This past year at NAB 2014, Panasonic unveiled its long-rumored 4K Varicam. The Varicam 35 features a Super 35mm CMOS sensor that can shoot 4K & 4K RAW images up to 120 fps. There’s also a new high speed (HS) version of the Varicam which has a 2/3″ chip and can shoot up to 240 fps at 1080p.
This past week, Panasonic released pricing information for both versions of the camera:
| VariCam-35 | VariCam 35 complete package with AU-V35C1 4K camera module, AU-VREC1 recording / control module, AU-VCVF1 color viewfinder, AU-VSHL1 shoulder mount module | $55,000 |
| VariCam-HS | VariCam HS complete package with AU-V23HS1 2/3 camera module, AU-VREC1 recording / control module, AU-VCVF1 color viewfinder, AU-VSHL1 shoulder mount module | $46,000 |
| AU-V35C1 | VariCam 35 s35mm 4K camera head, PL mount | $29,000 |
| AU-V23HS1 | VariCam HS 2/3″ 1080p camera head, B4 mount | $20,000 |
| AU-VREC1 | VariCam common recording module / control unit | $17,000 |
| AU-VSHL1 | Shoulder mount module | $2,000 |
| AU-VCVF1 | Color viewfinder | $7,000 |
| AU-XPD1P | Express P2 drive | $495 |
| AU-XP0256AG | Express P2 card, 256GB | $2,000 |
Panasonic released a demo reel of footage from the Varicam 35 and it looks absolutely beautiful:
If you are familiar with the cameras, below are the specs for both the Varicam 35 & HS:
Panasonic Varicam 35 Specs
- 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)
Panasonic Varicam HS Specs
- Three 1920 x 1080 2/3″ CMOS Sensors (Red, Green, Blue)
- 14 Stops of Dynamic Range
- AVC-Intra Class 100 at 1080/24p/30p/60p with VFR (up to 240p)
- AVC-Intra Class 200 up to 1080/30p/60i
- 12-bit AVC-Intra Class 4:4:4 up to 1080/30p
- 1.5 to 6 Mbps Proxies
- Log, FilmRec, VideoRec and Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS) image contrast management controls
- Two expressP2 card slots (32 minutes of 1080p 240fps)
- Two microP2 card slots (Record HD/2K at more typical production frame rates)
- RGB 4:4:4
- One 3G-HD-SDI supports 1080/60p
- HD-SDI out for monitoring
While there’s no official release date yet, both cameras are expected to be available this fall.
*With the camera officially released, if you’re interested in more information on how to rent the latest from Panasonic, email [email protected], give us a call or stop in for a demo. We’d love to see you!
