Dark Compression resets to Normal with power cycle!

[Peter Steinman]

If you ever hear back I will be surprised. This seems to be an issue nobody at Panasonic will discuss. Probably because it would require lots of free updates they don’t want to do. If you add features you can charge but, repairing a broken feature people already payed for makes it harder.

[John Sharaf]

Leakin’,

I generally tend to agree with your cynicism about Panasonic’s responsiveness, except when I deal with Mr. Steven Mahrer there, who always answers his phone, returns his messages, replies to his email, lurks on the Cow and actually knows sometrhing about the products and the user’s actual needs!

I agree however that we probably won’t get the fix we’re looking for, especially for free!

JS

[Gary Adcock]

[leaknoil] “. If you add features you can charge but, repairing a broken feature people already payed for makes it harder.”

funny that sounds like fcp doesn’t it?

Gary Adcock
Studio37
HD and Film Consultation
Chicago, IL USA

[Peter Steinman]

That’s one of the things that makes me think this issue is not going to be addressed. The people from Panasonic that post here from time to time have ignored every post that has mentioned the dark compression setting issue. There have been a few too.

Emails to them about this seem to never get any response. Personally I think Panasonic is doing everything in its power to just avoid this and hope it goes away till the Varicam 2 comes out at which point they will say, “Sorry, Varicam 1 firmware is no longer being updated”.

I’m pretty much ready to say at this point that it will never be fixed, we will never see another firmware update for the F model, and F model owners have been EOL’d already and don’t even know it.

Again, big fan of the camera just not of the support model.

[Steve Mahrer]

John et al:

We added the Dark Compression bit attribution mode some time back to reduce compression artifacts in “dark scenic content”, typicaly below 10IRE. At that time the function would reset to OFF when the power was cycled… this was intentional as to avoid “surprises….”

I’m relieved to be able to advise our VariCam users that the most recent SW update for the 27F cameras has improved that feature, Dark Compression will now stay On or OFF (user choice) after power cycling. This feature is in the most recent SW, (SYSCON revision) V1.66

So check your cameras, if it’s earlier it can be upgraded to V1.66.

Cheers,

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)

[John Sharaf]

Steve,

That’s great news, but how were going to find out about the new upgrades? Is there a website with service bulletins we can frequent? Did the notice get lost in the mail to me? Did I fail to see the posting at the factory reapir shop when I was there a few weeks ago?

And BTW, will it cist $260 to get the upgrade, so the feature that;s supposed to work will work?

Enquiring minds want to know.

JS

[Steve Mahrer]

Hi “Enquiring Minds…..”

John, the new SW is a few days old, literally just arrived on our Service server. Our Panasonic policy for SW upgrades is basically the following:

If your camera is under warrenty, it’s a freebie, call to ask the local service center for an upgrade.
If the camera comes into the service shop for some work, it will get the latest SW as a matter of course.
If a user would like the latest SW and the camera is out of warrenty, there is a nominal charge of the equivalent of a few hours labour. Loading the SW into the cameras requires some time, some equipment, and ascertaining that the camera is working correctly before the upgrade… that takes a while.

Similarly, responding to users requests for new features, or “simple” changes requires long hours of software investigation, the writing of new code, then the arduous process of the all important software QC…. Imagine testing for dumb stuff like switching to Film Rec, holding the Eject Button and C/BARs at the same time as you power up the camera, just to ensure that nothing “silly” happens, then multiply that by the huge matrix of camera operational features. That process takes many, many weeks.

Panasonic does listen, we value your input and comments on workflow and operation of the camera. We have added numerous features based upon user requests, User Settable frame rates, Dark Compression, CineGama, VFR, etc etc… Some things are possible, somethings are ‘reltivly’ easy, most are hard, all changes however take time to implememnt and all require testing.

VariCam will continue to grow and evolve, but rest assured it will be around for many years to come, as will our support for the cameras and you, our users.

Shoot good stuff!

Steve Mahrer (Panasonic Broadcast)
mahrers@us.panasonic.com (comments and suggestions always welcome)

[John Sharaf]

Steve,

Thanks for all that good intel!

Am I to conclude then that based on my discovery of the working dark compression feature (that it stays on through power cycle) that the new SW ends with the suffix “B” rather than “C”? Please state the version name of this newest revised software, and could you elucidate to us what else is in it other than the dark compress “fix”.

JS

[Ray Palmer]

You have us scratching our heads. Goodman’s guide does not mention this and we have an original 2700F. Does this reduce noise in the dark areas and is it only on the 2700H and upgraded 2700Fs?
I just got back from Varicamp and it was never mentioned there either.
All the best,
Ray Palmer

[John Sharaf]

Ray,

This dark compression feature became available with the much heralded software upgrade from this past summer. Unfortuneately, until this recent fix announced by Steve Mahrer here just yesterday the use of the feature was quite limited operationally because it would revert to the “normal” default on power cycle, thus making it something of a booby trap for inconsistant application.

You’ll find it, if you have the upgrade, in the VTR/FUNCTION menu.

It postdates the Goodman book, but I’m sure he’ll add it to any “revisions” he makes in the future.

JS