If I was a buying a new camcorder today, what would I get?

Australian Videocamera has been going for 15 years and over that time, as well as in the preceding years when I was the Managing Editor of Videocamera magazine, I have road tested many, many camcorders and cameras.

Some were memorable such as the Canon XHA1, Panasonic HC-WFX1M and the Sony Z1, others not so and they will remain nameless.

But let’s use the Sony Z1 as a sort of benchmark here. I choose the Z1 as, for me at least, it was a ground breaker at the time in terms of the jump from SD to HD, and also allowing DVCAM.

It was also Sony’s first attempt at making a pro level camcorder that appealed to the consumer. “New” features at the time offered a 3CCD system giving 30, 25 and 24fps and there was a special CineFrame mode that “replicated the look of film production” according to Sony.

Recording was to the venerable MiniDV cassette which meant you needed a Firewire (IEEE1394 or iLink) port on your computer to ingest footage, but back then, circa 2005, this was not an issue and indeed, on many Macs it was standard.

Sure it had a fixed lens and cost over $7K in Australia, but nothing else even came close on the market at the time.

I never owned a Z1 although I did use one on one of my many east-west-west driving crossings of Australia at the time. But I knew a lot of people who bought Z1s and some like Australian Videocamera’s senior writer Dr David Smith still use theirs as they were then, and still are now, that good.

It took a while to dig out the specs of the Z1 (mainly because there were two versions, the Z1U and Z1E for USA and “Europe”), but if you are interested, I found them, and a review here.

So the question I wanted to ponder– and in fact answer – is what camcorder I would get today that I consider at the top of its game, the same way the Z1 was in 2005?

As I say in the opening paragraph, over the years I have been privileged to review many, many camcorders and cameras. The only major manufacturer no longer represented here in Australia is JVC, more the pity as they made some fine camcorders in my opinion, but we do have of course Sony, Canon and Panasonic as the staples with Red on the sidelines as a more niche manufacturer.

Blurring the lines though is the fact most dSLRs and mirrorless cameras from the likes of Fujitsu, Nikon etc operate quite nicely as camcorders with inbuilt 4K capability.

So you’d think I’d pick one of these? Well no.

My pick having had an extensive play with it over the last 6 months or so is a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro (BPCC6K)

As the BPCC6K has a standard EF mount I can use my 70-200mm zoom and nifty 50mm from my Canon 5DS and of course, there is a HUGE range of EF mount lenses from a number of manufacturers, not just Canon.

And the bang for buck you get from the BPCC6K for your $4K is enormous.

Firstly there is a Super 35 high resolution sensor giving an image up to 6144 x 3456, dual native ISO and whilst you can record to either SD or Compact Flash cards, with one of the recommended units, you can record direct to portable SSD drives (I use a Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable 1TB.

You get an adjustable 1500 nits HDR touchscreen, built in ND filters, 13 stops of dynamic range and a monstrous number of shooting resolutions along with associated metadata such as project, scene number, take and special notes. A 3D LUT can also be embedded in metadata of Blackmagic RAW files.

Another feature I love is the ability to control the camera from my Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro and the associated software.

Ergonomically everything is in the right place and easily accessible. I found the whole camera easy to come to grips with and if there is something that stumps you, the 150-odd page manual covers every aspect in detail.

If there was one thing that is a minor negative, it is that the “pocket” part of the model’s name is a little misleading. Unless you have a bloody big pocket. And this camera is not light at 1.2Kg (without lens) as I discovered shooting fireworks on Australia Day.

But everything else to my mind ticks every box in what makes a great camcorder and I suggest if you are in the market for one, go and have a look and a play if you can.

If the 4K price tag is just beyond reach, there is also the “standard” 6K version for a tad over $3K or the 2K model for $2K, so all bases are covered.

Oh and did you know that Blackmagic Design is an Australian company? That also accounts for something in my book.

You can get all the info and specs etc at https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicpocketcinemacamera

FUJIFILM launches two 8K ultra-high definition broadcast lenses

FUJIFILM has launched two broadcast zoom lenses, the “FUJINON HP66x15.2-ESM” (HP66x15.2) and the “FUJINON HP12x7.6ERD-S9” (HP12x7.6) both of which will be released in February 2021. The two new lenses use cutting-edge optical technology to capture dynamic 8K video at ultra-high resolution. The HP66×15.2 is a box type zoom lens reaching the world’s longest focal length*1 of 1000mm and offering the world’s highest zoom magnification*1 of 66x. The HP12×7.6 is a portable type zoom lens covering the focal length range from the world’s widest*1 7.6mm to 91mm in telephoto. The HP66x15.2 and HP12x7.6 will complete a seven-model line-up of FUJIFILM’s broadcast lenses to cater to the industry’s need for 8K video production.

