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Street Price: $16,500
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It’s constructed like a tank and definitely feels like it could come out the other side of a battle in one piece.
It almost goes without saying, but church filmmakers are currently experiencing a golden season as more and more ministries are beginning to embrace the power of original media to help fulfill their missions. As church film teams push the limits of narrative and documentary storytelling, the demands are continuing to grow for tools that can create cinema-quality imagery. Fortunately, top manufacturers like Panasonic have recognized the need for cameras capable of capturing this kind of footage and are introducing exciting new models designed specifically to fulfill those requirements.
First introduced in 2014, the Panasonic Varicam 35 has already made a significant impact in the film, television and documentary worlds. In the past two years the Varicam 35 has been used on Netflix shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Masters of None,” as well as feature films like “Bad Santa 2” and Kevin Hart's “What Now?” Two years later, recognizing the need for a smaller, more mobile version of its popular cinema camera, Panasonic announced the new Varicam LT.
Aimed specifically at documentary and indie filmmakers, the Varicam LT utilizes the same sensor as the Varicam 35 in a more portable camera body, sacrificing only a few higher-end specs and faster 4K frame rates. Soon after the announcement of the Varicam LT we began to realize that this camera could be ideal for churches looking for Hollywood-quality imagery in a run-and-gun form factor. The only real question was how it would hold up against the demands of real-world ministry filmmaking.
From the Top
For the purposes of this review, Panasonic generously lent us the Varicam LT Pro EX package, which includes the camera body, OLED viewfinder, grip module and quick release shoulder mount. We'll be covering all of these elements, but readers should also be aware that the camera works perfectly well as a stand-alone camera body, which includes the LCD control panel/viewer.
At the heart of the Panasonic LT is the Varicam Super 35 sensor, capable of capturing 4K in 24 and 30 frames per second (fps) into the AVC-Intra 4K 422 12-bit codec. In addition, when paired with the Odyssey 7Q external recorder, the sensor can output to an even more impressive 4K RAW at 60fps. Just as importantly, when recording in the AVC-Intra codec set to log color space the sensor captures an amazing 14 stops of dynamic range, which is a big part of what makes digital comparable to the golden standard of celluloid film.
Internally, the Varicam LT also records 2K and HD files at 24, 30 and 60fps. In these smaller frame sizes the camera can utilize both the AVC-Intra and ProRes 444 and 422 codecs. When using only the center portion of the sensor the frame rates can be pushed up to 120 in 2K and 240 in HD. While shooting in 4K optimizes image quality, the ability to film to smaller resolutions and lighter codecs allows the camera to capture more footage to the card, an important consideration when filming documentary-style in the field.
Feeling the Quality
One of the first things shooters will notice right away about the Varicam LT is the build quality of the camera. It's constructed like a tank and definitely feels like it could come out the other side of a battle in one piece. This build quality comes at the cost of some additional weight, but the camera is still light enough to throw on your shoulder for a considerable amount of time, or to fly on higher-end gimbal systems.
The Varicam LT utilizes Panasonic's proprietary P2 cards for capturing footage. Like the camera itself, the P2 cards are extremely robust, dependable and high capacity, while still being fast enough to handle 4K 12-bit files. Film teams considering the Varicam LT will want to be aware that P2s are high-end professional cards, requiring a stand-alone card reader and costing considerably more than typical SD or CF cards an important consideration to remember when budgeting for the camera.
The LCD control panel is mounted directly to the top of the camera, and doubles as a very solid viewscreen for monitoring in real time. In a unique approach that will quickly grow on users, the control panel itself is externally wired to the camera body, allowing it to be several feet away from the camera itself while filming. When attached to the on-camera mount, the screen can also be rotated 180 degrees, allowing it to be viewed and operated from three sides of the camera.
The Varicam LT incorporates a number of professional connection ports, including HD-SDI, Genlock/TC, and four channels of audio via one 5-pin stereo XLR and two 3-pin XLR connections. The camera also features a 1/8-inch headphone jack discretely placed on the lower left side, very near were the operator's head would sit when operating shoulder mount. Real-time audio levels can be monitored visually, both the LCD viewer panel and the external electronic viewfinder (EVF). Audio input levels can be assigned to the dial on the external handgrip and adjusted manually if desired.
It’s constructed like a tank and definitely feels like it could come out the other side of a battle in one piece.
Run-and-gun Essentials
While the Varicam LT can function well in a locked-down setup, one of the real advantages of the camera is its portability. In order to maximize the camera's effectiveness when shoulder-mounted, Panasonic has developed a few essential accessories.
One optional add-on is the OLED EVF, which, like the camera it was designed to compliment, features a rock-solid construction and one of the best screens we've ever come across in an EVF. In another nice touch, the EVF includes buttons and a jog wheel, allowing users to customize setting without taking the camera off their shoulder. It's certainly a premium addition, but as with most tools at this level, you definite get what you pay for.
