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Panasonic Drops the Ball with AG-HPX600
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Jan,
Can you give any info on the CMOS chip? Since it’s a single chip camera, the imager has to have a Bayer filter to give the images color.
But a native 1920×1080 chip will lose some performance bacause of the filter, correct? It won’t output a true 1920×1080 image, or its color rendering will suffer, from what I understand.Canon solved this issue in the C300 by making the chip 4K in size (or something like that).
I’ve been to demos of the HPX600 but no one knew the answer to this question. The CMOS chip is a mystery. -
When it comes to the 370 I’ve set up several of them for users who claim to have focus issues. A couple of notes. First, using anything other than a 1/3″ lens is a waste of money. Better/bigger glass does nothing for this camera due to the censors and alignment. The stock 17x Fuji lens is crap. The best images will come with the stock Canon 14x lens. It’s a perfect match for the camera. However, most buy it with the Fuji for the longer zoom. If you have the Fuji, there is a 1/3″ lens for about $14k that is a great match but the costs means you might as well go for a different camera to start.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542783-REG
Second, you MUST set up a picture profile in the camera’s menu. The default setting is very flat and will produce a soft image. It’s not a back focus issue. There are a few settings in the profile such as DETAIL that need to be maxed out to address the perceived focus issue.
Basically, the 370 CAN be a wonderful image producing camera IF you become a complete expert on the camera’s inner workings and limitations of the censors. It really takes a knowledgable expert to get the best out of this camera. Personally, I think it’s a waste of money because there are many other 1/3″ cameras that cost much less that produce better images at half the effort. What you’re paying for is the shoulder mount professional look and nothing more. If the best image at a budget price is your goal, then it’s a no-brainer to go with the 1/2″ chips EX1 or PMW-200 over the HPX370.
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The cameras have been set by me and Panasonic … didn’t help for what we need them to do. You are correct about the Fuji lens, the last 1/3 is junk. Below 5.6 the 370’s can’t be focused.
The cameras are good in studio and in a controlled environment. However, no matter how good the setup, they are worthless in variable conditions. We are going to replace the 370’s on our truck and move them into the studio where they make a good image.
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Just a side note, all 1/3″ cameras are crap below f5.6. Best results are to open the iris as much as possible and then use gain, ND filters, and shutter to get to the desired exposure. 1/3″ sensors need all the light they can get to get great images. Going below 5.6 causes focus issues in just about every small sensor camera.
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The local NBC affiliate in my city uses the 370 with $10000 BROADCAST Canon lenses……just about every interview they air is out of focus….I don’t know if this is the camera, or if the color viewfinder is so poor that they can’t tell if they are in focus or not. Either way, my SD SPX800 looks 10x better in most cases. 😛
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I cannot find the raster size of the this camera’s MOS sensor. Is it another pixel shift camera?
Bob
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