Today, the use of high-definition video is accelerating rapidly in a diverse range of video production including live sports / concert coverage and documentary programs. As countries embrace the commercial use of 8K video, which has four times the resolution of 4K video, the market is calling for broadcast lenses equipped with a very high level of optical performance.

HP12x7.9_pers1

FUJINON HP12x7.6ERD-S9

Recognising the arrival of a new broadcasting age, FUJIFILM became the world’s first to release 4K-capable lenses, and has since progressed on to develop 8K-capable lenses. The current lineup of five models is driving the trend toward higher video quality in the broadcasting industry.

The HP66x15.2 and HP12x7.6 are broadcast zoom lenses capable of producing dynamic 8K ultra-high definition video. They can resolve images edge-to-edge in astonishing sharpness to capture even the atmosphere of the scene, as FUJIFILM has applied its high-precision forming technology that can polish the surface of lens elements on the order of nanometres as well as mechanical designing and assembling technologies that accurately place multiple lens groups into a lens barrel. Their vivid colour reproduction and strong contrast result in rich tonal gradation in high dynamic range (HDR). These also feature the new “Remote Back Focus” function, which enables adjusting the back focus remotely, e.g. from a broadcast van, to streamline video shooting.

The HP66×15.2 is a box type zoom lens covering the focal length range from 15.2mm to the world’s longest focal length of 1000mm. With the world’s highest zoom magnification of 66x, the lens is capable of capturing a decisive moment of athletes far away. The HP12x7.6 is a portable zoom lens covering the focal length range from the world’s widest 7.6mm to 91mm, a perfect choice to capture an entire stadium or concert venue.

FUJINON lenses by FUJIFILM are known for advanced descriptive performance, and used in the production of movies, TV commercials, and live sports coverage across the world. FUJIFILM will continue to leverage its cutting-edge optical technology to supply high-performance lenses, addressing the diversifying needs of video production sites.

Main features of the HP66×15.2 and HP12×7.6

(1) Broadcast zoom lenses producing dynamic ultra-high definition 8K video

  • The new lenses can produce dynamic 8K UHD video, tapping into FUJIFILM’s high-precision forming technology that can polish the surface of lens elements on the order of nanometres as well as mechanical designing and assembling technologies that accurately place multiple lens groups into a lens barrel.
  • Aspherical and fluorite lens elements control image distortion and light fall-off at image corners as much as possible. In addition, the use of the floating focus system, which controls multiple lens groups according to the shooting distance, minimises fluctuations in optical performance that occur as the shooting distance changes, thus maintaining sharpness across all shooting distances from close-up to infinity.
  • FUJIFILM’s proprietary “HT-EBC (High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating)” multi-layer coating technology is applied to lens surfaces to enhance light transmittance for vivid colour reproduction and high contrast. This results in rich tonal gradation in HDR.
  • The HP66×15.2 is a box type lens covering focal lengths from 15.2mm to the world’s longest 1000mm in telephoto. It offers the world’s highest zoom magnification of 66x, capable of capturing a decisive moment of athletes far away and even the facial expression and gestures of an artist on stage during live performance. The HP12×7.6 is a portable type lens with focal lengths ranging from the world’s widest 7.6mm to 91mm, delivering an exceptionally wide angle of view to capture an entire stadium or live concert venue.

(2) Newly equipped with the Remote Back Focus function for easy 8K video production

  • The lenses are newly equipped with the Remote Back Focus function, which enables adjusting the back focus remotely, e.g. from a broadcast van, to streamline video shooting.
  • The lenses can be combined with the focus position demand unit “FUJINON EPD-51A-D02/F03” (optional), which facilitates focus adjustments at hand, to achieve precise focusing. The combination makes it easy to shoot 8K video, which demands an advanced level of focusing precision.
  • The lenses feature the high-performance optical image stabilisation mechanism, a popular feature of FUJIFILM’s high-magnification zooms. It accurately corrects image blurs caused by wind or shaking of the footing without any time lag, providing added stability in video shooting.

(3) Natural bokeh achieved with nine-blade diaphragm

  • The use of 9-blade diaphragm achieves an aperture shape closer to a perfect circle, allowing users to incorporate natural bokeh into their video expressions.

(4) Stock-standard 16-bit encoder*2

  • The lenses come stock-standard with a 16-bit encoder, enabling high resolution output of lens data including zoom and focus positions. It enables connection with various systems such as a virtual studio for combining computer graphics with live video footage.

*1 Among 8K-capable broadcast lenses as of January 21, 2021, according to FUJIFILM data

*2 It is a sensor that converts position information into digital signals. Information about zoom and focus positions is output as digital signals, split in 16-bit precision.