1.51 Firmware Released - Press Release enclosed

B

Barry_Green

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The 1.51 firmware was released a little while ago, with the new "Natural" color palette. They just sent me the press release, so I'm including it here:

Panasonic Announces Firmware Upgrade for AG-DVX200PJ 4K Handheld Camcorder

NEWARK, NJ (March 28, 2015) – Panasonic has announced that a firmware upgrade for its AG-DVX200PJ 4K large-sensor, 4/3” handheld camcorder is immediately available. The upgrade,
free to DVX200PJ customers, is labeled Ver. 1.51 and can be downloaded at http://eww.pass.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/support/content/download/EN/ep2main/soft/upgdvx200_e.htm.

The new firmware changes the default color palette of the camera to a look designed to be more natural without the need for an adjustment. The DVX200PJ’s advanced, powerful color adjustment tools and scene file settings can still be used to customize the image to the operator’s needs. End-users who have created custom looks using the previous default color settings can still use these settings by reverting to the original base color settings designated as Ver. 1.4 in the camcorder menu. The original color setting can be found by navigating to Menu > Other Functions > Color Tones.

The DVX200PJ is the first in a new generation of large sensor, multi-format professional camcorders capable of capturing 4K/UHD, HD and SD, including cinematic DCI 4K 4096x2160. The camcorder is optimized for 4K/HD production, with stunning bokeh effects and a V-Log L curve (measured at 12 stops) emulating the natural grey-scale rendition of the VariCam 35. The DVX200PJ incorporates a newly-developed 4/3” large-format MOS sensor with high sensitivity of F11, and offers variable frame rate recording from 2fps to 120fps in 1080p mode, enhancing the camcorder’s utility in sports and VFX production. The handheld 4K camcorder offers an array of professional features including a newly-designed Leica Dicomar 4K F2.8~F4.5 zoom lens (4K/24p: 29.5 mm ~ 384.9 mm, HD: 28 mm ~ 365.3mm, 35 mm equivalent) with shallow depth-of-field, time-code in/out, 3G HD-SDI and HDMI 2.0 (4K) video outs (4:2:2 10-bit video), dual XLR audio inputs and 10 programmable user buttons.

For more information about the AG-DVX200PJ, visit us.panasonic.com/dvx200. For more information about Panasonic professional video products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast or contact Panasonic at 877-803-8492.
 
Barry, I currently have firmware 1.4 with your GH4 scene files installed - big improvement from factory. My question is when I go to firmware 1.5 will that just give your GH4 scene files a new look? (improved color) Thanks for all your work in making this camera what it can be.

-John
 
You can keep the same look as you have today, or you can turn on the "natural" color profile which will change the color rendering substantially. As to whether you like it better that way or not, that's a matter of subjective taste. But the key point is that you won't lose anything by upgrading; you can always use the "1.4" palette and the existing scene files and get footage exactly like what you're currently getting.
 
Would I be turning on the "natural" color profile to the existing GH4 scenes that I have now or is it a whole new set of scene files that have better color representation.
 
jpvid said:
Would I be turning on the "natural" color profile to the existing GH4 scenes that I have now or is it a whole new set of scene files that have better color representation.
Click to expand...

It's a new set. There's an option in the "Other Function" menu called Color Tone. From there you have 2 options - 1.4 or Natural. 1.4 is your scene files exactly as they are now and Natural switches you to the new set of scene files. So whatever you had before is based on the old firmware and remains that way. In my opinion this is great because it is the first time you can store two sets of scene files on the camera at once without the need of storing them on an SD card. So if I'm on location with formatted cards and I decide I want to dip in to the old scene files for whatever reason, or a completely different set saved on the 1.4 option, I can now do that. Nice workaround from Panasonic.
 
Brad Forman said:
I don't think that's actually the case. The firmware created a new color pallette, not new scene files.
Click to expand...
I agree. The numeric or text values of the scene files themselves do not change based on if you have selected 1.4 or Natural, just their visual end result when proceed through either of these two settings.
 
Ok, then you can store 12 sets of "looks" on the camera without having to reload from an SD card each time. The question was, does the new firmware affect the GH4 scene files that Barry created and apply the new look to them? The answer is no, as far as I know.
 
