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Panasonic Varicam LT official topic
  • PauloTeixeiraPauloTeixeira

    image

    Specs

    • 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log.
    • Dual native 800/5000 ISO
    • Weight: under 6 lb.
    • Formats: 4K, UHD, 2K and HD.
    • Apple ProRes 4444 (up to 30p), ProRes 422 HQ (up to 60p), HD, Panasonic’s AVC-ULTRA family of video codecs.
    • Support for the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES)
    • ND filters: CLEAR, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8
    • Optional OLED EVF with optical zoom
    • 24-bit LPCM audio in-camera
    • Focus Assist
    • Hot swap for power (on-board and external power)
    • IR (for scenes even darker than ISO 5000 can handle).
    • Anamorphic lens de-squeeze
    • Special REC functions (PreRec, interval, one-shot)
    • IP control via Panasonic’s AK-HRP200 camera remote controller
    • Built-in GPS
    • 3G-HD-SDI x 3 (SDI-OUT X 2 and VF)
    • LAN
    • Genlock in
    • timecode in/out
    • USB2.0 Host and USB2.0 Device (mini B)
    • three XLR inputs (one 5-pin, two 3-pin) for four channels of 24-bit, 48KHz audio
    • tough magnesium body

    old

    Seams like a new camera is about to be revealed.

    image

  • 95 Replies sorted by
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Well it is even visible that it is their new Varicam thing, can be released in next 2 years :-)

  • TronTron

    Hopefully Panasonic's answer to the FS5/FS7. On Feb 7th it will be exactly 2 years since the GH4 was announced, I wonder if the GH5 will also be revealed.

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    I'm afraid it will be priced higher than FS5/FS7, by peaking at what is under that sheet I'd guesstimate it is more a F5/F55 competitor and will be priced accordingly. Maybe a smaller one to serve the same niche for the Varicam as the Alexa Mini does the for the bigger Arri cameras? That seems very likely to me.

  • nobbystylusnobbystylus

    I really hope there is the option for MFT mount as well as PL mount or some kind of JVC LS300 like Variable Scan type thing for using lots of lenses...

  • RRRogerRRRoger

    Evidently JVC is not cannibalizing sales of upper end products with their LS300.

    I think Panasonic is afraid of that.

    I hope they do come out with a better low light MFT mount competitor to that for less than $5000.

    I doubt it will be a VariCam.

  • TronTron

    @RRRoger The AF100 is long past its prime and ripe for a refresh. Last I heard the Varicam 35 wasn't exactly flying off the shelf, it's more a camera marketed to premium Hollywood rental houses at upwards of $55K a pop. Panasonic would be better off fearing the lower to midrange competition's cameras which sell in higher volume and directly affect the brand perception of aspiring filmmakers (tomorrow's commercial directors and DPs).

  • bannedindvbannedindv

    My prediction : Alexa Mini competitor , under $20k

    This is not the $5000 camcorder you're looking for.

  • TrackZillasTrackZillas

    Way too.. many cameras coming out it's like fast food. I'm good for a while with the camera I own, working on my craft is a better investment & saving lots and lots of money in the process.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    PR

    Panasonic today unveiled the VariCam LT, representing the next generation of 4K cinema cameras. The VariCam LT camcorder inherits the same super 35mm sensor and superb imaging capabilities that distinguish the award-winning VariCam 35, but with significant reductions in size, weight and price.

    Incorporating this identical imaging “DNA” in a more compact rendition, the VariCam LT (model AU-V35LT1G) delivers 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log, and the esteemed cinematic VariCam image quality and colour science, as well as the VariCam 35’s breakout innovation, dual native ISOs of 800/5000.

    Weighing just under six pounds and having superior capability to similar sized cameras, the VariCam LT will be the ideal camera for handheld, SteadiCam, jib, crane, drone, gimbal and overall cinema verité work. The VariCam LT is likewise tailor-made for owner/operators, independent filmmakers, documentary makers and corporate production creators.

    The VariCam LT delivers superb image handling in multiple formats ranging from 4K, UHD, 2K and HD, and like the VariCam 35, is fully capable of High Dynamic Range (HDR) field capture. The new 4K camcorder offers Apple ProRes 4444 (up to 30p) and ProRes 422 HQ (up to 60p) support for HD recording, as well as Panasonic’s AVC-ULTRA family of advanced video codecs.

    New codecs introduced in the VariCam LT include AVC-Intra LT and AVC-Intra 2K-LT, both designed to offer capture rates up to 240fps in imager crop mode, ideal for sports and other fast motion footage.

    Powerful color management capabilities combined with VariCam’s extended color gamut and support for the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) workflow allow for full fidelity mastering of original source material. The VariCam LT offers in-camera color grading, with the ability to record an ungraded 4K master along with all on-set grading metadata. A new color processing feature is “V-LOOK,” which acts as a blend of V-Log and video, and allows filmic documentary acquisition without the same need for intense color grading.

    The VariCam LT differs from the VariCam 35 in being a one-piece, short-bodied camcorder vs. a two-piece camera head plus recorder. While the VariCam LT does not feature parallel sub-recording, it does have an SD slot for high-resolution proxy recording. Proxy files can be wirelessly uploaded via FTP, which facilitates wireless color grading. Variable frame rates are available with LongG6 recording.

