Ikegami camcorders — a realization of any creative tasks

By Aleksey Pavin

Review contents:

Computer with lens Camcorders of Hitachi-Denshi Company High Definition Ikegami camcorders Ikegami camcorders — a realization of any creative tasks Camcorders of the format D-9 and camcorder heads of the JVC Compact HD-camcorder JVC JY-HD10 with 720/30p format Professional DV series camcorders of JVC company New Panasonic camcorders High speed camcorders from Redlake (USA) New generation of the camera heads Sony DXC series New DVCAM camcorders from Sony Company Modern HD camcorders from Sony for E-cinema Camcorders of Grass Valley a Thomson Brand company

What is a video camera, or television camera, or camcorder (camera + recorder)? There are many terms, and they mean, certainly, miscellaneous. But there is the one thing that inherents all of them — a camera. The camcorder can be professional and for home use, more or less qualitative, heavy or light, finally, it can like or dislike. But nobody did not canceal its main purpose, as a device for perception and transformation of the light into electric signal available for recording or transmission.

The base of the camcorder, its heart, if possible so to speak, is optoelectronic block that is to say lens and CCD. Certainly, a great deal depends from the further processing, but quality of the signal, its source color rendition, tone grades of brightness and some other picture features are formed already at the beginning of the shooting process initially.

Well known companies on optometrist production, for instance, Canon or Fujinon, release very qualitative product long ago, constantly optimizing optical schemes, using new elements, rising year from year qualitative and exploitation features of their own lens.

The matrix always stands for such lens. Presently we got accustomed to that that this is CCD (charge-coupled device). But not so long ago this was a cathode-ray tube (CRT), as electronic tube. The achievement already past of the century — the developing and designing of charge-coupled device — has raised light-reception unit of camcorders on qualitative new level. For present-day day several CCD types are existed: Frame Transfer, Interline Transfer and Frame-Interline Transfer (FIT) of charge. The last matrix type is mounted on high-end and, as effect, on most expensive camcorders. These matrixes provide the most high picture quality, uniting all advantage of frame and interline transfer of the charges. Camcorders with IT matrix is economical, it is enough qualitative for majority of applications, and, in total, are most popular.

The revolutionary breakouts of the last time in the miniaturization of microelectronic systems, their global integration and increasing of the functional possibilities, alongside with essential reduction of power comsumption, bring to constant improvement of digital blocks for processing of videosignal. This is positive for total picture, but such important factors of the signal, as color temperature, dynamic range on brightness, detailing on complex criteria etc. — all this in clever hands of the professional is a key to reception of “ideal picture”.

Camcorders Ikegami are developed with provision of the strict check results and field testing features, which made in studio conditions, in mobile journalist groups and different OB production truck by the largest TV companies and corporations all over the world.

The studio model camcorders for exploitation with HDTV signals were created at first. As company considers that another important direction is an issue of camcorders with different disc-recorders for the following processing with editing system.

Ikegami digital studio camera

At present the opinion about high price of Ikegami camcorders exists. This is not quite so. In corresponding price/target groups their price is above the average level, but this position is always justified by availability of more “heavy” technical and exploitation features. Moreover, these factors are not deft marketing move, but practically justified box of possibilities. By the words of Ikegami representatives: “Test our products and compare them with analogue of the other producers under extreme conditions: the temperature, moisture, illumination etc., under which are used your camcorders actually, and you will understand, how much the experience and knowledges are meant! You notice that TV Ikegami camcorders noticeably differ from others, as well as will feel the satisfaction from reliability, stability and longevity of our product”.

Now we can go to the description of the camcorders types. Ikegami model line is wide: camcorders-monoblocks in DVCAM, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO50 formats, on discs, as well as studio camcorders with standard and HD resolution.

Monoblocks HL-DV5 (4:3) and HL-DV7W (16:9) were already described in thematic review in the Magazine 625 journal (# 9, 2000), and inquisitive reader can find there a whole information. So immediately we shall go to DVCPRO and DVCPRO50 camcorders. The main features are as in following table:

Model	HL-V77W	HL-V73W	HL-V79W	HL-V75W
Format	DVCPRO	DVCPRO50
Matrix	2/3" FIT	2/3" IT	2/3" FIT	2/3" IT
Frame ratio	16:9/4:3
Pixel number	600000

The disc camcorders Editcam2, with signal recording on hard disk FieldPak, is divided on some model class such as in following table:

Now we shall consider two studio camcorders: the first, economical HC-400 and the second, HL-60, which is one of the most high-end and expensive broadcasting camcorders.

