Great news from Panasonic. They have just announced a new 4K Varicam with a Super 35mm sensor, which can shoot 4K internally with up to 120 frames per second. This camera really looks interesting. It seems to be a mix of an ARRI Alexa, Sony F5/55 and has a modular design like the Red Epic. The camera also features a 3G HD SDI, to support an uncompressed output (RAW) and also a single HD SDI for monitoring. There is no pricing yet, but I think it will be in a price range of a Sony F5.
- 4096 x 2160 Super 35mm CMOS sensor
- 14+ Stops of Dynamic Range
- PL Mount
- Internal 4K up to 120fps
- Records 4K & UHD in AVC-ULTRA 4K
- Records 2K & HD in AVC-Intra 100/200
- Capable of 4K RAW
- 1.5 to 6 Mbps Proxies
- Two expressP2 card slots (Record 130 minutes of 4K/24p with these cards)
- Two microP2 card slots (for HD and 2K)
- Four 3G-HD-SDI Outputs for 4K QUAD
- Two 3G-HD-SDI Outputs for RAW
- HD-SDI out for monitoring (down-converting from 4K)
- Two XLR inputs can record four channels of 24-bit, 48KHz audio
- Removable Control Panel
- OLED Viewfinder with Optical Zoom
- Availability: Fall 2014
- Price: TBA
They also announced a 2/3″ VariCam, which is part of their new VariCam modular design. My colleague Matt Allard did a great write up about the new announcements. Worth the read.
Here is a part of their press release:
The Panasonic VariCam: A Legacy of Cinematic Image Rendition
The VariCam 35’s superb image handling in multiple formats including 4K, UHD, 2K and HD make it an unparalleled tool for high-end filmmaking and commercials and episodic production as well as live 4K events. With an expanse of formats ranging from flawless 4K RAW output to more practical 4K, UHD, 2K and HD capture, the VariCam 35 represents a matchless option for premier digital capture
The VariCam 35 utilizes a new Panasonic super 35mm MOS sensor for 4096 x 2160 (17:9) 4K image capture; this imager when combined with the AVC-ULTRA codecs for 4K enables very manageable and practical 4K production file sizes. The new imager boasts an impressive 14+ stops of latitude, and faithfully captures high-contrast, wide dynamic range imagery without compromise.
The VariCam HS utilizes three newly-developed, 1920 x 1080p MOS imagers with an extraordinary 14 stops of dynamic range, providing full control over wide range lighting conditions for unparalleled 1080p native recording/operation. Among the camcorder’s key features are real-time high frame rate and off-speed recording to 240fps in 1080p (using AVC-Intra Class100), plus the ability to ramp / change frame rates during record.
The VariCam HS will feature a range of high-quality recording formats including AVC-Intra Class100 (recording as 1080/24p, 30p or 60p format with VFR (up to 240p), AVC-Intra Class200 (up to 30p/60i) and AVC-Intra Class4:4:4 (up to 30p). Both AVC-Intra Class200 and AVC-Intra Class4:4:4 deliver spectacular performance in applications where image quality is the utmost consideration.
The 4K and 2/3” VariCam will both use Panasonic’s new expressP2 card for high frame rate recording; each camera is equipped with four total card slots, for two expressP2 cards and two microP2 cards. Both VariCam models will launch fall 2014, with pricing to be announced.
Wow… this is cool. Everyone is stepping up their 4k game.
That interface looks awfully familiar *cough* Alexa haha.
NAB 2014 will be cookin.