Panasonic HC-WX970, HC-VX870 4K UHD Camcorders Launched in India

This year, manufacturers seem to be scramming to add 4K video recording capabilities to their new camcorders. Announced at CES in January for the first time, Panasonic India on Tuesday launched two camcorders with 4K Ultra HD video recording capability - HC-WX970 and HC-VX870. The cameras are available at Rs. 84,990 and Rs. 74,990 respectively.

The HC-WX970 and the HC-VX870 are carbon copies of each other except for one hardware addition on the flagship HC-WX970 variant; it has an integrated camera attached to the flip screen which can be used to capture picture-in-picture videos/images using Twin Camera modes. That said, the feature is also available on the HC-VX870 using a smartphone that can be connected using the built-in Wi-Fi. Other video recording modes includes slow motion 1080p video capture at 120fps and 240fps (interpolated).

Both the cameras use a 1/2.3-inch back-illuminated (BSI) MOS Sensor and a Leica 20x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 30.8-626mm (35mm equivalent). The camera uses a Crystal Engine 4K processor and a hybrid 5-axis OIS system. The microphone can capture 5.1-channel surround sound. Also, both the cameras weigh approximately 360 grams. They also have a 3-inch wide LCD monitor with a resolution of 460,800 dots. There is a 3.6V battery inside.

Interestingly, the Panasonic camcorders include High Dynamic Range (HDR) Movie functionality, which is apparently a first in the world of FHD consumer camcorders. We are really intrigued by the Twin Camera functionality of the camcorders.