C|NET Reviews Panasonic's AG-HVX200 Hi-Def Video Camera

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_AG_HVX200/4505-6500_7-31520842.html?subj=fdba&part=rss&tag=MR_Search+Results' target='_blank'>http://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_AG_HVX200/4505-6500_7-31520842.html?subj=fdba&part=rss&tag=MR_Search+Results</a><br /><br /></div><i>"With its introduction of the AG-DVX100 camcorder three years ago, Panasonic made itself the champion of the little guy. Previous affordable three-chip models were capable of great results, but their consumer-oriented controls and connections made them difficult to use professionally. The AG-DVX100 was the first prosumer camcorder to behave like a miniature pro camera rather than a souped-up home-movie machine. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 continues that trend, bringing the capabilities of the company's high-end Varicam HD camcorder much closer to the size and price of the DVX100."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/31520842-2-300-camera+on-1.gif" /><br /><br />Looks like a solid product from Panasonic - they had three years to improve upon the original, and C|Net's main complaints were that it's a big heavy and has a steep learning curve. Given that this camera is targeted at video professionals, I'm not surprised the learning curve is steep. Looks like a great camera - if I used my GL2 more often, I might want to make the jump to HD, but for now with it only being used half a dozen times a year, it's not worth making the jump to HD. I can see myself picking up an HD camera sometime in 2008 though - anyone else in the same boat?

[Kursplat]

My brother's camera came in last week. However, he's already done 2 or 3 shoots with rentals. Here is a clip from an interview he did with one: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=48529. The video includes the same clip twice, so just ignore the second half.

I'll get to put my hands on the camera when I see him next month. Not that I know enough about them to do much good with it. :cry:

[Jason Dunn]

Here is a clip from an interview he did with one...

I haven't watched the clip yet, but the still image in that thread is AWESOME. Wow. HD rules! :rock on dude!:

[Kursplat]

Yeah, this really is not a consumer-level camera, especially when you look at cost and convenience. $10k might be a bit much for most amateurs as well. The camera's only $6k, but check out the memory.

4GB/8GB P2 cards hold 10min/20min of native 720p24 footage. If you want to record 1080i, 1080p, or 60fps for slow motion, you only get 4min/8min. Considering the cards currently go for around $650/$1600, 4 8GB cards costs more then the camera and still only gets you 80mins of record time before you have to start offloading the cards to a fat hard drive or burning to DVDs.

Definitely not the camera you want to take to record your family's week long vacation. Especially when you have to swap cards every 4 to 20 minutes.

But, I'm a gadget nut, so I can drool regardless. :)

[Doug Johnson]

As is typical of CNET, they got at least one critical fact wrong. They state in the article that this camera can record 50Mb HD to tape, which it in fact cannot. It is not capable of recording any HD to tape, at all. Anything that goes to tape is SD, no exceptions.

Just another reason I don't trust CNET reviews.