Delivering a shallow depth of field and a wide field of view, the DVX200 is the ideal companion camera to the company’s groundbreaking VariCam 35 4K camera/recorder. With an integrated lens design, the DVX200 will excel in independent film and documentary production, as well as event videography.
Just in : The DVX-200 is 420 8bit recording with a 422 10bit HDMI output. The camera records a maximum data rate of 200Mbps to the SDXC card C10 U3 (Official from Panasonic)
The DVX200 will be optimized for 4K/HD production, and shares the esteemed VariCam family characteristics of filmic tonality and colorimetry, with natural, subtle rendering of skin flesh tones, and a V-Log curve emulating the natural grey-scale rendition of the VariCam 35. The camcorder will incorporate a newly-developed 4/3” large-format MOS sensor and offer variable frame rate recording up to 120fps in FHD mode, enhancing the DVX200’s utility in sports and VFX production.
The new handheld 4K camcorder will offer an array of professional features including a newly-designed Leica Dicomar 4K F2.8~F4.5 zoom lens (4K/24p: 29.5 mm ~ 384.9 mm, HD: 28 mm ~ 365.3mm, 35 mm equivalent), time-code in/out, 3G HD-SDI and HDMI 2.0 (4K) video outs, easy focus and zooming, and programmable user buttons.
The DVX200 will record 4K (4096 × 2160) / 24p, UHD (3840 × 2160) / HD (1920 × 1080) 60p / 50p / 30p / 25p / 24p in either MP4 / MOV file formats. There are two SD card** slots, facilitating backup and relay recording. For professionals working worldwide, the camera’s master frame rate is selectable between 59.94Hz (23.98Hz) / 50.00Hz / 24.00Hz.
The DVX200’s three manual operation lens rings—13x zoom (Cam driven), focus and iris—will provide a comfortable manual control similar to an interchangeable lens camera, but without the need for actual lens changes. The zoom ring’s solid feel and smooth action allow delicate ultra-slow zooming. In addition, the camera’s multi-step zoom control provides fast response and smooth zoom action, yielding the creative freedom every camera operator desires. The zoom control on the handle enables variable speed zoom, allowing fine zoom control even for low angle shots. The DVX200 also features an enhanced Image Stabilizer,
including a five-axis Hybrid Image Stabilizer and 4x correction-area Image Stabilizer that produces clear images without blurring, and a micro-drive focus unit that improves focus speed, tracking and capture performance, facilitating 4K focusing and shallow focus shooting.
The new Leica Dicomar 4K zoom lens with F2.8 aperture is an optimal choice for 4K video, with the ability to produce elegant imagery and subtle “bokeh” Also, Leica’s exacting quality standards serve to suppress the occurrence of ghosting and flare to a minimum. Since the DVX200 is an integrated-lens camcorder, there is no need to perform the flange back adjustments or shading corrections when changing lenses. Even with a large diameter lens, the DVX200’s weight and balance have been optimized to facilitate agile, mobile 4K acquisition. With superb center-of-gravity balance, the camcorder will be ideal for such flexible shooting applications as mounting on today’s popular stabilized camera rigs
The AG-DVX200 utilizes a front element lens / filter diameter of 72mm, a very common size. It is expected that many third party lens accessory manufacturers will announce items such as close-up lenses and other desired options.
The AG-DVX200 will feature next-generation ergonomics, with the battery positioned in the rear so as not to interfere during handheld shooting. The DVX200 comes with a rugged woven carbon,fiber-like finish, and the recording section is distinctively styled with crimson shading.
Note the 5 Axis Hybrid IS which has only been seen on the likes of the Sony A7II and works a treat. On the down side the DVX-200 uses a new Panasonic Li-ion battery.
EDITORS NOTE : Having just received the information about the recording specs, 420 8bit, you have to remember like the HC X1000, if you film in 4K with the DVX200 and edit it on an HD timeline the picture quality will be equivalent to 444 10bit.
The AG-DVX200 will be available in Fall 2015 with a suggested list price under $5000.
* UHD (3840×2160) resolution, when 60p mode is selected.
** Requires a SD card of UHS speed class 3 (U3) for 4K recording.
Here is the 1st look at the Panasonic DVX-200 from News Shooter.com
Yes,finally ! Thats the camera I’ve been waiting for.
Big sensor,4K,proper zoom lens.
And it looks like F1 car.
Go Panasonic !
PS.So, what do you think Philip?
