~~From the Manufacturer
The introduction of the HPX170 marks the next generation of Panasonic’s, full production quality, 4:2:2 1080/ 720/ SD P2HD Hand-Held camcorders. Unlike its brother, the AG-HVX200A a transitional camera perfectly matched for the customer that wants to continue using or delivering venerable DV tape. The HPX170 is for the customer that has fully embraced the tremendous advantages of P2’s file based workflow. The HPX170 is a P2 solid state only camera that includes many extra features and benefits.
Starting with the front end of the camera, the HPX170 uses a newly-developed 1/3-inch progressive 3- CCD imager system which substantially improves signal-to noise (S/N) ratio, enhances low-light performance and prevents smear. Using exactly the same imager system as the HVX200A, this camera will produce similar images and is an ideal shooting partner. The HPX170 utilizes the highlyreputed Leica Dicomar 13x lens roughly the equivalent of 28 mm in 35mm still photography terms. It ranges from 3.9mm to 51mm with a filter diameter of 72mm.
Adoption of this new wider lens and the use of P2 cards instead of dual P2 and tape as storage media have brought about the reduction of the body weight by 20% from the AGHVX200A, allowing more mobile HD shooting. The HPX170 weighs in at 4.2 lbs, just slightly more than a DVX100B.
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
The AG-HPX170 has a number of new features that truly make it one of the most advanced camcorders in its price range. Many customer suggestions have been incorporated into this camera design along with state of the art technology like the new CCDs and lens assembly. Manufactured with a magnesium aluminum alloy just like the HVX200 series, the camera is highly durable and comes ready to work. It comes with a 16 GB P2 card and an updated book from Barry Green that references both the HPX170 as well as the HVX200 series of cameras.
Important new features that really make this camera a next generation leader are HD/SDI (also allows for SD) output, improved LCD performance, and a useful waveform monitor and vectorscope function. The HPX170 also includes three different advanced focus assist functions, all of which respond a little differently so that you can choose the one that is perfect for the shooting scenario. Additionally, your customer can now enter metadata in the field, just like the HPX2000/3000 P2 cameras.
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
New Features (summary):
•All solid state -P2 cards - 2 Slots
•HD/SDI -- (including SD)
•6 pin Firewire with locking connection. (no power out)
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
•Color Bars with 1kHz Tone
•Metadata input - like the P2 Gear
•Camera Playback format can be changed without going into menus
•Additional Neutral Density filters, 1/4, 1/16, 1/64
•Additional Functionality of the User Buttons, Delete Last Clip, Pre- Record and Variable Frame rate
•WaveForm Monitor and Vectorscope
•Dedicated Slot Select Button
•Three Focus Assist functions, 2X blow-up,
•Histogram, and Focus Bar
•20 Variable Frame Rates, 12, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 44, 48, 54, 60
•DVX-Style Navigational Tool
•Security Cable Attachment Hole
•Dynamic Range Stretching in 60I/60P HD, replaces News Gamma
•Iris/focus ring assignment switch so that focus ring can be the iris
•Time & date stamp burn-in, perfect for Legal Video work
•Most cables facing rear to reduce conflicts, Audio connections in the same place
•Manual Focus Assist, camera will hit the last critical focus point
•LCD Screen can be flipped for use with 35mm adapters
•10X, 5X, 2x Digital Zoom
Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS)
The DRS function reduces the blocked shadows and blown highlights in scenes where bright and dark objects coexist, such as the view of a room from outdoors. With this function, even if there are bright, halftone, and dark areas in a scene, their gradation will be maintained and blocked shadows, blown highlights, and color distortions will be minimized. The result is video with a visually wide dynamic range.
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
Enhanced focus-assist functions
The Center 2X Blow-up focus-assist function from the HVX200 is included. The histogram function featured on the HPX500 is now a part of this camera and you can choose Center Zoom, Histogram, or both. The third focus assist is a Focus Bar display. The bar grows longer as things become focused. The EVF DTL is more enhanced as well to allow pictures to be focused more easily by emphasizing the object contours on the EVF and LCD monitor screens.
SDI (HD/SD switchable) output
The AG-HPX170 comes equipped with an SDI (HD/SD) output terminal for serial digital transfer of uncompressed audio/visual data. It is compatible with digital broadcasting environments and allows for a secondary recording with another Panasonic digital recorder (P2HD/HD-D5/DVCPRO HD) or it can be incorporated into a small HD/SDI studio with our AV-HS400 Digital Switcher.
Camera Processing and Technology
There are three critical components working hand-in-hand to make the images from this camera. The CCDs benefit from the additional picture information offered by the spatial offset on the pixels. This allows the non-photosensitive areas of the CCD (the registers between the pixels) to add to the picture quality.
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
New Progressive CCD Raises Sensitivity and Lowers Noise and Smear
The new 1/3-inch 16:9 progressive CCD on the AG-HPX170 further raises image quality. It combines a significantly improved S/N ratio and better low-light performance than previous models. Backed by a highperformance digital signal processor, the CCD brings higher quality to HD images to meet the demands of broadcasters and high-end video producers.
High-Resolution Native
Progressive 1080/60p Scan Progressive to interlace conversion, cross conversion and down conversion all start with the 1080p/60 scan. That initial 1080p progressive scan signal coming off of the CCDs offers the highest level of vertical resolution possible at this level of camera. Keep in mind that the camera does not record this signal but uses it as a basis for all captures. The result is an HD or SD recording with a level of image quality that cannot be matched by electronically processed scans (pixel for pixel).
DSP with 14-Bit A/D Conversion and 19-Bit Processing
The digital signal processor developed for the AG-HPX170’s 1080/60p video signals uses 14-bit A/D conversion and 19-bit inner processing to attain unprecedented accuracy in color and detail. The DSP performs a variety of adjustments, including eight types of gamma settings, for each of the R, G and B channels. It also converts the signals to HD or SD format. With a performance equivalent to the processors used in many higher-end HD cameras, this DSP delivers beautiful images in all video formats.
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
Manual Focus Assist
Manual Focus Assist
There is a dynamic new feature on this camera that will make it really interesting to any shooter that has to run and gun their images. The two images on the right are indicating the rotation required for the focus ring under the Standard Mode, which you would use if you were doing production and wanted to use a Focus Puller to do a rack focus on the subjects at hand. This represents about 300 degrees. The second figure, is called Manual Focus Assist, and it indicates a much shorter rotation, which equates to getting to the focus point much more quickly. Keep in mind the rotation on a Broadcast lens is about 120 degrees. What is really interesting is that when you start to get close, the camera sees the PEAK and carries out the tail end of the focus, then goes back to no auto-focus. This should be a function that you show every customer that shoots news for a living.
Panasonic AG-HPX170 Highlights
MetaData input and management
A significant part of file-based workflow is the metadata portion of the footage. IT is what makes it easy to find thing later. It also allows the field personnel to communicate with the editorial staff. The correct spelling of the interviewee’s name can be input on the clip within the body of the camera itself. The only other cameras that allow this functionality are the larger AJHPX2000 and up.