New 4K Panasonic Cams in 2025 (HC-X1200/1600/2100)

[XperienceD]

I nearly lost hope that we would see any new prosumer camcorders soon, especially some that are capable of shooting in 4K 60p, but lo and behold, Panasonic has released a few new models this year that can do that. These models are:

HC-X1200 (~$1300)
HC-X1600 (~$1700)
HC-X2100 (~$2200)

The main difference between them is that the HC-X1600 has a viewfinder and Wifi connectivity over the cheapest model, while the most expensive one has 3G-SDI output and a detachable handle unit with XLR output and manual audio adjustments.

I am seriously considering buying the HC-X1600 to level up from my HC-V770 (which was one of my best investments, considering that I paid only $350 a few years ago). The reviews seem to be good thus far, praising the stabilizer, but the camcorders only use a 1/2.5" sensor - the same that was used by their predecessors, who were known to have a poor image quality under lowlight conditions. I wonder if this issue has been at least somewhat addressed.

Did anyone have a chance to use these camcorders or their predecessors? I would be curious to hear about your experience. I will let you know about my impressions with the HC-X1600 should I buy it.

[TreeTops]

Looks like a really nice camera. If you buy the HC-X1600 please report back on your experience with it. Maybe post a video on youtube so that we can see your efforts. I used Panasonic "predecessors". Very good cameras.

[XperienceD]

So, I ended up buying the inexpensive HC-X1200 because I realized that I didn't really need the viewfinder and WiFi connectivity of the more expensive model.

After having used the camera for over 3 months at home and on trips, I can say that I am quite happy with the purchase! What I like most about it is the plethora of available manual functions and its stabilizer. Even on "Auto" mode, the camera allows me to easily adjust the exposure level (EV) - this is very helpful when I want to counteract the overexposure tendency of the automatic control in large dark areas. The stabilizer is truly the best that I have experienced of all previously owned models! Not only does it very effectively reduce high-frequency jitter, but it also allows me to select three effectiveness modes - "Stable", "Normal" and "Pan/Tilt". I use the latter mode most of the time, and it allows me to pan smoothly without hasty jumps and yet produce footage with minimal shake, even at high zoom levels. This makes lengthy and tedious post-production deshaking processes obsolete - how nice!

This is my first 4K cam, so I do not have other 4K models to compare when it comes to picture quality, and I only have a Full-HD monitor. But even then, the picture is visibly sharper than when recorded in Full HD mode, and anytime I had the opportunity to test it on a 4K TV, the videos looked very good - provided that one has good skills for manual adjustments when needed. It is true that the sharpness drops rapidly when low light sets in, but again, that's because the automatic control tends to overexpose. It is possible to set a cap on the gain to keep the noise in check and the image decently crisp. Talking about the latter, the camera has a good wide angle when zoomed out, but the edges are a little blurry compared to the center (noticeable even on a HD screen). I guess that's normal for this price range. I do appreciate that the camcorder features a variety of video recording modes, like 24p, 25p, 50p and 60p in 4K and HD, recordable in mp4 and AVCHD by default without the need to hack. Yes, 4K consumer/prosumer camcorders have been in existence for a long time, but they were capable of recording only in 30p (or 25p in PAL countries), and when I tried this mode, panning looked barely acceptable.

One thing that bothers me with a lot of camcorders these days is that they do not come with a shoulder strap anymore, like it used to be the case with my first Panasonic DV camcorder almost 25 years ago and my first HDV camcorder Canon HV30. What's worse, they don't even have slots for shoulder straps built in! Why? In my opinion, they are essential when you take the camcorder on a trip. At least the HC-X1200 has tripod mounts at the bottom and at the top that allow you to screw in hooks for straps. The camcorder feels good when taken into the hand, and pressing buttons to zoom in- and out feels so much better than moving levers on consumer cams. The menu on the display could be improved, though. For example, when I go to the "Recording" section, the first entry is "Format Media". This should be buried deeper to avoid accidentally formatting the SD card! Also, the clip deletion process is a bit lengthy, and trimming the clips, like with my old HC-V770, is not possible.

All in all, the positives still outweigh the negatives, and using a prosumer camcorder like this feels like a massive level-up from my previous model, especially in light of the many manual adjustment possibilities. I give it a thumbs up!

[TreeTops]

Nice review. Thanks