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Panasonic has announced the new AG-AF100 camcorder, the first professional micro 4/3-inch video camcorder optimized for high-definition video recording. This is an exciting development, and marks the evolution of HDSLR we have all been anticipating. The expected release date for this camcorder is somewhere towards the end of this year, so the wait is almost over. Watch my video blog to get a glimpse of this new breakthrough camera.

…continue reading Panasonic’s Micro 4/3rd Camcorder

Panasonic’s push into 3D just took another step forward. Recently, they made several announcements about their 3D product lineup including details on their 3D camera (AG-3DA), a new 3D production monitor (BT-3DL2550) and a new 3D mixer (AG-HMX100). Panasonic is moving to bring 3D to a broad community of filmmakers and these new tools certainly show their commitment. We can’t wait to see all of these new products at NAB 2010. Learn more about these new devices after the break.

…continue reading Panasonic 3D Update

Many of you may remember the Panasonic AJ-PCS060G, the P2 reader with a built in 60 GB hard drive. It was a great device at the time, but the 60GB hard drive doesn’t do much for customers with 32GB & 64GB P2 cards. So Panasonic has come up with a new device for downloading P2 cards in the field. The AG-MSU10 or P2 Media Storage Unit. The MSU10 has two slots, one is a P2 card slot and the other accepts a hard drive enclosure from Panasonic (the AG-MBX10). The enclosure has USB and eSATA connections on it and can be filled with any 2.5″ SATA drive, including solid state drives. The P2 Media Storage Unit features a 3.2” LCD screen that displays a P2 thumbnail screen and supports master-quality 10 bit AVC-Intra (100/50) and DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV recording formats. With a single touch, AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD content can be transferred from a P2 card to the solid-state drive at four times real-time (faster at lower data rates). The MSU10 is battery-operated. We are looking forward to seeing the device, which will sell for under $2500. The hard disk is not included, but can be easily be purchased at any retail store. See the full press release here. 

No Woman, No Cry. More than just a Bob Marley song, it is also the name of Christy Turlington’s new documentary on the issue of maternal mortality. Best known for being one of the top supermodels of the ‘90s, Turlington has shifted her focus to social activism. The film seeks to raise awareness and inspire others to get involved by telling the stories of dedicated individuals working around the world to lower maternal mortality rates.

Working with Turlington on this project is her friend Dallas Brennan Rexer, Producer of the Emmy-nominated Deadline and the wife of long-time Abel friend & client Will Rexer. The Director of Deadline, Kirsten Johnson is also on board as the Director of Photography. Abel’s Mitch Gross and NY Rental Manager Daniel Gurzi worked closely with Rexer and Johnson, providing technical advice on equipment and workflow.

Turlington’s production company, Turly Pictures, rented the Panasonic HDX900 for use on the documentary. The camera’s versatility and image quality made it the perfect choice for shooting in far-flung locations such as Bangladesh, Tanzania and Guatemala. Additionally, the project was one of the first to rent the Cam-Wave, allowing them to have wireless uncompressed HD transmission in a lightweight, camera-mounted solution.

No Woman, No Cry is slated for a theatrical release in 2010 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Millennium Development Goals, goals established by the United Nations as part of a global agenda to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and discrimination against women. For more information on the documentary and the issue of maternal mortality, visit ChristyTurlington.com.

Panasonic has posted several new pieces of firmware and software on their support desk. These are big updates so get them right away if you use P2 products. You can find them all at the Panasonic AV Support Desk. Here is the list of the updates:

1) Firmware for the HPX170/HVX200/HVX200A to enabled full support for the E-Series cards.

2) Mac Drivers for working with P2 Cards – everyone needs this.

3) A new AVC-Intra Decoder for Final Cut Pro

4) Mac AVCCAM Viewer for playing back AVCHD footage. (Also downlaod the AVCCAM Transcoder & AVCCAM Restorer while you are at it).

Ever since Panasonic enabled color output on the viewfinder port of the VariCam H back in 2005, we’ve been waiting for them to actually release a color viewfinder to go along with it. Every high-end 2/3″ Panasonic camera since then supports a color viewfinder, but until now there hasn’t been a Panasonic part to put there. Now, with little fanfare, Panasonic is finally showing prototypes of their color finder, the AJ-CVF100G. Read the official press release here.

There were two at NAB – one on a VariCam 3700, and one on a VariCam 2700. The exterior looks almost identical to the black-and-white finders (which should please people dismayed by the large size of the Sony C35W). While the NAB floor is not the best place for doing critical image evaluation, my first impressions were quite favorable. The images were very sharp and extremely focusable, even with minimal peaking (though it is possible to set the peaking to 11 on this finder, if you want your image extra crispy.) Color seemed good as well. I was worried what artifacts the LCOS technology used in the finder might produce, but I couldn’t detect any disturbing flicker or color separation. I was told that, like the other color viewfinders on the market, you’ll definitely want to protect the screen on this one from direct sunlight. It would be nice if Panasonic would supply it with an auto-capping shutter, but it looks like that will be left to third parties.

One exciting feature of the AJ-CVF100G is support for every common HD format (meaning that you can expect to see it on a variety of non-Panasonic cameras in the not-too-distant future). It should be available this summer for a list price around $8,495.

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Our friends at Flashpoint Academy in Chicago sent us this demo they shot using the CamTram 2500. It showcases some of the unique moves you can accomplish with the CamTram, and just how quick and easy it is to set up.

Flashpoint is a unique Digital Arts college that teaches both the art and science of digital media—audio recording, VFX and animation, gaming and film—they cover it all. Check out their website and blog to see what the school’s all about.