Scene files





About Scene Files for the AG-HPX170

The AG-HVX200A, AG-HPX170 and the AG-HPX500 are cameras that have a similar menu structure that is unique among the Panasonic line of cameras because each of these cameras has a scene file dial allowing the operator to choose one of six scene files, also referred to as "looks." In reality, the look is only a portion of the total scene file. A look changes the way the camera sees tones and color, but a scene file can change everything about the way a camera performs.

Each of these scene files contains only one look, rather than six different looks that customarily change with each turn of the scene file dial.

To change a look, you must change the scene file's parameters for tone and color. Panasonic has done that for you by creating many different scene files for each of these cameras.

There are 18 SCENE files for the HPX170. Each one contains a "look" with six variations of the shutter speed that change with the rotation of the scene file dial on the rear of the camera (F1-F6). When taken together with the factory defaults, these increase the number of available looks to 24.

Many of the files have color spaces that are not "legal" by NTSC standards. This is because the colors are oversaturated. Because HD has no such "legal" limits, these colors are able to be captured by the camera but will be clipped in an NTSC transmission. However, they are useful when used in HD display or in a filmout. Nevertheless, it must be understood that oversaturation produces a diminished sense of form in the oversaturated colors that tend to emphasize a graphic or 2D effect on the image consistent with the flattening of the three-dimensional form. These effects are further enhanced or diminished by lighting choices on the set.

One of the new features in the 170 is the menu option to assign frame rate incrementation to a user button on the exterior of the camera. For this reason, files like those for the HVX200A and HPX500 cameras that facilitate simple frame rate manipulation have not been included for the HPX170.

Installing Scene Files

To change the scene files in your camera please follow these steps.
  1. Insert an SD card into the SD slot in your camera. Press MENU. Navigate to Card functions and format the card.
  2. Now, you must save the current scene files that are in the camera to the SD card in order to create a folder that will be used to receive the new scene files. CARD FUNCTIONS>SCENE FILE>YES>FILE SELECT>WRITE
  3. Remove the SD card and insert it in your computer using a card reader (or the SD slot in your PC).
  4. Click on and open the SD card's icon to see its contents. You will see a folder named PRIVATE. Navigate down through the layers of folders until you get to the last folder, P2SD, and you will see that its contents contain one or more files labeled SCENE1.TXT, SCENE2.TXT and so on, but be aware that no more than four will function on a card.
  5. Drag these files to the trash.
  6. Using up to four of the files supplied by Panasonic, replace their names with the same names as the files that went to the trash. All files at this level must be named accordingly or they will not be seen and read by the camera. No names can be duplicated. That is there can only be one SCENE1.TXT etc.
  7. Now, drag these files to the folder that formerly held the other .TXT files and eject the card from the computer
  8. Insert the SD card in the camera.
  9. Press MENU and navigate to 8. CARD FUNCTIONS>SCENE FILE.
  10. 10. The four names of the scene files will appear in a list. You must choose one of these to load into your camera. Once you do that, you may choose from the six files by rotating the scene fie dial on your camera. They are:
  11. DEFAULT
    24 fps
    12 fps
    18 fps
    48 fps
    60 fps
  12. Because the 170 has the ability to increment frame rates externally by assigning that function to one of the three user buttons, the six 170 'looks' contained in each of the 18 scene files are identical.