PANASONIC TO SHIP NEW P2 HD CAMCORDER
Issue: HD - October 2008

PANASONIC TO SHIP NEW P2 HD CAMCORDER

SECAUCUS, NJ - This month, Panasonic (www.panasonic.com) will ship its new VariCam 2700 (model AJ-HPX2700), a 2/3-inch P2 HD camcorder designed for capturing film-like recordings on reliable solid-state recording media.

The camcorder is capable of recording at variable frame rates, and provides wide dynamic range and advanced master-quality, 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording. Panasonic says the new model is suited for sports, films, music videos and television commercial production. Equipped with three full 1-megapixel 2/3-inch native HD CCDs, the VariCam 2700 records independent-frame 1080 and 720 images using advanced AVC-Intra 100 and AVC-Intra 50 compression, which is supported by many nonlinear editing systems. AVC-Intra 100 provides full-raster, 10-bit master video quality for high-level shooting, while AVC-Intra 50 Mbps delivers DVCPRO HD quality at half the bit rate of the current compression, thereby doubling the record time on a P2 card. The camera also records in the DVCPRO HD format. 
 
Pros can record in progressive or interlace HD video formats, including 720 23.98p/24.00p/25p/29.97p/50p/59.94p, as well as 1080 23.98p/24.00p/25p/29.97p/50i/59.94i. The camera is switchable between 59.94-Hz and 50-Hz recording for use worldwide. The camera supports frame rates from 1fps to 60fps in 720p mode, in single-frame steps. It also delivers 1080 23.98/24psf HD-SDI output when in 1080 mode.
 
The VariCam 2700's five P2 card slots allow continuous recording, card selection, hot swapping, loop record, pre-record, interval record and one-shot recording. With five 32GB P2 cards, operators can record up to 200 minutes in AVC-Intra 100 at 1080/24p, 400 minutes in AVC-Intra 100 at 720/24p, 320 minutes in other AVC-Intra 50 formats, and 160 minutes in other AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD formats.
 
The AJ-HPX2700 has a suggested list price of $39,995.