NorBro
Major Contributor
It wasn't meant to sound harsh...just chatting expressing our opinions.
It's all good
VaricamLT: Varicam LT for Solo Owner-Operator?
- Thread starter jaypass
- Start date
It wasn't meant to sound harsh...just chatting expressing our opinions.
It's all good
Alex Derrick
Active member
In my opinion, the Panasonic Varicam sensor is capable of cinema work (maybe the best sensor out right now), and because of the LT's size it can also do ENG, doc, run & gun single operator shooting. That is an incredible wide range of formats for a reasonable price. The cameras mentioned thus far simply do not have that kind of image quality, nor do they have the same quality codec. They are 90% of the way there, but that final 10% you have to pay a lot for. With Raw output coming soon, it will be even more versatile (high end cinema).
Having bounced back and forth from LT to Amira last week, I think the Panasonic sensor is a star, but a slow rising star, or a cult sensation at the least. It will just take time to rise, because the industry and producers can't move as fast as technology. But Panasonic is already racking up some nice titles on Amazon and Netflix like Orange is the New Black, and Master of None. Also check out the doc Grandeurs of Nature shot on Varicam. There are lots of 5000ISO shots in there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88hk6kub1mA
I was also waiting to test the LT before making a decision. But after having used her. I'm sold. The camera is easily worth the price if you can afford it. Download some v-log from vimeo and push it around in resolve.
That will help you make a better decision.
-A
Having bounced back and forth from LT to Amira last week, I think the Panasonic sensor is a star, but a slow rising star, or a cult sensation at the least. It will just take time to rise, because the industry and producers can't move as fast as technology. But Panasonic is already racking up some nice titles on Amazon and Netflix like Orange is the New Black, and Master of None. Also check out the doc Grandeurs of Nature shot on Varicam. There are lots of 5000ISO shots in there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88hk6kub1mA
I was also waiting to test the LT before making a decision. But after having used her. I'm sold. The camera is easily worth the price if you can afford it. Download some v-log from vimeo and push it around in resolve.
That will help you make a better decision.
-A
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
If you are solo owner op you can consider it.
IMO if you are a solo shooter.. it is probably too heavy.
I struggle to be nimble with a bag of glass, proper sticks and an FS7
If you have a sticks/bag lugger then you are in business.
S
IMO if you are a solo shooter.. it is probably too heavy.
I struggle to be nimble with a bag of glass, proper sticks and an FS7
If you have a sticks/bag lugger then you are in business.
S
sean007davis
Active member
I have a list of F5, F55 And C300 MKii shooters in Just NYC who have switched to the Varicam LT. I myself switched from An F5 to an LT. I suspect that the Rest of US varicam Lt shooters aren't posting footage online because we are busy shooting paid gigs for clients who own the footage
I bought the LT after working on a Doc that was initially on a C300 MKii for netflix, The DP tried a varicam 35 for a weekend on the film and sold his c300 Mkii package the next week and we rented a varicam 35 for the rest of the film. till the LT started shipping and I bought one. Film is still shooting on the LT.
I have owned the Sony F5 and multiples REDs (scarlet and Epic) and can objectively state that none of those cameras are remotely competing with the varicam LT image, In dynamic range alone.
If you've never shot a professional job on any of these cameras. I really don't feel that reading specs that essentially, translate to marketing (15 stops of DR on an URSA? right...LMAO) puts you in a position to make an objective statement about any of these cameras.
There are 2 cameras delivering the absolute best images and dynamic range on s35 sensors. one is made by ARRI and the others are the S35 varicams.
Fast & furious 8 switched from ALEXA to Varicam 35 a few weeks into principle photography.
As confirmed By other on here (Alex Derrick) who have used the Varicam and the ARRIs... I'm yet to meet one person who has Shot on a S35 Varicam and hasn't been Impressed/amazed by the image and performance...if you are a professional with work that supports and justifies the cost, You buy a varicam after trying one.
there is a reason the c300 MKii has had a Huge price drop and the price of the much older Sony F5 hasn't moved. the proof is in the pudding.
