New Varicam

[Shane Dillon]

Will the ‘new’ formats tapes be compatible with the existing VTR’s or will there be a new model for that too?

[Oliver Shamoo]

I heard the same from Panasonic in Paris. It will be a total new camera and cheaper. I can’t await to buy one.
Oliver

[John Sharaf]

Oliver and others,

This in not true! New camera model “H” is principally to meet new European ecology standards of no leaded solder and other restricted chemicals. that is not to say there will not be improvements, but it is certainly not an “all new camera”.

JS

[Shane Dillon]

I have sent emails to Panasonic requesting answers about the new camera and whether or not as a facility we woule be required to buy more VTR’s to support the format.

It has been 7 days now and still I have had no response other than that there is a new varicam camera on the way.

I will try calling a few friends at Panasonic in the UK soon.

[John Sharaf]

Shane (and others),

My sources at Panasonic have been more responsive about the “new” camera, known as model “H” (as opposed to current “F”), and I have been authorized to report the following:

Basicly, as I said before, the updated camera, which will be released in a month or so, is intended to accomodate new European environmental rules which affect all imported electronics. Specifically lead-free solder, certain plastics and I think berrilium (spelling) which might be in some capacitors(?). In the process of redesigning the Varicam to accomodate these rules, Panasonic has taken the opportunity, just as many carmakers do to include improvements in “this years model”.

I’m told that the HD processor is now 12 bit instead of 10, because the the old parts are now unavailable .

They have responded to many requests to “split” the two HD-SDI outputs so that one is clean of characters (video out) and the other has characters and menus (monitor out). This way engineering can see whats going on, while the creatives are not disturbed by on-screen displays.

Proper lens files have been added.

The viewfinder mount has been improved (to be more like the SDX900).

As a result of the redesign the camera will be a little quieter (signal noise wise). It remains to be seen if one will notice a difference between current and new!

Because of the new processor, even though the setup menues will be the same in use and in the viewfinder, they will not transfer by the memory card directly from the new to the old cameras. But I’m assured there will be a software application to do the conversion. While a bit of a pain, I suppose we can deal with this, I guess it means will have to double the number of cards that we carry.

For the video crowd, a higher frequency detail is provided to improve artifical enhancement when required for more of the “live” look.

To directly answer Shane’s question; you need not be concerned about having to retool your post-production environment, it will be exactly the same.

For those who are now considering buying a new Varicam, you’d probably want to wait the month or so it will take for this years model to hit the street, and for those of us who already own the camera (or in my case cameras) we’ll have to shed a tear in our beer that we will not be able to have these new and improved features in our units.

I don’t think it’s the end of the world for current Varicam owners, we’ll just have to suffer the indignities of not having the latest and greatest anymore; instead our current Varicams will become the workhorses we already know them to be in the production of HD television, commercials, industrials and low-budget feature documentary and theatrical films.

These improvements are indicative of the whole HD arena, which is very dynamic, with new products, workflow and challanges realized at every turn in the road. It’s not easy being a pioneer! For that matter, there are changes ahead in the Sony F900 world. The dealers are already talking about it beenind “discontinued” and “replaced” by another model.

I hope I have not overstepped by publishing this announcememt. I’m sure that Panasonic will be making official soon these very things, and perhaps more that they’ve been holding closer to the vest, and I can only hope that when they do, my fleet is not further obsceleted! But certainly future buyers will benefit by the “improvements”.

JS

[Shane Dillon]

Thanks,

I just got an email from Oliver Carmona at Panasonic and he said basically the same.

Shane

[Rodrigo Lizana]

All the infop is on Panasonic website. Check out the H model and you

[Peter Steinman]

Doesn’t really say all that much different then the F listing.

Interestingly they still list the ‘F’ model for sale but, only give cash rebates on the new ‘H’ model. It also looks like the free LCD deal is over on the F model. Are they actually still selling the F or is that just there to help move the last few in the in the supply chain at some big discount off list ?

The differences aren’t enough to make me ‘upgrade’ but, I hope this doesn’t change the support for the earlier models. I’m guessing if it uses a completely different processor then the firmware will be completely different as well. I’m still waiting on a bug fix for the dark compression setting. If they never come out with one because my three month old ‘f’ model is an outdated camera I’ll look elsewhere for my next camera purchase.