Panasonic AG-UX90NTSC AG UX90 Tech Brief

The Panasonic AG-UX90: A Low Cost Camera For Professional Applications

The Panasonic AG-UX90 represents the lowest-cost Ultra High Definition camcorder currently in

Panasonic's 2016 lineup of professional camcorders, as of December 2016.

Replacing its predecessor

(the high-definition-only AG-AC90), the UX90 provides substantial upgrades in imaging capability,

camcorder flexibility, and professional usability, and debuts at a price point that's even lower than HD-

only predecessor was introduced at.

In this paper I will examine some of the technological advancements in the AG-UX90 that make it such

a considerable advancement over prior low-cost cameras, especially as it pertains to the camera

operator's perspective.

Ultra HD Recording

The AG-UX90 is an Ultra High Definition camcorder, capable of

recording video in a frame size 3840 x 2160 pixels (known as UHD or

4K).

It supports the standardized television implementation of UHD/4K

at 23.98 or 29.97 progressive-scan frames per second.

This frame size is

literally four times as large (or provides up to four times as many pixels)

as a typical Full HD frame. The consumer television industry and

streaming program providers such as Netflix and YouTube currently support 4K.

The AG-UX90 uses a large 1”-type sensor and a native 3,840 x 2,160 pixel patch on that sensor to

produce full-resolution, high-quality UHD images.

The AG-UX90 is also a fully-capable HD

camcorder, supporting 1920 x 1080 Full HD at 23.98, 29.97, or 59.94 progressive-scan frames per

second, in addition to the television standard of 59.94 interlaced fields per second (1080i).

The leap in image quality for UHD versus FHD is difficult to overstate: the clarity, crispness, and detail

are all massive improvements over HD-only camcorders.

Large Sensor

The AG-UX90 uses a 1” type sensor, which is a comparatively huge sensor for a conventional video

camera.

This is the first time Panasonic has used such a large sensor in such a low-cost professional

camcorder.

Historically, lower-cost cameras have utilized smaller sensors (typically 1/3” or 1/4”), and

the large sensors have been utilized only in the more expensive models

(typically using 2/3” type sensors).

The AG-UX90's predecessor used

1/4.7” sensors, which are even smaller than 1/4” sensors; in comparison,

the AG-UX90's sensor is relatively gigantic – it's almost 16 times larger

than a 1/4.7” sensor!

It is approximately twice as large as the 2/3”

sensors used in common full-size broadcast camcorders.

Large sensors offer several benefits over smaller sensors; chief among these benefits are increased

sensitivity, increased dynamic range, and shallower depth of field.

In practical terms you'll generally

see low light sensitivity has increased by 1.5x to 2x over the comparably-priced prior model

(depending on the zoom setting and the maximum iris at that setting).

Another benefit of a large sensor is that it may afford more creative control to the user, in terms of the

ability to isolate a subject and focus the user's eye through the use of selective focus.

Put simply, when

all other things are equal, the larger sensor will deliver images that have a shallower depth of field than