Barry Braverman recently reviewed the Panasonic HDX900 camera, which some are calling the “Varicam Lite”.

“I found the three Film Like (FL) settings rather baffling: FL 1 and 2 appeared to offer little visible difference onscreen. FL 2 appeared to capture additional detail in the brightest highlights of scenes featuring, say, a hot exterior window. FL 3 offered the most pronounced lowering of the knee, as evidenced in the expanded mid-tones.”

“Image processing is accomplished at a robust 14 bits and is substantially more precise than the Varicam 27H, which utilizes 12-bit sampling.”

“The camera features 720p and 1080i resolutions and frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50, and 60…While the synchro-scan shutter permits shutter angles up to 250 degrees at 24p, there is no Varicam-like variable frame rate function in the HDX900. The HDX records at all times to tape at 60fps (actually 59.94) with the appropriate pulldown applied. The HDX900 limits the main shutter selections to six settings expressed in time only, with a clever “halfâ€? option that sets the shutter speed at 50 percent of the frame rate — a small but convenient little aid. Many Varicam users will miss the extensive image controls of that camera, because the HDX offers fewer handles to tweak color matrix, gamma, and black pedestal, among other functions. In this way, the camera has the look and feel of the SDX900.”

Barry also used the HDX at a dimly-lit shoot, and seemed pretty pleased with the results.

“The camera performed much better than might be expected at such low light levels. Blacks appeared firmer and quieter than what I’m used to seeing from an HD camcorder. And while some noise was evident — especially in the smooth, monochromatic surfaces of the theater seats — increasing the camera detail coring to +10 mitigated the most egregious noise.”

“The effective ISO 640 rating of the camera, combined with the approximate 9.5 stops of latitude in the HDX, allowed for excellent tonal reproduction in the bright rimming of the theater seats, while still maintaining a modicum of detail in the densest shadow areas. This latitude in the HDX compares to about 11 stops in the Varicam and only eight stops in the HVX200, so HVX users considering the big move up to the HDX900 can expect to see a dramatic improvement in the dynamic range of their images.”