The standard definition cameras are superb. They are two of the best standard definition cameras ever made outside of Digibeta. If you are working and outputting to standard definition, the 510 or 530 are hard to beat.
When the high definition version of XDCAM arrived, in the form of the PDW-F330 (and PDW-F350), many were disappointed by the 1/2in CCDs and long GOP recording format. While the 1/2in XDCAM HD cameras are capable of some beautiful imagery, it would be accurate to say that, in reality, 2/3in imagers are highly desirable. Loss of resolution in progressive scan modes was also a problem for many people, despite it being hard to see in real world conditions. As a result, many production companies and broadcasters were forced to wait for their ideal version of XDCAM to come along. They knew it was coming, but exactly when was another question.
Well now the wait is almost over. The 2/3in XDCAM HD camera, the PDW-700 is almost ready to hit the market. Recently, I was given the opportunity to borrow a pre-production version of the camera. As a result, it only featured bare basic functionality and is not in any way or form a representation of the final capabilities of the production version.
The PDW-700 has a similar form factor to the standard definition cameras. This is a good thing. I always felt that there was a certain ‘something’ missing from the 1/2in cameras. I feel that the SD cameras are more solid and robust somehow. The 700 weighs roughly the same as the standard def models too. Decked out in an all-black color scheme, it looks sleek, although I prefer the nice curvy disc window design of the older cameras compared with the square one on the 700. Hey, I like my cameras to look cool!
Construction
With regard to overall solidity of construction, Sony has gone all out to make sure that the 700 is a camera for all conditions, including extra weather sealing to prevent water and dust entering the internal chassis and disc mechanism. The original cameras were almost indestructible in this regard, so the idea that the 700 is even more so is good news indeed.
The camera that Sony provided me with came with 2xHD/SD SDI outputs and one SDI in. The latter being an optional extra. Most other connectivity is as per normal for a camera of this type – ie, two XLR outs and a single XLR audio in on the rear, etc, all the usual suspects. Sony has also included a built-in LAN connection and USB2. The former was available on the standard def cameras as an optional extra, but was never available on the previous XDCAM HD models, so it is good to see it here as standard.
Most of the other buttons on the camera are also as per normal for any broadcast camcorder. There are three labelled assignable buttons and one assignable switch. Although there is also a Color Temp button that can also be assigned to a different function if required.
This Color Temp button is an interesting addition. In keeping with most new cameras, the PDW-700 only has a single optical filter wheel with four ND settings and an electronic white balance. Personally, I would have preferred two filter wheels. I can switch with them far faster than I can having to reach for a fiddly switch. But such is the price of ‘progress’! However the Color Temp button is pretty neat because it enables you to store up to five white balance presets for each ND filter setting. Pressing the button cycles through the white balances you’ve set.
Another change to the body is the addition of a 3.5in LCD display near the rear of the camera. While this is welcome and more sensible a position for some operations than the forward-mounted display on the 1/2in models, the LCD itself is the same model that is included on the F350. This could, of course, change for the final production model, and I really hope that it does! The excellent LCD that is used on the EX1 would be a much more sensible proposition for a camera of this price. The current LCD is not really much use for anything other than to get a rough gauge of what is being shot.
Speaking of displays, the camera will be supplied with a 2in mono CRT viewfinder. I am told that the optional HDVF-C30W 2.7in HD color viewfinder will also fit on the 700. I am puzzled, though, as to why broadcast cameras don’t have color viewfinders as standard. We don’t live in the 1980s any more! Lets have a bit of progress on this front!
The camera supplied to me had a large air intake at the front of the camera on the right hand side, and a large rear air vent just behind the disc bay window. I can foresee this causing issues with covers, such as those from Portabrace and Kata. The extra weather sealing goes some way to preventing the need for such covers, but the body is still at risk from knocks and scratches.
That said, this camera has to have venting of some kind, and there are only so many areas in which vents and intakes can be placed. Especially given the cooling requirements of a CCD block that will be capable of 1920x1080 at 60fps (although not, alas, on this particular camera model). Power consumption on this camera was rated at 40w. This isn’t surprising, and will increase the need for larger bricks on the back.
