Jeff Regan
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I’ve had an HPX2700 for a few weeks now and it’s an amazing camera. The latitude and high contrast handling are amazing. It’s 10 stops in AVC Intra, more with Film-Rec at 600%. ASA rating is 640.
It has the same frame rate flexibility as the original Varicam, I really like DRS 3 if not using Film-Rec gamma, the camera is quieter than my HDX900 and AVC Intra 100 is so clean and natural looking compared to DVCPRO HD, which seems to add a layer of noise and doesn’t have the color depth and gradation. The only downside is that Intra seems to make optical issues such as CA more apparent.
The only problem I’m having, assuming my Fuji HA18X7.6 lens CAC retrofit works well, is that Preset is cold, showing 2600K.
I’ve never experienced a video camera with so much latitude. Shooting with the 2700 and my Letus Ultimate 35mm adapter/B4 Pro 2/3″ relay and Nikon lenses make for very natural, film like images, especially with the 10-bit color depth. It is really a big step above my HDX900, and AVC Intra can handle more grading and color correction than DVCPRO HD, according to my editor.
He claimed 200% vs. 120% with FCP. AVC Intra is very easy to work with natively using Final Cut Studio 7, even on a Macbook Pro laptop.Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
This seems odd to me. I have an HDX900 which is the same front end at the HPX2000. While native 2/3″ HD cameras aren’t quite as fast as the best 2/3″ SD cameras, depending upon frame rate and resolution, the camera should have an ASA rating of at least 500, Panasonic rates it at f10 at 2000 lux.
I’m sure you’ve checked to make sure the shutter is off, extender isn’t on, no ND or outdoor filter, blacks not crushed. Stay away from Filmlike 3 gamma.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
https://www.ssv.comJeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I agree with Erich. The HPX3700 trade-in program is going to skew the high end 2/3″ market for a long time to come–$30K will be the new price point limit going forward for high end 2/3″ cameras.
The market for large sensor or 35mm DOF is NOT small. RED ONE has sold very well–I’m pretty sure that their approx. 5,000 units compares very favorably to the HPX2700 and HPX3700 combined sales. The inexpensive 35mm DOF adapters in combination with SLR prime lenses and palmcorders had been very hot, probably slowing down due to RED and Canon 5D. Canon is coming out with a prosumer large sensor palmcorder, supposedly. Scarlett will definitely make an impact.
I bought a Letus Ultimate 35mm adapter last year at this time and it has been my most popular rental item. Many of my clients would rather use a low cost 35mm adapter in combination with an HD palmcorder than rent a 2/3″ HD camera with HD ENG zoom lens. Therefore I added an HPX170 and EX1 to our rental inventory. My HDX900 has not done quite as much volume this year compared to last year–partially due to the economy, but also due to the options above.
$60K 2/3″ cameras will indeed be a thing of the past. Proprietary memory media will also go the same way.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
That is lightning fast! Thank you for doing those tests. Who says P2 cameras aren’t a good choice for documentary work?
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Jan,
You posted “AVC Ultra”, I’m sure you meant AVC Intra. AVC Ultra is the new codec that Panasonic is developoing that is 12 bit, 4:4:4 at 4K resolution, right? 😉
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I just read that the PCD35 P2 reader is incredibly fast. Transfer times for a 32Gb E series card have been lowered from over 20 minutes to 5 minutes. Unfortunately, a desktop computer with a PCIe slot is required, but that could mean the ability to transfer 5 64Gb P2 cards in less than an hour!
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
The HPX3700 did very well in the ASC Camera Assessment Series. It was said to have more latitude than the other camras, including RED ONE and F35. It certainly is the easiest to use from a user interface and form factor standpoint as well as the post workflow.
I just read that Final Cut 7 now supports AVC Intra natively.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Great insight Erich. I’m disappointed by what the HPX300 could have been instead of a 3)1/3″ camera–if it had a single Academy size C-Mos sensor, it could have stopped EX1 and EX3 in its tracks and had a head start on Scarlett. I really think $15-20K could have been doable. No, it wouldn’t have had the extensive menu flexibility of an HPX2700 or 3700, nor the refinement, but it would have done a lot more in camera than RED One and presumably Scarlett.
What an opportunity to get a jump on Sony and offer a RED option!
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I’m a fan of Shotput Pro, this ingest program is great for P2 and SxS and pretty fool proof for transferring footage to up to three external drives. I’ve never had any issues with loss of data using this program.
I normally either do the transfers myself, or one of my sound persons or engineers do it. I’ve also had my editor do it when on set and I’ve even had a couple of producers do it who were savvy with P2 transfer. Most of the technical people on my crew know FireStore FS-100’s and P2 offloading. I don’t clear the cards or FireStore until I’ve previewed some files off of the drives. I’ve had a twenty something camera assistant/data wrangler do it as well, but I knew that he was better with computers than I will ever be.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I hear Canon is going to be offering a large sensor based camcorder, maybe the 5D sensor? It will be prosumer level, codec will probably AVC HD, but it will be interesting to see what it looks like. If aimed at prosumers, it will need sophisticated auto focus with facial recognition–full frame 35mm can have pretty shallow DOF!
I agree that a large sensor camera with real camera type of processing such as gamma, knee, hard clip, matrix, detail circuits would be great vs. a post-production camera like RED ONE. 1920X1080 resolution is fine with me, 4K is an answer to a question I didn’t ask. Ergonomics of an ENG camera would be great, and of course, good audio vs. needing double system sound.
Panasonic can and should build something like this and soon!
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com