New Panasonic camcorders

By Arseny Voroshilov

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

Being one of leading companies-producers of the shooting equipment, company Panasonic for several last years has greatly increased the line of their own camcorders, having submitted for court of professionals many modern models. At present rapt attention of specialists was called to prototype of the camcorder with record on cards with solid-state memory. But while this is a prototype only it is difficult to speak about its function quality. Besides, information on new camcorder was already published on page of the journal “625” and will else be published, in particular, in review on NAB2003 exhibition.

The aim of this paper is an acquaintance of the readers with three camcorders of the Panasonic Company: AG-DVX100E, AJ-SDX900E and AJ-HDC27FE.

Naturally, there was beginning with the simplest of them (if word “simple” in general suits for equipment of such class).

AG-DVX100E miniDV camcorder

So, AG-DVX100E is a camcorder of miniDV format. She is built on three 1/3" CCDs with line transfer of charge and 480,000 pixels. Videorecording is carried out at 25 frames/s. In other words, this “little one” wholly capable to provide the picture, it is enough close to film like picture. The camcorder is executed in the monoblock form. It is provided with by wide-angle lens with range of the change the focal length from 32.5 to 325 mm, which provides 10-times optical magnification. There is digital magnification too. Under f11 a sensitivity of the camcorder is 2000 lux. AG-DVX100E is provided with by optical stabilizer and provides the gain up to +18 dB. Amongst wide assortment of camcorder functions it is necessary to note the automatic maintenance of the white balance (ATW — Automatic Tracing White). The operator can choose either to use 0.44" viewfinder or 3.5" color LCD-display with 200-point resolution. It is possible to bring into sharp either in automatic, or in manual mode. Same pertains and to iris control. For picture correction the camcorder has two built-in filters.

It is necessary to say several words about lens. This model is Leica Dicomar, created on base of technologies by Leica Camcorder AG. The lens consists of 15 optical elements, united in 11 groups. This unit includes three aspheric lens which provide the clear clean picture with transmission of the most slightest details and tone. Laminated covering on the lenses allows disposing of glare and reflections.

The shooting in 25p mode with “cinema” gamma-curve allows getting the picture which will be very close to cinematographic. In general camcorder can apply in two modes:

• 25p: 25 frames/sec, progressive scanning;
• 50i: 50 fields/sec, interlacing scanning;

As to curve of gamma-correction, here are four choices:

• Cine-like: picture in traditional cinema style;
• Low: high contrast picture;
• Norm: picture of standard quality;
• High: bright picture with soft contrast and perfected transmission of tones in dark areas.

Recording of video material is carried out on built-in video MiniDV recorder. Duration of recording is 83 min. The sound is recorded in PCM-format. There is a possibility of the manual regulation of recording sound level.

Input/output: IEEE 1394, composite and Y/C (both are output only), microphone input (two channels, XLR, phantom power supply 48 V), sound output.

In standard kit are included the following accessories: network adapter, battery charger, IEEE 1394 cable, battery 1.6 Ah, remote control board. Power consumption of camcorder is 6 W; weigh is 2 kg. As additional accessory are offered different ACC (from 0.8 to 2.8 Ah), wide-angle head on lens, stereophonic mike etc.

AJ-SDX900A

Camcorder AJ-SDX900A of DVCPRO50 format is a device of another class. It is oriented on use in E-cinema. This camcorder is equipped by three 2/3" CCDs with line transfer of charge, which provide 600,000 pixels in one picture. There is the shooting mode 25p as well. Frame ratio is 16:9/4:3. The quality of the scene is defined by 12-bit digital processing. Sensitivity is 2000 lux under f13, minimum luminosity is 0.11 lux (at gain +46 dB). The camcorder provides the signal/noise ratio equal to 63 dB with camera head and more than 55 dB after recording on tape, horizontal resolution is 750 TVL.

All camcorder settings are in menu. The maintenance of the white and black balance is automatic. There is function Synchro-Scan for shooting from monitor screen, excluding flicker effect. The camcorder is also equipped by generator of the standard color bars, can work in slave mode and has an inverse video channel. The lens mounting is made with the help of standard 2/3" bayonet connector.

