VaricamLT: Questions and Feature Requests for the Varicam LT

A few other things that came to mind today...Can we continue to make changes to the DIR VOL CTRL function, the one that allows the iris dial to change audio levels? I'd love to make it so that we can choose which channel it's affecting, rather then both...Maybe have 3 settings, press once for channel 1, a second time for channel 2, a third time for both, and 4th press deactivates it? And maybe we can make it so it affects either the body iris dial OR the handgrip? That way I can leave it active all the time and still have iris control on electronic lenses. Also, any chance we can add another indicator to the EVF showing exactly how much I'm changing the values? If you're on a shoot where you don't have audio consistently coming through, sometimes your only reference when adjusting the levels is what the value is and what you estimate you need it to be...IE If I have it at 60 and know that I need to cut it in half, being able to see those numbers in the EVF while I'm adjusting the iris dial would be very helpful. It's minor but, for me, this function is more hassle then it's worth in it's current implementation.

One other dumb nitpicky thing - Any chance we can get a P2 reader that doesn't need a separate power input? I assume no, but figured I'd ask. The current reader can be a real pain on the road with my MBP, both USB ports get taken up by the reader unless I have an outlet close by, which isn't always the case.
 
SKP said:
I like that also!! And can they give the dial knob,when in view-mode, the ability to change the iris of the lens. Implement this and it is the ultimate Wildlife-camera!
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That's a good idea, or to set it to be either volume input or headphone output while in viewmode.


jaypass said:
A few other things that came to mind today...Can we continue to make changes to the DIR VOL CTRL function, the one that allows the iris dial to change audio levels? I'd love to make it so that we can choose which channel it's affecting, rather then both...Maybe have 3 settings, press once for channel 1, a second time for channel 2, a third time for both, and 4th press deactivates it? And maybe we can make it so it affects either the body iris dial OR the handgrip? That way I can leave it active all the time and still have iris control on electronic lenses. Also, any chance we can add another indicator to the EVF showing exactly how much I'm changing the values? If you're on a shoot where you don't have audio consistently coming through, sometimes your only reference when adjusting the levels is what the value is and what you estimate you need it to be...IE If I have it at 60 and know that I need to cut it in half, being able to see those numbers in the EVF while I'm adjusting the iris dial would be very helpful. It's minor but, for me, this function is more hassle then it's worth in it's current implementation.

One other dumb nitpicky thing - Any chance we can get a P2 reader that doesn't need a separate power input? I assume no, but figured I'd ask. The current reader can be a real pain on the road with my MBP, both USB ports get taken up by the reader unless I have an outlet close by, which isn't always the case.
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I agree. I wrote about that when I first received my camera. There really should be some sort of indicator which gives a numeric valute of the audio input level, and also to activate and disable functions when the button is pressed several times. The viewfinder could show (example) CH 1: 45 or CH 4: 72 depending on how many times the button is pressed. This would really speed things up a lot. If one of the user control buttons on the controller could be set to activate audio control while in view mode it would be great, and then use the dial knob to set the value. Or if one prefers then use it as iris control. That is:
Press User button 1 once and it will activate audiocontro for channel 1 and the dial controls audio value
Press User button 1 twice and it will activate audiocontrol for channel 2 and the dial controls audio value
or to be able to set the channels to separate user buttons, including audio output

Press User button 5 will make the dial control iris
Press User button 6 and you get a image zoom function and the dial lets you move the square. If turned left it moves up and continues appears at the bottom then the top of the image is reached. If turned right the magnified image movoes to the right side of the screen and then shows up at the left side when the end of the image is reached. Since there isn't a joystick on the controller or handgrip this function would still do the job although it would take a bit more time.
 
Continuous, seamless clip playback and selected seamless clip playback. Those of us on the broadcast side really need this feature. I know it is being requested by a lot of people, my sales rep told me yesterday, after I inquired about the ability the day before, that they talked to a Panasonic engineer who said that they have been getting the request from the broadcast side, as well.

So Mitch, if you see this while you're in Japan, please let them know that someone else has requested that they give the new Vari's the same clip playback ability that the 2700's have.

I'd also like to see some tweaking to the menu and customization ability/functions. The control panel itself functions really well, but Panasonic is leaving a lot on the table, so to speak, with it.
 
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So it's time for a FW update soon. The big question (for me) is, will this be implemented?
Please, please...

It is so strange that those buttons are disabled when in view mode.


Milan O. said:
Mitch, I mentioned this to Luc Bara in January and since this feature doesn't seem to be enabled in the new FW I ask for it again because it would be very useful and should be very easy for Panasonic to do:

One of the user programmable buttons can be set to activate the six user buttons on the control panel. The problem is that they only work if that user button is pressed. That makes sense if the control panel is in it's "control mode" (or whatever it's called) but if it's set to "view" those buttons aren't doing anything. My suggestion is that those buttons are activated automatically (if one makes that choice) when in "view mode" so that one can access false colour, focus assitance and such with just a single button and also deactivate them the same way.
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Yeah last few updates have been pretty maintenance related. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we get some real usability tweaks in this next round of updates. Hopefully we aren’t all just speaking into a giant echo chamber.
 
