Panasonic Varicam

Panasonic AJ-HDC27H Variable Frame Rate 16:9 HD Camcorder

Why you want to use this camera

Progressive scan

It operates taking pictures in progressive scan also known as P frames as opposed to interlaced frames. P frames are pictures taken in one go rather than interlaced where every other 3 lines are taken in the first frame and those not sent for recording are taken in the next picture. With P frames, like in the movies the persistence of vision at 24 or 25 frames a second read to us as a flowing stream of motion on the screen. There can be the hint of a jitter when the camera pans over a fence or leaves on a tree, and we have got to know and like these artifacts and value this quality which we associate with the drama of the cinema.

Variable frame rate

Varicam pictures for normal synchronous shooting with sound are made at the rate of 25 per second in progressive scan. For a drama or commercial shoot a director may want to speed up or slow down motion. The Varicam offers these effects from slow motion like running into water backlit by the sun, to clouds blowing across the sky which makes it particularly useful for commercials which have traditionally been shot on film.
When shooting at a variable frame rate, for example a ballerina turning on the spot, you are aiming at slowing down the motion to make it more graceful. This can be done in camera but the playback from the camera will look like normal speed. The options for production if you want to see the slowed down material on location are: 1. trust the cameraman to have achieved what you want, 2. feed the material into an Avid, Mac or Final Cut Pro which can sample the material according to the rate it has been set on camera and show it at the slowed down speed, or 3. Play it back on location via a frame rate converter, Panasonic AJ-FRC27.

Hi Def Picture Quality

The camera provides high definition pictures which pass the ultimate test by being successfully transferred and projected on 35mm film. There are plenty of arguments among engineers as to what constitutes HD, but within the current requirement for TV now and for the foreseeable future, the pictures are High Definition as it is generally known and a real advance on standard definition. Panasonic have introduced their CineGamma feature to improve highlight and lowlight rendition to good effect. The picture quality produced is well liked by cameramen and production.

Using the camera

The camera is a familiar shape with the VTR included behind the camera, very much how cameramen conversant with digi beta would expect it be. It uses the same lens mount and similar lenses with the exception that they should be to Hi def spec.
Most cameramen who know the current range of cameras will have no problems using the camera at normal speed. To use the variable frame rate mechanism some technical priming is required and if particular effects are sought, experiments could be made in advance.

Lenses for High definition

Lenses are similar to standard definition in that there are wide angle zoom lenses and longer focal length lenses with varying degrees of telephoto. The glass that they are made of is different and of a modified design with a different coating with mechanical movements made to closer tolerances. Lenses are available in ENG style with a hand grip zoom servo on the side, or in cine style with larger pitch gears on the barrels and no servo. If a focus puller was working on a shoot, they would probably want drama style lenses and a drama matt box. HD cameras themselves cost more than standard definition cameras like Digi Beta, but the lenses cost twice as much.

Tape stock

DVC Pro HD is a format that is recorded on to DVCPro 6mm tapes and plays back in camera or a dedicated VTR eg AJD1200 or 1700. Slow mo playback requires a bit more – see above.

The following is an offering from Panasonic which you could send in an e-mail version along with the above.

AJ-HDC27H
VariCam® Variable Frame Rate 16:9 HD CinemaTM Camera with CineGammaTM Software

New version features 12-bit digital processing and higher sensitivity CCDs.

The AJ-HDC27 VariCam HD Cinema Camera brings variable frame rate acquisition to the DVCPRO HD product line up. This is the first high definition production camera that is capable of variable frame rate at the touch of a button. Individual frame rates may be selected from: 4-fps to 60-fps in single frame increments. Frame rates may be changed during recording. Designed as a high quality production camera, this native 720p camcorder can be used for 60-fps or the film-like 24-fps acquisition. When acquiring for 24-fps projects, higher than 24-fps operation can be processed for slow motion effects while slower than 24-fps operation can be processed to speed up motion. Additionally, the variable frame rates and related variable shutter speeds create some very interesting ghost like motion blur effects, warp speed zoom effects, and long exposure still shots typical of what one might see in music videos, sci-fi dramas and dream sequences.

