In a move that has already surprised professional videographers, Panasonic has just announced the Varicam Pure, a cinema-ready 4K camcorder that only records RAW video footage, at up to 120 fps. Panasonic says the camera is ideal for episodic television shows and features.
The camera is a variation of the VariCam 35 and was introduced at IBC 2016; it is a jointly-developed project between Panasonic and Codex, combining the existing VariCam 35 camera head with a new Codex V-RAW 2.0 recorder that attaches directly to the camera head. It can only record uncompressed RAW files–it does not record any other format–onto the industry-standard Codex Capture Drive 2.0 media, which is widely used by many camera systems, post facilities and studios. According to Panasonic, the camera was developed due to a “significant demand for uncompressed RAW recording in the high-end market.”
The VariCam Pure weighs 11 pounds, which is relatively light, and is rugged and compact. The VariCam sports a modular design, with a 4K camera head, and the RAW recording camera module. PL mount lenses attach to the camera head, and accessories such as LCD and 4K LCD monitors, battery pack, microphones and other accessories can be configured as needed around that combination. It is smaller and lighter than the VariCam 35.
Codex is said to provide the most efficient dailies and archiving workflow available through its Production Suite. The Codex Virtual File system allows users to transfer many file formats including Panasonic VRAW, Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR.
Using the Codex Capture Drive means a reliable workflow from digital capture to post production. Along with the original camera negative, frame-accurate metadata (such as lens and CDL data) can also be captured, streamlining production and post-production, and delivering time and cost savings.
The V-Raw 2.0 recorder for VariCam Pure is expected to be released in December. Suggested list price is $30,000.
