Where is Panasonic in this game?

I think this is a slam-dunk by BlackMagic with their NAB announcement.
Look at the price at the bottom...

BLACKMAGIC CINEMA CAMERA

We have been thinking hard about cameras and some of the limitations in quality that video cameras run into. Working with DaVinci color grading has only made these limitations more noticeable.

Some of the reasons why video cameras look like "video" is because they have limited contrast range, are limited to HD resolutions, use heavy compression for file recording, have poor quality lenses and of course they don't integrate into NLE software with metadata management.

We decided to address these problems by developing a camera that provides feature film quality in an extremely compact portable design.

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera includes a super wide 13 stops of dynamic range, large 2.5K sensor, integrated SSD recorder that has the bandwidth to capture CinemaDNG RAW, ProRes and DNxHD files, integrated capacitive touchscreen LCD for direct metadata entry, standard jack audio connectors, refrigerated sensor and it's fully compatible with EF and ZF mount lenses.

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera also includes SDI and Thunderbolt connectors and it comes with a full copy of DaVinci Resolve and UltraScope software. Imagine plugging in your laptop for on set grading and scopes!

The 13 stops of dynamic range is one of the most important reasons why this camera looks like film. Often people focus on more pixels, but that is just a larger video image. The real way to get film quality is to capture a wide contrast range to retain more detail in the black and white levels of the image. Then once you color grade the images, it looks amazing! Combined with amazing EF and ZF lenses, the result is a true film look!

Of course the quality is killed if you compress the images when recording them, so we built in an SSD recorder. That means you get the recording speed you need to record the full 2.5K RAW sensor data into completely uncompressed CinemaDNG files. This means you get all the detail and quality of the sensor.

No files on this camera are custom in any way and this is the first camera that’s designed to make the whole post production process simple. It records into CinemaDNG format for RAW files, and DNxHD or ProRes for HD resolution files compatible with Avid Media Composer and Apple Final Cut Pro.

You can play back all recorded files on the LCD, and there is a built-in microphone and speaker for reviewing audio. Of course you will want to plug in high quality audio into the standard jack connectors and the audio is always recorded uncompressed for highest quality.

The integrated LCD has a touchscreen and when tapped, a window called the "slate" appears where you can type in shot information just like typing on a smartphone. This is then recorded into the file as metadata in the Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve format. Common data like shot number can auto increment to save time.

You can also change camera settings on this touch LCD, such as frame rate, shutter angle, color temperature, dynamic range, focus assist settings and more. The SDI output also has overlays showing you all the camera data when monitoring on set, and even the same data when playing back recorded files!

The design is machined from a solid block of aluminum and looks amazing. It’s strong, very compact and designed to be easily hand held. I am still amazed we have fitted all this into such a small design, when normally features like RAW recorders and monitoring can be optional extras on cinema cameras.

A cinematographer friend of ours, John Brawley, has been working with the camera for the last few weeks. He's shot some test clips in the process of working out what the camera’s capabilities are and we have posted them online for your to see. Even though some of them are just hand held test shots near John’s house, they are still great to see as examples of what’s creatively possible. Remember to select HD when viewing them!

http://vimeopro.com/johnbrawleytests/blackmagic-cinema-camera

We expect to start shipping in volume in July for $2,995.

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/cinemacamera/
 
HVXguy said:
I saw some of those demos - the quality was not better than a hacked GH2. When it is I will take a 2nd look.
Click to expand...

As a hacked GH2 owner and avid user, I respectfully disagree. It has a GH2 LOOK, but even in the compressed vimeo footage it's resolving more out of the gate, color even in the raw is right on the money, and the DR... well, we all know GH2 isn't anywhere near 13 useable stops of DR.

Not to mention the night stuff in some of those videos is much much cleaner than anything the GH2 hack is putting out.

The I/O ports, touch screen, RECORDING OPTIONS and ability to use SSDs, plus a copy of Resolve included?