HDW : Panasonic have excelled themselves and it looks so sexy !
finally! a gh4 with a real zoom. suggested price of 5K (US). now we have to watch the files, if anybody does what sony did to lock the video into some proprietary funny container hard to see and edit(like the absurd XAVC). Let’s hope that others won’t try to imitate that marketing trick. Anyway on paper this 4K camera gives everything (with the only exception of a shoulder mount). NOW I understand why the GH4 never had a real (wide to tele) servo zoom.
Well done to Panasonic: this is a decent and honest camera that (FINALLY) has everything.
At last! Panasonic have scored a home run with this – I’ll be putting my pre-order in tomorrow!
Damn shame it’s not out till autumn but this looks like a cracking camcorder. Will go nicely with my GH4 I hope.
Agree with Mark.
The only missing feature is a shoulder mount, but nothing wrong with having a 2nd cam for ENG work.
Pre-ordering now sounds like a good idea.
Philip´s new camcorder I bet, putting his PXW-X70 to RIP beside mine ;-)!
There´s also orange/red in it, I can´t be wrong _ Phil will love it like his “former” JVC KY1900!!
Ok, let´s wait for further specs, looks not to bad but why on earth again only 29.5mm WA, even this tiny LX100 has 26mm at f1.8 using UHD on a FT (but at much less tele on the other side).
Looking forward seeing the specs for color sampling and codecs used. Looks there will be no 4k@50p.
For me DR counts, that´s where I begin to dislike my X70 more and more since this cheapy LX100 performs better, same as with lowlight.
Time will tell, not to forget this cam is nearly twice the price of the X70 (including 4k upgrade if it´s coming any day), so apples to peaches…
Looks this will make a GH4 or even a LX100 a “camcorder”!
Roland.
HDW : Panasonic have listened to me, I love the look of this camera and with a bigger sensor finally a camera from Panasonic that should be good in Low light and be relatively grain free…hopfully I will get one to test out.
This looks like the camera I have been waiting for. Need to see how it copes with low light, but for the moment, this seems everything I want from a fixed lens camera!
@karl walter keirstead : and now we’re going to face the reality and the need of a good AF engine, because shooting an interview in 4K for example on the run with a 2.8 lens and a big chip will be …complicated, even in manual. Sony and JVC already came out with a selectable face in their face recognition AF system, which is a huge step (the ability to choose the face and lock-track on it but also to quickly jump to another face and do the same). That would be crucial (at least for me) in this new splendid panasonic. JVC uses the focus ring to select and track a face, while sony uses a joystick next to the shutter. I’d like to also have it on the touch screen (but the sony’s solution works the best in my opinion)
since this one will be the future camera for many of us let’s concentrate on the week points: it needs a shoulder mount, with only the eye as a point of contact I’m afraid that It’ll be not possible to shoot for more than 30seconds before starting the shakes. The viewfinder is up there which is good , so it can handle a shoulder mount but I’m afraid that it won’t handle a loupe or VF extension. But the screen looks big enough: problem is that I’m gonna have to wear glasses all the time LOL
I’m just thinking out loud right now.. but I REALLY like this camera.
Did Panasonic read my earlier post on the need for a larger sensor, fixed lens, 4k – basically an upgrade to the trusty HPX250…?
Looks the biz.
what batteries?
HDW : Sorry its a new battery…Grrrr !
DOF is a bit of a worry for dance shows. If it copes with low light ok, perhaps we could be able to keep the iris low (F4) to help avoid this. Its not like its a full size sensor….. right?
HDW : Remember I filmed a dance show on my GH4 review at f4 with no depth of field problems.
@ Roland Schulz : I agree about the 28Mbps X70 going straight to the obsolete folder, but only because people don’t trust any new implementation from the same Sony who came out with that absurd XAVC meant for the kids at the playground and motivated only by greed or greed and incompetence or greed and marketing (trying to lock the use to something proprietary), but for the kids at the playground ’cause it doesn’t even work with their own Vegas LOL. what a waste of time and money (for me)
Let’s hope that this kind of marketing will be isolated and noone will try to imitate THAT.
We are going to have to wait for the actual product to start shipping, but so far this mockup it is just a pretty prototype (just like a flashy sports car). Spec wise it is like a HC-X1000 with a bigger sensor, which by the way, was the first 4k handheld camera from Panasonic, so the rep from Panasonic was wrong about that detail. He should have said, “First Professional 4K handheld camera from Panasonic”.
I have the HC-X1000 and its an excellent camera, except for its low light! If this camera has solved that weakness, it’ll be awesome!
