Digital Video - September 2007 - (Page 18)

reviews above left: The CRT viewfinder disappoints: it’s small (just 1 1/2”), recessed far into the viewfinder tube, and perhaps most surprisingly, black-andwhite only. above right: In the new 720p24 “native” (pN) recording mode, each 16GB P2 card yields 40 minutes of recording time. controls is exceptional. Of note is the ability to easily adjust white balance settings in 15 steps (-7 to +7) for each of the two assignable white balance settings. In addition, the camera represents the white point in Kelvin temperature numbers. The preset white balance is only assignable to 3200K or 5600K; I would have liked a few more selections, from 2900K to 3400K and 5000K to 6500K, but I’ll take what I can get. Seeing color-temp numbers on custom white balance gets me a long way toward more control over my white points. The camera’s ND filter wheel is a nice feature, although I’d rather the filters be designated by their density numbers (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 etc.) instead of the video lingo of 1/4, 1/16 and 1/64. I appreciate the fact that the focal plane is indicated on the camera—a small consideration you rarely see on ENG-style cameras. I’d have been even happier to also see a measuring tape hook here, but at least I know where the focal plane is. Monitoring The 1 1/2” CRT viewfinder is somewhat disappointing. Not only is it black-and-white, but it’s small. I appreciate the fact that I can flip up the viewfinder magnifier and look directly at the CRT, but it’s so tiny, and so far recessed into the viewfinder tube, that it’s impractical to use in this manner. Generally, when I’m rolling through menu settings, I like to be comfortable and away from the camera. This viewfinder doesn’t allow me to do that. The rubber eyecup is surprisingly uncomfortable. Operating without my glasses, I would need to have a chamois on at all times. Contrast and brightness range of viewfinder are good. I found the peaking range to be somewhat lacking—not horrible, but not as much as I would prefer. For what the viewfinder is lacking, two additional features on the HPX500 more than make up for it. The first is a 3 1/2” flipout LCD screen positioned in the rear portion of the operator’s side of the camera. From here, you can easily see the menu options, and even use it as a viewfinder to operate from when the camera is on a tripod or dolly. The LCD has solid adjustment range, including a backlight adjustment that helps considerably in bright sunlight. Nearly all of the information available in the viewfinder is available on the LCD screen. The positioning of this screen makes it viable for a camera assistant or audio engineer to utilize it while shooting in handheld mode, as it pops out right behind the opera- tor’s neck when the camera is shoulder-mounted. This can feel a bit awkward at first, but I got used to it rather quickly. With this little screen, an assistant or engineer can easily see monitor levels, exposure, zoom, timecode—any number of factors that will be beneficial to those positions. Secondly, the HPX500’s focusassist system is the most exceptional I have ever used. Instead of being an overblown colored peaking system, the Panasonic focus assist brings up a histogram-like display of frequency distribution that represents the area of the frame in sharp focus. It’s easy to use, easy to see out of the corner of your eye, and incredibly effective. At one point, I was almost leaving it up constantly while working handheld. Going native I was working mostly in 1080p24 for the majority of my technical tests, but switched down to 720p24 to play with the camera’s variable frame rates. The HPX500 features 11 speeds from 12 to 60fps. Recording straight to the P2 cards offers a new feature, “pN” frame speeds, which are progressive “native” frames. Instead of constantly running at 60fps and “flagging” frames for a given rate—as is required by a tape system such as the 18 DV SEPTEMBER 2007 WWW.DV.COM http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - September 2007

Contents News AG-HPX500 HD Camcorder First Look: Color V8000HD 8" LCD Monitor Shoulder Mount System Instant Expert Close-Ups Fest Cercuit Q&A Flight Plan Cutter's Way Imagination in Action Motion Graphics Production Diary

Digital Video - September 2007

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