John Sharaf
Forum Replies Created
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Mike,
I have to tell you that the $44K price I reported came from Sony announcement at 30K Euros and a British sales company’s offer of 22K pounds (which since has a strike mark through it). I have heard from other sources however that stateside price will be $33K. All I can conclude is that the price has not been formalized; please stand by!
JS
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Bruce,
I believe it does (make the conversion in the Kona card). For that matter, I’ve had better luck importing through the Kona card (HD-SDI) and letting it make the conversion to DVCPRO100 than by using the FW option, so for this and the need for HD-SDI output for critical viewing, I highly recommend adding it to your FCP system.
In addition I’ve also seen “suspected” problems (artifacts) shown to me as jpg’s that I believe were introduced by the codec in NLE’s such as the Avid and do not really exist in the original recording.
A lot of these issues still reside in the arena of two or more products of different manufacturers not “playing well together”. Even though the Varicam has now been with us for probably five years, we’re still pushing the envelope in terms of what we’re doing with it and the attempted workflows. I don’t believe these “problems” will ever end, and just as there’s always the problem of scratching and/or lab errors with film, there will probably always be similar artifact issues with multiple compressions and exhibition on screens and projectors of different formats.
One thing in particular, I’ve noticed lately, because more and more of our work finds itself on the web, is that the PC and Mac have different gammas, such that what looks good on a Mac, looks dark on a PC. This is exactly what I’m talking about in terms of playing well with each other; this is an inherent hardware difference (no gamma standard) which is not accounted for in the software that’s used to exhibit the product, and I see no solution, and very little discussion of this important matter.
JS
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Bruce,
Perhaps it has something to do with the monitor you’re viewing on; a scaling issue. I would venture to say that DVCPRO100 is DVCPRO100 and when you import to FCP you’re bringing in data, not video and the codec in the NLE which converts it to picture is the same as the one in the camera. In addition of course, if you’re looking at HD-SDI output there is the Kona or Blackmagic card to also consider in the process.
The only problem I ever notice is occasionally getting black square dot artifacts. There’s no rhyme or reason as to when and where. They are easily removed by cloning them out or by duplicating a proceeding or following frame.
JS
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Mike,
I believe the price announced at IBC was $44000. Not sure if that includes viewfinder or not, probably does. Usual discounts will apply after initial first filling of orders, now touted to happen after NAB, but as with all deliveries of new camera models, I wouldn’t advice holding your breath!
The camera will not come with or have option for 24p, I’m told this will follow in a year or so with an “improved” model hopefully having AVC-I codec as well; as it is, this camera is coming to market with a rather old fashioned MPEG2 recording format. Sony apparently is not willing to kill off the F900R so fast, which of course is quite comforting to us F900 owners!
JS
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Yes Bob, the 20 degree fabric grid is way too narrow. The honeycomb is not really appropriate for ENG use because it is fragile, heavy and bulky. I use the 60 degree fabric grids in my XS and S Chimeras and find them very useful for their intended purpose of controlling the spill of the walls in interviews and portraiture.
As regards your choice of instrument, the ideal is a bare bulb, as it illuminates the inside of the chimera evenly, in every direction, creating the smoothest soft light possible. A conventional light like a baby or quartz open face, while still pleasing, really is more like the effect of putting diffussion on the barndoors and cutters all around; more “punch” than “soft”.
As far as available instruments, I use Joker Bugs (200/400/800w) but these obviously are expensive and often beyond the affordability of neo-pros and those who cannot get the client to pay extra for HMI’s. Another alternative is a barebulb product made by Dedo, and of course you can always use photofloods in socket mounted speedrings, but unless you use the 1K watt “mogul” based globe (which is fragile, large, hard to find and only burns for about 6 hours) you probably won’t have enough output for normal use. If all you want is the ability to scrim the unit, I’d suggest a teenie or mickey mole open face. These are very durable and useful kit lites.
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Info is confirmed by search of archives. See January ’07 reply from Rule (Boston rental house) engineer. Panasonic has unwittingly created much confusion with the labeling of their tapes, the three different speeds (25, 50 and 100) and by the two head gap widths ( 9 and 18), Suffice it to say that the tape in question is 33 minutes!
JS
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Panasonic info is correct!
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Nino,
You can capture from the camera through the HD-SDI output by using a capture card in your NLE. I’d recommend the AJA Kona cards and Final Cut Pro (FCP). AJA also makes a stand alone box, known as the HD iO which you can use with a laptop in the field.
Now, as regards the drawbacks of doing so, you really do put unnecessary wear and tear on your camera by the additional use and shuttling of tapes. A deck like the 1200A or 1400 is a valuable addition to any DVCPRO100 tape-based kit and I’ve found that they are quickly amortized by rentals. Remember that almost every client who uses your Varicam will need to digitize into their NLE and they’ll rent the deck from you, especially if you offer them a favorable price. In some markets these decks are still hard to come by in the rental community.
In the HDX900 vs. Varicam discussion, remember that a used Varicam now costs about the same as a new HDX900 and that despite Ray’s endorsement, the Varicam does still offer several advantages; of course the ability to be a variable frame camera. I use the slomo and undercrank all the time. In addition the Varicam’s Dynamic Range Control of 200-500% is a very powerful and predictable tool for highlight control and the Cine-Like looks on the X900 are not really the same.
The client is quite right in specifying the camera to match their fleet and believe me, you will not be disappointed with the pictures or the profit you’ll see from buying this camera. If you are buying used, still try to get the latest model “H” version, as it has many updated features and is slightly quieter than the more common “F” model.
JS
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I’ve been shooting for thirty years with network news clients, have shot Academy Award winning docs and wish I could command such rates.
At the nets our labor price is determined by union contract and at ABC it’s about $40/hour with an eight hour minimum typical (although technically they can book us for a four hour call). At CBS, it’s closer to $50/hour, and at both places overtime peaks out at 1.5x. In the freelance world I’m able to get as much as $600-700/ 10 hours, so the equipment rental is very important and represents a significant amount of my income.
Obviously, commercials and some industrial clients are going to may more, in the range of $1500/day for labor. But these are clients who expect such rates.
I find that the best approach with a new client is to ask them what they’d like to pay and go from there. Sometimes you’ll be surprised by how high they offer, or if they low-ball you, you learn right away that you don’t want to work for them.
Also, I always fully state the terms, such as portal-to-portal and rates of overtime, missed meals etc. in a timely communication so that I don’t have to revisit these negotiations after the fact.
Suffice it to say that there is no such thing as a “standard” rate!
JS
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The Divas are very versatile units, allowing both daylight and tungsten tubing and has a built in dimmer. The LitePanels are also versatile, adding the capability of battery power, which comes in handy when you are on location or need to hide the wire. I think you’ll find that they are about the same price (Diva 400), although the Diva is a source of about twice the size, which for your studio application might be an advantage. There is no doubt that LED lighting is coming on fast and so I think you’ll see the prices dropping in the near future. My instinct says go Diva, based on your application. You might also look at the Barfly units from Kino Flo especially if you’re considering the smaller Diva 200.
JS