[John Sharaf]

That’s correct!

With FCP and Firewire import or through qualified capture card you can edit in a 24p project whereby you only import 40% of the 60 frames (namely 24). These frames are identified by an “A” in the user bit (known as “A” frames).

This retains the 24p “look” as well as providing a considerable savings in storage. The smaller bandwidth also allows the use of less sophisticated (read cheaper) storage drives such as FW Drives and makes DVCPRO100 a no-brainer for producers looking for an inexpensive native HD workflow.

JS

[John Sharaf]

The Varicam VTR records at one speed 59.94 fields per second. Because it’s a progressive camera is can make that many discreet “frames” per second, unlike an interlaced camera which can only make 29.97/30.

When the camera has been set to record at 24fps (really 23.97 when Sys Freq is 59.94) the recorder records multiples of 2 then 3 repeated frames, just like in telecine when converting 24 fps film to video. The samething takes place at 29.97/30 only with this speed each frame is repeated twice.

Hope that helps!

JS

[John Sharaf]

Chris,

It’s my understanding that the HDX900 has three “Cine Gamma” presets, none as agressive as the Varicams’. I’m still waiting to accomplish a side-by-side comparison.

JS

[John Sharaf]

Bruce,

You are correct in conceiving of the Film Rec settings as takeing over control of the knee function; it basically replaces the variable knee point and slope settings with four presrts, namely 200,300,400 and 500% Dynamic Level. The more highlight compression (or the flatter the negative you desire) the higher you go with the setting. Three other things also happen as you go higher; the crossover of the gamma raises, the color desaturates and the speed or sensativity of the camera decreases. So now you have four things happening!

When you intend to use your footage in a “what you see is what you get” environment, that is, without extensive (meaning Da Vinci-type) color correction in post, or without an intended film-out (which increases the contrast again) you should consider “crushing” the gamma (raising the number from nominal .45 to .50 and .55) as you invoke more dynamic level. This restores the mid and lower blacks and adds some color saturation back in also. You still have the “black stretch” control of -1,-2,-3 in addition to keep the picture “crunchy” and less washed-out, or the plus control in dark scenes.

The problem inherent in all this is that each shot, depending on how much highlight correction is necessary might require an adjustment of the gamma and black stretch as well. which can be confusing to keep up with in a typical production environment. That’s why it’s so important to have a VC or DIT with proper test gear, monitor and CCU to keep track of all this stuff, once you’ve all decided on a protocal and “look”.

What you’ve done is precisely what is required to learn, understand and ultimately gain the requisite confidance to use these controls creatively. It takes careful observation (aka testing) with a chart and a waveform/vectorscope and remote CCU in a calm (non-production) environment, where you can take as much time as necessary to calmly make your observations. This would be a perfect environment too to observe how your favorite filters behave as well! You can use what you’ve learned directly in making your own settings or to “speak the same language” with A VC/DIT.

As regards the Test Saw, what’s really happening is that at the 500% DL setting, the manual knee is lowered to 50% video, which means that the white chip on the chart, which normally would rest at 100% video is now one stop under the hottest level, leaving room for real world exposure twice as bright to retain detain in the video. With the DL at less agressive settings that limit is raised slightly to as high as 70% video at 200% Dynamic Level.

One other thing about the Film Rec is that face exposure need not be as high as we’re used to with “video” where faces were normally put at 60-70ire. For the “film” look with Film Rec, we now can safely put the faces at 45-55 ire and even lower in a “low key” scene. This makes the use of Zebras as we’ve used them in the past almost moot and I prefer to conceive of them as a “clip meter” showing me where I’m loosing the detail in the highlights, and setting the face exposure more subjectively or with the wavewform where ever possible to provide scene-to-scene consistancy.