Getting 4K 50P on a cheap media such as SDHX card, magical marketing! Transcend 128GB cards are available for this kind of camera on amazon for about £65!!!!! On the x1000 they last about 1hour 40 mins recording MP4 footage at 100MBPS.
Looks very promising but I so wish they’d given it a M4/3 lens mount, as on the JVC GY-LS300, for those of us who prefer the option of wider/longer/closer/faster optics.
Coupled with a dedicated (but detachable!) ENG style Power-zoom lens (as per Sony’s EX3/PMW-300 cameras) the combination of 4K(UHD) 50p and a ‘Goldilocks’ sized sensor (large, but not too large …some of us like to have decent depth of field and moderate sized/cost lenses!) would have been hard to resist. As it stands, the limiting nature of a fixed lens make me doubt if the AG-DVX200 is the camera I’ve been hoping for.
As a GH4 user I have the optics (Panasonic & Nikon lenses) for most of my needs but 4K(UHD) is (like the JVC GY-LS300) limited to 25p and the Full HD 50p image is relatively poor (compared to the 4K down-sampled to Full HD from the same camera …I suspect because of the non-integer way the GH4 down-samples the sensor readout in Full HD mode).
I had hoped Sony might have given the PMW-EX3 successor some higher frame rates in Full HD (even if 4K was too much to expect) but it seems, even in the newer PMW-300 K1/K2 (14x & 16x zoom lens variants) they’re stuck at 25p (as is the fixed 17x zoom lens PXW-X200).
For Gary and friends, wondering about the low-light capabilities, I’d expect the AG-DVX200 to be somewhat better than the GH4 (and much better than the HC-X1000). Whilst details are so far only tentative, Panasonic are claiming it uses a “newly-developed 4/3” large-format MOS sensor” which may be (?) a true video sensor having the appropriate pixel numbers for 4K(4096×2160) and (slightly horizontally cropped) UHD(3840×2160). If so the pixels will be larger (=more sensitive) than those on the 16MP (stills) sensor in the GH4 which has to be cropped for 100% pixel-for-pixel readout in the 4K modes.
I’m hoping that (like the FS7) the sensor will be 4K(4096×2160) capable and crop in slightly for UHD(3840×2160), and that the Full HD (up to 120fps!) will be down-sampled 2x from the UHD area of the sensor rather than some oddball re-sampling as in the GH4 (2.4x). If so we should see very detailed 4K/UHD and very clean Full HD straight from the camera.
Having said that, I notice the Panasonic quoted (35 mm equivalent) focal length figures appear back-to front (if the camera is sampling the sensor as I suggest) as the wider format 17:9 4K(4096×2160) is listed as having a narrower field of view (29.5 mm ~ 384.9 mm) than the 16:9 FHD (and UHD?) figures (28 mm ~ 365.3mm). Those numbers correspond exactly to the relative crop factors of 4K(4096×2160) vs UHD(3840×2160) …just the wrong way round!
PS. Gary, why pay so much for your Transcend cards? …try £54.99 (delivered!) for the 128GB or £24.99 for the 64GB (I use the 64GB in my GH4) …here:
http://www.mymemory.co.uk/SDXC/Transcend/Transcend-128GB-U3-UHS-I-SDXC-Card—95MB_s
http://www.mymemory.co.uk/SDXC/Transcend/Transcend-64GB-U3-UHS-1-SDXC-Card—95MB_s
😉
HDW : Dont agree Peter the less you swap lenses the less dust and crap you get on the sensor, leave manual lenses for the DSLR, a good 4K 13x lens at 28mm wide is just the business, Sony’s FS7 “stock lens” is less than useful starting at an angle of view equivalent to 44mm.
Thanks for that Peter, will definitely consider for next time.
@Mark..
I agree that many DOF scenarios could benefit from AF with face tracking. Not sure what happens when you are tracking and the person turns his/her back to you, keeps on moving and then faces the camera again. Are these facilities able to sense direction/speed, go off-line for a bit and then lock in again?
The pizeo-electric AF in my AG-AC160A has hopefully been improved or abandoned – I spent a few weeks discovering that the contrast arc you follow going from source to target has a big impact on the time needed to settle down which is totally unacceptable (who wants to frame the way the camera needs to get AF?).
As for shoulder mount, there are countless situations where I think I would be better off – surely a 3rd party mfg will be able to invent a small rig that would convert the AG-DVX200to shoulder mount.
@Peter – 100% agree with doing away for the need to change lenses (i.e. my strategy is do what you can do with one lens and add value with sliders or curved track dollies – both are on my wish list).