    There is one expressP2 card for all formats including high frame rate and HD/2K/UHD and 4K recording (the 256Gbyte expressP2 card can record up to 90 minutes of 4K/4:2:2/23.98p content). RAW output from SDI is planned to be supported by a firmware upgrade in early summer 2016.

    The VariCam LT features an EF mount (vs. the VariCam 35’s PL mount), suitable for the wide array of lenses available for smaller cameras.* The EF mount can be switched out to a robust standard PL mount, expanding the range of compatible lenses that can be used. The control panel can be separated from the camera body to facilitate real-time control and easy menu access. The camcorder has a production-tough magnesium body to assure durability and reliability in challenging shooting locations.

    Other features new to the VariCam LT are power hot swap, IR shooting (further enhancing the camcorder’s extreme low-light capture at ISO 5000), 23.98 PsF output, and image presets as scene files.

    Among the camcorder’s top-level production assets are ND filters (CLEAR, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8), an optional OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) with optical zoom functionality, 24-bit LPCM audio for in-camera audio master recording, Focus Assist, anamorphic lens de-squeeze, special REC functions (PreRec, interval, one-shot), IP control via Panasonic’s AK-HRP200 camera remote controller, and built-in GPS.

    Professional interfaces include: 3G-HD-SDI x 3 (SDI-OUT X 2 and VF), LAN, genlock in, timecode in/out, USB2.0 Host and USB2.0 Device (mini B), and three XLR inputs (one 5-pin, two 3-pin) to record four channels of 24-bit, 48KHz audio.

    The VariCam LT will be available at the end of March in two packages, suggested list price $18,000 (body only) and suggested list price $24,000 (body + AU-VCVF10G viewfinder).

  • PauloTeixeiraPauloTeixeira

    Where is the official site that has the press release and photos?

    Anyway, the media event doesn't start until 7pm PST

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    It is PR that Panasonic US published for short time :-)

  • PauloTeixeiraPauloTeixeira

    Thanks. On Twitter, I saw people linking to a Panasonic site that didn't show anything. In that case, somebody at Panasonic released info too soon when they weren't supposed to. I was busy earlier today and so I couldn't get to the site on time when they first posted it.

  • PauloTeixeiraPauloTeixeira

    This guy will be tweeting info and then a blog post about the camera will be up after the show.
    https://twitter.com/TheVaricam/status/697618927128412160

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    haha, they tweeted 3 minutes ago "not yet unveiled" but we've all known about it from leaked info since hours and hours ago!!

    https://twitter.com/TheVaricam/status/697624856842481664

    If I stick with my F3 for another 3yrs maybe by then a Varicam LT will have dropped down to a price I can afford :-D ;-) As the VariCam LT looks like a fantastic owner op camera but rather too pricey for me by far at US$24k :-o However still significantly cheaper than the F3's RRP with S-log RGB444 was initially!

  • PauloTeixeiraPauloTeixeira

    Here's the official site: http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/varicam/lt/index.html

    Video:

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    "..The EF mount*1 can be removed by an end user.."

    Fantastic!!! Won't need to be sent into a service center.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The Odyssey supports RAW from more cameras than any other device in the industry.”said Mike Schell, President, Convergent Design. “The VariCam LT is a great camera and an important one in the Panasonic line, and we’re proud to include it in the Odyssey RAW Bundle for the Odyssey7Q and Odyssey7Q+. Odyssey will support all frame rates and resolutions available for output from the Varicam LT.

  • Ralph_BRalph_B

    I just saw the Varicam LT at the Panasonic unveiling at the Director's Guild in Hollywood. I had a feeling they were going to create an Alexa killer, and they did. We saw a five minute narrative film shot in a variety of lighting conditions and projected on the big screen. As good as it looked, the real treat was when we stepped into a smaller theater next door and saw it displayed on a high dynamic range monitor. WOW!

    It's hard to imagine any photographic image looking better than this. The entire film was shot in Vlog, and for the first time you could see that full 14+ stops of dynamic range reproduced at something approaching it's true brightness range. Fluorescent lights in the scene looked like real lights - almost hurting your eyes. It created a sense of three dimensionality and space that was better than any 3D movie. This room was filled with film industry veterans, and everybody was genuinely impressed.

    About the price - $18,000 for the body + a removable data screen that also doubles as a small monitor. $2,000 for a 256 GB P2 device. $6,000 for the viewfinder, however a Panasonic rep was quick to point out that you don't need to use their viewfinder. You can plug in anything you want.

    Panasonic knocked it out of the park.

  • TronTron

    @Ralph_B Sounds like a solid competitor in the upper mid range market. The image seems to be every bit as good as the Varicam 35, can't wait to check out more content from this camera. I wonder if we'll see the V-Look profile in the GH5, it looks very filmic without being too flat (easy to grade and monitor without a LUT).

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

  • jleojleo

    http://www.fdtimes.com/2016/02/10/panasonic-varicam-lt/

  • RRRogerRRRoger

    Native ISO 5000. This could be the camera for me. Where do I get "Hands On"? I wonder if someone will machine an FE, MFT or Nikkor mount to bolt in? Otherwise the only option for me is EF to Nikon adapter. I hate Canon lens. I am not paying $1300 more for the PL mount.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

  • IronFilmIronFilm

    @RRRoger I'm very confident third parties will quickly come up with a Nikon F mount!

  • Ralph_BRalph_B

    @RRRoger Why do you hate Canon lenses? Just curious.

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