Panasonic Delivers AG-AF100, Industry’s First Professional Micro 4/3-inch Camcorder

Nowadays, micro 4/3 image sensors seem to make their way into every imaging device out there, after DSLR cameras Panasonic just announcing that it has started delivering the world's first micro 4/3-inch video camcorder optimized for high-definition video recording.

Built around a large 4/3-inch, 16:9 MOS imager that has an effective area just slightly smaller than that of 35mm cinema film, the AG-AF100 can record footage at Full HD resolution, apart from the regular 60i and 50i modes, the camcorder also featuring 25P and 24P native support.

This is true for Full HD as well as for 1280x720 resolution, the maximum image quality reaching 24Mbps in the PH mode (AVCCAM’s HA-17Mbps and HE-6Mbps, modes are also available).

In addition, the AG-AF100 is also 60Hz and 50Hz switchable, making it a truly global camcorder.

To add to its versatility, Panasonic has endowed the AF100 with an interchangeable micro 4/3-inch lens mount so the AF100 can use an array of widely-available still camera lenses as well as film-style lenses with fixed focal lengths and primes.

The AF100 also features switchable Film Cam and Video Cam modes, the last of these coming in with variable frame rate support.

According to the manufacturer, when put into Film Mode, the camcorder allows its sensitivity to be set between ISO 200 and ISO 3200, in Video Cam Mode the gain varying between 18 dB and -6 dB, depending on the user's preferences.

Recorded content can be stored on SDHC and SDXC memory cards, the available connectivity interfaces including uncompressed 4:2:2, 8 Bit HD-SDI out, HDMI out and USB 2.0.

“The design of the AF100’s advanced, custom-designed 4/3-inch sensor affords depth of field and field of view similar to that of 35mm movie cameras in a more affordable camera,” said Jan Crittenden Livingston, Product Line Business Manager, Panasonic Solutions Company.

“What’s more, Panasonic engineering ingenuity has resolved the aliasing and moiré that has haunted the DSLR shooter.

In fact, the AF100 was based on what we heard from and saw customers doing: purchasing DSLR cameras because they liked the look of the image, but then agonizing over all of the workarounds required to achieve an acceptable high definition recording,” concluded the company's rep.

Panasonic AG-AF100 deliveries start today, the company's suggested retail price being set at $4,995.