I bought the LT after working on a Doc that was initially on a C300 MKii for netflix, The DP tried a varicam 35 for a weekend on the film and sold his c300 Mkii package the next week and we rented a varicam 35 for the rest of the film. till the LT started shipping and I bought one. Film is still shooting on the LT.
I have owned the Sony F5 and multiples REDs (scarlet and Epic) and can objectively state that none of those cameras are remotely competing with the varicam LT image, In dynamic range alone.
If you've never shot a professional job on any of these cameras. I really don't feel that reading specs that essentially, translate to marketing (15 stops of DR on an URSA? right...LMAO) puts you in a position to make an objective statement about any of these cameras.
There are 2 cameras delivering the absolute best images and dynamic range on s35 sensors. one is made by ARRI and the others are the S35 varicams.
Fast & furious 8 switched from ALEXA to Varicam 35 a few weeks into principle photography.
As confirmed By other on here (Alex Derrick) who have used the Varicam and the ARRIs... I'm yet to meet one person who has Shot on a S35 Varicam and hasn't been Impressed/amazed by the image and performance...if you are a professional with work that supports and justifies the cost, You buy a varicam after trying one.
there is a reason the c300 MKii has had a Huge price drop and the price of the much older Sony F5 hasn't moved. the proof is in the pudding.
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sean007davis
Active member
You're in jersey have you tried renting one. there are a few for rent in NYC, you may have to get on a waiting list. the house that have them, have most of the cameras out on multiple netflix shows at the moment
Here's how that panned out. I reached out to my Japanese contact at Panasonic (head engineer for Varicam35) who attended the Varicam roadshows here in Aus where I gave a little talk about them. I'm not affiliated with Pana FWIW. He then passed that on and they sent me an email saying they've arranged a demo day for Jay in NJ. Thought that was pretty cool.
sean007davis
Active member
And things like that are why I love the fact that I own a Varicam LT. That's the sort of community support you like to see, I never got that from the southern California cameras company.
I really thing the best think that anyone can talk about the s35 Varicams all they want but there is no substitute for actually trying one. So far I haven't seen anyone who has tried one in a real world shooting scenario and not been impressed or in love
I really thing the best think that anyone can talk about the s35 Varicams all they want but there is no substitute for actually trying one. So far I haven't seen anyone who has tried one in a real world shooting scenario and not been impressed or in love
Mitch Gross
Veteran
It may interest all here to know that today Convergent Design released firmware 2016.10 for the Odyssey7Q+ which adds VariCam LT RAW support to the Odyssey RAW Bundle. Shoot 4K 12-bit up to 30p, 4K 10-bit and VariFrame up to 60p. Recordings in CinemaDNG for use in Resolve, Premiere, Scratch, and others. Info on the Convergent Design website.
Chris Langer
Well-known member
I am kind of in the same boat as you Jay, currently shooting on the FS7 and looking towards finding the next step in my production needs. When the Zeiss 21-100 LWZ3 came out, I consider pairing this lens with the Varicam LT to create a near perfect setup for most of my applications. I shoot a lot of short, one man band "feel good" films with companies and non-profits in my area. Lots of run-n-gun situations which having some of the features of the Varicam LT would save my ass - 5000 ISO being the main one.
My only concern about the LT is figuring out to rig it out comfortably and affordably for a full day of shooting. I have lots of accessories already which can be used like a SmallHD 502 and Zacuto support gear. I really have to think about the end price tag and get past that entry ~16k price point. I know going into this camera purchase there will be cards, batteries, hand grip, and probably a new tripod. That puts this whole package closer to $20,000, so I have to budget for it properly.
Something like this would be a dream rig, since I have most of the parts already except a top handle.
I have been keeping an eye out for used Varicam LT's as they pop up. I know most people probably outfit them with all of the accessories which puts the used price over $20k.
I hope someday to rent the camera and shoot over a long weekend. I wish Panasonic had a similar program to the AJA's CION's "try it on us for free" program.
