VaricamLT: 2K240p RAW coming for VariCam LT

M

Mitch Gross

Veteran
Announced today: VariCam LT will get 2K240p RAW output in a free update scheduled for June. This signal will be recordable by the Convergent Odyssey7Q+, which will add the capability to it's RAW Bundle in a free firmware update, also scheduled for June.

When outputting 2K RAW at any frame rate, internal compressed video recording is also available on the VariCam LT. The 2K RAW frame is a center cut window from the VariCam LT's 4K Super-35 sensor, avoiding any artifacting that can occur from downrezzing from 4K to 2K in RAW.
 
Sweet! Another reason to get an O7Q+

Although I do like the HDR screen on the Atomos recorders. Fingers crossed Convergent Design announces a HDR display at NAB
 
When recording RAW from the Varicam LT, is there a 2K DNG record option on the 7Q+ that uses the full frame data (when output on the SDI of the Varicam is set to 12bit 4K) at all the normal frame rates: 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 (NOT HFR), that would a very useful option for projects that do not need to finish in 4K but we can still get RAW workflow? I am guessing this is a question for Convergent Design, or Panasonic? Since this not dealing with HFR, would it fall within the processing power of the Odyssey?
 
No, this is not available. It would mean a LOT of work sampling and chopping up the original 4K frame in order to create a 2K out of it. You can't do a standard down convert of a RAW frame because the color information isn't there yet -- you're still looking at a Bayer pattern. Slicing that up would mean a real kaleidoscopic mess. That's why the VariCam LT does a clean center extraction and other cameras only offer a line-skip version of 2K full field of view. The only other way to do it is to take the whole 4K signal, deBayer process it into a complete RGB signal, down convert it to 2K, and then finally do the insane step of RE-BAYERING the image. That's an awful lot of processing to happen in real time.
 
Milan O. said:
Mitch, is there perhaps a more precise date available for when the new firmwares will be released?
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Still testing to make sure there are no issues. Remember that this is a firmware update for both the VariCam LT as well as the Odyssey. Both companies are working together, but it does make for a double-bug hunt. Lots of t's to cross and i's to dot.
 
Thanks Mitch! I've been asked to shoot a music video soon (June 17-18) and there's a request for HFR (surprise), but we'll try to get hold of a Varicam Pure instead.
 
Mitch Gross said:
No, this is not available. It would mean a LOT of work sampling and chopping up the original 4K frame in order to create a 2K out of it. You can't do a standard down convert of a RAW frame because the color information isn't there yet -- you're still looking at a Bayer pattern. Slicing that up would mean a real kaleidoscopic mess. That's why the VariCam LT does a clean center extraction and other cameras only offer a line-skip version of 2K full field of view. The only other way to do it is to take the whole 4K signal, deBayer process it into a complete RGB signal, down convert it to 2K, and then finally do the insane step of RE-BAYERING the image. That's an awful lot of processing to happen in real time.
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I recently got feedback from a slimRAW + Varicam LT user. He was using the 4K-to-2K Bayer downscale in slimraw on a narrative short. They used lossless compression in slimraw, so data shrank to around 8:1. He was very satisfied with the results. Not sure if this would translate well to hardware/firmware, but slimraw sort of mixes the two steps you describe in a single Bayer-to-Bayer down-interpolation (nothing too fancy, cause it is really supposed to be used for proxies) and the processing needed is probably offset by the reduced output. I still think that for reducing data footprint it is best to just do a lossy compression pass (instead of downscale), but apparently some people like the smaller resolution since it needs less processing resources in post.
 
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