Every once in a while, a product comes along that really opens your eyes. That's exactly what happened when we took delivery of the first production model of Panasonic's variable frame rate HD camera, the AJ-HDC27V.
To be honest, on paper the specs for 720p cameras aren't all that impressive. We saw an engineering version of this camera a few months ago, and although we were impressed with the concepts behind the camera, the pictures lacked the sparkle we like to give to our productions. Then the production model arrived, and we were blown away. According to the numbers, it shouldn't be this good. But the camera's electronics and algorithms are well thought out and well executed.
There are several outstanding features that mark this new tool as a dramatic step forward in the current world of HD motion picture making. Among those are the ability to shoot variable frame rates within a 60fps constant recording and the elaborate array of menu options, allowing extraordinarily precise camera setups. The image quality is superb. This is, after all, the reason we work in HD. Not since the days of the original, full bandwidth HD cameras have I seen pictures as aesthetically pleasing as what this camera achieves.
The overall tonal range and contrast ratio, for example, are very wide, with the truest flesh tones that I've seen. Why's that? The camera utilizes a 12-pole color matrix that allows for very specific colors to be realized.
The camera also features new digital signal processing circuitry, which gives incredibly precise control over color, detail, and gamma processing. You can save any camera setting you create in two ways. Either by defining up to four in-camera settings, or you can use 8MB memory cards to store as many camera setups as you like. Another advantage of the memory cards: They save a tremendous amount of time if you need to set up multiple cameras.
The camera electronics make it extremely sensitive. When we first got the camera, I skimmed through the paperwork and barely noticed that the camera has an equivalent film rating of ASA 1000. We were recently on location doing a fashion shoot for Macy's. About 10 minutes after the sun set, we were getting a shot ready. While we hadn't set any lights, I looked at the lens and noticed I was still at F/8. The gain wasn't on, and the picture was as clean (noiseless) as it had been all day. It was sunset, but in the viewfinder, it looked like 2:00 in the afternoon. This sensitivity to light hasn't ever been available in the world of HD before, and it will really add a lot of flexibility to the way we work.
The fact that this camera records at variable frame rates is what is generating all the buzz. In practice, the AJ-HDC27V operates very much like a film camera. At present, it records from 1-fps to 33-fps in single step increments, and then 36-, 40-, 60-fps. Below 24-fps, we're in the world of in-camera special effects like smearing, “warp speed,” and other ghosting effects. These effects were fun to have on the fashion shoot. At 24-fps with a 1/48 second shutter speed, the camera emulates the characteristics of a film camera with a 180-degree shutter. Frame rates above 30-fps are useful for scenes with more action or sublime slo-mos.
We also recently completed a music video for Bond, four young women who perform as a “pop-classical” string quartet. Because of the energy of their performance, we chose 30-fps as the base frame rate to record, as 24-fps isn't fast enough to handle even minimal movement. But (with a tip of the hat to Sting's “Wrapped Around Your Finger”), we also recorded the performances while running the playback at double speed and set the camera to record at 60-fps. In post, we played back these performances at half speed, achieving a flawless slow-motion effect in time with the music.
While the camera operates at multiple frame rates, the on-board VTR and the HD-SDI output operate at a constant frame rate. The VTR records at 60-fps progressive scan. If you have the camera set to 1-fps, the VTR records the same frame 60 times each second. 2-fps records one frame 30 times and the next frame 30 times each second. 24-fps utilizes the classic 3:2 pulldown recording method. This technique generates pad frames — frames that are used to pad the data to create a constant 60-fps on the recording.
By keeping the frame rate at a constant 60-fps, the material integrates very simply into existing post-production systems, regardless of the frame rate at which the material was shot. Audio (recorded on 30 fps DATs) syncs up easily; time code is constant; everything in the post world goes more smoothly. And if you want to take footage shot at 24-fps to film or into a 24-fps post environment, the pad frames are all flagged and easily removed.
While the on-board recorder is good, it is still “mezzanine” level HD recording. Mezzanine level has become the de facto portable camcorder acquisition standard. However, to make a mezzanine level recording, there's quite a bit of pre-filtering, which immediately knocks your resolution down. That is why, more often than not, we take the HD-SDI output of the camera and record to a D-5 VTR, bypassing the prefiltering circuits. This extra headroom is extremely helpful, especially when we're doing compositing.
While it's hard to get into all of the details of how the camera operates, the menu options available provide an enormous number of parameters with which to create images exactly as you wish.
What may be most exciting about this camera? We are early in its lifecycle. This is a 1st generation camera. Because of the feature set built into it today, we are clearly embarking on a new fork in the road of camera design. I can't wait to see what lies ahead. I have always been most excited about this business when there was a dramatic turn in the design of a product. That's what got me into HD in the first place back in 1985. It's all about having the best possible tools to support the creative process.
