Cameras: News and Updates
Ohio's Act 1 Video Production Company Handles International Assignments with Panasonic P2 HD Camcorders
By Staff
posted Sep 21, 2009, 20:56
An AG-HPX170 mounted on remote-controlled helicopter
weathers 100 foot drop and replays the crash video...
Back home in Columbus, AG-HPX170 mounted on remote-controlled helicopter
weathers 100 foot drop and replays the crash video.
(Secaucus, NJ) Act 1 (Westerville, OH), a video production company that undertakes
diverse international assignments for major corporations and agricultural manufacturing
companies, recently transitioned to tapeless high-definition acquisition with
the purchase of four Panasonic P2 HD camcorders.
This remote-controlled helicopter camera setup uses an AG-HPX170 P2 HD handheld.
Photo courtesy of Act 1.
Based on the positive experience of colleagues in the Columbus, OH broadcasting
community who were shooting in P2, Act 1 owner Steve Brandenburg purchased two
AG-HPX500 P2 HD shoulder-mounted camcorders in 2008 and an AG-HVX200 P2 HD handheld
camcorder shortly thereafter. When Brandenburg lost his usual source of a helicopter
to shoot aerial videos, essential for Act 1’s agricultural assignments,
he decided to acquire his own remote-controlled helicopter and outfit it with
an AG-HPX170 P2 HD handheld.
Side view of camera chopper. Photo courtesy of Act 1.
Brandenburg also owns two AJ-HPM110 P2 Mobile HD recorder/players, and an AJ-PCD20P
five-slot memory drive.
The HPX500s are Brandenburg’s main production cameras, supplemented by
the HVX200 for handheld work and special shots. The camcorders have provided
stellar support at national sales meetings, on international shoots, and on
local assignments for Ohio State University and others, but the most dramatic
proof of the value of solid-state recording has been provided by the HPX170.
In this type of aerial work, a pilot flies the helicopter remotely, and
the on-board camcorder transmits to goggles worn by Brandenburg, who can then
control the camera. Photo courtesy of Act 1.
“We chose the HPX170 to mount to the remote-controlled helicopter because,
minus the tape drive, it’s that much lighter than the HVX200,” Brandenburg
said. “The pilot and I had several test runs before our ‘maiden
voyage,’ an aerial shoot of tractors in a field for an agriculture manufacturer.”
“While the helicopter was in a hover, we experienced a complete rotor
shaft failure,” Brandenburg recounted. “The craft shook so violently
that it disintegrated into three pieces and fell 100 feet to the ground. Because
I had the goggles on, I didn’t see what was happening, but everything
suddenly went fuzzy.”
“Needless to say, the pilot and I had a quiet ride back to the office,”
he continued. “We were very disappointed. Regarding the HPX170, there
was a hole where the eyepiece fits into the body, the camcorder was covered
in dirt and the battery was bounced back.
“But amazingly, when we arrived, I flipped out the viewfinder and was
able to watch a replay of the entire accident. The footage looks great. In fact,
we’ve been so busy since last April, when this happened, that I haven’t
even bothered to fully repair the HPX170, but have simply kept it in our camera
rotation, where it is performing perfectly.”
The chopper falls and breaks, but the footage looks great, and the camera
survives. Photo courtesy of Act 1.
Brandenburg shoots exclusively in HD, and depending upon the nature of an assignment,
shoots either 720p/24-fps or 1080i/60-fps. He edits on both Avid Media Composer
and Final Cut Pro. He invested in multiple 32GB P2 cards, and chooses to download
footage either at the end of the day or the conclusion of a shoot.
“Shooting in P2 really spoils you, especially in terms of the incredible
amount of time saved in the edit suite,” Brandenburg said. “That
means less expense for clients and a huge production advantage for me. I am
so addicted to the time-efficiencies that, when in one instance we hired local
crews in Europe who were shooting on tape, I brought along our HPM110 P2 Mobiles
and ran a record to them so I could bypass digitizing before editing.”
“The P2 HD camcorders have been rock-solid and dependable,” he
added, “never more so than on the day the HPX170 fell to earth!”
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About the AG-HPX170
The AG-HPX170 is an ultra-mobile P2 HD handheld camcorder featuring full, 4:2:2
independent frame production quality HD and solid-state recording. Building
on the AG-HVX200 series’ phenomenal success, the lighter HPX170 is fully
solid state (no DV mechanism), and comes with a host of enhancements including
a new 1/3" progressive 3-CCD imager system, wider Leica Dicomar 13X lens,
an HD-SDI interface, metadata input and management, and a 5-year limited warranty
(with registration). The HPX170 has two P2 card slots and records in 20 HD and
SD formats - from 1080i, 1080p, 720p to 480i. Its newly enhanced 1/3" progressive
16:9 3-CCD imager delivers an excellent signal-to-noise ratio, lower noise/smear,
and exceptional low-light performance. High-end features like Dynamic Range
Stretch (DRS) allow for better control over highlights and shadows in run and
gun situations. For more information on the HPX170, visit www.panasonic.com/P2HD.
About Panasonic Broadcast
Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast
and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a Unit of
Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American
subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s
U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information
on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.
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