Hacked GH2 is nothing like this in any way shape or form. Although it does have a slightly larger sensor.
 
Kholi said:
...Although it does have a slightly larger sensor.
Click to expand...

I was wondering when someone was going to point this out, what with all the talk of Super 35 being the next de-facto digital cinema sensor size:
[TABLE="class: techSpec singleTechSpec"]
[TR]
[TD]Sensor Size
[/TD]
[TD]16.64 mm x 14.04 mm
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sensor Size - Active
[/TD]
[TD]15.6 mm x 8.8 mm
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

I think the four best things about this camera are; sensor size, 2K capture (seriously, I DO NOT NEED 4k), price and CinemaDNG (as the RAW capture format). On top of all that you get DaVinci Resolve AND Ultrascope... are you kidding me?! I don't see this as a replacement for the AF100, but if it's as good in the field as it looks on paper, it will definitely be my next B cam and my main camera for VFX shoots.

For what it does, I think this camera is a steal.

Shawn
 
Kholi said:
As a hacked GH2 owner and avid user, I respectfully disagree. It has a GH2 LOOK, but even in the compressed vimeo footage it's resolving more out of the gate, color even in the raw is right on the money, and the DR... well, we all know GH2 isn't anywhere near 13 useable stops of DR.

Not to mention the night stuff in some of those videos is much much cleaner than anything the GH2 hack is putting out.

The I/O ports, touch screen, RECORDING OPTIONS and ability to use SSDs, plus a copy of Resolve included?

Hacked GH2 is nothing like this in any way shape or form. Although it does have a slightly larger sensor.
Click to expand...

I look forward in seeing your videos from this new camera.
 
I looked at those shots and most of them just looked like Rec709 shots thats been done very little CC to...

How many stops did Zacuto battle say that AF100 had?
 
electricpig said:
I think this is a slam-dunk by BlackMagic with their NAB announcement.
Look at the price at the bottom...
Click to expand...

If it really does, what they say it does, someone has been spying my dreams.... ;-) Build a solid, rigid "sensor-in-a-box" camera that you switch on, chose exposure, colour temperature and shoot and do the rest in post. That was what my DoP and I loved with the fridge-sized Arri D20. That was the approach I always loved with film cameras like the old Arri IIc. Or a Leica. Make it simple but excellent quality wise.

I propose for Panasonic to think about Japanese tradition and introduce a Zen-version of the AG-AF along the lines of the Blackmagic thingie, add some other features like good audio in, 1:1 pixel, ETC mode, 50 or 100 fps, call it Akiko and send two to me. Thank you.
 
It just goes to show you, Panasonic, Sony and Canon are giants that really lack the agility and nimbleness to produce something like the blackmagic camera. Is this the come back of American know how and ingenuity? Reminds me of the RED ONE, original Mysterium chip was derived from a missile sensor (so rumor has it).
 
I never had a Blackmagic product until recently when I got an UltraStudio 3D box to composite Stereo shots in Nuke on my Mac. To my joy this worked as stated.

And then I connected via SDI to my AF101 and started capturing first uncompressed ProRes and then dpx image sequences to my internal MacBook Pro SSD and was blown away by the solid experience, and the huge potential this opened up. This gives me what I want, how I want it straight into my post workflow.

And BlackMagic seem to be creating the same situation with this camera. Take the basis of a Samurai, a RedRock LiveLens and any colour log/lin profile you wish, and a DaVinci darkroom to process your digital Neg in, and you've one hell of a package.
 
Well .. after digesting the NAB 2012 announcements and watching the press videos .. my only conclusion is that
Panasonic either doesn't know what to do in the cinematic camera space, or their future products are quite delayed,
or they've chosen to concentrate on the broadcast space. I suspect the latter .. just like GM chased trucks and SUV's.

While I had hoped a successor to the AF100 would emerge ... we will be looking elsewhere to fill the void.
The AF100 always seemed like the odd-duck in Panasonic's AVCCAM line .. now it feels like the duck they've
chosen not to feed. Even their firmware announcement is as if to say .. "if only you were a broadcast camera."

