PANASONIC SHOWS AJ-SDC905 DVCPRO50 camcorder with IEEE 1394 in/out for broadcast and production uses

Panasonic has introduced the AJ-SDC905, its first dual-mode DVCPRO50 camcorder with an IEEE 1394 input/output to assure the rapid, lossless transfer of 50Mbps digital video for nonlinear editing. The DVCPRO50 VTR with IEEE1394 is part of Panasonic’s strategy of lowering the cost of 50Mbps production to make it a key broadcast platform and stepping stone to HD. IEEE1394 is a key part of the strategy providing a cost effective digital transfer with no generation loss between VTRs and NLE workstations.

The AJ-SDC905 offers operator-controllable selection of EFP-quality 4:2:2 sampled DVCPRO50 or classic 4:1:1 sampled DVCPRO recording, and at native 16:9 wide-screen or 4:3 aspect ratios. The AJ-SDC905 features three 2/3" 600,000-pixel IT CCDs that guarantee superb standard-definition image quality at a high sensitivity of F13 at 2000 lux, and low-light shooting down to 0.09 lux. The camcorder is equipped with 12-bit A/D DSP circuits that provide improved picture quality, colour reproduction and luminance gradation, and an advanced 12-axis matrix colour correction system to permit very specific colours to be adjusted without affecting overall colour tone. The highly-refined camera is outfitted with a Super Gain function with a maximum gain of 48dB, and a new time-accumulate Digital Super Gain delivers an additional gain of +6/+12/+20dB for ultra-high sensitivity shooting (as low as 0.01 lux (at +48 +20dB setting)) in night-time acquisition. The camera offers as standard a six-second pre-recording function that permits it to capture spontaneous scenes a shooter might otherwise miss. In standby mode, the pre-recording function continually stores six seconds (pre-settable in memory) of the current video and audio entering the camera’s lens. Additionally, single-frame recording is possible in the interval recording mode. The 7kg, fully-equipped camcorder offers a maximum record time of 33 minutes in DVCPRO50 and 66 minutes in DVCPRO, and two 48kHz/16-bit digital audio channels in DVCPRO50. The camcorder is equipped with an IEEE1394digital interface for applications such as lossless transfer of audio and video data to a laptop computer for in-field editing, or dubbing to another IEEE1394-equipped DVCPRO recorder. It also provides one-touch camera status report; one-frame interval REC for time-lapse recording; and an electronic shutter (speeds from 1/100 to 1/2000 sec); plus synchro-scan capability (1/60.3 to 1/249.7 sec.) Other shooting-assist functions include: a four-position optical filter wheel; four built-in user scene files and three user-customisable function buttons; a marker selector function (for displaying a 4:3 marker); multi-functional zebra pattern/display adjustment; SD memory card for storage of operational settings; low power consumption of 24 watts; quick response standby mode; built-in time code generator/reader and genlock; and phantom power supply (48V phantom mic). Other optional accessories include: Unislot™ wireless receiver;; GPS unit (model AJ-GPS900G); low-cost remote control system; and a hand-held, easy-to-operate camera remote. The AJ-SDC905 will be available end ofSeptember 2004.