Hi,
Does anybody know if this lens has an infinite focus ring or if it has a mechanical stop at the low/high end?
Thanks!
Yes Philip,
I absolutely agree that the 13x zoom lens on the AG-DVX200 is very (VERY!) nice (also pretty fast at f2.8-f4.5) and with its 13x range starting at somewhere around 28mm-29.5mm? (see my query about the published figures above) it compares very favourably with your 28-135mm f4 Sony FS7 lens (4.82x zoom which on the *FS7 @ Diagonal FOV Crop Factor of 1.67 = ~47-226mm), being both much wider and much longer.
Even if you were to go mad and splash out ~£24,000 on a Canon Cine-Servo 17-120mm lens (plus adapter) for the FS7, you would still have only about the same wide angle coverage and much less zoom range (7x ~28mm-200mm [35mm equivalent]) compared to the AG-DVX200 lens (13x ~29.5mm-385mm[?]) …and that combination is hardly ‘run-and-gun’ friendly as can be seen here:
http://blog.abelcine.com/2015/03/26/at-the-bench-canon-cine-servo-17-120-multiple-camera-configurations/
So yes, for many people the zoom range of the AG-DVX200 will be all they ever need (but I can still see you wishing for a bit more wide-angle in some tight interior locations! 😉 ).
I’m thinking of it as the modern 4K (50p!) equivalent of the ‘old’ Sony PMW-EX1 (on steroids!) which was a deservedly popular ‘workhorse’ camcorder in its day.
My comments really relate to those of us who prefer the OPTION of removing the servo zoom when necessary (my interests are mostly in nature photography where I might need a much greater range of ultra-wide to super-telephoto lenses, as well as macro lenses for extreme closeups. For example, my Panasonic 100mm-300mm lens, when mounted on the GH4, offers me the 35mm equivalent range [in Full HD] of ~218mm-653mm [~522mm-1566mm using the Extra-Teleconverter function!] or ~260mm-780mm in UHD. My 200mm f4D Micro Nikkor acts [in UHD crop] as the 35mm equivalent of a superb 520mm f4 telephoto lens which can focus down to 2.6x life size …try that with a built-in zoom!).
I guess I’m hoping for a ‘modern 4K (50p!) equivalent’ of the ‘old’ Sony PMW-EX3 (the bigger, more expensive, detachable lens, brother of the EX1) …so how about it Panasonic …any chance of a ‘AG-DVX300’?
As regards the “dust and crap” issue of interchangeable lens cameras, I can honestly say that in 2 years of using the GH3 and nearly 1 year of using the GH4 (plus many years of using Nikon DSLRs) I have never had any problems …but then I am very careful to keep my cameras/lenses clean and, when changing lenses (quickly …think F1 pit stop wheel-change quick!) to try and point the camera down (so any disturbed material falls out-of/away-from the body rather than onto the sensor!). Yes, I know it’s obvious, but I’ve seen people walking around with open camera bodies/lenses who presumably then wonder why they get so much dust on their sensors!
I’m wondering if your comments mean you’re having so many problems (lens coverage?, codecs?, XQD prices?, various modifications/add-on accessories? etc. plus the”dust and crap you get on the sensor”? you mention above) that you’re having second thoughts about the FS7s suitability for your work?
If so, I can understand that the ‘all in one solution’ that the Panasonic AG-DVX200 offers (potentially …we’ll have to see how well it actually performs) is looking very attractive …and if it proves OK you could have two (plus change!) for the cost of the FS7/lenses/XQD cards etc. etc.! 😉
If the eventual US price is ~$5,000 that’s around ~£3,400 at todays rates …add in VAT and I’d guess we’ll be looking at around ~£4,000 here in the UK.
*FS7: referring to the the FS7 crop-factor/lens-coverage specifications comments I sent you (but were never posted?) on March 30th in response to your “Sony’s FS7 is becoming a lens nightmare…again…WHY ?” article:
http://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2015/03/30/sonys-fs7-is-becoming-a-lens-nightmare-again-why/#comments
karl walter keirstead : regarding the X70? and the face turning? then yes it does go off and back on. but the X70 is a “video camera” , in terms of focus speed.. so it stays long enough to make the process almost unnoticeable. But I can’t test it right now because I sold both my X70’s LOL (I didn’t like that XAVC thingy there… not good, not good at all, dear Sony!)
so back to this splendid Panasonic here: shoulder mount. hmm . it is a pain , no matter how we turn it. when you need it then .. you need it. but then you have to consider a counterweight back there (if not then it’s not a shoulder mount and we’d be better off shooting holding in mid air). then we have the handle or handles, and then I may need to put the camera down to rest a little and this happens : the thing weights a ton , with the handles in the way of a safe resting position, in the end I will always wish it was a real shoulder camera (simply put). so yes, it will be a problem (for me) in the long run, but it’s the best camera at a reasonable price today available.