Settings the camcorder can be saved on memory card SD Memory Card with possibility of the following loading.

In this camcorder the 25p mode and cinematographic gamma-correction curve are realized also. There is the standard mode 50i as well. Color correction along 12 vectors allows executing color processing of picture separate areas without change the general color tone. In combination with correction on brightness and flesh-colored tone this allows to get a picture of high quality.

Recording is carried out with 50 Mbit/sec stream with possibility of the switching to 25 Mbit/sec. Recording of PCM-sound on four channels is executed in dynamic range 88 dB. There is possibility of sound receiver UniSlot installation. As options it is possibility for recording of metadata. There is function of preliminary record (pre-recording). The device is equipped by unit for generating/reading of time code VITC EBU/SMPTE. AJ-SDX900A is able to provide a full-color reproducing of the recorded material without any adapter. Herewith (as during shooting) a sound is transferring on built-in monitor. Also, there is output on earphones. The mike connector with phantom power supply 48 V is provided. Besides it is possible the output module SDI to install.

Inputs: linear and mic on sound, synchronizing, connections of the receiver, time code, power supply.

Outputs: video composite, sound, time code, on earphones, power supply. Power consumption of the camcorder is 32 W, it weight is about 6.6 kg.

No doubt, that the top of the Panasonic creation in sphere of the camcorders is the camcorder of the high resolution DVCPROHD AJ-HDC27FE Varicam. Built on base three 2/3" CCDs, this camcorder allows to execute the shooting from 4 to 60 frames/sec. This camcorder is specially created for D-cinema theaters.

AJ-HDC27FE Varicam

But now it is necessary to tell about this camcorder in more detail. Its CCDs provide 1,000,000 pixels resolution. The improved algorithm for digital signal processing is used. The total number of frame rates at shooting is 56. In 24p mode the sensitivity is 2000 lux under f12, in 60p mode is 2000 lux under f10. The function Cine-Gamma provides the picture of cinematographic quality. Also, there is the switchability to standard gamma-correction curve. As concern to “cinema” gamma-correction curve there are two on choices. Cine Gamma is used when following transfer of the picture to film will be made by ARRIlaser, but Tele Gamma is used when for film printing the CRT-based devices are used.

For installation of cinema lens Ultra Prime on camcorder the additional adapter is used. In this case a special camcorder circuit switches out the scan reversing.

For color correction in AJ-HDC27FE the programmed 12-vector linear matrix is applied. Shutter rate is controlled, with Synchro-Scan function. The operator has a possibility to keep up to 8 files with settings, 4 of them are kept in internal memory of the camcorder, and other 4 are kept on SD Memory Card. There is possibility of the use od cinema accessories produced by ARRI, Chrosziel and many others.

10-step gain system allows raising sensitivity within the range from -6 to +30 dB, but in Super Gain mode it increases up to +36 dB. In arsenal of the camcorder are six velocities of electronic shutter actions (1/100, 1/120, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 and 1/2000 with) plus possibility of the fluent change to velocities within range from 0.8 to 97.2%. Color rendition of camcorder is improved due to possibility of the choice of the shooting mode depending on applicable lamps in lighting equipping: either incandescent lamps or daylight lamps. Naturally, camcorder is equipped by light filters.

The camcorders are carried out a recording in 720/60p format with 100 Mbit/sec stream. Maximum recording time is 46 min. There is function for loop recording. Output is HD-SDI.

As additional accessories this camcorder can complete by the converter of the frame rate, standard resolution output/lowering converter, 2" viewfinder and many others.

AJ-HDC27FE consumes 39W (with 1,5" viewfinder) and weighs 6.8 kg.

In termination of the paper about new camcorder of the company Panasonic it is necessary to note that assortment of the models of the shooting equipment of this company allows to solve the most varied tasks both in televisions and digital movie theaters as well. Moreover, all more often TV- and cinema functions are combined in one device at one or another degree. This is the evidence, the first, of steady trend in greater spreading of digital cinema, and, secondly, of that that company Panasonic not only closely traces the modern trends, but sometimes even mildly overtakes them, and immediately reacts on the slightest change of TV market, offering corresponding equipment and technologies.

Material provided by representation of Panasonic (CIS) Ou