Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 at DVinfo.net

Phil Goetz · January 5th, 2015, 08:29 AM

There are new point and shoots as well as video cameras from Panasonic for 2015. I am just posting the features of the two highest end camcorders:

HC-VX870
4K Ultra HD Camcorder with Wireless Smartphone Twin Video Capture
• 4K Video
• 20x Optical Zoom
• Wifi Enabled
• Twin Camera Function
• HDR Movie Mode

HC-WX970
4K Ultra HD Camcorder with Built-in Twin Video Camera
• 4K Video
• 20x Optical Zoom
• 5 Axis Stabilization
• Wifi Enabled
• Twin Camera Function
• HDR Movie Mode

Joe Ogiba · January 5th, 2015, 02:14 PM

Glen Vandermolen · January 5th, 2015, 03:34 PM

Here's the official Panasonic video:

B&H listing:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1109408-REG/panasonic_hc_wx970_4k_ultra_hd_camcorder.html

Paul Mailath · January 6th, 2015, 03:37 AM

that was an official panasonic video?.....that was appalling!

Glen Vandermolen · January 6th, 2015, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Mailath

that was an official panasonic video?.....that was appalling!

Nah. It reaches its target audience: families that want to record videos of their kids, with something better than a smart phone. 4K will future-proof it better than current HD. I liked the dynamic range in the videos. Too bad the cameras don't have an EVF. I do almost all my shooting with an EVF.

Kris Kohuth · January 6th, 2015, 09:22 AM

There are a few other samples out there.
Here's one with the requisite cats, koalas and parrots:

Some weirdness with moving detail (feathers and the bellies of the wrestling lions), but it's YouTube, and I'm not on a 4K monitor.
Any thoughts?

Also, someone pointed out that the mic input is under the flip-out door. Since there's no EVF, does that mean the LCD needs to ALWAYS be on when recording?
(I'd be using this unattended.)

Dave Blackhurst · January 6th, 2015, 01:57 PM

Aside from a little 30p related motion stuff (slightly "jumpy" looking because of the low frame rate) with the parrots, looked pretty decent on my 4K Seiki. Probably a slower shutter speed would have helped there.

Phil Goetz · January 7th, 2015, 02:48 PM

Article on the HC-WX970:

Panasonic Camcorders Flip the Selfie | Videomaker.com

Glen Vandermolen · January 9th, 2015, 06:14 AM

B&H specs on the camera says it has a 460,800 pixel count LCD. Isn't that low, even for an HD camera?

Noa Put · January 9th, 2015, 06:32 AM

The image it outputs looks very good though based on these 2 videos.

Phil Goetz · January 15th, 2015, 10:04 AM

Has anyone seen any shipping ETAs on the HC-WX970?

Robert Chang · February 2nd, 2015, 12:09 PM

Based on all the information available about the X970, it seems like it's not necessarily an upgrade to the X920, since the X920 is not being discontinued by Panasonic, while priced the same as the X970.

The X970 only uses one 1.23" sensor for the 4K, which means the low-light noise level is likely higher than the X920, which has the 3MOS sensor.

4K is not nearly as important to me as having lower noise in low-light shooting, so does that mean I should just keep the X920 I already have?

I called Panasonic and they couldn't tell me I didn't already know, neither could the guys at bhphoto.

Kris Kohuth · February 5th, 2015, 02:10 PM

First actual review I've seen...though it's in Russian (linked via Google translate to English):

www.ixbt.com/divideo/panasonic-hc-wx970

Sample footage is linked for download, in various bitrates and resolutions.

Robert Chang · February 5th, 2015, 07:20 PM

Thanks for sharing that review. The automatic translation of Russian is surprisingly coherent.

The color noise of the X970 is definitely higher than the X920, while the luminance noise is similar.

Glen Vandermolen · February 5th, 2015, 08:28 PM

At last, now we know where the SD card goes: in the bottom. Different.