Another accessory that many documentary filmmakers will find indispensable is the optional handgrip. The grip is attached to the optional shoulder mount via a telescoping arm arrangement that will be immediately familiar to Sony FS7 users. In addition to having a jog wheel for adjusting things like iris or audio levels, the grip also has two user-assignable buttons for toggling focus and exposure assist tools. It's extremely comfortable to use and should be able to accommodate a number of different shooting styles
Hands-on Impressions
There's no denying that we were pretty excited to get our hands on this camera. From the moment we got assembled we began throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it. We filmed controlled studio tests, narrative setups, run-and-gun documentary footage, live events, outdoor scenes, mixed lighting environments – every and any challenge church filmmakers could possibly expect to encounter. After putting it through this battery of tests we came away with a much better idea of what the camera was really all about.
First off, everything about the Varicam LT just screams “professional.” It's crystal clear from the first time you pick it up that an incredible amount of consideration and work went into the design of this camera. Anytime we encountered a potential usability issue five minutes of research revealed that the engineers were already a step of ahead of us. Simply put, the Varicam LT is a blast to use, and the more time a user invests digging into the inner workings of the camera, the more they're rewarded for the effort.
The 4K footage coming off the camera looks as cinematic as just about anything we've seen this side of digital. This is in large part thanks to the sensor's 14 stops of dynamic range, which contributes to beautiful highlight rolloffs and skin tones that are incredibly filmic. The look of the footage itself is Panasonic to its core, which longtime fans of the company's cameras will be thrilled to hear. Properly setting exposure and white balancing are crucial to really make this camera sing, but with some practice it's possible to get breathtaking footage.
Introducing “Dual ISO”
One of the most unique features of the Varicam LT is the implementation of an entirely novel “Dual Native ISO” system. Cameras usually have one “native” ISO setting that produces the cleanest image with the least amount of image noise. The Varicam LT has two “Base ISOs” of 800 and 5000, meaning that the camera can film in lower light settings at Base 5000 with a noise level very similar to the native Base 800 level. Once filmmakers chose their Base ISO, a secondary ISO setting can be adjusted up or down as needed for the situation.
After extensive testing we found that while the Varicam LT footage is undeniably beautiful; it will be important to stick as close to these two Base ISOs in order to produce the cleanest image possible. For many filmmakers the noise will feel similar to what you'd expect from film and won't be much of an issue. In our tests we found the cleanest image was achieved by setting the Base ISO to 5000, then setting the secondary ISO down to 2500. While this costs the image a slight bit of dynamic range it produces a very clean, very gradable end result.
When trying to expose as close to perfectly as possible, users will be grateful for the three levels of ND filters built directly into the Varicam LT. These filters cut down the light hitting the sensor in situations where changing the iris or gain would otherwise compromise the image. It's fantastic feature to have on a cinema camera, especially one targeted to documentary filmmakers. Hopefully the LT will inspire other manufactures to begin considering built-in ND as a non-negotiable feature moving forward.
In Action
One of the first thing things filmmakers will notice when powering up the Varicam LT is how loud the cooling fan is. We were seriously concerned until we hit the Record button for the first time and the fan immediately powered down. The fan stayed cycled down until the recoding stopped, the reengaged immediately afterwards. It's a nice touch, and a clever way to keep the camera's internal workings cool without affecting on-set audio.
Another aspect we quickly fell for was the LCD control panel/viewer included with the Varicam LT. When monitoring footage the image is sharp, the colors are vivid and accurate, and the way it's incorporated into the system is innovative. Many of our narrative projects involve the cinematographer operating the camera shoulder-mounted; having the ability to use the control panel as a remote viewer for the Director in tight setups is great.
Filming in slow motion at 120fps and 240fps is also a nice option to have on the Varicam LT. Filming in the center crop mode cuts the ISO sensitivity in half, so we definitely saw the best results when filming with plenty of light. Filming slow motion, especially at 240fps, in darker environments tends to expose the reduced bit rate. For best results we'd definitely recommend sticking with the 120fps in daylight settings.
While there aren't too many downsides to the Varicam LT, we found a couple of aspects we'd love to see improved in future versions of the camera. The lack of any kind of built-in mic on the body for scratch audio is disappointing. Not a big deal when filming in controlled settings, but for a camera aimed at documentary filmmakers it's a bit of a bummer.
The other minor annoyance is the 20-second restart time required by the camera each time you change the codec or the frame rate. In a perfect world you'd only use one group of settings on each project, but that's not the world we live in. Sometimes creativity requires making adjustments, and these restart delays are annoying enough that they could affect that creativity when filming. Any way to improve the turnaround time would be extremely welcome.
In Conclusion
Those quibbles aside, overall we were very impressed with the Varicam LT. At the end of the day what matters most on a camera like this is the imagery that it produces, and the LT produces absolutely beautiful footage. For narrative applications the camera will absolutely bloom in the hands of a talented cinematographer. As mentioned earlier in this review, it's a lot of fun to use in documentary, run-and-gun settings, as well. When fully kitted out the rig can trend a bit toward the heavier side, but many shooters prefer a little heft because they believe it steadies out the shots.
Simply put, the Varicam LT should be on the short list of cameras to consider for any church wanting to create media that competes with the entertainment industry in the arena of idea. It's a powerful, versatile tool that will be at home in just about any situation or environment church filmmakers could throw at it.
The Varicam LT currently lists for $16,500, body-only.