Not so sure Panasonic have their finger on the pulse with this update, it seems to me that Panasonic are happy with their AF101 so rather than give it a full V2 makeover they have decided to bring out the usual “A” version, similar to what was done with the AC160.
“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.”
Personally with the Sony FS700 and Canon C100 not to mention the Black Magic Cinema camera it seems a bit nieve of Panasonic not to update the AF101 with better resolution and 4:2:2 10bit onto memory card. That would have taken Panasonic over to CF cards or P2 but I don’t think this is enough of a upgrade to scare the competition.
Agreed. Even if they updated the poor EVF I’d be expecting that they at least somehow improve highlight clipping.
Just goes to show that minor changes like focus peaking and 10bit 4.2.2 out are actually possible with a simple firmware update.
I want to like the AF100A but sadly, I think this dog won’t hunt.
this is absurd. i don’t understand why they can’t just put the winning gh3 (or even the gh2) chip in there.
Still the only large sensor camera under $6K with ND filters. 🙂
Hi Les, that may be true but Panasonic had the large sensor market to themselves they sold AF101s big time then everyone else not only caught up but passed Panasonic twice over.
They have seen the competition, they know the flaws of the 101, viewfinder, 900 line res chip, AVCHD 28Mbps 8bit. No one wants an AF101 to then have to stick an external recorder on the back if they can help it. The camera needs to be 50Mbps, 4:2:2, 1200 lines resolution minimum.
give it till next year, it seems like panasonic is biding it’s time until the release of it’s avc ultra eco system of codecs and formats, and it makes sense that any new cameras they release will support their new standard, along with the new (and hopefully much cheaper!) micro p2 cards. At nab next year i reckon we’ll see the true af successor, recording to p2 on the new high bit rate codecs. Remember its only been a couple of years since the whole large sensor camcorder thing really arrived, and since then it seems like all the manufactures have been basicaly chasing their tails,releasing to many models with small improvements and obsoleting their own hardware every 6 months. I think panasonic are probably taking the opposite approach and will release vastly improved models every 2 – 3 years, rather than incremental updates, which makes much more sense from the consumers point of view.