An AVCHD camcorder wish list?
 

- Large sensor with good dynamic range above everything else
- Manual focus ring
- Highest bitrate possible for the standard
- 720 24p to 60p
- Large LCD with focus and exposure assist
- Records to external hard drive module or built in SD card slot
- Under $2000

Am I crazy? How about a Panasonic little brother to the HVX-200?

I'm right there with you...

Maybe the next DVC30? An AVCHD camera with three 1/4" CCDs at $2000 would be very interesting. Steal some thunder away from the new Canons.

Think it will happen? Or will Panny and Sony keep AVCHD in the consumer world only?

That's what I'm hoping for. They could even call it HVX-100... ;)

Panasonic has already indicated that they're working on a more professional AVC camera, but I doubt it will cost only $2000. If I was them I'd take the HVX200 and convert it to record AVCHD on standard CompactFlash memory cards with at least 3-4 slots in the camera, restrict the recording options if necessary to hold cost down, and drop the price to compete with the new Canon HDV cameras. I'd also go find a better sensor, since the one in the HVX200 is barely better than PAL resolution. Bump the AVC bit rate to 50 Mbps like they've already proposed and we'd have a camera which offers a useful alternative to both HDV and DVCProHD without requiring expensive P2 memory cards.

Sooner or later someone will make a camera like this at a reasonable price, but I'm not holding my breath. If Panasonic doesn't do it soon I'd expect a long wait, with Sony trying to push Blu-ray recording and JVC and Canon taking their sweet time getting around to all this.

Since we're wishing...
I wish for:
200Mbps datarate
8 channels uncompressed audio
1 4inch CMOS chip of 1920 x 1080
12 bit, 4:4:4 color sampling
2 TB onboard storage
6 to 2000 fps
24p, 25p, 30p, 50i, 60i, 60p, and 120p
full resolution display, flipout or detachable
Removeable lens
No built in microphone, just breakout fan/box
HD SDI
Firewire 800
HDMI
Uncompressed component output
Svideo downsample
Firewire downsample to 4:4:4 uncompressed SD

All in the consumer price range of 3k or less.

Now you're just getting greedy. ;)

Well, in my fantasies, I'm young, good looking, slender, strong as an ox, taller, thicker hair, smarter than Einstein, athletic as any NBA/NFL/ABA/USPA champion, and able to leap small buildings in a single bound.
Since we're fantasizing in this thread, why can't I be greedy too? ;-)

I can imagine a $4000 high quality AVC camcorder if the quality of the video was at least as good as that of the HDV... which I hope it would be. I would actually hope it to be better.

I'd be willing to buy that new $4000 Canon HDV camcorder if it were only progressive :( I'm using it for personal projects with a lot of special effects. The HVX is just too much money.

That would be the Canon XL series + RED.

For 3k or less?