Re shoulder mounts, I’ve used cheap cowboy shoulder mounts on cameras like the XF305 and PMW200 which look to be pretty much the same size – the weight is pushed on to your chest so you don’t have to worry about counter weights (though you do need to control your breathing a little). Add a quick release tripod plate and you can snap it on and off when you want – for this form factor I’ve found it to be the best solution, plus they’re so cheap you can buy a couple for when it breaks (though I have to say I’ve never had one break on me).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CowboyStudio-Shoulder-Support-Camcorder-Camera/dp/B0036NMQ7S
What is minimum illumination of this camera, i mean how good in low light situations, Philip you did not ask question about low light capabilities from Panasonic guy.
HDW : With a large 4/3″ sensor I don’t think low light will be an issue.
I was about to buy a Sony Z100. Good thing it was delayed and then I told my guy to hold his horses. I thought that the Z100 would be perfect for my needs if only it had a bigger sensor. And now here it is (excluding the 13x zoom which on the Sony G lens is 20x, but you can’t have everything…)
I think it might be worth it to wait a bit until this one comes out.
The GH2 has a 4/3″ sensor but is quite poor in low light…. but this camera is older tech though. So Still wary about the 200 low light capabilities atm.
HDW : We won’t know anything before the camera is launched, good point though.
I think it depends what you’re used to. A Z100 would have it’s behind kicked by a GH4 in low light and produces, in my opinion, a much less satisfying image. But if you think about it, the C100 Mark II improved low light performance over it’s predecessor, so maybe this will as well. I’m itching to get my hands on this thing.
I too am looking forward to getting hold of one. I keep looking for it online hoping someone got hold of a pre release and giving it a good test! Nothing yet though 🙁
Comparing the new DVX200 to the HC-X100 I think only makes sense when we’re talking in terms of value for money. The DVX200 is obviously a better camera but also almost twice the price.
Now comparing it to the Sony Z100… That’s a totally different convo. The prices are going to be similar, to start with… Then let’s compare the specs:
Shooting Codec: 8 bit 4.2.0 (Panny) vs 10bit 4.2.2 (Sony). The Panny only matches the same specs as the Sony when recording externally through HDMI 2.0.
Shooting Resolution: The Panny only does cinema 4K in 24P all other resolutions do UHD. The sony does Cine 4K in all possible resolutions between 23.98P to 59.94P
Zoom: 13x for the Panny vs 20x for the Sony.
Sensor: 1/2.3 type Exmor R CMOS (Sony) vs Single 4/3 MOS (Panny)
I am also wondering whether the Panny will include the shotgun Microphone, while I know the Sony does.
Now regarding the bigger sensor of the Panny, we can’t really say this is an advantage. While it may provide better low light performance (Yet to be tested), the truth is that these are supposed to be run n gun cameras and a larger sensor means excessively shallow DOF for run n gun, and the consequent auto-focus issues. They claim an improved lens motor to overcome that but it’s yet to be tested in real life situations.
The only obvious advantage I see for this sensor beyond any doubt, is the announced 12 stops DR with Panasonic’s V-Log L gamma curve, emulating the natural grey-scale rendition of the VariCam 35. this is something I suppose cannot be achieved by the Sony… But even then, I’m not sure because I can’t find any info on the Sony’s DR specs.
Conclusion: With a similar price range, the Z100 will probably be a better tool for run n gun usage, with better zoom, stronger internal recording codec and Cine 4K @many more frame rates. Not to mention most probably, more efficient Auto-Focus given the wider DOF of the smaller sensor.
HDW : Not if low light is an issue the Sony Z100 is very poor in low light and uses expensive XQD cards.
I am truly undecided here. I’ll have to see real life performances of the DVX200, to decide what to buy. I already own a good cinema camera (Kinemini 4k), so my attention will focus on run n gun overall performance. If it wasn’t for the 12 stops DR of the Panny, I would probably forget about it already.
I’m not so sure…as long as I have peaking I’m fine and I very rarely use auto focus if I don’t have to. I think for run and gun plus cinematic images, the Panasonic is a good in-between. The Zoom is a point though, but still, I think it something that can be lived with. A 1/2.2″ sensor is a bit pointless for a 4K cam.
when it is available in india