Operation
In terms of operation ,the 700 is a true broadcast camera. The preproduction camera has a similar menu system to the SD cameras – ie, they haven’t been dumbed down like the 1/2in models – and there are a few additions too. One in particular is of interest. The ability to record to SxS cards! I can only assume that a card reader/writer will attach to the camera via the expansion slot at the rear of the body where the wireless mic receiver usually goes.
This is a good addition and will please those who want the workflow to be based around solid state while knowing that their footage is also safe on Professional Disc. Quite how much this extra will cost, though, I have no idea. I am hopeful that it will be priced sensibly or it risks being a white elephant.
This preproduction camera could only record 50Mbps interlaced 1920x1080 8-bit 4:2:2 VBR Long GOP MPEG2 footage. The final camera will be able to record all flavors of XDCAM HD at 1920x1080 resolution, including 720/50/60p, as well 25p and 30p. 24p is not on the cards at the moment, although I would like to speculate that it will be available as an option, just as it was on the standard def cameras. The PDW-700 will not be able to record standard definition out of the box, requiring an optional extra for this ability too.
Sony made this decision in order to reduce the initial price of the camera, which will be around the $40k+ mark (£20k; €30). Also missing is variable framerate. The CCD block is actually capable of this, so it could be a measure to protect the higher end HDCAM line. However, for those who might be annoyed at Sony for this decision, I should point out that Panasonic’s rival cameras, the HPX2000 and HPX3000, also lack variable framerate capability.
Using 23Gb Professional Discs, the PDW-700 can record up to 45 minutes of 50Mbps footage, while the 50Gb discs double this length. It is worth pointing out that at the present time I can purchase two 23Gb TDK XDCAM discs for less than the price of a single Sony 50Gb disc. I would hope that the 50Gb discs will come down drastically in the not to distant future.
One addition, or rather improvement, that I should mention is the 30-second cache. This will please a lot of existing XDCAM operators. The improved cache time is long enough to enable a disc change.
I could not evaluate the images from the 700 properly due to current software not being able to take the footage yet, and due to the preproduction nature of the camera it would have been unfair to do so anyway. The final camera is still being tweaked as I write this. However, my initial impressions are that the image is extremely noise free. Even in standard def modes the 700 should offer some improvement over the 530, a very low noise camera anyway in this regard. It is quite possible to put the 700 into very high gain modes with minimal effect. Even 18db seems pretty usable for emergencies. Remember that the 700 is mainly intended for ENG-style operation and not independent movie making. In such situations the ability to use gain can be highly desirable, even though many other types of work wouldn’t go near it.
Low light capability is also very good. At the present time the camera is rated at, f11 which is on par with the SD cameras. In practice the camera appears to be slightly better. So finally we have a full raster 1920x1080 camera that is on par with its older standard def counterparts in this area. And not before time too!
Although no real conclusions can be made from the use of an early pre-production version of the camera, I think that the 700 is the XDCAM many people have been waiting for. There are certainly some chinks in its armor that may put some off still, but in general it looks like it will be a very good performer.
I do feel that missing off the 24p ability is a bit of a mistake, especially when the 700’s nearest rivals, the HPX2000 and HPX3000 from Panasonic are both capable of this. Even more so because many shows in the US that use cameras such as this often demand 24p. The lack of this feature as standard will be, whether Sony like it or not, a deal killer for some people. They will lose sales as a result, and I don’t think that adding it as an expensive optional extra will appease potential buyers either.
The lack of variable framerate I can live with. Just put the camera in 720/60p mode and do a frame for frame conversion for a 25 or 30p timeline. Let’s face it, the vast majority of people are only using the half speed slow motion ability. Any frame rates in between this are only usually of use to filmmakers, and these people are not the intended market for this camera.
Despite the lack of 24p as standard, I think the PDW-700 will serve its intended market very well, but with a more pragmatic approach we must accept that there will be limitations and that this will not be some sort of F900 killer. It was never intended to be as such. Furthermore, as I mentioned in the opening part of this article, the camera I looked at was a pre-production model. Sony has not yet announced all the features and abilities of the final version, so I should imagine there will be a couple of surprises in store for us on release.
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Simon WyndhamSimon Wyndham is a freelance cameraman and director based in the Midlands. His website can be found at www.simonwyndham.co.uk |