow blew up the camera and somewhere on the internet a potential customer reads that a "panasonic camera blew up", then that is going to hurt their revenue as well, regardless of the truthfulness of it.

  • JaskettiJasketti

    Agreed.

    But it still makes me wonder why (if it is possible) not to allow the 10bit update for current AF100 users too. Since not so long ago they did come up with the 50/60p paid update.

  • fosterchenfosterchen

    Would be great if it had ETC mode

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