The camera has the capability to emulate film's gradual transfer function performance (i.e. CineGammaTM). This function greatly increases the camera's usable dynamic range, especially in traditionally limiting areas such as highlight handling, which until now was a serious limitation for most HD cameras. CineGamma provides the user with a much closer approximation of film's renowned ability to maintain smooth image tonality even when gently compressing extreme highlights. Cinematographers are able through the CineGamma feature to control the camera's gamma transfer function to best optimize control over tonality, from extreme highlights to the lowest of shadow areas.

The AJ-HDC27 VariCam serves a triple role: 1.) as a 24-fps camera, 2.) as a standard 60-fps video camera, and 3.) as a variable frame rate special effects camera.

It is important to understand that only the camera section operates at variable frame rates. The VTR and the camera HD-SDI output operate at a constant 60-fps rate. If you set the camera for 60-fps with no shutter, the exposure time is 1/60th of a second and each camera frame is recorded once on tape. As soon as the frame rate becomes lower than 60, exposure time increases proportionally and redundant frames are recorded on tape. For example, if the camera operates at 30-fps, each new frame is recorded twice to ensure 60-fps on tape. 24-fps is a non-evenly-divisible frame rate and requires the classic 3:2 type pulldown frame sequence with one frame recorded three times and the next two times. As you see, this technique generates redundant frames used to pad the data to maintain a constant 60-fps on tape including both new frames and redundant (repeated) frames.

By keeping the VTR frame rate at 60-fps no new DVCPRO HD studio VTRs or specialized video monitors are necessary. By recording standard 720p60, tape can be run through a standard linear tape based post production chain, yet still deliver "film look" video. If a linear 24-fps post production process is required, material can be converted to D-5 HD 1080p 24-fps by the Panasonic AJ-UFC1800 or other 3rd party products. This process works by removing redundant frames. Various NLE systems now support editing with variable frame rates acquired with the AJ-HDC27.

  • Colorimetry - Standard color is compliant with SMPTE standards. To achieve a desired "look", an advanced color correction scheme utilizes a 12-pole color matrix that allows very specific colors to be set, especially when critical color matching is vital.
  • New Digital Signal Processing (DSP) - Offers a higher standard of precision color, detail and gamma processing to ensure optimum picture quality.
  • Assignable Scene Files - An externally accessible switch allows for easy access to any of three user-designed set-ups, each with programmable color, detail, gain and gamma. (Most commonly these switches are used for gain sets, leaving other presets in place.) [ L/M/H ]
  • Scene Files, Internal Memory - A selection of four separate camera set-ups -- plus one user standard-reference file -- are available through user menu access. These set-ups are stored in camera memory and updated as needed.
  • Scene Files, Card Storage - Camera set-ups can also be saved on a removable SD or Multi-Media Memory Card, allowing quick memory access to user-designed camera settings to achieve a particular look for given scenes. Also useful for matching multiple cameras with the same "look". Up to eight scenes are saved on this card.
  • Simple Cinematic Settings - Provides for superior versatility in a single camera system when the Film User Menu is chosen.
  • User 1 / User 2 - Two externally accessible, user-assignable switches provide direct access (on or off) any one of six operational functions, including Super Gain, Super Black, Black Stretch, Super Iris, and Audio 1 & 2 (for viewfinder display) plus pre-selected frame rates.
  • Wide Lens Selection - Offers the ability to capture superb images with a wide selection of lenses including todays newest HD technology lenses and a large variety of existing prime lenses.
  • White Balance Selection - Select between two programmable automatic white balance conditions (as set by the user) and one preset that can be set for either 3200° or 4300° Kelvin. This feature comes in very handy when moving quickly between dissimilar ambient lighting conditions. [reset/A/B]
  • Wide Range Gain - When shooting in wide-ranging light-level conditions, a programmable gain switch can be set to optimize signal levels -- choose from -6 dB to +30 dB in thirteen steps.
  • Low Power Consumption - A moderate 33 Watts power consumption (39 Watts typical) means a good battery life can be realized. Expect about 1.5 hours from a HyTron 100 battery. The camera runs cool and does not employ a fan, assuring quiet operation.
  • 33 Minutes Record Time - Employing the large DVCPRO Cassette, a recording time of 33 with 18 micron recording format.
  • Three 1.1-Million Pixel CCDs - True to high-definition standards, these extraordinary 1280 x 720 CCDs are the key ingredient in creating rich images.

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