January 5th, 2015, 08:29 AM	#1
Phil Goetz Austinite Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Austin Posts: 550	Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 There are new point and shoots as well as video cameras from Panasonic for 2015. I am just posting the features of the two highest end camcorders: HC-VX870 4K Ultra HD Camcorder with Wireless Smartphone Twin Video Capture • 4K Video • 20x Optical Zoom • Wifi Enabled • Twin Camera Function • HDR Movie Mode HC-WX970 4K Ultra HD Camcorder with Built-in Twin Video Camera • 4K Video • 20x Optical Zoom • 5 Axis Stabilization • Wifi Enabled • Twin Camera Function • HDR Movie Mode

January 5th, 2015, 02:14 PM	#2
Joe Ogiba Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 194	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Actual Shooting 4K Video of Panasonic New 4K Camcorders: WX970/WX979/WX979M/VX870/VX878/VX870M - YouTube

January 5th, 2015, 03:34 PM	#3
Glen Vandermolen Space Hipster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,596	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Here's the official Panasonic video: Introducing Panasonic New 4K Camcorders: WX970/WX979/WX979M/VX870/VX878/VX870M - YouTube B&H listing: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1109408-REG/panasonic_hc_wx970_4k_ultra_hd_camcorder.html

January 6th, 2015, 03:37 AM	#4
Paul Mailath Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Coast - NSW, Australia Posts: 1,606	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 that was an official panasonic video?.....that was appalling! __________________ Cheers - Paul M. www.perbenyik.com

January 6th, 2015, 09:22 AM	#6
Kris Kohuth Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mooresville, NC Posts: 49	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 There are a few other samples out there. Here's one with the requisite cats, koalas and parrots: Actual Shooting 4K Video of Panasonic New 4K Camcorders: WX970/WX979/WX979M/VX870/VX878/VX870M - YouTube Some weirdness with moving detail (feathers and the bellies of the wrestling lions), but it's YouTube, and I'm not on a 4K monitor. Any thoughts? Also, someone pointed out that the mic input is under the flip-out door. Since there's no EVF, does that mean the LCD needs to ALWAYS be on when recording? (I'd be using this unattended.)

January 6th, 2015, 01:57 PM	#7
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Aside from a little 30p related motion stuff (slightly "jumpy" looking because of the low frame rate) with the parrots, looked pretty decent on my 4K Seiki. Probably a slower shutter speed would have helped there.

January 7th, 2015, 02:48 PM	#8
Phil Goetz Austinite Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Austin Posts: 550	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Article on the HC-WX970: Panasonic Camcorders Flip the Selfie \| Videomaker.com

January 9th, 2015, 06:14 AM	#9
Glen Vandermolen Space Hipster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,596	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 B&H specs on the camera says it has a 460,800 pixel count LCD. Isn't that low, even for an HD camera?

January 9th, 2015, 06:32 AM	#10
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 The image it outputs looks very good though based on these 2 videos.

January 15th, 2015, 10:04 AM	#11
Phil Goetz Austinite Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Austin Posts: 550	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Has anyone seen any shipping ETAs on the HC-WX970?

February 2nd, 2015, 12:09 PM	#12
Robert Chang Tourist Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Lincoln, CA Posts: 2	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Based on all the information available about the X970, it seems like it's not necessarily an upgrade to the X920, since the X920 is not being discontinued by Panasonic, while priced the same as the X970. The X970 only uses one 1.23" sensor for the 4K, which means the low-light noise level is likely higher than the X920, which has the 3MOS sensor. 4K is not nearly as important to me as having lower noise in low-light shooting, so does that mean I should just keep the X920 I already have? I called Panasonic and they couldn't tell me I didn't already know, neither could the guys at bhphoto.

February 5th, 2015, 02:10 PM	#13
Kris Kohuth Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mooresville, NC Posts: 49	Review of HC-WX970 First actual review I've seen...though it's in Russian (linked via Google translate to English): www.ixbt.com/divideo/panasonic-hc-wx970 Sample footage is linked for download, in various bitrates and resolutions.

February 5th, 2015, 07:20 PM	#14
Robert Chang Tourist Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Lincoln, CA Posts: 2	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 Thanks for sharing that review. The automatic translation of Russian is surprisingly coherent. The color noise of the X970 is definitely higher than the X920, while the luminance noise is similar.

February 5th, 2015, 08:28 PM	#15
Glen Vandermolen Space Hipster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,596	Re: Panasonic HC-VX870 and HC-WX970 at CES2015 At last, now we know where the SD card goes: in the bottom. Different.