Panasonic's all-in-one, Micro 4/3, fixed-lens AG-DVX200 now has a price, and it should be coming in October.
We knew the DVX200 was going to come in somewhere around $5,000, but $4,200 is significantly less. We obviously focus a lot on fiction cinema here, and if you're shooting a film with a decent budget you're obviously going to rent or use something with interchangeable lenses, and likely recording dual system sound. That's not who this camera is for. This is a camera for documentaries and live event shooting where you'd like a more cinematic look and it would be cost prohibitive to have a lens with a focal length of 28mm - 365.3mm on full-frame (which would be close to a 17.5mm - 228mm lens). That's incredibly versatile considering at its worst, it closes down to f/4.5 on the long end (but opens up to f/2.8 on the wide end).
I think this could also work great for high school students or people just starting out in fiction work, where you want a camera that does everything right out of the box — and shooting Micro 4/3 means they have a better chance of keeping things in focus.
Thanks to Newsshooter for the scoop on this price announcement, here's our video from NAB if you missed it:
We've also seen some early footage from the camera from a few different places (this first clip is graded pretty heavily):
To an external recorder:
Another look, graded and ungraded:
A few more clips:
Here's a look at the specs (you can see all of them in detail here):
- Micro 4/3 Sensor with 12 Stops DR
- Variable Frame Rate Up to 120 FPS in 1080p
- 4096 x 2160: 24p (100 Mbps)
- 3840 x 2160: 60p / 50p / — 150 Mbps and 30p / 25p / 24p — 100 Mbps
- 1920 x 1080: 60p / 50p / 30p / 25p / 24p — up to 200 Mbps
- Also can shoot 1440 x 1080, 1280 x 720, 720 x 480
- Can record two codecs at once, and MP4 / MOV Recording in 4K
- Native 500 ISO (Unclear on Max ISO, but GH4 has similar sensor with max of 25,600)
- Internal: 8 bit 4:2:0
- External: 8 bit 4:2:2/10 bit 4:2:2 (HDMI output of UHD/59.94p/50.00p becomes 8 bit 4:2:0. Also, when 10 bit 4:2:2 is selected, recording is not possible with the main unit)
- Still Photos in all resolutions
- Integrated Leica 13x f/2.8 - f/4.5, 12.8mm to 167mm Lens
- 35mm Equivalent of Lens — DCI 4K: 29.5 ~ 384.9mm, UHD 4K/HD: 28 ~ 365.3mm
- ND Filters: 1/4, 1/16, 1/64
- 3 x Individual Lens Control Rings
- 2 x SD Cards Slots (U3 Compatible)
- SDHC memory card (4 GB to 32 GB SDXC memory card (48 GB to 128 GB), UHS-I supported
- HDMI 2.0 Outputs up to 4K
- 3G-SDI Outputs up to 1080p
- V-Log Picture Profile
- Built in Mic, 2 XLR Input (3.5mm Headphone Output)
- LCD Monitor: 4.3 type HD color monitor (Approx. 2760000 dots)
- Viewfinder: 0.39 type OLED (Approx. 2360000 dots, video display area: Approx. 1770000 dots)
- Battery 7.2V
- Availability: October 2015
- Price: $4,200
We've got a few first looks at the camera:
Video is no longer available: vimeo.com/135309406
Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNWy3uEgF6M
We should remember that this isn't really a true cinema camera, though that doesn't mean you can't use it as one. You're not getting interchangeable lenses and some of the other things that people want in cinema. However, this camera will certainly be capable of cinematic images, and it comes standard with the V-Log profile to get the maximum dynamic range possible. We're likely going to see a lot more footage of this over the next few months, so stay tuned.
You can pre-order the camera right now from places like B&H using the link below.
Your Comment
23 Comments
I still think non-constant aperture is gonna kill a pretty big percentage of their potential sales.
I would have been interested in one for doco work if it had constant aperture. Maybe next time they should team up with sigma instead of Leica.
August 15, 2015 at 3:06PM, Edited August 15, 3:06PM
Right now there's no competition at this price point so I expect this camera will sell quite well. I would have preferred a shorter zoom range with a constant F-stop, but many people want the 13x zoom.
I am hoping that Panasonic will eventually see the light and offer the same body with a m4/3 lens mount in the near future. ( it will cost less without the lens, and offer a good upgrade path to people already shooting with the GH4 )
August 15, 2015 at 7:30PM
Just set it to f4.5 at the wide end, then you have a constant aperture. Think of it as a constant f4.5 with the bonus of f2.8 at the wide end when you want it. ;)
August 17, 2015 at 11:24AM, Edited August 17, 11:27AM
I loved my dvx100! This will be dope for capturing live action sports!
August 15, 2015 at 3:46PM
People hate on the non-constant aperture and that it's at 4.5, but for a camera that's built for run and gun docustyle work, why anyone would want to shoot 2.8 on the long end is beyond me. Especially handheld.
August 15, 2015 at 4:42PM, Edited August 15, 4:42PM
It's about the ability to quickly reframe shots without having to adjust the exposure. This is pretty key for a lot of RnG situations.
