If you Think It, You can Shoot It

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.