Video production cameras tend to fit neatly into one category: Studio-style cameras, box cameras, or PTZ remote-controlled options. But Panasonic wants to merge all three into a single multi-purpose camera that it is dubbing the Panasonic AK-UBX100.
Panasonic calls the AK-UBX100 “the future of video production” in the development announcement shared on September 2.
The Panasonic AK-UBX100 is a box-style 4K multipurpose camera with a 2/3" bayonet lens mount that can be used as a traditional box camera, but can also be used as a studio camera or, with compatibility with camera robotics, as a remotely-controlled PTZ camera.
Panasonic says the camera is a response to the increasing demand for creators to supply multiple types of content simultaneously, from live content to studio recordings. Along with the multi-use design, Panasonic says the camera will have a world-first autofocus feature that “enables fast and stable target acquisition regardless of the type of lens used or the operator’s skill level.”
The Panasonic AK-UBX100 is a 4K camera that shares the same core and interface design as the Panasonic AK-UCX100 4K. Panasonic did that on purpose in order to eliminate the need to color match between the two cameras, as well as allowing the cameras to use the same remote operation panel.
While footage quality should be similar, the UBX100 has a flat design on all four sides, unlike the previous model, which allows the upcoming camera to be modified with different lenses, camera heads, as well as mounting for robotic shooting.
But, Panasonic is also teasing a “world’s first AF function” that will arrive for both the new UBX100 and previous UCX100 via firmware. Panasonic says the autofocus feature is designed to quickly lock on to the subject regardless of the operator’s skill level or the lens used.
Panasonic describes the new autofocus feature this way: “This AF function allows incremental adjustment of the position, size, and speed of the target area, and even for experienced operators, the instantaneous AF support provided by the one-push AF function allows for a smooth transition to final manual adjustments, contributing to the realization of a focus on the angle of view.”
Panasonic says the AK-UBX100 will be released in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the autofocus firmware update for the AK-UCX100 slated for a December release and the autofocus firmware for the new camera slated for the second quarter of 2026.
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