I own a DVX 100 and I am very comfortable with it. But I really want to try to get some slow motion so I want to try the Vari cam. The very cam is about $950 a day to rent and that is a lot if I can't run the camera correctly because it is too difficult. Does anyone know how complicated the VariCam is to use?
Want to Try a Vari Cam, how hard is it?
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BLUESPIDER
DVXuser Ninja
Don't you have to downconvert the HD to SD so you can edit with your NLE program? Or not enless you have an HD editing system handy.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Which is the beauty of DVCPRO-HD -- you can edit it, natively, at full high-def resolution with multiple streams, real-time, on an off-the-shelf Apple FCP-HD system, or Avid Express HD, and Pinnacle and others will likely have support for it too!BLUESPIDER said:
Justin_Kirch
Runner Up.
If you go to the Panasonic website and click on the VariCam, you will be directed to it's own webpage. I believe right next to the picture of the camera there are a few links and one of them is the manual on how to work the camera! It's a PDF file, hope you have Adobe Acrobat.
pookie_old
Veteran
The VariCam is in an entirely different league from the DVX.
At $950 a day, you'll spend $2000 just to find the settings you think you want.
It's an excellent camera, but it has a learning curve well beyond a DVX.
At $950 a day, you'll spend $2000 just to find the settings you think you want.
It's an excellent camera, but it has a learning curve well beyond a DVX.
Also doubtful that you could match your DVX to a Varicam.
thisiswells
Retired
HD Expo: Varicamp Workshop
HD Expo: Varicamp Workshop
I recently attended an HD Expo "Varicamp" workshop in Dallas this January. It was a three day event that covered all of the need-to-know systems and operations of the Panasonic Varicam in a format that worked well for the twenty five or so of us in attendance.
Depending on which instructor was up at the moment it was very technical information about high definition in general, to very hands-on camera time, in depth details on the setup files and how they can give you a fantastic look without a lot of effort, to several sub-workshops called the density lab (aka dynamic range and maximizing it), the color lab (camera setup for perfect eye-to-monitor coliorimetry using the DSC Chroma Du Monde charts to using various menu options to obtain different looks), the motion lab (detailing various frame rates from 4-60fps, how to activate them, how to shoot 1-3 fps using some unpublished information, working with the standalone FRC box, and saving your bum and knowing to turn the camera menu displays OFF when recording to the FRC so your ad's don't become 2:35!!) to seeing the newest, greatest, and best gear, such as the Panasonic Gamma Box and a projected demonstration of how it further approximates the look of the film...
The workshops aren't cheap at $1275.00, plus your hotel and other various expenses, HOWEVER, I cannot imagine attempting a shoot with that camera without having attended one of these workshops. I highly recommened. Plus, they give you lots of free "swag" from their sponsors, for example: Panasonic gave everyone a DVCPRO-HD 46 minute tape, IDX battery company was handing out Cinegear bags, Schneider Optics gave away some fantastic filters (you've got to check out the Schneider Digicon's if you haven't already!!) and eveyone walked away with their own copy of Goodman's Guide to the Varicam.
We worked with FOUR Varicam's over a three day period, used the entire set of lenses available from Fujinon: five zooms and nine primes, a Fisher 10 dolly, HMI and Kino Flo lights, a short demonstration of the Pro35 and Cine primes... all of this in a classroom setting is an experience you cannot get anywhere else.
I highly recommend it. Their website is www.hdexpo.net and I think they are heading to the east coast later on this year.
Hope this helps.
Brian Wells
HD Expo: Varicamp Workshop
I recently attended an HD Expo "Varicamp" workshop in Dallas this January. It was a three day event that covered all of the need-to-know systems and operations of the Panasonic Varicam in a format that worked well for the twenty five or so of us in attendance.
Depending on which instructor was up at the moment it was very technical information about high definition in general, to very hands-on camera time, in depth details on the setup files and how they can give you a fantastic look without a lot of effort, to several sub-workshops called the density lab (aka dynamic range and maximizing it), the color lab (camera setup for perfect eye-to-monitor coliorimetry using the DSC Chroma Du Monde charts to using various menu options to obtain different looks), the motion lab (detailing various frame rates from 4-60fps, how to activate them, how to shoot 1-3 fps using some unpublished information, working with the standalone FRC box, and saving your bum and knowing to turn the camera menu displays OFF when recording to the FRC so your ad's don't become 2:35!!) to seeing the newest, greatest, and best gear, such as the Panasonic Gamma Box and a projected demonstration of how it further approximates the look of the film...
The workshops aren't cheap at $1275.00, plus your hotel and other various expenses, HOWEVER, I cannot imagine attempting a shoot with that camera without having attended one of these workshops. I highly recommened. Plus, they give you lots of free "swag" from their sponsors, for example: Panasonic gave everyone a DVCPRO-HD 46 minute tape, IDX battery company was handing out Cinegear bags, Schneider Optics gave away some fantastic filters (you've got to check out the Schneider Digicon's if you haven't already!!) and eveyone walked away with their own copy of Goodman's Guide to the Varicam.
We worked with FOUR Varicam's over a three day period, used the entire set of lenses available from Fujinon: five zooms and nine primes, a Fisher 10 dolly, HMI and Kino Flo lights, a short demonstration of the Pro35 and Cine primes... all of this in a classroom setting is an experience you cannot get anywhere else.
I highly recommend it. Their website is www.hdexpo.net and I think they are heading to the east coast later on this year.
Hope this helps.
Brian Wells
Ask the rental shop if they have a Digital Imaging Tech they can recommend. this person should be able to help you with all the setup and thech stuff and let you concentrate on getting the shot. They will run $350 to $450 per day. In for a dime, in for a dollar.
And they should be able to teach you some things about the camera along the way.
To me; I found the 27F very easy to use right out of the box, but I've been shooting betacam and other full size formats for years. It seemed just like any other camera, only better.
And they should be able to teach you some things about the camera along the way.
To me; I found the 27F very easy to use right out of the box, but I've been shooting betacam and other full size formats for years. It seemed just like any other camera, only better.
marctronixx
Well-known member
yeah you need to down the images. ive used a miranda box to output SD to video village. the varicam is a behemoth once you add lenses, mate box, down converter. monitor for focus and some of them still have back focus issues. the blasted thing can be as long as 40 inches with everything hooked on it.
the camera is not hard to operate but it has a ton of menus. the DIT on the project usually handles that. but its really a news camera at heart...you should not have much trouble operating it if you are used to broadcast cameras...
the camera is not hard to operate but it has a ton of menus. the DIT on the project usually handles that. but its really a news camera at heart...you should not have much trouble operating it if you are used to broadcast cameras...