14 DAY TRIAL // Back in June, Panasonic introduced the powerful Lumix FZ100, which the company advertised as being the world’s singular digital compact camera with 4K video recording capabilities.
The camera does indeed arrive with an advanced configuration, but one thing was puzzling about it. Did it or did it not have the capability to output so-called “clean” HDMI?
Now, the folks at Imagining-Resource have talked to Panasonic’s own National Training Manager, Mathew Frazer, regarding this aspect, so we’re able to give you a straightforward answer on the matter. The Lumix FZ100 can indeed output clean HDMI video.
Now, maybe we’re wondering what exactly is clean HDMI. Well, it means that a device is capable to transmit video signal through the HDMI connector devoid of text or graphic overlays, like the camera status or exposure variables.
More specifically, the image depicted on the third-party screen will show exactly what you’re able to see through the lens and nothing else.
Why would you need to bother with clean HDMI output? For one, if you want to record video on an external recorder not on a memory card.
External recorders bring to the table a host of benefits, including recording at higher bitrates and providing extended capacity. On top of that, recorders benefit from removable disk drive, which allows users to easily move the data back and forth.
Another reason you should care about clean HDMI output is the possibility of supporting a viewfinder display on an external monitor.
This will facilitate the process of recording, because the users won’t have to keep their eyes pressed on the electronic viewfinder, allowing for a bit of mobility and a wider overall view.
According to the Frazer, clean HDMI output can be achieved on the FZ1000 by going to the Setup menu. From there you need to go to page 3/5 and opt for the TV Connection option (on top).
After that, you’ll have to turn the HDMI Info Display (Rec). The VIERA Link option should also be enabled, because some records don’t like CEC control.
It should also be noted that the 1080 signal output is 4:2:2, but it is not yet confirmed that the FZ1000 will output 4K 8-bit 4:2:2, but in all possibility, it can.
Now, that we got the clean HDMI question out of the way, more video enthusiasts will probably be inclined to jump onboard the Panasonic FZ1000 bandwagon, especially since the pricing is so uber affordable (it costs $899 / €671).