A new release of successful equipment, it comes to offer us something more than a mere update, catering perfectly to the needs and demands of the market and current customers thanks to its extraordinary versatility of use

*This content is included in the November issue of TM BROADCAST. You can access the full magazine here.

It has now been 6 years since the launch of its predecessor, our well-known ‘350’, a camera conceived at the time mainly as ENG equipment, which over time has strengthened its position as a proven tool in the broadcast environment.

But there is no doubt that during all this time the broadcasting market has clearly migrated: in general, we can say that traditional broadcasts maintain their audience, while most of the growth occurs in consumption through platforms and on-demand through IP networks.

And it also seems unequivocal that today most of the creation of content -from capture and production to dissemination- must be as immediate and economical as possible in order to maintain the profitability for all players involved.

Thinking of this new scenario as a field of action, this is the reason why Panasonic has upgraded its model to become the AG-CX370, putting in our hands a particularly versatile tool, capable of adapting to this new way of creating content.

Let’s keep in mind that ‘versatility’ is the ability of easily adapting to various functions or situations. Throughout this lab test we will see why we have chosen this term as a worthy depiction for our headline.

Understanding that for most of our readers this type of handheld/semi-shoulder cameras for production and capture is very well known and common, this time we will shorten our traditional preamble describing the equipment subject of analysis and describe what is new with no further ado.

What we will do, as usual, is go beyond the headlines and the mere enumeration of features, delving into what this all means for both producers and operators, and even for end customers.

Now, the camera: we anticipate that the truth is that it features interesting improvements, although initially its physical appearance, being very similar to the previous model, could make us think otherwise. Usability has been significantly improved, but without giving up the essence of the original concept. And we leave for last our reflection on the convenience of updating to the new model, although the impatient reader can skip straight to the end if they want…

Starting with the major similarities, in terms of optics and sensor there are no physical differences, although they do exist at processing level. Let’s explain: the fixed lens maintains an identical configuration, with a 20x optical zoom and equivalent focal lengths (according to the original data) from 24.5 to 490 mm, with conventional 4-step ND filter (0, 1/4, 1/16 and 1/64, or 0, 2, 4 and 8 diaphragm steps) and three independent rings for focus, zoom and iris.

We also have a configurable digital extender, and a 5-axis electronic optical stabilizer that supports different types of configuration to provide the best results depending on the different circumstances. The digital extender can be configured so that it does not exceed certain thresholds in order to make a potential loss of quality imperceptible, in ranges of up to 24x in UHD (588 mm) or 32x in HD (equivalent to focal lengths of 588 and 784 mm). Or allow multiplier factors of x2, y x5 and up to x10, but then with noticeable loss in resolution.

The sensor also remains the same: 1 inch in size, with just over 15 million effective pixels. Here, the novelty lies in processing, significantly more powerful, which now allows us to make much more precise and detailed color adjustments by controlling up to 16 independent axes. This results in a much more precise treatment and color adjustment. And on this we already announce more benefits.

The camera significantly improves its usability as a studio camera, or as a live camera in multi-camera environments for traditional settings

Physically, the rest of the body is also quite similar, maintaining the ergonomics and ease of use, with the usual controls in the expected places and a good array of buttons that are customizable and easily recognizable to the touch so you don’t have to look away from the viewfinder or screen. This feature has always been a deciding factor for most operators.

The 3.2″ screen with 1.62 million pixels and a high-resolution OLED viewfinder featuring 2.36 million dots complete the part related to optics and visualization.

It still features a very similar size (approximately 31 x 18 x 17.5 cm), and a weight of around 2.3 kg under working conditions, that is, with battery, cards, etc.

Before turning on the camera, we already noticed appealing differences. For example, in addition to the HDMI output we have a 12G SDI output. We will later find that both are functional simultaneously. It also comes with additional BNC connectors for timecode and Genlock. This way, the camera significantly improves its usability as a studio camera, or as a live camera in multi-camera environments for traditional settings.

It is precisely this quality, together with the precision in color adjustment, which will make the result of camera pairing in these environments simple and accurate. With regards to pairing, we insist that there is still much more…

Back to our multi-camera environment, it is possible to go much further as we also have an Ethernet port and an integrated NDI HX2 license at no additional cost. Thanks to them, it is possible to make live productions through IP while providing excellent performance.

In this way, contributions can be made in different types of environments: either through an NDI-compatible mixer in the installation itself -such as Panasonic’s Kairos- or through a virtual production in the cloud. Always bear in mind that while using the NDI HX2 protocol it will not be possible to record on camera, stream or use 4K outputs, according to Panasonic’s own specifications.

