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MillimeterIf you Think It, You can Shoot It
Dec 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Barry Braverman, Video Symphony
Panasonic AJ-SDX900
When it comes to evaluating a broadcast-grade camera like Panasonic's AJ-SDX900, one can't begin to appreciate its relative merits until the unit is duly subjected to the rigors of an actual shoot. Indeed, no amount of makeshift testing, hyped NAB pitches, or cursory reviews can come close to the pressures and stress that are part of virtually every commercial shoot. A client's harping, high expectations, and the necessity to shoot eight to ten setups a day all contribute to the heightened tension on a set; the need to constantly push and pull, tweak and re-tweak the camera can be withering to both the shooter and the equipment.
 At $25,000, the AJ-SDX900 is a rugged camera that can withstand the rigors of the toughest commercial shoot. |
Like people and crewmembers under pressure, some cameras perform better than others, and in this regard the AJ-SDX900 stands head and jib arm above comparably priced models. Indeed, the camera's elegant design and many practical features dovetail beautifully into how pro level shooters like myself actually work.
A radically different concept
At its basic level, the SDX900 is a lightweight but extremely rugged 16:9 progressive-scan camera utilizing the latest-generation 520,000-pixel, 2/3in. CCD imager. We've seen a proliferation of increased-density CCD imagers recently, and it is perhaps this development more than anything else that is fueling the dramatically improved performance of DV-based cameras across the board.
At first glance the SDX900's primary calling card is its versatility. Capable of recording at 24p, 30p, and 60i in native 16:9 or 4:3, the camera offers a myriad of possibilities in both DVCPRO 50 (4:2:2) and DVCPRO 25 (4:1:1) recording modes.
DVCPRO 50 is potentially great news for today's versatile production companies who wish to use a single camera for widely varying EFP and ENG projects. For DV shooters and producers looking ahead to working in the 50Mbps 4:2:2 format, the SDX900 has emerged as the best and ultimate choice now for standard definition programming.
On the job with the SDX900
When it comes to commercial shoots, the current trend to utilize less robust DV25 models is fraught with peril. Noisy preamps, inaccurate monitor output due to lack of setup, and infuriatingly flimsy plugs and switches all take their toll on a shooter's frayed nerves. So does the lack of a paint box and comprehensive detail, knee, and gamma settings, which makes the ability to do first-class work with common prosumer cameras nearly impossible in a high-stakes environment. Sure, the demand for economy is a part of every shoot these days — national commercials included — but some compromises should not and cannot ever be a part of a professional shooter's usual modus operandi.
I recently put the new SDX900 camera through a tough two-day commercial shoot for Advertising Arts Direct of Los Angeles and client Sunrise Medical of Colorado. The :60 spot directed by AAD founder and visionary Michael Wolstenholme carried with it a growing, all too familiar challenge: It had to look and feel like a half-million dollar spot, but we had to do it (of course) at a small fraction of the price. Every shooter regardless of his niche is no doubt facing a similar constraint these days, but the Sunrise spot posed some particularly difficult and unusual challenges.
24p anyone?
For the Sunrise shoot, I admit that the temptation was there to shoot 24p, and most shooters working with the SDX900 would have likely opted for 24p without giving it much thought. After all, the camera is capable of shooting at this frame rate in both standard and advanced modes (the correct choice depending on the capability of your NLE), and most craft-savvy shooters would just simply go for the reduced artifacting and improved resolution associated with progressively scanned images.
Still, I found myself unable to sleep one night. Was 24p really the best choice to convey the client's message? After reviewing the final storyboards and discussing the desired look with my director, I started to have doubts. Shooting in DVCPRO50 mode was a foregone conclusion given the elevated demands and expectations of a national spot, but the 24p issue still posed something of a dilemma.
In the first place, the spot demanded a present, real life look. The commercial's theme “What does your freedom mean to you?” underscored the desire of seniors to retain an active lifestyle despite the need to use a motorized wheelchair for basic mobility. I felt strongly that the client's story would not be enhanced by the more movie-like look of 24p. In other words, I was not interested in constructing some make-believe world or exotic universe. Shooting in conventional 60i seemed like the logical choice in this case given the client's required message and intended audience.
There was another aspect to consider as well. As I reviewed the storyboards, I became increasingly concerned about one shot in particular — an extended tracking shot along a white picket fence in front of the house. Sure, I like to live dangerously, but this seemed clearly beyond the pall as I considered the peril of shooting such a scene at 24p. The risk of strobing or stutter was a very real possibility just as it would be for a film camera shooting at 24 frames per second. Increasing the frame rate of a film camera would be one obvious solution, but this is of course not all that possible in most video cameras, including the SDX900. After considerable thought, it seemed the risk of serious artifacts could best be eliminated by simply shooting conventional NTSC at 29.97fps.
It is not my intent to debate the relative merits of interlaced versus progressive imaging. Suffice it to say that shooting 24p (or not) is a creative decision that must be considered in the context of a particular project. The beauty of the SDX900, however, is the inherent flexibility to select the appropriate format consistent with one's storytelling goals, and then fine-tune that decision via a series of expansive menus. The challenge of the white picket fence and the desire for a more real look were storytelling concerns that had to be addressed. The camera's ability to accommodate whatever artistic vision a shooter or director might have is truly awesome, and it can be done simply and quickly with a few easy menu entries.