Yes that was my concern, I didn't want to have to load scenes from an SD card if I wanted to go back to the GH4 look. Going to update the camera later today I'll let you know what I think.
 
Let me see if I can untangle this mystery for everyone. Changing from 1.4 to Natural does not give you a different set of scene files. It only changes how those scene files stored in the camera or on the SD card get processed.

If you have Barry's GH4 scenes loaded into positions SCN1-SCN6 in the camera and you update to the new 1.51 firmware you will need to select 1.4 processing to use these scenes as Barry designed them. The reason is because they were not calibrated with the new Natural processing that the camera is now doing so using one of his GH4 scene files in the new 1.51 could give you some strange results which you may or may not like. If you want to use the GH4 scenes as they were originally designed by Barry then the camera needs to be set to 1.4 processing. At no time does the data values in Barry's scene files change values, only the way they are visually interpreted by the camera based on if you have selected Natural or 1.4.

Going forward, lets say that you want to use the factory scene files processed through the new Natural setting, you could reset just SCENE only and then save them to your SD card in position 1. Anytime you use the factory scene files you load them into the camera from scene1.txt and set Menu > Other Functions > Color Tones to Natural. On your SD card if you have Barry's GH4 scenes stored a scene2.txt and you want to use them you would then load scene2.txt into the camera. If you do that, in order for them to look as designed then you would have to goto Menu > Other Functions > Color Tones and set it to 1.4. Switching from Natural to 1.4 does not give you two different sets of scenes, just the way the stored scenes are processed. Keep in mind that you may see differences when toggling between Natural and 1.4 but you are only seeing the difference in processed.

It's my opinion that Panasonic has resolved much of the color issues by giving us the new Natural setting. Going forward, unless you customized a scene prior to the 1.51 update or you want to use one of Barry's scene files then there should never be a reason to go back onto the 1.4 setting. Being that Barry's GH4 scene files were what turned out to be the most popular scenes of the ones that made it to the web, I'd really like to see him re-do that series in the new Natural processing and many of us would never have to worry about going back to the 1.4 setting. I think Barry has done way more that his duty when it comes to the DVX200 and we can't really ask anymore from him. So if this never happens then it's just one caveat of the update that we'll have to deal with in order to use those previous generation scene files.
 
...And that's exactly what I understand...my current setup is that I am using Barry Green's GH4 scenes in 1.4 and switching to the new natural when I want a different look, more "real". So I have 12 options at the moment. Barry's scenes that I've tweaked to my liking under the 1.4 settings and the new scenes. I'm not misunderstanding anything. I was in fact stating categorically that as Barry's files were made with the old firmware, when they are in 1.4, they are unchanged.
 
Jonny Gross said:
...And that's exactly what I understand...my current setup is that I am using Barry Green's GH4 scenes in 1.4 and switching to the new natural when I want a different look, more "real". So I have 12 options at the moment. Barry's scenes that I've tweaked to my liking under the 1.4 settings and the new scenes. I'm not misunderstanding anything. I was in fact stating categorically that as Barry's files were made with the old firmware, when they are in 1.4, they are unchanged.
Click to expand...

You are correct. You will have 12 different looking SCN's based on which position you have toggled in the new firmware.

I guess my concern with doing that is that Barry probably calibrated those scenes on the Vectorscope by looking at real GH4 scenes and then using the same image shot on the DVX200 and placing it in the same spots on the Vectorscope in the earlier firmware. Running them through the new Natural mode may no longer place the image on the same part of the scope which means that they won't match the GH4 as closely as they will when processed via the 1.4 mode. If you're not trying to match a GH4 and you like the look of one of the scenes processed through the 1.51 Natural mode then there would be no problem using them that way.

I guess Barry will have to answer the question if the scene is in fact skewed on the scope when processed via one option to the other. I am by no means a Vectorscope expert but being that this new feature processes colors differently, I'd have to say that there would be a difference. We may even be able to tell that ourselves by switching to scope mode and comparing. I'll have to look next time I have my camera handy.
 
Yeah, at this time I'm not matching GH4 but I liked the looks he created. I'd love to be as versed in colour science, but that's not my field of expertise! In any case, it's lots of options.
 
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