Good luck in your search to find the right next camera!
My only concern about the LT is figuring out to rig it out comfortably and affordably for a full day of shooting. I have lots of accessories already which can be used like a SmallHD 502 and Zacuto support gear. I really have to think about the end price tag and get past that entry ~16k price point. I know going into this camera purchase there will be cards, batteries, hand grip, and probably a new tripod. That puts this whole package closer to $20,000, so I have to budget for it properly.
Something like this would be a dream rig, since I have most of the parts already except a top handle.
I have been keeping an eye out for used Varicam LT's as they pop up. I know most people probably outfit them with all of the accessories which puts the used price over $20k.
I hope someday to rent the camera and shoot over a long weekend. I wish Panasonic had a similar program to the AJA's CION's "try it on us for free" program.
Good luck in your search to find the right next camera!
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Thanks Mitch, good news. I plan on testing the CD offering and the Atomos offering in a side by side when both are available to see which way I go. I'll probably post those results up including post production workflow process on each (I mean from product quality to offload to what I see in post etc etc). That's my next little side project. It's an exercise I need to do for myself anyway.
I just posted this info on Varicam 35 and LT fb page as well for you Mitch.
I just posted this info on Varicam 35 and LT fb page as well for you Mitch.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Thanks for that!
I didn't. Im not really a shoulder mount guy, preferring sticks or other methods of moving the camera about (doesn't mean I don't do handheld), so that negates me using shoulder pad and grip. My set up uses the wooden camera baseplate set up. I love this design. Has top QR so Camera pops off tripod leaving rods and everything attached to them behind OR lower QR which takes everything and then can mount to Arri Dovetail plate, much more useful to me than VCT plate. I do have the EVF, it was really hard to find anything better and my failing eyes require some of the FA tools that come with it.
Mitch would you mind making new thread with direct links etc so it's not lost here? Cheers.
jaypass
Well-known member
Well, from a user-review standpoint, I'm pretty much sold. Everyone here who has used one has nothing but good things to say about it, and it certainly seems versatile enough for my needs. Just need to decide for my own purposes if the image and ergonomics is worth the price jump from an FS7. And yes - Thanks to Noel, I'm going to get a hands-on look at the end of the month! Thanks again Noel for working that out for me - I'm pretty pumped about it.
In terms of weight, the difference between the LT and FS7 seems pretty minimal? A fully kitted FS7 comes out to what, 10-12lbs? Varicam is probably a few more then that. I lugged an FS7/sticks around a couple miles on foot for a shoot earlier this summer....Not my favorite part of the job, but I think I could handle a couple more lbs.
I agree that the big thing is going to be accessories. The body price of the Varicam is stretching my budget a little more then I was planning after considering the FS7 all summer, but I'm happy to stretch for the RIGHT camera. I'll have to make some budget choices on accessories until the camera pays for itself though. Is everyone here using the Panny EVF? I might go Gratical Eye, at least for the initial purchase...Do I lose a lot of functionality with the third party EVF? I already have Zacuto's VCT shoulder mount, so I should be good there. After that I just need media and batts. If this camera really does the job for me, it should be my last camera purchase for at least 4-5 years. So I see it as a $5,000/yr investment, even though I'm paying it all upfront. My AF100 lasted 4 solid years - just sold it on eBay last month for the grand total of $600, which is hysterical.
Someone mentioned the F5 - Budget-wise it's a better fit, but I don't love the thought of buying 4-year old tech. Feels like it will be obsolete much sooner.
I'm not ready to take the plunge yet, but I'm looking forward to the hands-on test in 2 weeks. I'll have to see how things pan out for me financially as the year closes, but I should be able to go all in on the LT before the end of winter. And maybe by then Panny will reintroduce the 0% financing deal, or even a rebate? Wishful thinking?
In terms of weight, the difference between the LT and FS7 seems pretty minimal? A fully kitted FS7 comes out to what, 10-12lbs? Varicam is probably a few more then that. I lugged an FS7/sticks around a couple miles on foot for a shoot earlier this summer....Not my favorite part of the job, but I think I could handle a couple more lbs.
