Charles Papert
April 13th, 2006, 10:14 AM
Regarding the Genesis, I finally had the chance to spend a little time with it today on the set of "ER" where it was being tested against the standard Panflex. They were shooting interior and exterior scenes on both film and with the Genesis in "SQ" mode (440 mbs 4:4:4 HDCAM SR).
Watching some challenging scenes on the monitor, overall I felt the camera looked fantastic. At certain points in the exteriors there were 6-8 stops of latitude represented (interior and bright sun in the same frame) and while there was overexposure and clipping present in the white objects in sun (which could have been avoided given a slightly lesser exposure) the clipping looked pretty acceptable and did not show fringing or harsh edges. The colors were natural, the skin tones pleasing.
The overall contrast was increased over film as expected, so the balance of highlights for interiors would be adjusted accordingly if the camera was to become de riguer. Panavision is claiming 9 stops of latitude and I feel that this is not too far off, but one would still have to keep an eye on overexposure because unlike film you cannot pull details out of the clipped areas.
Physically, the camera is reasonably similar to a standard Panaflex, enough so to see the family resemblance. The "magazine" (tape drive) is hefty, about 13 lbs. The motor bulge on the right side of the Panaflex is replaced by the fans, which are engaged when the camera is not actually running. This means that the camera is a massive power hog, requiring a substantial amount of current when running or not.
The viewfinder is color, high resolution and easily configurable in various places (and is equipped with a eyepiece leveler). Along with giving plenty of focus information, it shows plenty of scan above and below the frame, and a bit on the sides, so it is comparable to an optical eyepiece in many ways. It does exhibit the strobing that is generally the case with 24p cameras (not just a function of the 24 fps mode) but one can probably get used to this.
Where the Genesis really falls down at the moment is when considered for handheld or especially Steadicam use; it weighs 8-10 lbs more than a similarly equipped 35mm camera and needs more power to operate, which translates into heavier batteries. For Steadicam this means upping the capacity of the batteries used, which also means adding weight. I didn't fly the rig but saw all that I needed to in the way that "ER" operator Terence Nightingall had to balance his rig to accomodate the Genesis--and he was unable to power it from his onboard Steadicam batteries (which are capable of powering any other type of standard camera, digital or film) and thus required an assistant to carry an outboard block battery with thick cable. It is possible to power the Genesis for Steadicam with integrated batteries, such as two Dionic 160's which Terence doesn't own at present. After three takes on set, Terence felt like he had been flying the rig all day. It's that heavy.
Bottom line--the Genesis is an obvious improvement over the previous generation of 2/3" cameras in many ways; it delivers a very nice image but it is a bit of a boat anchor in its current form factor and the next generation will assuredly improve on many of these factors.
Watching some challenging scenes on the monitor, overall I felt the camera looked fantastic. At certain points in the exteriors there were 6-8 stops of latitude represented (interior and bright sun in the same frame) and while there was overexposure and clipping present in the white objects in sun (which could have been avoided given a slightly lesser exposure) the clipping looked pretty acceptable and did not show fringing or harsh edges. The colors were natural, the skin tones pleasing.
The overall contrast was increased over film as expected, so the balance of highlights for interiors would be adjusted accordingly if the camera was to become de riguer. Panavision is claiming 9 stops of latitude and I feel that this is not too far off, but one would still have to keep an eye on overexposure because unlike film you cannot pull details out of the clipped areas.
Physically, the camera is reasonably similar to a standard Panaflex, enough so to see the family resemblance. The "magazine" (tape drive) is hefty, about 13 lbs. The motor bulge on the right side of the Panaflex is replaced by the fans, which are engaged when the camera is not actually running. This means that the camera is a massive power hog, requiring a substantial amount of current when running or not.
The viewfinder is color, high resolution and easily configurable in various places (and is equipped with a eyepiece leveler). Along with giving plenty of focus information, it shows plenty of scan above and below the frame, and a bit on the sides, so it is comparable to an optical eyepiece in many ways. It does exhibit the strobing that is generally the case with 24p cameras (not just a function of the 24 fps mode) but one can probably get used to this.
Where the Genesis really falls down at the moment is when considered for handheld or especially Steadicam use; it weighs 8-10 lbs more than a similarly equipped 35mm camera and needs more power to operate, which translates into heavier batteries. For Steadicam this means upping the capacity of the batteries used, which also means adding weight. I didn't fly the rig but saw all that I needed to in the way that "ER" operator Terence Nightingall had to balance his rig to accomodate the Genesis--and he was unable to power it from his onboard Steadicam batteries (which are capable of powering any other type of standard camera, digital or film) and thus required an assistant to carry an outboard block battery with thick cable. It is possible to power the Genesis for Steadicam with integrated batteries, such as two Dionic 160's which Terence doesn't own at present. After three takes on set, Terence felt like he had been flying the rig all day. It's that heavy.
Bottom line--the Genesis is an obvious improvement over the previous generation of 2/3" cameras in many ways; it delivers a very nice image but it is a bit of a boat anchor in its current form factor and the next generation will assuredly improve on many of these factors.