Thanks to Planet 5D for the heads up on this!
Disclaimer: if you have a weak wallet, then don’t read this.
Actually, in this case, all of our wallets are most likely crying in the corner, so it’s okay. Just appreciate the camera, I guess.
Panasonic took part in a press conference just yesterday in New Jersey, where it announced a new entry targeted towards the high-high-high end market of cinema. The 4K camera/video-recorder is titled the VariCam 35 (AU-VREC1), and it claims to be a powerhouse in handling a variety of formats.
The Osaka-based company definitely plans to take a piece out of the competition from companies like RED, with its press release titling it as an “unparalleled tool for high-end filmmaking”. 4K video production is the signature feature of the camera, described by Product Manager Steve Cooperman as establishing “new standards” in the area. Besides the 4K (RAW and practical), the VariCam 35 is set to include support for formats ranging from UHD to 2K and HD footage.
The sensor used by the camera will be a new super 35 mm MOS, which comprises an image capture of 4096 x 2160, coming out to a 17:9 resolution; that video will be shot in Panasonic’s AVC-ULTRA 4K format. The imager will have a dynamic range of 14+ stops, so we can expect the exposure to work as well as the price says it will.
Oh god, the price. Let’s just say that, according to Planet 5D, someone asked for a price range at the conference, and was responded to with laughter. Whatever the price ends up being, either way, expect it to be above at least 15K.
The VariCam 35 will launch in the fall of this year, and you can catch more details about the camera (including a second release by Panasonic) through Panasonic’s press release.
Full Specifications:
- Support for 4K (RAW), 4K, UHD, 2K, HD
Imager: Super 35mm MOS Sensor (4096 x 2160) [17:9]
AVC-ULTRA 4K codec
14+ stops in dynamic range
Support for Academy Color Encoding System (ACES)
Real-time, high frame rate, variable speed 4K recording (up to 120 fps)
Capabilities for master level 2K/FHD recording
& Advanced workflows w/ parallel simultaneous 4K/UHD
In-camera on-set color grading and monitoring/editing
OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) w/ optical zoom
24-bit LPCM audio
2k & FHD recording in AVC-Intra 100/200
3G-HD-SDI x4 for 4K QUAD output
3G-HD-SDI x2 for RAW output
HD-SDI out for monitoring
2 XLR inputs to record 4 channels of 24-bit
48KHz audio
Standard 35mm PL mount
[Via Panasonic Press Release via Planet 5D]
