Jeff Regan
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Noah,
This is not official from Panasonic yet, but I received the email from my Abel Cinetech salesperson and saw a post from a broker on this site, McCom Inc, as well as another rental facility who first told me about it. So, yes, while unofficial and details subject to change, when a high-end Panasonic dealer communicates directly in writing to me, it is not an “Urban Legend” in my estimation.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
This is a well known limitation of most oscillating glass 35mm adapters. You don’t want to close down more than f5.6. Shutter speeds should be kept low as well.
The Letus Ultimate can be stopped down as far as you want without seeing the ground glass because it spins vs. oscillates. However, even the Ultimate should not be used with shutter speeds higher than 1/500th.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Erich,
A look at my market, the SF Bay Area would tend to validate your posts, just a few 2/3″ P2 cameras in the rental market, however, one only needs to look at the success of the RED ONE, and EX1/3 and the dozens of HVX200’s, the latter of which, of course, use P2 cards. This speaks to the adoption of file base recording. I was offering it to my clients in 2006 with nNovia HDD’s for my DSR-450WS DVCAM cameras.
The reality is that the F900R and HDX900 are the last of the 2/3″ tape cameras. Panasonic took my market from Sony comprehensively, there are no XDCAM HD cameras in the rental pool.
Aside from HDCAM SR, AVC-Intra is the best codec going, and the same P2 cards get to be used for it. Panasonic needs to get traction with this codec, which is why they came out with an under $10K camera with AVC-Intra and the P2 Portable.
Two P2 Varicam models is a mistake, and so are $50K 2/3″ cameras at this point, in my opinion. The game will go to inexpensive large sensor cameras with cheap solid state memory, but in a more user friendly, more refined package and workflow than RED or Scarlett. This is Panasonic’s opportunity and I believe we will see some more offerings from them at NAB. The days of any format/codec or camera that will be viable for 8 or more years are over.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Kevin, my sets often consist of race tracks and runways and beaches and salt flats. You don’t have to have AC power to do FireStore or P2 or SxS transfers.
Often, my sound persons are also DIT’s, not on a narrative, but doable for a doc.
My points stand, you don’t have to be on a stage or in a hotel room for data transfer, P2 cards are priced similarly to SxS cards, you don’t have to hire an extra body as a data wrangler, tape is not part of the future of field acquisition.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I am a freelance DP and owner of a small rental house. In my area, the HDX900 is the de facto HD camera of choice. However, most of my clients ask for our FireStores and bring their own hard drives on set. Once they see the advantages of file based recording, the tapes are only used for archival purposes.
Ater buying an HPX170, I am more of a P2 fan than before.
The reliability of solid state media, not having to do realtime ingest, rent a deck, clips being so easy to find at any point are all pluses. My editors won’t let me into their edit suites with tapes in my hand anymore.As far as P2 card pricing vs. SxS, a 16Gb SxS card is $745, 16Gb P2 is $800, 32Gb SxS is $1425, 32Gb P2 is $1400. Using AVC-Intra 100 and 720/24P Native, you can get the same amount of recording time as SxS(80 minutes), and this at 10-Bit, I-Frame 4:2:2 vs. 8-Bit, 4:2:0 Long GOP of XDCAM EX. With AVC-Intra 50, 720/24PN, record time is 160 minutes. 1080/24P Native with AVC-Intra 50 is 80 minutes, just like SxS/XDCAM EX.
What I have found is that those who don’t like file based recording are those who haven’t used it. All of the DIT’s I hire do data wrangling as part of their day rate, so file based recording is a net savings for my clients.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Turn coring up to +2, B Press gamma is quieter than Cine D or even V.
Do not boost chroma/saturation above 0. DVCPRO HD will have its own set of artifacts on flat, low IRE fields, independent of the camera.Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
HDX900 only outputs 720 or 1080 DVCPRO 100. FireStore can record in Native mode, Quicktime Native or P2 Native. FS-100 will not record DVCPRO 50 or 25 from HDX900.
Camera trigger will start/stop FS-100. FS-100 can power from camera via D-Tap or Hirose DC output.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
In the San Francisco market, XDCAM HD is a non-starter. XDCAM EX is making some headway, but while the resolution is stellar, the CMOS artifacts and Long GOP, 4:2:0 colorspace is a compromise.
The HDX900 is ubiquitous at this point(as was the SDX900), with over 30 HDX900’s in the market with rental houses and owner/ops. There are just a few F900R’s and a handful of F900’s.
We should not underestimate the effect that HVX200’s have had on driving the switch to HD at all levels.
The PDW700 is years late and functionally crippled without 24p. The $4500 firmware upgrade, available in June, is laughable when an EX1 costs $6000.
The greatest feature of the HDX900 is not 14 Bit processing vs. 12 bit for the Varicam, or DRS circuit or smaller size/lower weight–it’s the FireWire output. Most of my clients use an FS-100 for primary record with tape as a backup/archival media.
The new on-board HD SDI MPEG2 solid state recorders could yet give Varicam more life expectancy.
Regarding P2, I agree that bigger capacity and AVC Intra will keep it viable, but I was disappointed that the 64Gb pricing wasn’t lower.
I also feel that the two P2 Varicams are over priced vs. the HPX2000 and 3000. A $14K premium is hard to justify, although the 4:4:4 output on the 3700 could be a good thing, but it is frame rate handicapped compared to the original Varicam or 2700 as mentioned.RED is exciting, as is Scarlett’s potential, but for my corporate clients, I think they are not the right cameras.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Jan,
Thank you for your response. The 2700 has Film Rec and ramping, but a 2000 has CAC and 14 Bit processing, like the 2700. If the 2700 offers more image control akin to the Varicam, that’s great. I’m just not sure Film Rec and frame rate ramping is worth the price premium in my mind. I think that at the $40K price point I would have a difficult decision choosing between the 2700 and a discounted B-stock 3000 or a
discounted 2000 for close to half the price.Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I was told by a Panasonic product manager that the 2700 does not have a new sensor, so that means it’s the same sensor as a Varicam 27H, HDX900 and HPX2000. I don’t see how Panasonic can justify the substantial price increase over the HPX2000, which for awhile was sold
with the AVC Intra board at no extra charge. I would rather buy a demo HPX3000 for less than the cost of an HPX2700 or an HPX2000 for the
low $20K range and 0% financing. I just don’t see how the 2700 is worth almost $40K.Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com