IMHO, they've conceded the Cinematic space and they'll be hard-pressed to get it back.

So .. to answer the original question of this thread .. Panasonic is simply not in the game.. by choice
or by inadequacy.

jeff
 
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I went to both Panasonic and Sony press conferences at NAB. Panasonic's was clearly on broadcast equipment and Sony was 3D and 4K cinema. The 4K VariCam they announced is a 2/3 chip camera. That pretty much sums it up for me.

I have no idea what Panasonic will be coming out with but most certainly hope they stay in the affordable digital cinema space. They’ve done a great job and I would think they wouldn’t abandon it completely. My gut tells me they’re developing a new camera that meets what the market is looking for and it’s not ready.
 
Erik Naso said:
The 4K VariCam they announced is a 2/3 chip camera. That pretty much sums it up for me.
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Ah, well, sorry, but you'll have to go back to math class to do some more sums... ;) The 4K VariCam was most definitely not a 2/3" sensor. They said that it was "at least cinema-sized." They didn't specify, but when pressed, they said that it would be no smaller than Super35.

Perhaps you were thinking of the HPX600, which is 2/3"?
 
Erik Naso said:
My gut tells me they’re developing a new camera that meets what the market is looking for and it’s not ready.
Click to expand...

Yes, my guess is that it all revolves around new sensor/electronics technology, and until this is ready there's nothing they can show.

...I am also very curious about who is making the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro 4/3 sensor. As this is the first M4/3 sensor with 13+ stops of dynamic range.
 
TheDingo said:
Yes, my guess is that it all revolves around new sensor/electronics technology, and until this is ready there's nothing they can show.
Click to expand...
They could have done a 4/3 sensor refresh with existing fabrication technology and increased the lines-of-resolution and the dynamic range
significantly. That (in and of itself) would have breathed new life into the AF100 ( or AF170 or whatever they chose to call it). For whatever
reason, they chose not to. Perhaps they've decided that the MFT format isn't where cinematic is going .. and have an S35 offering
in the works. IMHO, they're quite vulnerable in this space and time is not their friend.

jeff
ps: Why didn't they do a P2 to eSATA card?
 
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Barry_Green said:
Ah, well, sorry, but you'll have to go back to math class to do some more sums... ;) The 4K VariCam was most definitely not a 2/3" sensor. They said that it was "at least cinema-sized." They didn't specify, but when pressed, they said that it would be no smaller than Super35.

Perhaps you were thinking of the HPX600, which is 2/3"?
Click to expand...
That would make way more sense and also telling that a S35ish sensor isn't ready yet hence no new large sensor AF.
 
Personally I think it's all tied up with Olympus' troubles. If Olympus had gone under (maybe still could?) then Panny would be left high and dry carrying M43. I think it makes good sense for them to hold off to see how the dust settles. If I was on the Panny board, I'd be thinking of ditching M43 camcorders and developing S35 for the moving image market, keeping M43 for the consumer stills crowd.
 
TomLenham said:
Personally I think it's all tied up with Olympus' troubles. If Olympus had gone under (maybe still could?) then Panny would be left high and dry carrying M43. I think it makes good sense for them to hold off to see how the dust settles. If I was on the Panny board, I'd be thinking of ditching M43 camcorders and developing S35 for the moving image market, keeping M43 for the consumer stills crowd.
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doubt it. its a completely different divisionthat handles lumix and this division is fully committed to m4/3 with or without olympus.

broadcast' decision is completely different from the lumix division. they can do whatever they wat. do a prosumer m43 and a professional s35 at the same time. they can ditch it or keep it, but it wont be because of olympus but because of the result of the market.

so far bmc is gonna take a big chunk of that market. (prosumer at less than $5k)
 
As a consumer I would like to see more products from Panasonic in regards to latest development from Blackmagic and Sony F series and decide our future.
 
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