updated 14 Oct 2004

 

JVC HD10 compared to Panasonic HDC-27F, Part One
an article by Jon Fordham, Director of Photography

Jon is a contributing member of our DV Info Net Community.

My name is Jon Fordham. I am professional Director of Photography specializing in High Definition and Digitally Acquired imagery for Cinema applications, as well as a Digital Imaging Technician (DIT). I have been working full time (as in my primary income or my only income has been solely derived from) as a filmmaker for the past 4 years. I have worked or been involved with production for even longer. My work in those last four years had been primarily in the camera department until about two years ago when I choose to be exclusively camera department. So, while I have plenty of knowledge in other areas of production, my strength and expertise is strictly in photographic and camera related technical issues. Prior to my full time work in production as a freelancer, I have worked for a variety of production companies in a variety of capacities. Everything from camera and post to video duplication, video engineering and even custom tape loading in blank shells for mass sales of custom tape lengths. If you think you know boring, I dare you to spend ten hour work days in a vacuum sealed "clean room" wearing surgical dress while clamping 2 and 1/2 foot diameter VHS reels onto giant refrigerator sized machines and programming them to load, open, splice, spool, splice, and spit out two thousand 15 minute VHS tapes. Over and over and over and over again. If you've ever been the P.A. who's been asked to firewatch the G&E truck, then you have an idea of the boredom, but not the monotony... In addition to my practical video production experience, I also studied still photography at a Central Florida community college. I say studied, but it was more like, "this is how the mechanics work, this is how the photochemical process works, go shoot". So, some good simple training and a little classroom stuff, but no in depth theory or what-have-you. I have worked with many formats and standards. From analogue to digital, PAL to NTSC, 720 & 1080 High Definition to Film. And I have worked in many places. From Central and South Florida to New York City (where I currently reside). That should give those of you unfamiliar with who I am a basic idea.

I was hired by Illusions Entertainment to shoot a film entitled "3 Days". My acquisition format of choice was 1080/24P HDCAM. However the budget reached the point, as it often does, that it couldn't support 1080 HDCAM. We even were concerned that 720 DVCPRO-HD would be a little beyond the budget and we investigated the Panasonic SDX900. After some working of the numbers on the part of our wonderful producer, and the generosity of a colleague who gave me a very, very good deal on his Varicam package, we were able make 720 DVCPRO-HD happen.

This would be the fourth time I had worked with the Panasonic AJ-HDC27F Varicam. My first two outings with the Panasonic HDC27F were as the DIT and the 1st Assistant Camera. My third was as the DP. Prior to my first experience with the HDC27F, I had plenty of working knowledge and experience with the Sony HDW-F900 and 1080 HDCAM. Both as a DIT and a DP. But jumping into the HDC27F and doing 720 DVCPRO-HD was a whole new thing. In pre-production for my first outing with the HDC27F (working as the DIT), I had the good fortune of receiving a one on one training session with Panasonic's Anthony Sangiovanni. Anthony took me through the menu system, the VTR's recording system and some tips and tricks of the rig. Aside from the ingenious variable frame rate recording method of the VTR, and some unique handling of the gamma and knee functions in the camera head, the features, controls, systems and functions aren't any different from any other professional video camera of its kind. However, the menu setup is a different story. For those of you who have worked with some of Panasonic's more recent high end model camcorders, the menus shouldn't be too foreign. But they're still not very user friendly. And the unique functions that I mentioned regarding the gamma and knee options are still going to be confusing to those of you who are familiar with the other Standard Definition Panasonic camcorders. Just when you thought you understood gamma and knee and its effects on electronic imaging, Panasonic throws you the unique features of FILM REC mode that no longer use knee and gamma in the same way. You're now dealing with Dynamic Range Percentages and proprietary gamma numbers that don't always seem to add up the same way gamma does in normal video cameras. Not to mention coordinating Black Pedestal and Black Stretch/Compress with Black Stretch Percentage.

By the same token, the menu structure on the Sony HDW-F900 isn't something that any video novice could easily handle or understand. But for me, and many others I have worked with, the Sony menu structure and access to features seem to make more sense. And the same guideline applies. If you're familiar with the menu system on a Sony DVW-790 DigitalBetaCAM, then aside from a few options, you won't be completely lost on the F900.

I programmed the 27F to modify the gamma, knee, detail, shading, and a many other minor tweaks. I did not have the time or resources to properly calibrate the color to a DSC CamAlign chart for accurate "true color". So, the color was set to one of the default color options. I believe SMPTE-274, but I don't have my notes in front of me.

As many of you already know, the 27F offers variable frame rate options to facilitate over crank and under crank frame rates like many of today's film cameras. This function is possible due to the unique 60P recording of the VTR. In other words, regardless of the frame rate you choose to shoot, the VTR always records the frames in a 60P sequence. Similar to the DVX100, but without the segmented frame recording or funky pulldown cadences. For our purposes, I ran the camera in 24P to facilitate the motion signature of most motion pictures.

Our HDC27F package was configured with a 21X T2.1 rated Canon EC Zoom Lens. This was the second time I've used this lens, and I must admit, it's quite nice.

We were scheduled to do a 6 day shoot. But due to scheduling issues, we ended running into a 7th day. Not fun to do 7 days straight. If it were not for the fact that most crew knew each other and were friends who were forgiving and understanding, there's no way that we would've been able to get away with 7 days straight. And even though most of the crew agreed to do a seventh consecutive day, we all still felt the strain and grumbled a bit. I mention the schedule for two reasons. One, we were pressed for time from the start. So please forgive me if the utmost care and attention was not paid to the setup and operation of the JVC HD10. Remember, my primary function here was to shoot the film I was paid to shoot with the Panasonic aj-HDC27F. If I didn't roll every single take, every single time, at every single location, please understand. There were many times when setting up the HD10 was not possible due to time constraints. And when the AD is doing his job (in other words, riding my ass about the time) and production who is paying me good money to shoot for them is staring me down, sometimes I just had to let the HD10 sit in the case. Two, due to shipping and pick up delays, I didn't actually get the HD10 in my hands and on set until the fourth day! I did get a full four days with it on set.