Model	DNS-21W	DNS-201W
Matrix	2/3" FIT	2/3" IT
Frame	ratio 16:9/4:3
Pixel number	600000
Compression	AVR	AVR/JFIF/DV25

The short description of the main possibilities of the Ikegami camcorder HC-400/HC-400W it is necessary anticipate the following words. It is representative camcorder of inexpensive class, but it is very qualitative and reliable device for exploitation both in studio and in field conditions.

There are functional possibilities:

• Digital signal processing. Camcorder forms high-end pictures with natural color rendition. Exact colour adjustment is provided by linear matrix system circuit using six color axises of the coordinates;
• High-sensitive 2/3" IT CCDs with high output features. The total number of element matrixes are 470,000 (4:3) and 600,000 (4:3/16:9) accordingly. The dynamic range is 600%, minimum luminosity is about 0.5 lux, and sensitivity is 2000 lux under f11, level of vertical smearing is around 120 dB;
• Function set on change granularity pictures: improvement of processing of the flesh-colored tone details Skin DTL, reduction of picture detalization for correct playback of high contrast fragments of video pictures Soft DTL and resolution raising in diagonal directions Diagonal DTL;
• Black Stretch function for full-fledged processing of shaded objects at shooting with high contrast illumination;
• Function of the gain (36 dB Gain Up);
• Pre-settings and wide range of the electronic shutter exposures;
• Function for compensations of the bright illumination of the back plan;
• Special circuitry for compensation of the temperature balance changes;

Field-performance features are:

• Possibility of mounting different dockable videorecorders such as DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, etc.;
• Personal camcorder adjustment and adaptation of SmartMedia Card as memory card;
• Creation and application of file with lens parameters;
• Built-in optical filters;
• “Smart” system for function of battery;
• Synchronization input;
• Power consumption 14 W;
• Weight 2.6 kg.

Now we shall consider new digital studio camera of the class Hi-End Ikegami HL-60W. Executed with provision for the last technical and technological achievements in the field of microelectronics and with using the digital processing the videosignal, this camcorder possesses the more notable feature, which remove it on higher level in contrast with products wuth same price group, but made by competitors.

The features of the camcorder HL-60W:

• Digital signal processing: new set of the microcircuits executes the digitization of the signal with 12 bit sampling and conducts the further work at 38 bit sampling. Under very small power requirement (10 W) high signal/noise ratio is provided (63 dB), but playback colour in shade is vastly perfected due to 12-bit digitization;
• AIT CCDs: new type of the matrix with advanced line-by-line charge carrying that has provided very low smearing (-135 dB) under horizontal resolution equal to 750 TVL;
• Suitable and light design: small weight of the camera head (2.3 kg) and low center of gravity provides stability of the camcorder on operator shoulder;
• Broad range of the change to sensitivity: Hyper Gain function (+48 dB) provides the shooting under minimum luminosity which can be as low as 0.12 lux;
• Function of flexible color balance control gives to the operator a supervision on tone and saturation alongside with six color vectors;
• Function of the task of the required picture detalization feature, including New Slim DTL for perfected processing of the fine object edges, New Skin DTL for correct work with detail of the flesh-colored tone, Soft DTL for processing of the details with effect of the opened focus, Diagonal DTL for suppression of the cross color distortion and moire in picture;
• System Super KNEE which is for raising of color rendition in areas with high brightness;
• the functions Black Stretch, Black Press Control for full-fledged processing of shaded objects under scene shooting in high-contrast illumination conditions are improving the saturation of shooting objects in dark or shaded area (by manipulation of videosignal level in “low” area);
• Personal adjustments of camcorder, which are possible fixed on withdrawable memory card (SD Memory Card), but hereinafter these adjustments can be stimulated when necessary.

On the market of the television equipment Ikegami camcorders were and continue to remain as a standard of broadcasting quality. Acknowledgement is their constant improvement with observance of the main principle of the Company: quality, comfort and reliability. The Ikegami specialists constantly keep in touch with user of the equipment and attentively heed to their opinion. Obtained information is effectively realized in new product.

Many operators, professionals of its deal, will show a preference to the Ikegami camcorder. Obtaining “picture” is satisfied them by all features, and set of service functions allows to transform the camcorder in instrument for achievement of their creative aims.

Material provided by JC System Integration.