Borrowing heavily from its Varicam big brother, the setup menus in the SDX900 are extensive for a camera in this price range. Shooters have the ability to vary and tweak virtually every parameter imaginable, from matrix setting and gamma correction to knee level and flare. On my show, setup included precise tweaking of the camera's expansive paint box. As a starting point, I selected Filmlook 1 — the SDX900 actually features two filmlooks — then further fine-tuned the gamma and detail level as needed, dialing in a bit of red, as well, to compensate for the overall blue curse imparted by daylight streaming in through the many north-facing doors and windows. I also turned down the Auto Knee a few points to avoid blowing out the hot detail visible through the exterior windows. Once again, the SDX900 conformed perfectly to the requirements of my visual story. With the AJ-SDX900, if you think it, you can shoot it. The camera is just that powerful.
Superb workflow
It's perhaps the hallmark of a great camera, and the SDX900 is certainly a pleasure to operate on a set. I especially appreciated the camera's thoughtful touches, like the sliding shoulder mount and the 2X magnifier in the viewfinder, a fantastic focusing aid in low-contrast scenes. One has to wonder what took a camera manufacturer so long to add such a feature given the propensity for digital video shooters to work at very low light levels.
Another nicety for the shooter-craftsman is the Zebra Spot Level — a center-weighted system that allows the operator to use the camera and zoom as a kind of sophisticated spot meter. I made use of this aid on almost every setup, and I consider it an essential tool for the Vermeer-inspired cinematographer who “paints” with light.
Of course seeing what you're doing and getting is critical to any shooter, and the range of markings visible in the SDX900 viewfinder can be varied substantially to suit individual taste. In the SDX900, virtually every camera and lens function, including frame markers, time-code, zoom and iris settings, and action safes, are individually selectable in a range of modes, styles, and intensities. I for one prefer a sturdy center marker and a complete action-safe box at all times. None of those wimpy scrapbook corners for me! I like to know exactly what I'm shooting, and in the SDX900, the operator can set up viewfinder housekeeping any way he or she likes.
Impressively, the client and production team can have its own custom view of relevant viewfinder data. While the client may opt to see a “clean” picture through MONITOR OUT, the production assistant taking notes in another room can turn on the supered time-code via VIDEO OUT. This is just one illustration of the camera's superb workflow under actual working conditions.
To its credit, Panasonic even reconsidered the age-old notion of a ruby red tally light. For years, shooters and their assistants have lamented the difficulty of seeing the red tally across a large set or in the bright glare of daylight. The SDX900 allows the user to switch to a bright green tally. Heck, we all know how the human eye is relatively insensitive to the red wavelength, so the transition to green would appear to be long overdue. Indeed in many technical areas like aeronautics and nuclear power plants, a red light is associated with system failure — which was most definitely not the case on my set.
Sounding off
It is unfortunate that some low and even mid-level cameras sound bad as manufacturers emphasizing a camera's imaging prowess tend to ignore audio performance. Spec sheets describing a camera's audio capability typically do so in vague terms such as “PCM 16-bits @ 48KHz sampling.” In particular, the noisy preamps in some cameras tend to introduce noise — uncompressed noise — but noise nevertheless.
To get around this problem on high-end projects, I used to routinely recommend recording double-system onto DAT, MiniDisc, or analog Nagra. In the SDX900, Panasonic has largely obviated the need for recording double-system on most productions. Audio recorded directly into the SDX900 was so clean on my shoot it was virtually impossible to distinguish tape playback from the live set feed. In fact, my soundman kept reminding me to push the camera's return button so he could check the recorded audio. I had to tell him repeatedly, “You are listening to playback!”
It goes without saying that the business has changed in profound ways for commercial DPs as many of us are increasingly finding ourselves foregoing 35mm film or HD to shoot DV at 25Mbps and 50Mbps resolutions. This reality is largely due to the ease of handling DV25 and (now) DV50 files on the desktop, which with the help of powerful NLE software such as Apple's Final Cut Pro, has enabled low-cost production of programs in virtually every market and niche.
The Panasonic AJ-SDX900 is a camera that can do it all. Built like a tank, it elegantly and tastefully supports the needs of the creative shooter in a difficult marketplace. The economy of the camera, that one camera can operate in a variety of formats and use the same high-quality optics, setup options, and other workflow features means that we can now benefit from these advances on every project, not just the higher end ones.
Like few cameras that I've ever worked with, the AJ-SDX900 seems to have a soul with character and a can-do attitude. There aren't too many cameras out there that inspire this level of intimacy — and that's coming from a film guy who loved my Arriflex 35BL like my first child.
Of course at close to fifty, I'm getting kind of old to be talking about adding another child to my life. But in light of my experience with the AJ-SDX900, perhaps it's time I reconsider.
Barry Braverman is a veteran cinematographer based in Studio City, Calif., with over twenty years experience. He is director of DVD Training at Video Symphony in Burbank and is serving as a consultant and convergence producer for major studios. His first book, “DV Shooter” from CMP Books, will be published in 2004.
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