Nearly identical in size and shape, the specs are quite different between the Panasonic AW-HE130 (left) and the AW-UE150 (right). Are they enough to justify a difference in price of over $3,000? Let's take a closer look.
PTZ's have become commonplace in the house of worship market. Not surprising when you consider they are small, affordable, and once programmed, can be operated by even the least tech-savvy volunteer. Panasonic has two recently released PTZ cameras that are worth looking at side by side.
Based on available information, the main difference appears to be the resolution with the AW-UE150 being a 4K camera and the AW-HE130 being HD. As a result, there will be some inherent differences, so this will be more of an apples to oranges rather than apples to apples comparison.
Is it possible to get a 4K wide shot on the 12G SDI and a tighter version of the same shot using the 3G SDI or HDMI? If so, the value of UE150 literally doubles because you can get two cameras for the price of one.
I/O
Right off the bat, there are a few differences between these cameras in terms of I/O. Since the UE150 is a 4K camera, the outputs are going to be very different from the HE130. They both feature HDMI, SDI, and a monitor out. However, to meet the 4K requirements, the UE150 also has an IP, optical fiber, and 12G SDI outputs. The UE150 also does simultaneous 4K and HD output, which just begs the question, "can it be used as two cameras?" Is the UE150 outputting the same image at different resolutions using some type of downscaling, or is the HD image indeed a smaller portion of a larger 4K image? Would it be possible to get a 4K wide shot on the 12G SDI and a tighter version of the same shot using the 3G SDI or HDMI? If so, the value of UE150 literally doubles because you can get two cameras for the price of one.
Lens
Another distinctive difference between the UE-150 and the HE-130 is the lens. Both feature a 20x motorized zoom. However, the UE150 is listed as "optical zoom," where the HE130 just says 20x motorized zoom. So it's possible the HE130 might be using some form of optical/digital combination to achieve the 20x zoom factor. However, we do know that it's not uncommon in PTZ cameras; the difference being optical is what the actual glass can make by being adjusted, digital typically means cropping in on the image sensor. As a result, optical zoom is generally preferred, because once you start cropping, your zoom is coming at the cost of resolution. According to the spec sheet, the UE150 also has a 10x digital zoom. However, there is nothing on the spec sheet to indicate if that 10x stacks on the 20x optical zoom. Neither camera has a fixed aperture, so I assume these ranges are apertures through the zoom range, the UE150 is F2.8 to F4.5 while the HE130 is faster at F1.6 to F3.4. Hopefully we'll get a chance to try them out in person in the coming months.
Sensor
In the sensor department, the HE130 utilizes a 1/2.86-type Full-HD 3MOS. While the UE150 1-type 4K MOS but doesn't denote the actual size of the sensor, it seems like the HE130 is using 3 sensors while the UE150 only has a single sensor. Typically more sensors lead to better color rendering because each is handling a different color, as opposed to one sensor trying to manage the entire image. That said, sensor technology has improved to the point that number and size take a back seat to the quality of the sensor. Both cameras produce the full spectrum of frame rates 60p/30p/24p, so no integration restrictions there.
AWSF 100/ AWSF200
Both cameras are also compatible with Panasonic's new auto-tracking software. There are two versions of the software, one for use with a single camera (AWSF 100) and one for use with multiple cameras (AWSF200). The software uses body and facial recognition to track the subject. I have not seen this software in use, but the idea is fantastic. Many PTZ's are simply too jerky to be moved around too much live, but if you could use either of these cameras unmanned, that is a game-changer. For the time being, Panasonic has the tracking software available for a 90-day trial. If you already have a Panasonic PTZ check the website and see if yours is compatible and give it a try.
Panasonic has been high on my list of preferred PTZ's for a while. They seem to have the smoothest control of all the PTZ's I have used, which is a tiny sample. In my experience, they seemed to have the best ability to be freehand controlled and not look like a robotic camera. Based on the spec sheet, it seems like both the cameras can use the same range of PTZ controllers so I would assume it will be similar to what I have come to expect from Panasonic. So the real question is, what do you get for the $3,000 extra price tag between the UE150 and the HE130? Quite a bit; 4k, optical output, 12G SDI output, the widest in its class viewing angle at 75.1° horizontal. The UE150 also has V-log support, and if it will support two different images coming out of the 4K and HD outputs, then the UE 150 is a steal at $11,400. However, if you don't need 4K and the extra bells and whistles, you certainly can't go wrong with the HE130 at $7,295.
