Panasonic has just announced a new device in their lineup of AVCHD camcorders. The Panasonic AG-HSC1 features three 1/4″ CCDs, all native 16:9, which sounds a lot like its sibling the Panasonic HDC-SD1. In fact, the AG-HSC1 is being called the first “Pro” AVCHD camcorder. This is due to an increased aperture (from f/1.8 to f/1.6), a professional color space, and an included 40GB hard drive.
Panasonic says that the color space of the AG-HSC1, “has been optimized to match our professional camcorders.” This will likely mean a less saturated picture that doesn’t follow the consumer camcorder trend of over-saturating.
The included portable 40GB hard drive is designed to be used to offload footage from the SDHC cards used in the camcorder itself. About 88 minutes of video can be held on each 4GB SDHC card.
We will have to wait and see if Panasonic can reach the niche audience they are obviously aiming this camcorder for. At $2,099, the Panasonic AG-HSC1’s features come at a hefty price. Look for this camcorder to be released in March.
