CES 2020: Panasonic unveils new 4K streaming camcorders

With the growth of livestreaming services in the last few years, the need for high-quality mobile video solutions has only increased. At CES, Panasonic today announced the HC-X1500, HC-X2000, and AC-CX10, three new camcorders aimed at livestreamers, broadcasters, and people who really need great video on the go.

These camcorders all support 4K video at up to 60fps, with a 25mm wide-angle lens, 24x optical zoom, and digital zoom up to 48x (albeit at FHD, rather than 4K). New to these is support for 10-bit internal video recording, so you can save what you shoot locally at 4K 30fps, and up to 60fps in FHD.  Each camera has two SD card slots for local memory. The cameras support the HEVC video codex, and support the typical file types, like MOV, MP4, and AVCHD. The AC-CX10 also supports MXF files, which is ideal for broadcast editing. All three support 4K 60fps 10-bit output via HDMI, so you can record high-resolution video to an external recorder, too.

However, while high-quality recording is great, these are broadcast cameras. The HC-X1500, HC-X2000 and AC-CX10 have built-in Wi-Fi support, and stream HD video to livestreaming platforms like Facebook and Youtube without additional hardware like a LAN module. Additionally, the AC-CX10 supports Ethernet HD live streaming, as well as NDI|HX compatible IP connections which allow for gigabit video streaming.

If all that sounds like a bunch of gibberish, the bottom line is these cameras will be some of the best streaming cameras around, and they’ve got the hardware to match the impressive streaming options. Each camera comes equipped with a 25mm Leica lens, 5-axis optical stabilization (even at 24x zoom), and high-speed autofocus and face detection features. They can even record 120fps slow-motion footage locally at FHD, and the cameras’ new fan design means overheating is less of a concern over long periods.

All three camcorders are coming in March. Panasonic hasn’t yet announced a price, but given how much its camcorders go for, it seems safe to assume these will cost a decent chunk of change.