August 15, 2015 at 7:19PM
Of course. I get that I think. I get the reframing point - but I'm also pretty keen on moving my distance physically in relation to the subject to frame or crop. That is, if we're talking handheld. From sticks, I hear you.
But still. I'm not sure that that'd be enough to dissuade masses from buying the camera. The stabilization (which is exceptional according to what it reads/watches like in these previews) and servo zoom with the handheld ergonomics along with long recording times still seem like strong specs that'd keep buyers interested.
I think the pricepoint - despite the comment below of the RX10II - will keep it a strong contender. If it were like Canon's pricing for the c-series I think you're right on.
Like most cameras, this camera has limitations. I'd offer that the more troubling aspect of the lens is that it's not wide enough - unless I'm reading the specs wrong. 28mm just doesn't seem like it's wide enough. I've found that 18mm is a practical wide end standard for zoom lenses.
August 16, 2015 at 11:32AM
It's equivelent to 28mm on a full frame 35mm camera. Just like 18mm is on a Canon/Nikon crop sensor camera.
August 17, 2015 at 11:39AM
RX10II for $1300. That's all I have to say about it.
August 15, 2015 at 5:29PM, Edited August 15, 5:29PM
Okay. 2014 Chevy Silverado. . . .
I assumed we were just naming random products that aren't really competing with each other at all?
August 15, 2015 at 6:56PM
I suppose. Most of the time when I compare cameras I just look at image quality for the price. Personally I don't have a need for XLR inputs on the camera anyway since I keep audio as a separate system. I also have more than one camera going at once, so the record time limit is also a non-issue. Eliminate those 2 things and what difference is there between the cameras (yes, Ben mentioned smooth zoom and SDI out, also less ND filter control)? For the price of a DVX200 I could buy 2 RX10II's and a decent audio setup and do a much better job of covering a wider variety of events than I would with the Panasonic. Saying that they aren't really competing with each other is just being lazy. In the end I think 2 RX10II's and audio gear would be a much better event kit than one DVX200.
August 16, 2015 at 7:01PM
Sensor that is half the size, no XLR inputs with decent mic pre-amps, limited ND filter range, but otherwise probably a good buy at one third the price of the DVX200.
Also, initial sharpness tests of the pre-production DVX200 show it to be deadly sharp, so there may be noticeable sharpness/detail difference with the RX10 II, but we really have to wait for tests with the finished production camera. ( still I'm sure you could produce good 4K work with either camera )
August 15, 2015 at 7:37PM
I'm with Guy. Also I'd point out SDI, recording times, and smooth zoom. I don't know of any still camera that has a smooth or quiet zoom. It's a still camera and the zoom is built for cropping and not for fluid zooming. And for recording times you can cut live events out of the mix (at least with internal recording). Also - relay recording.
August 16, 2015 at 11:37AM
Even with the small sensor size I'm finding that if I expose to the right I can actually get usable footage all the way up to 12800 ISO on the RX in extreme situations. It would be nice to be able to get shallow depth of field easier though. To me, 2 RX10II's and some audio gear is a better choice of money spending than the DVX200, but it'll find a market I'm sure.
August 16, 2015 at 7:08PM, Edited August 16, 7:08PM
It is a nice camera for the appearance.
It could be because Youtube compress but I can see on Prores footage, white halo, and sometime the lens is showing less quality in high contrast image between dark/light view.
On the vimeo footage above, again the quality of texture was not good, I believe this is because lens quality, also the way the camera capture white area does not show promise, more light enough will be need while shoot this camera.
Anyway, this is just a comment from sitting and watching footage compress through youtube/vimeo. Hope that I can see some real footage later.
Best,
August 15, 2015 at 10:51PM
This is a pre-production camera, so you really can't judge the image quality it produces. We should start to see production quality samples by the end of September.
August 16, 2015 at 6:11AM
(duplicate)
August 16, 2015 at 6:11AM, Edited August 16, 6:11AM
30mm max wide is big disappointment in 2015. I prefer wide opening than having long lens.
August 16, 2015 at 8:17AM
Do you think there are any 72mm wide adapters that'd suit this???
August 16, 2015 at 11:38AM
4K, a Leica lens, and it looks solidly built. It will have market.
Looks cool too!
August 16, 2015 at 10:40AM, Edited August 16, 10:41AM
This is a piece of haven for those who shoot, weddings, live events and corporate/ doc videos. Actually it's more better of a common Dslr. In this range price you have ALL in One killer shoot machine! Im very exited about this.
August 17, 2015 at 2:17AM, Edited August 17, 2:17AM
How does this model compare to the Panasonic HC-X1000? seems like everyone forgot about that 4k camera really fast! (which is kinda nice, because now they are going cheaper!!)
August 18, 2015 at 2:37AM, Edited August 18, 2:36AM
Joe, thanks for including my review here. Panasonic gave me a production version for a couple of days. Unfortunately busy time so only had a spare our or so to grab a few quick shots.
https://vimeo.com/142957103
October 19, 2015 at 7:52PM, Edited October 19, 7:53PM