Heath McKnight generously provided me with his HD10 for the sake of these side by sides to test and become familiar with. As a DP and DIT I am always eager to learn the new tools that are, or may become available to me to practice and perform my craft. And as a DP and DIT, I must be familiar with the available tools to responsibly report to producers and directors what is and is not suitable for a particular production and/or application. By putting a new tool, such as the HD10, next to a tool that I am already familiar with, like the HDC27F Varicam or the DVX100, I can get an idea of where the performance of the new tool is falling.

The scenes and setups that I was able to put the JVC JY-HD10U side by side with the Panasonic aj-HDC27F were:

1. A scene set in a bar/smoking lounge. All interior, no windows. The bar had one wall that was entirely dark mahogany wood. The entire wall was a locker style sectioned giant humidor with gold numbering and handles on the individual doors. Most of the shots in the bar were looking in this direction. In the scene, two lawyers sit a table enjoying drinks and two detectives enter the bar and began questioning the customers, eventually working their way around to the two seated lawyers. The actors were dressed in typical lawyer dark suit, white shirt, tie, etc wardrobe. All talent in this scene were caucasian and hispanic with average to fair complexion.

I lit this scene entirely with Tungsten balanced lighting. 90% of which were Fresnels. The rest were Kino's. This scene was a rather average contrast ratio lighting level.

2. A scene set in a "government" office. Bland white walls with little dressing and large windows in the middle of a bright sunny day in midtown Manhattan. In this scene, the main character enters the office and speaks with a woman at the desk. Behind the woman the large windows take up a good deal of the frame motivating our light and providing the usual challenges of handling extreme latitude when working with Digital Acquisition formats. Again, dark suits and fair caucasian skin tones.

I lit this scene entirely with Daylight balanced lighting. My main "level raising" source was a 575 HMI with 4 bank Kinos' providing the fill and edge. This scene was lit to deal with the harsh daylight outside, but not to completely match it. While I did raise the levels to have less blown whites, I still wanted and let the exteriors go a little hot or over 109%.

3. A second "government" type office similar to the above described scene.

4. An interior scene set in a bathroom looking out to the living room and reverse. This scene included two actors, again fair caucasian skin tones, one in a dark suit, the other in a light gray T-shirt. Light blue walls, Dark red velvet couch, black velvet couch, warm color floor lamp, and a dark red floor rug with various paisley style cream colored patterns.

I lit this scene very dark and shadowy with Tungsten balanced lighting. All Fresnels.

These are the scenes that I recall personally setting up the HD10 next to the 27F. However, I believe my enthusiastic and curious AC's may have set up the HD10 a time or two that I don't remember.

Thus far, due to scheduling difficulty and lingering production odds and ends being wrapped up, all of the in camera originals from the 27F have not been yet been downconverted. As of tonight, only one reel from the scenes that the HD10 was set up with has been downconverted and is in my possession. I have not sat down and watched this reel with a scrutinous eye. But I did take a few minutes to take a quick peek and do a brief "first impressions" comparison with the HD10.

The scene that has been downconverted that I was able to take a few minutes to check out was the first scene I listed: Interior bar.

This was the first scene that I set up the HD10 with anyway and due to the late arrival of the HD10, it was actually the first time I turned it on! Fortunately, the menu structure and button placement on the HD10 didn't seem too complicated. I had downloaded the operation manual from the JVC website a few months ago when a business partner was relaying to me his experiences and thoughts on the HD10. It was around this time that I began discussing the HD10 with Heath McKnight. And I had read through the operation manual a time or two. So, the first time out I was able to quickly locate the functions I needed. I did instantly find it most disappointing and frustrating that HD10 lacks full manual control of the essentials. The camera's white balance menu offers an approximate 3200K color balance preset labeled as "halogen." Strange label, but the right color temperature none the less.

I found it exceptionally strange that the HD10 offers control of the f/stop or the shutter speed. This is ridiculous. Controlling the f/stop is certainly nice for controlling the Depth of Field, but if your shutter speed jumps or slows to compensate, then what's the point. Not to mention my next confusion: You can choose to control the f/stop, but then you also have a separate "Exposure" control. At least on a Sony VX2000/PD150, the "exposure" control actually controls the f/stop and gives you a display that shows you the number you're at. Weird.

AGC off, check.

When the LCD first lit up and I saw the image, I was horrified. I have to admit, based on the specs of the HD10 and my experience with professional flavors of HD, I didn't expect the HD10 to look very good. But when I saw the image on the LCD, I was surprised at how awful it looked. It really looked bad on the LCD.

Undeterred, I continued to set up the camera for the best image I could get out of it. Carefully, I set up the shot to match the shot I set up on the 27F as closely as possible. Checking the HD LCD monitor attached to the top of the 27F, I managed to frame the shot rather close. Naturally, with a smaller CCD, different lens, and offset angle of being next to the very large 27F, it's not 100% identical, but it's close.

Lacking Zebras as a point of reference for exposure, I had to use my instinct and hope that the LCD wasn't completely inaccurate as to what the camera was getting. The highlights looked very, very hot. And I turned down the "Exposure" control to -7 to compensate. Even at -7, the highlights looked at the very least hot, if not on the edge of clipping. But fearing under exposing and trusting those "instincts" I left it at -7 and went with it.

Written by Jon Fordham, Director of Photography.
Thrown together by Chris Hurd.