VaricamLT: Cinema5D : Is the Panasonic Varicam LT a Game-Changer?

Bill really loves the camera and it fundamentally changed the way he shoots. It's amazing what he can do with the tiniest amount of gear. Smaller fixtures doesn't just mean a smaller truck. It also means no dragging around a generator and no running huge lines of feeder cable. Bill gets more time to shoot in a day v. Time wasted dealing with support basics like running cable and unpacking 18-wheelers.
 
Did sound on a short film with a Panasonic Varicam LT earlier this year, and yeah the DoP was able to run quite a small lighting package.

Was the first time the DoP was doing a film with the Varicam LT, and had borrowed it as he wanted to give it a spin before deciding 100% or not to buy one himself.

He has gone for it! Has sold his Sony FS7 workhorse, and has been shooting with the Varicam LT now for a couple of months.
 
Interesting interview, should we understand that he is a paid spokesperson for Panasonic? Seemed like that was sort of quickly mentioned at the beginning? I ask this in the interest of fair play and to put the video in context. i was very interested in his description of lighting and grip packages especially the joeleko which I had not heard of previously.
 
JoLeko is a standard part of my packages. The caveats are that the globe is not perfectly matched to the Leko optics, so you can't get as fine a hard edge as the standard tungsten leko if that is desired. And the Jokers being older HMI tech, they don't hot strike which has held us up a few times. But overall they are super helpful, just as the standard ones are--great for filling a bounce card cleanly or a ceiling bounce etc.

I agree with much of what Wages discusses although I can't say as I have been able to cut down my exterior packages notably with the Varicam, that's a function of dynamic range that I don't see as being substantially different than other cameras. The sun is still just as bright as it ever was and if I need to combat/augment/recreate it, I still need the big guns to do so.
 
Thanks for the link TheDingo, I had visited it just after reading the post. And thanks as always Charles for your sage input, we work in very different worlds and it is always sweet for me to see how the other half lives '>)
My kit has to be very different and my work in a very different market and profile. When needed I hit the rental houses if needed for instruments that don't fit in my two checked pieces of luggage. Have worked with Jokers and Lekos, never the hybrid. Thanks again.
 
BrianMurphy said:
Interesting interview, should we understand that he is a paid spokesperson for Panasonic? Seemed like that was sort of quickly mentioned at the beginning? I ask this in the interest of fair play and to put the video in context. i was very interested in his description of lighting and grip packages especially the joeleko which I had not heard of previously.
Click to expand...

Bill Wages, ASC is not a paid spokesperson for Panasonic and he is a man of great integrity who would not endorse the camera unless he really believed in it. In fact he has such enthusiasm for the VariCam that he gifts his time to speak about the VariCam. He's presented workshops across the country and frankly we sometimes feel a bit guilty about taking his time but he loves the camera and feels so profoundly about it that he says that as long as he's available he's happy to share his experience. He did say that there was one slightly selfish reason, which is that if he can get enough people to shoot VariCam that it will then become so ubiquitous that he'll never have to convince a production to let him shoot with the camera.

Personally we're all for this sort of thinking. :-)
 
This not a judgement, was this gentleman given a Varicam LT or any kind of discount? Just curious how the industry works... Again, not a judgement on Panasonic or this man. :)
 
Mitch Gross said:
Bill Wages, ASC is not a paid spokesperson for Panasonic and he is a man of great integrity who would not endorse the camera unless he really believed in it. In fact he has such enthusiasm for the VariCam that he gifts his time to speak about the VariCam. He's presented workshops across the country and frankly we sometimes feel a bit guilty about taking his time but he loves the camera and feels so profoundly about it that he says that as long as he's available he's happy to share his experience. He did say that there was one slightly selfish reason, which is that if he can get enough people to shoot VariCam that it will then become so ubiquitous that he'll never have to convince a production to let him shoot with the camera.

Personally we're all for this sort of thinking. :-)
Click to expand...
Thanks Mitch,
No insult was meant. Just good to clarify endorsements as endorsements. Far too many blogs out there whose reviews and motives seem questionable.
Cheers and Happy New Year with much success in your new journey.
Brian
 
Bassman2003 said:
This not a judgement, was this gentleman given a Varicam LT or any kind of discount? Just curious how the industry works... Again, not a judgement on Panasonic or this man. :)
Click to expand...

No, Bill has productions rent the cameras from local rental houses just as many others do. When he first expressed interest in the camera we arranged a demo & test, and that's something we do for many people. It's something I've offered here and do so again: anyone seriously interested in demoing a VariCam please feel free to contact me directly.
 
BrianMurphy said:
Thanks Mitch,
No insult was meant. Just good to clarify endorsements as endorsements. Far too many blogs out there whose reviews and motives seem questionable.
Cheers and Happy New Year with much success in your new journey.
Brian
Click to expand...

No insult taken and I'm happy to clarify the relationship. Bill really does love the camera. It's a vital tool to him now.
 
Mitch Gross said:
No, Bill has productions rent the cameras from local rental houses just as many others do. When he first expressed interest in the camera we arranged a demo & test, and that's something we do for many people. It's something I've offered here and do so again: anyone seriously interested in demoing a VariCam please feel free to contact me directly.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mitch. A lot of us love Panasonic cameras. I was happy to tell anybody that would listen after I got my PX270s how good they were/are!
 
I've only been able to use the Varicam on a couple of jobs, but seriously thought about investing in one. On a documentary we were on a pier at night and used the existing lamps and a 1x1 dimmed down quite low and got super clean images. Really astounding.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top