I agree that the big thing is going to be accessories. The body price of the Varicam is stretching my budget a little more then I was planning after considering the FS7 all summer, but I'm happy to stretch for the RIGHT camera. I'll have to make some budget choices on accessories until the camera pays for itself though. Is everyone here using the Panny EVF? I might go Gratical Eye, at least for the initial purchase...Do I lose a lot of functionality with the third party EVF? I already have Zacuto's VCT shoulder mount, so I should be good there. After that I just need media and batts. If this camera really does the job for me, it should be my last camera purchase for at least 4-5 years. So I see it as a $5,000/yr investment, even though I'm paying it all upfront. My AF100 lasted 4 solid years - just sold it on eBay last month for the grand total of $600, which is hysterical.
Someone mentioned the F5 - Budget-wise it's a better fit, but I don't love the thought of buying 4-year old tech. Feels like it will be obsolete much sooner.
I'm not ready to take the plunge yet, but I'm looking forward to the hands-on test in 2 weeks. I'll have to see how things pan out for me financially as the year closes, but I should be able to go all in on the LT before the end of winter. And maybe by then Panny will reintroduce the 0% financing deal, or even a rebate? Wishful thinking?
This is great news Mitch, thanks! I'm waiting for it to be available for download.
Is there a chance that you'll be making a version with a much brighter and non reflecting screen? I'd love to use it as a monitor/recorder on a stabilizer. Now the O7Q only works indoors as a monitor on a stabilizer.
Chris Langer
Well-known member
Noel,
Do you have any images of your setup? Would love to see it, even if it's simple. What do you do with the utility monitor?
Thanks!
Chris
The weight difference for the bodies only is approx. 700 grams (less than 2 lbs). It's not very little but it's not a huge difference either. If you want to rig more stuff and power the FS7 from a V-lock battery, or use an O7Q for instance, you'll need that extension thing on the FS7 which will increase the weight. Also, if raw is a thing you want to use I read somewhere (but haven't looked it up closely) that there's something in the FS7 signal which makes the raw material look less good than from an FS5 (although I might be wrong, but you should check if that's the case). I've read some people complaining about the FS7 plasticy feel and build quality, you won't have that issue with the Varicam LT. It's rock solid. So yes, it can be a bit heavier than an FS7 in the lightest set up, but when rigged out more the difference will probably be minimal.
I'm not using the Panny EVF. I'd like to try it, but since no one AFAIK here in Stockholm has a Varicam LT and therefore not the EVF, I'll probably buy a Zacuto Gratical Eye soon. I checked one out recently when Zacuto displayed their products at a retailer and it seemed really good. If you want to keep the kit as lightweight as possible and want to go shoulder mount, the Gratical Eye is probably a better (and cheaper) solution, since it's lighter.
Regarding the F5, I had the same reason for not looking into that option more closely. The other reason is that the European Sony Pro Support hasn't impressed me at all. In a way I'm glad because I would have probably bought a Sony camera again, since it's so common here in Stockholm. The third reason is that from the stuff I've seen I like the image of the Varicam LT more.
I wish you all the best with your finances, because I'm pretty sure you won't regret buying this camera.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
I'm told there was an encode issue so it needed to be recompiled. It'all be available tomorrow.This is great news Mitch, thanks! I'm waiting for it to be available for download.
Is there a chance that you'll be making a version with a much brighter and non reflecting screen? I'd love to use it as a monitor/recorder on a stabilizer. Now the O7Q only works indoors as a monitor on a stabilizer.
We offer a replacement screen protector in non-reflective matte finish. Peel off the one that comes on the Odyssey and apply this one instead. It just sticks on like on a cell phone. Makes a huge difference.
Okey, I won't sit up and wait then. Thanks for letting me know!
Is this the replacement screen protector?
https://convergent-design.com/view/167-odyssey-screen-protector.html