Panasonic AF100 Hands-On with Sample Footage

The Camera Store's Chris Niccolls checks out the fantastic new Panasonic AF100, The Camera Store TV's new camera of choice. We'll also show you our first footage shot with the camera, a sexy new TCS Commercial!
Thanks to Chad Tweten for helping shoot the ad, and all the TCS staff able to come give us a hand.
Shot by Jordan Drake and Chad Tweten
Edited by Jordan Drake

[@zatoichiable]

I love the intro shots, as if they just came out from a refrigerator..

[@ProcessedDigitally]

amazing piece of history here... this video :D

[@raksh9]

June 2020 and this pops up in my recommended feed, after years of using the GH3, GH4, GX85, and G9. I wonder if Panasonic will make a hugely updated version of the AF100 with the guts of a GH5S.

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@aluxious As mentioned at the end, the entire video was shot with a 2nd AF100. This is going to be our new camera of choice for TCSTV videos. Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@AyshaRemeithiStudio]

Jordan, great review! This is like the 3rd times I watched this video and it just makes me want to check it out, I am in the market for video camera to shoot behind the scene of my photoshoot more professionally, this looks just perfect! :)

[@ProcessedDigitally]

Watching this video in 2020 feels like a history class!

[@gcprost]

I still use an AF100, it is a video work horse. If you don't need 4K and you have decently lit subjects this is still a great camera and you can pick them up cheap. I wish they would upgrade the AF100 to make it 4K and include VLog, I would but two in an heart beat. Gerry in Calgary.

[@ItsKapow]

started working with this cam, love it

[@Verdoux007]

The design of that camera reminds me of those old 16 & 35 mm film cameras.

[@jbaldsing]

Thank you so much Jordan!

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

The Panasonic GH3. Awesome little camera.

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Looking at one used in Jan. 2019....good review.

[@pja7]

I think some of your videos, including this, the Pentax 645D and the Canon XA10 reviews are easily amongst the best camera reviews on KZbin. You should do more of them!

[@VINTONGFX]

fastest I have learned about videography. great work!

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@IngenuityFilms We just starting selling this set-up as a kit. Panasonic AF100 + a GH2 with the 14-140 lens. Great little starter kit. Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@GarethHart]

Great video!

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@eisstudentsasawat Sorry, the 5D Mk II was the first usable camera for professional video production as it allowed setting exposure. We tend to forget about the D90s, because no one used that feature professionally. Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

It was a mistake, we were misinformed at the camera's launch. I have added an annotation to correct the misinformation. Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@Hector95100 Ideally, 1/120th of a second is the ideal shutter speed. To figure out the most natural shutter speed for any frame rate, just double your frames per second. For 24P, use 1/48 of a sec, for 30P use 1/60th, and for 60P, use 1/120th. Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[@alkevinzmedia]

Haha love The Camera store videos :D I also love that ending when you left the Canon Behind lol let me have it,so I can sell it and get a Panasonic HMC 150 :D

[@Rezaroth]

amazing vid...could you guys review the Panasonic AG-AC 160 please? thank you for the effort

[@shane8109]

So it's like a more set up for video gh2? Kind of like the canon c300?

[@Gulliveck]

By the way, I do have Fader ND. It is a great product, but it drops resolution noticeably. When used on something like the Panasonic TM700, which resolves up to 1000 lines, FaderND softens the image quite a lot. On another hand, this will probably will not be noticeable on the 5D or 7D because these cameras do not have a lot of resolution in video mode anyway, about 550 lines or so. So, 5D + Fader ND may seem as a good combination. Also, Fader ND has outer ring for a round hood.

[@jaroncreed]

OMG the camera at 0:21 I had when in was 8 years old in 1991. It took a regular cassette tape!

[@johnnyyutw]

NICE!~

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@fdesouchecom Most lenses require a manual zoom, however Panasonic has a new series of 'X' lenses with servo zooms. Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@TheWarRoomInc I agree. No better A & B Cam setup out there for that price. Now if only you could share profiles between those two. Alas... Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@danieldougan269]

The footage looks just a little soft to me. Also, this was a 1080p camera, so why is the video only in 720p?

[@VFORVENDETTA322]

I would love for you guys to upload videos in 1080p from the 1080p recorded videos so we can see how good they look in 1080p on KZbin even after the KZbin re-encoding.

[@jbaldsing]

Classic Intro!! Could you please tell me if it would be possible to attach a Canon 16X L ISII lens to this camera and whether you think it would be worth it? It's just that I've come across a second hand XL1 for $720. Cheers, I appreciate your time and really useful video. Thank you.

