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HDC27 Varicam Frame Rates
Hello my favorite forumites.
I have a question regarding the old HDC27 Varicam and its frame rates. Obviously it records to the DVCPRO-HD tapes. I have to deliver this in 720p 59.94 but I am a Film guy so I want this to be shot in 24p.
What are the downsides if I shoot it in 24p? (Does this cause it to be infinately more expensive b/c i have to rent FRC’s?)
What is actually recorded on the tape when I shoot in 24p? Is it doing 2:3:3:2 pulldown? Or is it just recording duplicate frames as filler or is it in 24pN or is it 23.98???
If I was to just go ahead and shoot this in 59.94 for delivery to make things easier, how do I set that in the Varicam? I cant seem to find a recording base setting, only a frame range (12-60 or 4-60) and then a frame rate (currently set at 24). So i’m worried if I put that frame rate at 60 it will just be overcranking and not actually adjusting the recording base.
Any advice would be great, and I scoured the archives but was unable to find answeres to this, just bits and pieces.
Thanks so much everyone!
Will
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3 Replies
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If you like the look of 24fps, shoot at 24fps and capture the tapes at 59.97fps. It looks fine. You can also capture at 23.98fps and add the pull down later. This way you can make a web version at 24fps and save a lot of bandwidth.
Of course, if you might make a film print, capture at 23.98. And if you think you might want a European version, capture at 23.98 and speed up to 25fps for output to 50fps for Europe.
You might find you like shooting at 30fps also for capture at 59.97 as well.
Varicam/Steadicam Owner
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.brucealangreene.com -
William,
The “old” tape based Varicam always records at 59.94p (or 60 if system freq is changed for PAL 25 or 50fps speeds). When you set the “Frame Rate” on page 2 of the menu to 24 the recoding includes the telecine pull down. Your Avid or FCP will “reverse telecine” the 24’s into a 24p timeline and save a considerable amount of hard disc storage. This was the reason the Varicam became so popular in the firstplace, as 24 is only 40% of 60 so the firewire could handle the bandwidth and simple FW or USB drives drives could as well, eliminating the need for more expensive RAIDS.
The same is really true of any framerate you set. For example at 30fps it writes two frames 30 times a second, at 10fps it writes six frames ten times per second. You only need the FRC hardware (or software) to “pull” the discrete off speed frames and play them at the intended rate, although the “stuttery” off speed effects are also quite interesting.
When you shoot 60fps (really 59.94) and play it back in a 24p timeline you have a 2.5x slomo effect. If in a 30p timeline a 2x effect.
For television (at ABC News for example) we’ll use the 60p framerate and they edit in a 59.94 timeline. In such a timeline the camera cannot create slomo without duplicating frames in post, and arguably the HD effect is the equal of 1080/60i (interlace).
Despite your search, this has been discussed many times here, but probably four or five years ago, when this camera was having it’s greatest popularity.
JS
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Thank you so much to both of you. I ended up shooting in 24p and then delivering to ESPN in 59.94. It worked out beautifully, and turned out the way we all wanted, much to the thanks of your answers.
I hope the new year is well.
Will
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