There is no doubt that the Film Rec menu with the four Dynamic Level presets is very powerful once understood and used correctly. Its use like this is not necessarily the origional intention of the Panasonic designers, but is an added feature for those who have no intention of going to film out. It’s usefulness and elegance is so great the Sony has added a similar set of gamma presets to their revised F900R, calling it “Hyper-Gamma” just to further confuse the issue. In that camera they provide four presets, two for WYSIWUG video work and two for filmout, all of which control the highlights and extend the range of the camera to rival what you’d expect with film.

JS

[John Sharaf]

Bob,

A fresnel focuses the beam into a more specular source, so that amoung other things it casts a sharper shaddow. In addition it is easier to cut with the barndoors or flag so that the shaddow is a hard straight line. With an open face, the whole oraface of the light is the source so the shaddow has a variation along the line of the cut.

Furthermore the fresnel has a cleaner and rounder pattern and a smoother adjustment from spot to flood. You can observe this by looking at the pattern of the light on a large white card and comparing it to the open face.

Of course there are advantages to the open face, namely that it puts out more light for a comperable wattage, because in the fresnel the glass itself absords some light. For use in a chimera, or for a bounced source this makes the open face preferable.

JS

[John Sharaf]

Using Film Rec is fine, even if you’re not going to do extensive color correction in post, especially if you invoke the range most appropriate to the scene at hand. That means that if there is not a lot of highlight you should use the smallest amount of dynamic range (200%) and if you’re shooting a contrasty scene outside in the sun you should use the 500% setting.

In addition when ever you use Film Rec in the “what you see is what you get” environment, you should consider crushing the gamma from the normal .45 setting to .50 or even .55. This will restore some of the blacks that the Film Rec otherwise raises. You might also want to tweak the master ped.

The problem with all this is that it’s not a simple matter; for each shot you should consider what the appropraite dynamic range and gamma is, and be aware that in making cahnges you’ll also be affecting the color saturation (more DR less color, lower gamma crossover more color), so you might be creating problems that will need to addressed in post color correction; which is what you wanted to avoid in the first place!

There is no free lunch; either you spend the time in a laboratory environment with the scopes and charts, learning the effects of the DR, Gamma, Master Ped, etc. so that you can use them predictably in the field, have a DIT painting the camera scene-by-scene, do extensive color correction in post or leave the camera in Video Menu. The more you experiment and learn these features ultimately the better you’ll be able to use your Varicam, but be careful, because you can do more damage than help until then.

JS

[John Sharaf]

Bob,

You have the following choices:

Fix in camera with knee or dynamic range controls (the Varicam is especially capable with its 500% Dynamic range setting). Be care full in making knee adjustments not to add color to the highlights.

Fix with the lighting, by keeping light off the problem coats woth flags, doors and cutters. You can alternately use snoots or focused light on the faces.

Fix with wardrobe adjustment by dyeing the white down (tea or coffee tint is often used) or replace with another color lab coat; although these fixes arre rarely available in news, doc or corporate production.

Learn to love the blown out look, or minimize it in the frame for closeups and adjust the exposure in the wide shots so the coats don’t blow so much!

JS

[John Sharaf]

Jeff,

I can only assume the new camera has fewer and less agressive Cine Gamma cirves; luckily I did get a favorable reply from a soon to be HDV900 owner and I think we’ll hook up this weekend and make some comparative tests! Results to follw.

JS

[John Sharaf]

I’d love to put an HVX900 next to one of my Varicams and run some tests to determine the answers to just such a question. Anyone in LA have one and want to come over sometime?

JS

[John Sharaf]

I for one welcome the inclusion of the HVX900 into the Varicam Forum; the camera is very similar in concept and despite the difference in the tape size (gap and physical size) and the different controllers, I think we’ll find much intermixing of the two in production in the near future.

Because both are designed around the DVCPRO100 format, perhaps the forum could be renamed officially or unofficially as that (just as the Cine Alta Forum has morphed correctly into discussions of the HD XDCAM).

I’m certain that many producers will expect for that matter that Varicam owner operators match the HVX900 rental rates, which thankfully are only a little lower so far, unless of course they are seeking off speed or slowmo shots in which case the varicam should still comand a premium.

JS