And to round off the issue on IP connectivity, in addition to the usual RTSP, RTMP and RTMPS protocols, nowadays the SRT protocol -also available- is a must. For those less familiar with these cryptic acronyms, just a brief reference to the most significant ones, as connectivity features are one of the strengths of this unit.

NDI is a proprietary protocol that seeks high data transfer with minimum latency in the transmission of AV signals based on controlled environments such as private networks, where there is the possibility of managing and controlling data flows by network administrators.

The purpose of RTSP is to control the transmission, and not the content itself, which travels on a separate layer under RTP/RTCP protocol. Useful for commanding the sending/stopping of data flows from remote positions.

Our camera is highly operational when making hybrid contributions in real time or with low latency, either through SDI 12G or through different protocols on IP networks

RTMP and RTMPS are streaming protocols for the transport of AV signals through public networks and designed to handle the synchronization and loss of data through these public networks, in order to allow reproduction in certain software players, the latter being an extension of the former that features data encryption.

Last, SRT is an interesting advance, as it is also a transport protocol through public networks, it is open source and offers secure performance and controlled latency through these unpredictable networks, supporting both ‘caller’ and ‘listener’ configurations.

They all together make up a set of protocols that turns our camera not only into an excellent on-site capture and recording tool, but also into a highly operational one when it comes to making hybrid contributions in real time or with low latency, either by means SDI 12G or through different protocols on IP networks.

In addition to, of course, uploading files to servers through FTP protocols. This functionality has long been used by most broadcasters to ingest, for instance, news content on their servers from remote locations.

But let’s not lose sight of the fact that it is a camera, so a top priority here must be image quality. In that sense, it meets all our expectations, offering a high image quality and a generous dynamic range. We cannot positively say if it is the same one or even somewhat better than that of its predecessor, as we have not been able to compare the two of them face to face.

The controls and handling are nearly identical, and any operator familiar with the previous model will be using this one without hardly noticing any differences.

But there are more areas where we perceive a significant improvement, such as  audio. Not because it is of better quality, as it keeps the LPCM recording at 24 bits, but because we now have independent direct inputs for all four channels, in addition to the built-in microphone. The first two channels with the traditional XLR connectors, the first in the micro bracket and the second in the back of the body; and channels three and four through a 3.5 mm TRS stereo mini-jack connector.

And while this mini-jack connector is not our favorite choice as a high-level professional tool, it is true that at present multiple pieces of ultra-light equipment are used and it has therefore already become the de facto standard, especially in light wireless microphony. Thanks to this direct possibility, we got rid of the bulky adapters and of the resulting weight and discomfort associated with them.

To close the audio section, on the side of the body we find the four direct volume controls, with their four independent auto/manual selectors per channel. However, what has disappeared from the side panel and we must now manage through the menu is the selector for assigning inputs to channels in the event of intending to use, for example, the integrated stereo microphone.

In this sense, and despite the apparent limitation of not being able to change the setup of inputs through the menu while recording is in progress, it seems to us that it makes perfect sense to do it this way, thus prioritizing direct and effective access to volume control, which is much more likely to have to be tweaked in the middle of any recording.

What is really handy is the new status button in the middle of the audio panel, which allows the full-screen viewfinder to display all the settings and input level indicators for channels 1 and 2, and by means of a second press, the settings for channels 3 and 4.

When recording, remember that this is the essential, consolidated operation and the original raison d ‘être of cameras and in no way do we want to regard it as something marginal. Above all, because we must start from the best possible image quality, and then distribute through the necessary connectivity in each case. And our CX370 undoubtedly offers this.

Of course, there is support for HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) for HDR recordings, as well as a menu system through which to configure a myriad of parameters. This is especially important if we want our productions to have our personal “touch”.

Among these parameters -to name just a few- we find the different looks, user profiles, configuration of recording formats, genlock configuration, activation and control of the facial tracking system to maintain accurate focus. Let’s consider that with UHD resolution and a telephoto lens capable of approaching 500 mm, an open diaphragm means a minimum depth of field of the order of centimeters at distances of meters.

In this case, the precise autofocus and the ability of facial recognition and automatic tracking will make any operator’s life easier, thus allowing our protagonist to move within the frame while maintaining the peace of mind of not losing focus.

We have a variety of codecs and data rates to meet the different recording needs. For example, we have different combinations of 4:2:0, 4:2:2 and HEVC, with long-GOP and intraframe up to 10 bits, at 25p and 50p (also 30 and 60 in other time base configurations) with data rates from 50 Mbps (in HD) up to 400 Mbps (in UHD).