Milan O. said:
So it's time for a FW update soon. The big question (for me) is, will this be implemented?
Please, please...

It is so strange that those buttons are disabled when in view mode.
Click to expand...

I really like this idea. Would be very useful.
 
Well sounds like the new update has new features. I wish I could say this was interesting to me but... nope. I know broadcast is a big market for Panasonic but it’s hard to get excited when there are still some big usability issues to address in non-live situations. Considering I have found one other Camera in the entirety of San Francisco, I’m not seeing a lot of people doing multi camera with the LT. Guessing this must have been requested by networks. Can’t believe Panasonic thinks owner ops will be particularly served by this.

http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/varicam/lt/schedule.html

https://www.cinema5d.com/panasonics-varicam-lt-goes-live-firmware-upgrade/
 
Saw that on New Shooter this morning. While any new features and functionality added for free are welcome, I can't say that it's a particularly exciting update for the average person that may own one. And like you, I still do not see a lot of LT's(or V35's or HS's) out in the wild. I know of ONE LT in my market and have run across one HS at a major University(the football team video dept.). I've been pulling for them, but they just haven't had the (almost universal) acceptance of the original tape and then P2 versions.

I did have to laugh a little at one of the lines in the News Shooter article, "Using the Varicam LT will provide a different look with its Super 35mm sensor and provide a number of advantages over using traditional broadcast cameras." As someone who has a broadcast background and does a lot of "s35" shooting, as well. I think "a number of advantages" may be an overstatement. Shallow DoF, which could be useful or a hindrance, should mostly be filed under "a different look". And so many, if not most 2/3" cams can do 24(23.98)P, as well. So that leaves low-light sensitivity and maybe greater dynamic range. You could say 4K, but there are 2/3" 4K broadcast cameras out there. To me, most of the "benefits" of trying to use a s35 camera in a "live, multi-cam" type environment are wiped out when you look at the limitations of s35 lenses. It could work in certain situations where there are no restrictions on camera placement(like a studio show), but things like sports, where handheld(and SteadiCam) are on very wide zoom lenses with high zoom ratios and high cameras are using very high zoom ratio/long focal length zooms, none of which exist in the s35 world(even the Canon 50-1000 isn't that long when compared to really long 2/3" glass). Yes you could use 2/3"-to-s35 adapters, but there goes any type of low light advantage, because you're going to lose ~2.5 stops with that(not to mention going back to the same "look" as a 2/3" camera, DoF wise).
 
Anyone see the new David Letterman show on Netflix? Shot on VariCam. Some other upcoming multicamera VariCam shows include the next seasons of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Not to mention several network news magazines.
 
Understood. My main net client is still a lot of F55/5 and I just recently heard they're pushing for a RED and Arri package pay level. Just curious where the Vari's are starting to be accepted or "required".
 
Anyone has any thoughts whether the new "live grading" features could be of benefit to indie film makers?
 
I haven't read in-depth what all the new update includes, but I'd like to see seamless/continuous playback of all or selected clips. I know it's been/being requested by others, as well.
 
So a new firmware is out. I'm glad there is a sort of theft protection in the camera now. Considering that tablets and phones have password protection, it is strange that this hasn't been available on expensive cameras before.

What I miss in the firmware update, and I have suggested this before, is a possibility to activate the user buttons on the control panel while in view mode. It is so strange that this function isn't enabled.
Another thing which should be improved is the image magnification. It is really weird that only the center of the image can be magnified. The scroll wheel on the handle should be able to move around the magnified image in nine positions: Top left, top center, top right, middle left, center, middle right, bottom left, bottom center, bottom right. With overlapping of course.
I don't know why Panasonic chose to have a scroll wheel instead of a small joystick on the handle, since it's not a cheap accessory. It would've made the handle much more usable for image magnification, but since it isn't there it would at least be nice to have use of the scroll wheel while the image is magnified. I'm pretty sure that most of us rarely put the object of interest in the center of the image. I'm also sure that a lot of Varicam LT owners/users don't always have a dedicated focus puller so this would be of great help. Even though the focus assist boxes are really great, they're not of any use in low light situations or if the lens is a bit soft.


https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/07/12/panasonic-varicam-custom-splash-screen-to-deter-camera-theft/
 
I don't think the camera is really "password protected". I think you just have the ability to load a custom splash screen into the camera and then it can't be changed without a password. Imagine what a PITA it would be to have to enter a password every time you turned the camera on and wanted to use it.
 
Maybe in the future we can choose to use finger prints to start the camera?
A short password wouldn't be a problem as long as it's easy to type and the camera doesn't require it when rebooting. Best sollution would be to make a camera that doesn't need rebooting. :-)
 
+1 on moving the area of interest for image magnification. Maybe the 6 control panel buttons could be used to move it around.

The personalized boot screen is pretty... pretty useless once some rabid homeless guy in DTLA hits you over the head and takes your camera when your shooting one man band style. After getting robbed a few months back, I had to come up with a real deterrent for run and GUN solo shooting. ;)

But nice to see an update.
 
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