As mentioned in the post about Panasonic’s new AVCCAM model, the HMC40, Panasonic announced a lot of its new gear a couple months ago in advance of the NAB show. That includes the around-$10K, shoulder-mounted P2 HD / AVC Intra-shooting HPX300, which Barry Braverman reviewed for the current issue of millimeter.

Then there’s a pair of products, available later this year, that seem to be made for each other. The AG-HMR10 AVCCAM recorder (battery-powered, 3.5in. LCD screen, HD-SDI I/O, $2,650) connects to the AG-HCK10 camera head (newly developed 1/4in. 2Mpixel 3MOS imagers, 12X zoom, $2,100) via a cable up to 10 meters long. The HMR10 recorder controls the camera head’s iris, focus, and zoom and records 1080i/720p HD to SD cards, like one of Panasonic’s more traditional AVCCAM cameras. (The setup recalls Sony’s new HXR-MC1, reviewed by D.W. Leitner in February.) The HMR10’s HD-SDI input means it can hook up to any tape-based camera or deck — or a switcher — with such an output, offering existing gear an instant leap into the world of tapeless recording.

Panasonic also announced more “thematic” or “directional” news: The company’s planning an all-out effort to enter the stereoscopic 3D market, and is previewing its future plans in a theater (#C3327) next to its main booth. That includes a dual-lens stereoscopic camera to support capture; AVC-based 3D recording via P2 HD cards; 3D plasmas for monitoring and for home viewing; 3D Blu-ray compression and authoring; and 3D Blu-ray discs and players. If you can see it in the top left of the PowerPoint slide at right, that’s a dual-lens stereoscopic camera. Will Panasonic be first to market with a camera with dual lenses integrated into the body?