By technical editor Matt Allard:
B+H have officially listed the Panasonic DVX-200 price as $4195 US on their website. The camera can be pre-ordered and is expected to ship in October. The price looks very competitive given that other similar fixed lens cameras such as the Sony PXW-Z100 4K Handheld XDCAM Camcorder retail for substantially more money ($5499 US). A lot of people were expecting the DVX-200 to be a AF100 replacement that allowed for interchangeable lenses, but Panasonic decided to go in a different direction with a fixed lens camera. At just over $4K US it is at a very similar price point to the JVC GY-LS300 ($3995 US) that we tested earlier this year. I will be testing the DVX-200 very shortly and I’m curious to see how well it performs in the real world.
About the DVX-200:
Panasonic’s AG-DVX200 4K Handheld Camcorder with Four-Thirds Sensor and Integrated Zoom Lens brings professional features and familiar camcorder ergonomics to the Four Thirds sensor format. It features a single MOS sensor with 4K resolution that captures up to 12 stops of dynamic range with Panasonic’s V-Log L gamma curve. The camcorder supports DCI 4K production at 24 fps, UHD 4K at up to 60 fps, and HD at up to 120 fps, providing you with a camcorder that is at home in a variety of production environments.
Recording 4K to MP4 or MOV and offering AVCHD recording of 1920 x 1080 HD video, your footage can be easily integrated into most modern postproduction workflows. The integrated 13x Leica zoom lens features three lens rings that give you manual control over focus, zoom, and iris. The camera records to SD cards and requires U3 speed class cards to record 4K video. The camcorder features timecode in / out, a 3G-SDI output for HD video, and an HDMI connector that provides 4K output.
The integrated LEICA DICOMAR lens features a 13x zoom range, which when shooting DCI 4K is equivalent to a 29.5 to 384.9mm lens on a 35mm camera. The lens has individual lens control rings built into the lens for focus, zoom, and iris as well as a power zoom rocker.
Including a five-axis Hybrid Image Stabilizer and 4 x 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 V-Log L gamma curve allows you to capture all 12 stops of dynamic range that the sensor is capable of capturing.
The dual SD card slots allow you to record in relay, backup, and simultaneous modes. Relay allows you to swap a full card out for an empty card so you can record virtually endlessly. The backup mode allows you to record continuously on one card, while you start art and stop recording on the other card. Simultaneous record duplicates your recording on both cards.
Key camera features:
Newly developed F2.8 LEICA DICOMAR 4K lens.
13x zoom, 4K (4096 x 2160) 24p: 29.5 mm – 384.9 mm
FHD: 28mm – 365.3 mm(35 mm film equivalent).
Beautiful Bokeh effects from a 4/3-type, large-format sensor.
12 stops of imager latitude faithfully recorded by new V-Log L gamma curve.
Variable Frame Rate with a maximum of 120 fps (in FHD resolution).
IR shooting capability.
5 axis Hybrid Image Stabilizer.
Intelligent Auto Focus, Custom Auto Focus.
Variety of Manual Focus Assist function.
ND filters (1/4, 1/16, 1/64).
3 rings for independent Zoom, Focus, Iris control, mechanical zoom.
4.3 inch touch screen type LCD (Approx. 2.76 Mil dots).
0.39 inch high quality OLED viewfinder (Approx. 2.76 Mil dots).
Battery cover for great handheld shooting experience.
Camera Remote control support.
The VFR (variable frame rate) recording frame rates are as follows:
When [SYSTEM MODE] = 59.94 Hz
• 60p mode: 2, 15, 30, 40, 55, 58, 60, 62, 65, 75, 90 and 120 (frames per second)
• 30p mode: 2, 15, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 45, 60, 75, 90 and 120 (frames per second)
• 24p mode: 2, 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96 and 120 (frames per second)
When [SYSTEM MODE] = 50 Hz
• 50p mode: 2, 12, 25, 33, 45, 48, 50, 52, 55, 62, 75, 100 and 120 (frames per second)
• 25p mode: 2, 12, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 37, 50, 62, 75, 100 and 120 (frames per second)
