Shoot Tools — Panasonic

Flexibility during production is key. Panasonic addressesthat need with the AJ-SDC905 — its first dual-modeDVCPRO50 camcorder. Users can switch between 4:2:2 sampled DVCPRO50 or4:1:1 sampled DVCPRO recording, as well as native 16:9 widescreen or4:3 aspect ratios. To make sure the video/audio transfer remainslossless, the camcorder includes FireWire I/O. The specs are good for acamera at this price point: three 2/3in., 520,000-pixel IT CCDs delivergood SD images at a high sensitivity of F13 at 2000 lux, whilelow-light shooting ranges down to 0.09 lux. Other features include12-bit A/D DSP circuits, Super Gain (to 48dB), 12-axis matrix colorcorrection, and pre-recording and interval functions.

Price: $18,900 (available in November)
Secaucus, N.J.; (800) 528-8601
www.panasonic.com/broadcast