John Sharaf
Forum Replies Created
-
Mike,
First off, there’s no such thing as 30i.
Second, if you captured all the frames (import as a 29.98 project) you’ve already got the 2:3 pulldown in your time line.
What is it you’re really trying to do? Deliver 1080i? if that’s the case just play it out to the 1200/1400 deck and make the conversion as playout from the deck or in transfer to HDCAM master.
JS
-
Thomas,
Now you’ve learned two things; that factory service sucks (and it’s not just Sony, but pretty much all the majors) and that you have to follow up every service problem like it was a sick relative in the intensive care ward.
I’ve has similar experiences and can assure you the only solution is to call them in advance of sending the repair, call them to make sure they got it and call them to make sure they’ve triaged the problem and call them to see if they’ve estimated the repair and then to make sure it’s done in the specified time. In all cases you should find out who the service manager is and talk directly with that person! Otherwise you’ll be disapointed.
JS
-
Michael,
The reason to capture at 23.98 is to save storage; remember that 24 frames per second are only 40% of the sixty frames per second that reside on the tape. By importing only 40% of the frames you’ll have 2.5x the storage capacity! Pretty cool ha?
JS
-
-
Noah,
I’d like to help you out, but I’m traveling tomorrow for an out of town job on Thursday. Is there something I could do on the phone? No charge.
JS
-
I don’t know if they have the X900 but in that area, I’d try Mark Falsted or Ed Matney.
JS
-
Bill,
As regards the Varicam rental market, in a word, yes. I’ve had much more success with the Varicams than with the F900. I think it’s had to do with lower price and workflow advantage, but I think with the new FCP ProRes 422 the HDCAM format will gain some momentum because you can now easily edit it in native HD with simple storage. Previously, unless you catured in DVCPRO100 with a Kona type card you had to pay to downconvert and edit offline, then online, which made it a real pain.
Because I own both formats, when new HD clients made inquiry and I explained the workflow issues, most of them understood the advantages of the Varicam, not to mention the cost savings. Only those who were mandated by their clients to shoot 1080, or were matching previous shoots, choose the HDCAM (HBO, NBC, etc.).
JS
-
Jiri,
You are mistaken to say that the 2/3″ XDCAM is as good or better than HDCAM; it will not be. The XDCAM records a 50Mb MPEG2 recording which is a third the bandwidth and much more compressed than HDCAM. Yes the camer head itself may be similar, but what we’re talking about here is a complete system.
And as regards the price, the $35K used HDCAM is the same price as the unavailable 2/3″ XDCAM is speculated to be and it will not have 24p at that price. The AVC-I Panasonic devices like the 2000(with hardware AVC-I) and 3000 are not yet delivered and you still have to factor in the price of the P2 media and a proper archiving system.
I’m afraid you’ve bought in to a lot of pre-release marketing hype regarding the 2/3″ XDCAM, the EX format, and all the rest. Bill’s origional query about the longevity of the F900 remains, and I agree with Steve, that this camera will have several years of usefullness still. Long enough to amortize it’s used price.
JS
-
Please be advised that there is a distinction between what format you shoot in and what format you deliver in! 720 can be transcoded to 1080 either in the camera (as it’s done in the HDX900), in the NLE, in the capture card , by a standards converter or by a VTR. This is how many shows are produced for Discovery and other cable channels that require delivery in 1080, yet shot on a Varicam.
From my point of view, unless the project is principally destined for “film out” and exhibition on a large cinema screen, 720p is very competative with 1080p (as it is as 24fps) and a transcode will not be objectionable when viewed on an HD display with the signal derived from from a highly compressed broadcast, cable or satalite delivery.
Up to now, the Varicam has offered producers a much more elegant post production workflow by means of the firewire/DVCPRO100/FCP combination, whereby with no additional equipment (capture card) and simple, cheap storage one could edit in native HD. With FCP6’s new ProRes 422, a similar workflow is now available for HDCAM, and certainly there have been those who have been importing HDCAM through Kona in the DVCPRO100 codec to FCP to take advantage of the “Varicam” workflow as well.
For that matter, it’s well documented that 720p/60fps compared to 1080/60i are very similar because now you’re comparing 720 line fields with 525 line fields.
Ultimately an accurate test will determine the true answer for your purposes, making sure to carry out the intended workflow from beginning to end.
Hope this helps!
JS
-
Bill,
Making the plunge into HD is more than buying just the camera body; the lenses, monitors, test equipment and other infrastucture will apply to future HD cameras that you purchase, so that part of the expense is definately safe, and really allows you to spread the cost out over time.
As regards the F900 in particular, I believe (and I own an F900R as well as four Varicams) that the Cine Alta will have a life even after the 2/3″ HD XDCAM arrives. This is because the recording format on the XDCAM is only MPEG2, and it’s limited bandwidth, while appropriate for news (which is the main intended market of the camera) is not really a high end recording format that will be accepted by filmmakers, commercial producers and others who are already using the Cine Alta. It’s my understanding that it will take another several years for the next model 2/3″ XDCAM to arrive with the much improved AVC-I codec, which will begin to rival (or exceed) the recording ability of HDCAM.
Owning multiple formats is a new reality for freelancers like you and I; whereas before we were able to comfortably own and operate Betacams to service a wide variey of clients, now the clients have split into different formats, brands and even models of HD cameras. It is certainly more risky and expensive to play the owner/operator game, but the logic of buying the camera/format that your client demands still is functional. The difficulty is the possibility of them accepting cheaper alternatives to the high end models, like the Panasonic HVX500 or the Sony 1/2″ XDCAM, but if it’s true that you could have 12-14 days rental for a F900/3 that you could buy for about $35K, it just might be the time to pull the trigger.
Remember that the /3 does not feature HD-SDI outputs, so you’ll need to add a Miranda or Evertz converter, HD lens and HD monitor at the very least to make a package. In addition, most jobs (that must protect 4×3 for example) require both the wide angle and telephoto zooms (at about $20K each) and you’ll seriously have to consider getting newer, more powerful batteries and AC supplies, as these cameras are power pigs, especially when ladened with the typical accessories. If you don’t already have a widescreen mattebox for the wide angle lens you’ll need that too!
Good luck!
JS