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Panasonic HDX900 or HPC2000
G’day all, looking for info on these two cameras and need to know if they are essentially the same heads, but capturing to different media. And other than the format what other benefits does one offer over the other.
Cheers Ian
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18 Replies
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To add to the questions, can anyone verify if the HDX900 supports true 1080/24p (a la CineAlta) as opposed to 1080i captured at 23.98p?
I have a client who needs the above delivery requirements (1080/24p) but I’d rather buy and shoot with the HDX-900 then rent an F-900 if I could make it work seemlessly in post. For instance, as an alternative, could I convert a 1080/23.98p or pA to a 1080p/24 10-bit timeline in FCP or in combination with Kona 3 for output to D5? Again, the delivery requirements are 1080p/24. So I suppose I’m talking about a slightly different frame rate, as well as interlace versus progressive.
From the specs: “supports 1080 59.94i/50i/29.97p/25p/23.98p/23.98pA and 720 59.94p/50p/29.97p/25p/23.98p.”
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Sorry, should have been more precise: my client nomrally needs HDCam at 1080psf 23.98. Can I do the same thing with the HDX-900, of course onto DVCPRO HD tape instead of HDCam?
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[William Hooke] “To add to the questions, can anyone verify if the HDX900 supports true 1080/24p (a la CineAlta) as opposed to 1080i captured at 23.98p? I have a client who needs the above delivery requirements (1080/24p)”
the HDX900 records that same image structure that is standard for the 1080 format, which the onboard tape systems records as an industry standard 1080 24psf. ( note this is not 1080p24)
24p in video is considered to 23.98 so that audio and video are in sync for conversions. Only a very few people actually shoot video at 24.0 fps and only when matching film or being used solely for a filmout.
It is my understanding that HDCAM /Cinealta only records a true progressive 24.0 image(that being 1080p24) to an external SRW or D-5 deck and not to internal tape.
The format for the 1080 format for onboard recording is most often recorded 23.98 and is is called a progressive segmented frame (or PSF) that is captured as a progressive image but played back at 48i on all but the highest end displays and optical printers. This is to maintain legacy with the existing interlaced formats currently being used in the US.gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL
gary@studio37.com -
Thanks, Gary for clearing all this up. I think the HDX-900 will work for me when it comes out in July (hopefully!). Trying to avoid buying a CineAlta.
Best,
Will -
With the HDX900 only weeks away from offical release there seems to be very little info.
What benefits does HDX900 have over the HPC2000 or vice versa. Will the HDX900 be PAL compatible I notice on Pana’s web site its states NTSC only.
Cheers Ian
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Hello Ian;
The HDX900 is a High Def camera that is multiple-format capable. It records using the DVCPRO HD EX tape format and can be menu switched between 720p 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60fps. In 1080i it
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Gary,
Just to clarify . . . the SONY F900/3 camera ‘IS’ capable of recording in true 24PsF straight to on-board tape. This is our normal process on the USA NETWORK series ‘The 4400’. The reason for shooting 24PsF as opposed to 23.98 is to avoid potential issues with HMI’s and magnetic ballasts. In the end it is less expensive to rent magnetic ballasts than flicker free square wave ballasts which you need to shoot 23.98.
Hope this helps . . .
Chris M. Oben
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Chris,
I doubt very much that you shoot at 24 as oppossed to 23.98! The audio post would be a nightmare and especially so as “your” show is for television, not film out exclusively and is ultimately delivered at a 59.98 frame rate.
As regards the HMI issue, I believe that the 23.98 frame rate is within the “window” for magnetic ballasts and they will not flicker at this rate.
JS
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JS
We are going a little of topic for this forum here but I will take a momet to reiterate what I stated earlier . . . in fact, the audio post is identical to any television show shot at 24fps film. During transfer to an HDCam submaster the 24Psf video is slowed by 1% to 23.976 as is the audio DAT (to 29.97 from 30). There is no nightmare. The reason we switched from 23.98 to 24PsF was because of the HMI magnetic ballast issue described above.
I only posted the comment to clarify that the F900 does indeed record 24PsF directly to tape on-board not exclusively to D-5 or SRW as suggested by Gary . . . I am quite sure you can confirm this yourself by checking the F900/3 Maintenace Menu page 7.
Chris M. Oben
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. . . the 24Psf video is slowed by .1% to 23.976 . . .
Chris M. Oben
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