ASA of Varicam

Bob Hayes · August 18, 2005

What are you guys and gals rating the Varicam at?

David Lee · August 18, 2005

What are you guys and gals rating the Varicam at?

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Hi Bob,

ISO 640

Best,

:)

Jeff Tanner · August 19, 2005

What are you guys and gals rating the Varicam at?

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Bob,

My company has a Varicam and there is no easy answer to your question. It all depends on your user settings. If you initialize the "factory data" I would rate the speed at about 500 but the picture looks like hell.

In one of the user settings that I have created...using the "film rec" settings and shooting at 24fps, I rate it at 320.

I have played with the "video rec" settings and adjusted everything else to my tastes and I found that the camera could be rated as high as 800 without having to use any electronic gain. It's not the richest picture that you've ever seen but it's not washed out either.

It's a great camera and extremely versatile, I absolutely love it. You will too.

Regards,

Jeff Tanner

Edited August 19, 2005 by jtshoots

Bob Hayes · August 23, 2005

320 seems to be a good ASA for me. I set the camera on 180 degree shuttera nd it droped to ASA 160. I'm still just jighting with out my meter and then metering it afterwards. Just to get a feel of where it needs to be. I'm still not happy with the way I'm lighting video. More often they I would care to admit it looks like a soap opera, and informercial, or a porno.

Rodrigo Llano · September 16, 2005

For sure is 640..

Don't trust in what you see in the monitor..

rodrigo

September 20, 2005

Bob,

I agree with rating 320-500 for 180 degree shutter/ 24p

I was surprised to find out many DP's want to rate at 640...

However, I think it all depends on over exposure for highlights, and basic range of

exposure for the picture. I avoid over exposing skin tone at all costs, and with this format, I

am discovering its extremely sensitive. I have been lighting/ shading rather neutral in the field,

and some directors complain it looks dull... but what they do not realize is, color correction

for this camera wants to be more neutral, and retain detail in blacks, to allow us more options

to crush, and over saturate in post.

Jac Kee · September 23, 2005

Aye, the filter wheels affect the ASA value of the Varicam thus you have a variance of such. The following I'm posting are the EXACT and TESTED values that Mr. Zensyo Sakamoto (Varicam's founder) have created for the Varicam :

1B : 640

1C : 400

1D : 250

2B : 160

2C : 100

2D : 64

3B : 40

3C : 25

3D : 16

4B : 10

4C : 6

4D : 4

The Value for CC filter A is the same as B.

Optics affect the overall ASA value for the Varicam whose base is tried and tested at ASA 640. Take your incident meter readings then correspond it with an 18% Grey chart. Your 'Y-Get' would value at 18% definitely.

Jac Kee

P.S. Check out this Singaporean film that was shot on the Varicam, Cages @ www.cagesmovie.com . Thanks.

Jeff Tanner · September 23, 2005

The following I'm posting are the EXACT and TESTED values that Mr. Zensyo Sakamoto (Varicam's founder) have created for the Varicam :

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IMHO there are far too many variables to give an "EXACT" and "TESTED" value for ASA of the Varicam. Maybe these values are for the "factory settings"? Once you start changing dynamic range, white clip levels, black levels, shadow detail, etc. you can throw those values out the window. Not to mention the extreme differences in FILM REC and VIDEO REC settings.

I can make the ASA change from 500 to 100 without changing the filter wheel at all by adjusting a few menu options in the software. That is why when the question arises about the varicam's ASA, people give a range of values. Saying that the ASA values are set in stone is not accurate...this camera can be anything you want it to be. Use your eyes (and a monitor) and look at the image and don't worry about setting your meter (if you use one) to a particular value.

Respectfully,

Jeff Tanner

Rodrigo Llano · September 24, 2005

Jeff ..

i'm agree with you when you said that you must use your eyes, but i'm not sure about trust in the monitor. That's right that video rec and film rec are completly diferent images, but is because video rec was design for broadcast and film rec to be pos produced , because of the dinamic range of this option..

Then you don't need to change the ISO in your meter but use the gamma box or gamma correction plugins to get the middle tone areas ....

I know is a big discusion., but i think that could give us more POV of this and other tecnologies

all the best

Rodrigo

Jac Kee · September 30, 2005

Jeff, I apologise for leaving out the fact that the ASA values are based on factory settings, ie, 500%, 4.5 gamme curve, etc. To just reaffirm, the values I have posted above are EXACTLY based on the Factory settings. The reason for my suggestion was to share with everyone in here, a viable base ASA for the Varicam.

Jac