Panasonic is now delivering its highly-anticipated AG-HPX500 shoulder-mount P2 HD camcorder, which received numerous industry awards at the recent NAB exhibit.

With a suggested list price of $14,000, the HPX500 P2 HD shoulder mount camcorder is the first high definition/standard definition product in this price range to offer numerous high-end features, including 2/3” progressive imagers, a tapeless, IT workflow, interchangeable lens, variable frame rates, and extended recording capability. Based on ultra-reliable, solid-state P2 technology, the AG-HPX500 is backed by a total 5-year extended warranty program.

Equipped with many of the popular features of the highly-successful AG-HVX200 handheld P2 HD camcorder, the HPX500 delivers full, production-quality recording, with three 2/3”CCDs, DVCPRO HD 4:2:2 image quality, independent frame encoding, interchangeable lenses, variable frame rates, four independent audio channels and the ultra-reliability of solid-state recording.

The HPX500’s full, progressive 2/3” 3-CCDs deliver exceptional resolution and sensitivity, excellent low-light performance and a wide dynamic range. The multi-format camera can record in 32 high-definition and standard definition formats*, including 1080i and 720p in full bandwidth DVCPRO HD. The HPX500 employs 14-bit A/D conversion, and its digital signal processor (DSP) employs 19-bit internal processing to deliver spectacular HD and SD images. It also offers 50/60Hz selectability for international use and a power consumption of only 22 watts.

The HPX500 has a variable frame rate function that allows professionals to undercrank and overcrank the camera to create fast- or slow-motion effects. For 720p recordings, users can set frame rates at 24p, 30p or 25p in any of 11 steps between 12fps and 60fps (or 50fps). And with the camera’s advanced 1080/480 24pA mode, users have the option of using 2:3:3:2 pull down, which allows most nonlinear editing systems to extract 24 frames on ingest.

With Panasonic’s current delivery of its 16GB P2 card, the HPX500 delivers extended recording time without “hot-swapping” cards. With four of these P2 cards installed, the camcorder can record up to 160 minutes at native 720/24pN in DVCPRO HD, 128 minutes at 720P/30pN in DVCPRO HD, 64 minutes in DVCPRO HD, 128 minutes in DVCPRO 50 and 256 minutes in DVCPRO, so recording capacity is now equal to and often longer than tape-based and disc-based media. The HPX500 provides users with the advantages of P2 HD’s IT workflow, including instant recording, thumbnail clip views, and a host of recording modes, without the need for ingest.

The 8.2-pound camcorder is equipped with eight gamma modes to address a wide range of shooting situations, including Cine-like Gamma to create film-like recordings. Key interfaces include IEEE 1394, USB 2.0, HD-SDI, analog component and four audio XLR inputs. Its four 48-kHz/16-bit digital audio channels are independently controllable. The camera also features an SD memory card slot for saving or loading scene files and user settings and a variety of shooting assist functions and presets. The HPX500 features an automatic Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC) function that allows the camera to automatically optimize its performance with new CAC lenses.

The AG-HPX500 is currently available at a suggested list price of $14,000 including a 5-year extended warranty program. A variety of camera packages is available.

Panasonic also announced the delivery of its new AJ-P2C016RG 16GB P2 card that doubles the storage capacity and recording time of its previous P2 solid-state memory card. Available at a suggested list price of $900, the reusable 16GB P2 card now offers P2 camcorders recording capacity comparable to, and often exceeding, tape and disc-based systems.

The enhanced capacity 16GB P2 Card is compatible with all AG-HPX500 recorders and with
AG-HVX200 camcorders with a serial number beginning with E7xxx0001. The 16GB P2 Card is also compatible with AJ-PCD20 drive beginning with the serial number E7xxx0001. Other P2 HD and P2 camcorders and products can be upgraded via a free, downloadable firmware upgrade.

Panasonic also announced that its 32GB P2 card would be available by year-end at a price of $1,800, effectively quadrupling the storage capacity of its previous P2 card.

For more information on the HPX500 and P2 system, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.