Successor to Popular AVC Ultra Model Ditches Networking, Proxy and Genlock/TC for a Lower Price

Panasonic's new AJ-PX230PJ borrows most, but not all, of the features of its predecessor, the AJ-PX270, and adds an important new one — a lower price.

The PX230 has the same video quality and design as the PX270, Panasonic said, but is missing networking capability, proxy recording and genlock/timecode. As a result, the camera comes in at an MSRP of $4,495. compared to $5,750 for the PX270. (Then again, through the end of the month, Panasonic is offering a $1,000 rebate on the PX270, making it essentially a wash.)

The AJ-PX230PJ is a five-pound camcorder with 1/3-inch 3-MOS sensors, two microP2 card slots, and a 22x zoom lens with manual focus, iris and zoom control rings. It has optical image stabilization and a three-step ND filter on board. Selectable shutter speeds range up to 1/2000.

It records in AVC-Ultra at up to 200 Mbps in AVC-Intra200 mode. AVC-LongG is also available, offering 10-bit 4:2:2 recording at 50 Mbps and 25 Mbps, and 8-bit 4:2:0 at 12 Mbps. Legacy format support includes DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV. Interfaces include HDMI, HD-SDI and 3G-SDI out at up to 1080p60 and two XLR inputs.