American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 74

New Products & Services Panasonic Updates VariCam Updating its popular VariCam HD camera, Panasonic has unveiled the AJHPX3700 and AJ-HPX2700 P2 HD camcorders. These new 2⁄3" P2 HD models offer master-quality, full-resolution, 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC-Intra 100 recording; variable frame rates in one-frame increments; HDSDI output of 23.98PsF/24PsF; and a multigamma function, including Film-Rec, which simulates the latitude of film stocks. Panasonic has positioned the VariCam 3700 as the flagship model of the P2 HD VariCam line, delivering the camera with full native 1920x1080 acquisition and independent frame recording with 10-bit 4:2:2 sampling. Additionally, with three 2⁄3" 2.2-megapixel CCDs, the camera is capable of a 4:4:4 RGB dual-link live output, resulting in pristine images ideal for visual effects. Tailor-made for commercial, feature-film and episodic-television production, the VariCam 3700 is also capable of recording in AVC-Intra 50 and DVCPro HD. Designed for sports, documentaries and independent films, the VariCam 2700 also boasts three 2⁄3" CCDs, producing independent-frame 1080 and 720 images. Like the 3700, the 2700 can also record in AVC-Intra 100, AVC-Intra 50 and DVCPro HD. When shooting in 720p mode, the camera can capture from 1 to 60 fps. Both new VariCams are switchable between 59.95-Hz and 50-Hz recording, and each camera features five P2 card slots, allowing continuous recording, card 74 July 2008 selection, hot-swapping, loop recording, pre-recording, interval recording and one-shot recording. With five 32GB P2 cards installed, operators can record up to 200 minutes in AVC-Intra 100 at 1080/24p, 400 minutes in AVC-Intra 100 at 720/24p, 320 minutes in other AVCIntra 50 formats and 160 minutes in other AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPro HD formats. Additional image-enhancing features found in both cameras include 14-bit A/D processing, Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC) to maximize lens performance, Dynamic Range Stretching (DRS) for wide variations in lighting, unique shutter-angle settings, built-in scan reverse and full control of matrix and color correction for precise image matching. The 3700 and 2700 also share a high sensitivity of F10 at 2,000 lux, and both incorporate 48-kHz/16-bit, fourchannel digital audio recording. Text memos and shot markers can be added, and proxy data recording is possible with the optional AJ-YAX800G board. Other features include scene files, user buttons, user-menu and focus-assist functions and newly designed twowheel (ND and CC) optical filters. Both the 3700 and 2700 VariCams are backed by Panasonic’s fiveyear limited warranty. For more information, visit www.panasonic.com /broadcast. Arri D-20 Turns 21 Based on feedback from field users, Arri has significantly upgraded the Arriflex D-20 film-style digital camera, incorporating the new features in the Arriflex D-21. Combining the immediacy of digital cameras with high-end film-style functionality, the D-21 incorporates Arri Imaging Technology (AIT) to produce images with a cinematic look and feel. Through its single Super 35mm-sized CMOS sensor (with a native 1.33:1 aspect ratio), the D-21 offers the same cinematic depth of field that characterizes 35mm-film footage, and the camera is compatible with both spherical and anamorphic 35mm-format lenses. The camera also boasts a bright optical viewfinder, variable-frame-rate shooting and compatibility with Arri film-camera accessories. Images captured with the D-21 feature improved color saturation and increased sharpness over those captured with the original D-20 thanks to a higher modulation transfer function (MTF) achieved by rewriting the down-sampling algorithm from scratch and carefully finetuning the interaction of the optical lowpass filter to the new algorithm. A cleaner signal path, improved internal power management, Defect Pixel Correction (DPC) and the elimination of various artifacts have also led to improved low-light performance. Additionally, color management look-up tables are now available for ASAs 100, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640 and 800. The D-21’s raw sensor information can be transported in the new ArriRaw format via the camera’s HD-SDI link, embedded in the standard RGBA 4:4:4:4 transport protocol. Arri software tools currently undergoing beta testing can process the ArriRaw files through advanced de-Bayering algorithms and output either an HD image or a 2K data file. Completing the D-21 camera pack-

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American Cinematographer - July 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 2008