Even in HD there are interlaced formats so as to maintain compatibility with large numbers of broadcasting equipment currently in use. This feature, which certain ranges of cameras have been gradually missing, will be decisive in certain environments and a critical factor in some installations.

The files are recorded in MOV containers for AVC and HEVC, AVCHD and P2 MXF, on SDXC media or on microP2 cards. Featuring two slots that allow parallel recording in different formats or relay recording, microP2 is required for the most demanding formats, thanks to its higher sustained data rate. Let’s keep in mind that, at maximum quality and data rates, 13 minutes of video can take up around 1 Gb of space.

We have two USB ports -one of them Type A 2.0- on the upper left side to connect a Wi-Fi adapter or a mobile phone for tethering, and a Type C 3.2 to connect a computer and use it to dump content directly. The latter USB port is also used for service functions, according to the manual.

Not being oblivious to the concept of a traditional camera, and back again to the ease of integration into a multi-camera environment, one of the possibilities that we found especially interesting and which makes that “something else” we have mentioned on a couple of occasions, is using the Ethernet connectivity to connect an ROP (Remote Operation Panel).

Specifically, we had the opportunity to test the camera with the AK-HRP1000. The great benefit it brings is having complete control of studio color, which together with its image quality in capture and detailed settings in 16 axes will allow us to match cameras as if it were a conventional studio camera.

It is true that manufacturers normally use their configuration so that cameras show a very well-balanced response directly in factory settings. But when you have to match cameras from very different types or manufacturers, being able to rely on these aids is almost essential.

In addition to doing it in such an efficient and smooth way that a dedicated panel allows on a set of values through a menu, the remote panel itself allows you to connect an SD card to save/restore and replicate configurations between different cameras.

In the case of the specific model of this ROP, we have the ease of being able to power it via PoE+, that is, the same Ethernet cable is capable of supplying power (on the condition that the switch provides it, naturally).

Approaching now the end of this article, we would like to mention a feature that we have not had the opportunity to try because we heard about it when we had already returned the unit that Panasonic kindly let us use at a time of high demand.

This is the automatic functionality that the camera seems to have to label the content as “vertical” if it is shot with the camera in that position, so that certain editing platforms (such as DaVinci Resolve) will be able to recognize the rotation and treat the material as 9:16 vertical (instead of 16:9 horizontal) without the need for any further treatment to generate content in that particular orientation.

In summary, this is a revamped version of a model with proven reliability and results, which adds significant improvements in connectivity for IP and streaming productions, including an NDI HX2 license and SRT protocol, genlock and time code, with 20x optics featuring 5-axis stabilization and autofocus with facial tracking, 4 audio channels, support for V-Log and HLG curves for HDR content creation in 10-bit UHD formats and simultaneous outputs in 12G SDI and HDMI, and allows remote control through IP/LAN.

By the way, V-Log curves come from the VariCam family and its renowned logarithmic color gamut, making it possible to share the same LUTs as in Panasonic’s cinema orientation cameras.

In short, a camera that is extremely versatile and one that feels just as good either an independent pìece of equipment for ENG, or integrated into a live production or multi-camera events, or even when doing remote production through IP or generating a streaming to cover a live cast from a remote location. Once again, we must stress the point: versatility is the best definition we have found for this camera.

One of the possibilities that we found especially interesting is to use Ethernet connectivity to connect a ROP (Remote Operation Panel)

Should I change my CX350 for the new AG-CX370?

And finally closing this time, the question that surely haunts many heads: should I change my CX350 for the new AG-CX370? Well, we have unequivocal arguments for both possibilities, and this is ‘only’ determined by our workflow and the needs of our customers. Just to frame the issue, let’s think about connectivity for multi-camera productions, streaming possibilities, multi-channel audio, and contributions to remote productions.

If our activity is that of an operator who works alone recording content for subsequent editing, such as corporate, documentaries, feature reports or independent productions, and (still…) we do not need any of the above now or in the near future, our old 350 will continue to be a good source of satisfaction, as we can further keep increasing the return for the investment for a little longer.

But if we are about to be, or we are already directly involved in any of these aspects and everything related to the IP world, it is undoubtedly now the time to take the leap, knowing that we will retain all the excellent qualities of image, operation and ergonomics, and gain in connectivity and versatility to face that future that is already with us.

We finish this article with thanks to Panasonic Spain and its technical and human team for the facilities for the undertaking of this laboratory test and leave you with a thought to reflect on: who can afford today to be outside the IP world…?

In short, it is a renewal of a model with proven reliability and results, which adds significant improvements in connectivity for IP and streaming productions