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@jbaldsing The Canon XL cameras have a much smaller sensor than the Af100, so any Canon lens mounted to it would have extreme vignetting. Also, they are electronically controlled, so there would be no focus or exposure control on the AF100. I would stick to still lenses. As far as the XL1, $720 is pretty high. I wouldn't pay more than $500 for that camera right now. Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@ingenuityfilms7107]

@TheWarRoomInc Our production company uses that exact combination; an AF-100 with a GH2 and it's fantastic! Of course after rigging them up matteboxes, lenses etc... the entire A-cam and B-cam combo ran around $20k

[@DCassidy42]

Seems like a nice system, but you can't escape the beauty of a full frame sensor. I'm keeping my 5d until they release something at least 2 times as good in the sub $3000 price range, which may or may not happen any time soon.

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@bob75uk We know, we said it is similar. To my eyes the DOF is closer to Super35 on the AF100 than the 5D Mk II. Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@photographerjonathan]

Can you combine the AF100 footage with the 5D3 footage in Post ?

[@Dale_Campbell]

I suppose that with the GH2 this makes a great ecosystem lens wise. GH2 for discreet/b-cam and this for everything else, and the GH2 has just been hacked to give higher frame rates etc.

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

We're just Calgary based, but we do ship to Vancouver!

[@emeraldviolet2001]

that intro was hilarious

[@BehzadModern]

Hi chris is there a camera store Branch in Vancouver?

[@thesdafilmguy]

Ive got to get this camera!!!!!!! :D

[@BluntyTV]

Stunningly good performance... but not exactly ergonomic... or even well designed to be "slip in a bag" portable for true "run-n-gun" stuff. Clearly works brilliantly in the field, Beautiful results... but only IF you've got time to set up the shot and basic equipment like tripods. I'd still reach for something smaller, more convenient for shooting events and TRUE run-n-gun stuff, like the NEX VG10 - or even the little HDR-CX700 which is what I've been using recently for field/travel work

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@pHaTdProductions Still won't address the major benefits of the AF100. Magic Lantern doesn't add XLR inputs, ND Filters, SDI Out, and simultaneous HDMI/LCD monitoring. It also doesn't fix moire and artifacting, or reduce rolling shutter. It's a great add on, but Magic Lantern in no way makes the 5D more competitive in these problem areas. Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@JeffreyWuFilm]

It would be helpful , if you mentioned pricing in these reviews

[@danieldougan8613]

I'm still waiting for built-in ND filters on a mirrorless camera. So handy!

[@kingoftyre357]

Can i get continuous auto focus with the AF-100?

[@VirtuosityToniLekic]

does the camera has 3.5 mic input?

[@pHaTdProductions]

do a video with af100 vs 5d w/ magic lantern... that should be more interesting ;D

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

@RyanSomelofske AF100 wins on every front except sensor size. Better image quality, audio control, handling, noise, dynamic range, AF, and variable frame rates. I guess the Sony is smaller... Jordan @ The Camera Store

[@bob75uk]

@TheCameraStoreTV , It is a nice review and I appreciate it. but that info is not correct, you said "it is very similar in size then the super 35mm" but it is not! micro 4/3 is much smaller then a super 35mm.

[@SasawatChanate]

4:49 "...because it allow us to use SLR lenses for basically the first time ever..." Guess not because the Nikon D90 is the world's first DSLR capable of shooting videos.

[@bob75uk]

the sensor size is not big as a super 35mm film, the panasonic sensor as 17.8x10.0mm vs a super 35mm is 25.0x18.5 mm about.

[@ramonreyesfilms393]

Are you still using the Panasonic ag-Af100 Today?

[@TheCameraStoreTV]

ramon reyes We use the Panasonic GH5 & GH5S to shoot our show now. Jordan @ TCSTV

[@IWTBFOY]

can I have the 5d if you don't need it anymore?

[@SasawatChanate]

@TheCameraStoreTV Oh that's better! LOL! Btw I like your videos!

[@Gulliveck]

It is a shame that Panasonic does not offer anything better than AVCHD on this cam. They could offer AVC-Intra 50, which would work with Class 10 cards. I hope Canon will make a large-chip camera recording with 50 Mbit/s XF Codec. Also, I see CF cards as a benefit, not drawback. They are not as small as SDHC to be misplaced, and they are standard in the world of photogs. But thanks to Panasonic for not shoving P2 down customers' throats.

[@Frakenvader]

I'll take the 5D Mark II if you don't want it. :)

[@Frontigenics]

This was a well done review... but the AF-100 image still SCREAMS video. It just doesn't look that cinematic at all.

[@Stere0guy]

The beginning looks like an ad for a new gay bar. :)

[@1337tipton]

thank god you guys are not editors

[@BOTx5]

10:23 Really?! GIVE IT TO MEEEE :S... Can I have it... pleeeeease... :D

[@Squeeler1]

lmfao. pointing the sensor at the sun. good job! nice way to ruin a new camera.