Panasonic HC-X1000 (the best of cameras)

 
The Panasonic HC-X1000 is Panasonic’s first 4K offering in the prosumer camcorder market. With built-in ND filters, a 20x optical zoom and a host of very impressive 4K frame rates and codecs, the HX-1000 is well priced at £2,559, more than £1,000 less than the Sony AX1.
With a 4K 8-MP 1/2.3-inch BSI sensor, this camcorder is a from a time before the 5D Mk II made depth of field the norm, but with 50p and 60p at UHD (3,840 x 2,160) does Panasonic have something else to offer a more traditional end of the market?

Panasonic HC-X1000: Specs and Features

The first question you have to ask is who is this for? There is no doubt that 60fps at UHD is a headline grabbing statistic that many videographers would drool over. With, MP4, AVCHD and MOV codecs this camera certainly is versatile, but it also has some clear limitations that you need to understand before deciding whether to buy it.
Due no doubt to the somewhat small sensor, we found the HC-X1000 is hard pushed to get past nine stops of dynamic range and despite the MP4 codec taking up to 200Mbps, the image has little to no room for manipulation in post production.
This confirms to us that the HC-X1000 was never intended to be used by indie filmmakers, a fact Panasonic made clear in pitching the camera to us. It feels the HC-X1000 is best suited to commercial contexts, such as shooting weddings and events. So the real question is whether you should switch to 4K for this kind of work and whether this is the camera for the job.