Is Panasonic Still interested in the LT?
- Thread starter Alex Roz
- Start date
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Panasonic is very much interested in the future of the VariCam LT. We will have some news on firmware updates and other things soon.
Jarek Zabczynski
Veteran
Interesting. Rumormill hints at Panasonic quitting the pro cine market.
fboonzaier
Well-known member
Just watch Netflix, which is really becoming the biggest studio....lots of work on the LT, Varicam and Pure....I doubt that after R&D and everything going on in developing a line Panasonic will now quit their Cine Lne....and thestuff I see on Netflix is stunning. I'm waiting to purchase an LT...it will be a while, but it's still my number one choice over any other camera on the market!
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Yeah, so I spent my morning tracking this one down. Turns out to be a "word on the street" and "I heard it from this guy" sorta thing.
It has no basis in reality. Panasonic has not abandoned the VariCams and is not giving up on development in Pro Cinema. We do have a number of products across various parts of the market (camcorders, live sports, PTZ for corporate/EDU, etc.) and we only have a finite amount of engineering resources. So we need to give our different product lines attention at different times. But that doesn’t mean we will not be continuing in the Pro Cinema space. Not at all.
In fact I'm happy to report that we will have a firmware update soon that will add features to the current cameras. And development continues for future products.
Jarek Zabczynski
Veteran
Good to know!!!
The Varicam 35 seems like it's in a pretty good place, Panasonic just hasn't made a splash into the full frame world so people are overreacting.
If the camera manufacturers would improve codecs, internal raw recording, dynamic range, image quality (moire, sensor issues, sensor readout time, colour and so on), quality control, design and features, they would make a lot more people happy than adding a couple of pixles and increasing sensor size.
I hope that Panasonic will do that instead of follow suit.
I hope that Panasonic will do that instead of follow suit.
This is basically what Arri does. What we need is more companies thinking like Arri.
Alex Derrick
Active member
Arri seems to understands that increasing megapixels doesn't necessarily create a better image. The rest are just cashing in on the gear thirst that people have every 6-18 months. And resolution is an easy way to make something feel new. Waiting to see what Blackmagic does at NAB this year. Full frame 8k for $8000 but still the same crappy colors :laugh:
NorBro
Major Contributor
There are like 5 things wrong with this statement, but I'll just leave it at that, haha.
Nice, any date? Can we expect better codecs or HFR in 4K?
Mitch Gross
Veteran
We're adding HDR functionality to the camera.
You mean HDR monitoring?
Mitch Gross
Veteran
I mean live HDR output via HLG. Increasingly asked for.
I
Ah? I read the 5 pages of the «*feature requests for the LT*» thread and I didnt see anything about that. Mostly better codec and better HFR request. Well it now seems obvious that Panasonic is working on the LT2 and that we can’t expect as much as the EVA1 regarding the features that really interest people.
Ah? I read the 5 pages of the «*feature requests for the LT*» thread and I didnt see anything about that. Mostly better codec and better HFR request. Well it now seems obvious that Panasonic is working on the LT2 and that we can’t expect as much as the EVA1 regarding the features that really interest people.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
First off, there is no replacement to the VariCam LT coming around the corner. I have to stomp such rumors every other week. They're generally based on nothing.
Second, while Panasonic definitely does listen to the users who post on this forum, it certainly is not the one and only place we go to for such feedback. We have people around the world talking to interested clients all the time. In fact this forum constitutes a tiny fraction of owners and most of the participants here are from just one facet of production, while VariCam clients in general encompass several others.
Third, just because something is asked for does not necessarily mean it will happen. Sometimes the camera's architecture won't allow it. Sometimes we ask others about such features and find that the demand expressed one place is not matched by others. Sometimes certain features will take a great deal of time to develop and enable, and they cannot be the first delivered or possibly have to put on a lower priority relative to desired features that are easier to implement.
You are our clients and we do care about what you want from our products, but you are not our only clients. If a bunch of cameras can be sold because some people really need a specific feature then we'd be fools not to listen to that. It's a constant balancing act.
Development on the VariCam lineup continues. I know that HDR output will come in the next release and I have permission to share that publicly. I don't know what else will be in the next release and I don't know how long it will be until another release after this one. But the work continues.