Panasonic Varicam 35

discomandavis

Specs:
-S35MM 4096 X 2160 Advanced MOS Imager
-14+ Stops of Latitude
-Variable Frame Rate — 1 to 120 fps in 4K(VRAW)
-Records simultaneous 4K/ 2K/Proxy, or UHD/HD/Proxy + Raw to Codex (option)
-Apple ProRes 4:4:4:4 and ProRes HQ Built-in
-AVC-Intra Codecs -- Class 100 / Class 200 / Class 4:4:4
-2-piece Modular Design (docks to AU-VREC1G recording module)
-Dual-Native ISOs

Retails at, $55,000

Brochure: ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/provideo/varicam_35/varicam-35_brochure.pdf
Manual: ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/provideo/varicam_35/varicam-35_oi.pdf

Video Series on the camera:
Part 1, Overview:

Part 2, Hands On:

Part 3, VRaw:

Part4, Workflow:

Part 5, Wireless CDL:

Part 6, Dual ISO Demonstration:

Part 7, Theo Van De Sande Review:

Part 8, QA &Acknowledgements:

discomandavis

Emmanuel Pampuri got his hands on this camera and posted some interesting footage. He shot at the new codec, AVCUltra 4:2:2. He posted a Pro-Res 4:2:2 HQ version of the footage (that originated from AVCUltra) that we can download and play with. I included the link below, to download the footage.

I downloaded this footage, and toyed around with it, I must say this camera has a really nice image. Like they mention in the videos, they have managed to turn their noise into grain. This camera doesn't have noise, it has grain. I agree with this with one caveat, that being the AVCUltra. They boast in video #4 that AVCUltra is a fraction of the size of ProRes blahblahblah. To do this there is always a sacrifice, and they are lying if they say it doesn't. In playing with emmanuel's footage I found that when I used advanced coloring techniques it introduced a lot of saturation noise (not grain, sorry varicam) in the darks and lower mids. Clearly a codec issue.... Fortunately the camera offers ProRes recording as well. I am curious to see how they stack up in some tests, if my suspicions are correct the PR will not have this issue.

Due to what I suspect is a codec issue with the AVCUltra codec, I am very anxious to see what the quality is on the V-Raw.

Dual ISO looks pretty incredible! Can't believe no one has tried it before, I love it when an idea is so simple in nature, but no one has thought of it yet. I may be mistaken, maybe it has been thought of and Pan. are the first ones to pull it off, but as far as I know its the first time it has been thought of.

The color science is Vari nice ;) did you see what I did there? I am liking V-Log, and would love to see it available on my GH4, would make the GH4 the perfect companion camera (for drone work, or a throwaway cam for stunts etc.) These two would make a killer duo on a feature.

This is a very long winded review, based of a very small test. Would love to get my hands on some V-Raw, and some ProRes from this camera winkwink panasonic. Or better yet a loaner to test out! I may have to wait til it hits the rental houses... certainly don't have $55,000 just lying around.