Ever since it was demoed as a concept back at NAB 2012, the industry has patiently awaited to arrival of the latest incarnation of the legendary Varicam, now called the Varicam 35. Now that the Varicam has been shipping for some time, we're starting to see it being used in the field and DP's all over the world are loving the images of the latest Varicam. The Panasonic flagship is quite the piece of engineering with a state-of-the-art 4K Super 35 CMOS images, 14+ stops of dynamic range, and unrivalled dual native ISO of 800 and 5000, capable of producing noise-free images in the dark. In addition, the Varicam 35 features next-generation modular two-piece design will deliver unprecedented flexibility, allowing you to move between the worlds of cinema, TV episodic, sports, documentary, and other content creation with extraordinary ease and efficiencies. Panasonic-Varicam35-Codex-V-RAW Varicam Key Features
  • Super 35mm 4096 x 2160 Advanced MOS Sensor
  • Native ISOs of 800 and 5,000
  • 14+ Stops of Latitude
  • Variable Frame Rate — 1 to 120 fps in 4K
  • Dual Recorder
  • Records simultaneous 4K/ 2K/Proxy, or UHD/HD/Proxy + Raw to Codex (option)
  • Apple ProRes 4:4:4:4 and ProRes HQ Built-in
  • AVC-Intra Codecs — Class 100 / Class 200 / Class 4:4:4
  • 2-piece Modular Design (docks to AU-VREC1G recording module)
Recently, the Varicam 35 was used by Director of Photography Nick Dance, who worked with BAFTA winning Director Peter Nicholson on his new crime thriller currently in development called Swilly Girl.
See the trailer below:
Shot on VariCam 35: "Swilly Girl" from Varicam on Vimeo. The first trailer for "Swilly Girl" was shot on the VariCam 35 in 4K quality. When asked about his experience with Panasonic’s new 4K broadcast camera, Dance commented "The camera has a very filmic look and not hash like some of the other 4k cameras. I think the duel native ISO settings are a game changer. The first 4 "dusk / night" shots of the Promo were shot at 5000 ISO and the first 2 shots were at 50 fps, all shot with available light, with hardly any noticeable noise (we viewed / graded in the 4k Onsight theatre). These shots would have been unachievable previously. I also think both the camera and Fujinon Cine lenses are a perfect combination, especially the 14.5-45 which has a stop of T2. 5000 ISO is a game changer, the sky's the limit now (and that is the starlit sky!), it really gives us new creative opportunities." And there's even more footage on the pop promo front where the Varicam 35 was used on Falco Trio’s music video ‘Someone to lean on’ which you can check out below. Shot on VariCam 35: Falco Trio - Someone to lean on from Varicam on Vimeo. Panasonic did an exclusive interview with Christian Kuhn - the Director of Photography for Falco Trio’s music video ‘Someone to lean on’, who had this to share about the Varicam 35: "...Some of which include 14 f-stops and the ability to increase the recording to 5000 iso with very little noise, a feature that he describes as “quite remarkable”. With AVC Intra, the team were able to create a proxy, effectively shooting two different quality videos simultaneously. This functionality leads to faster post-production workflow. Mr Kuhn describes his experience of the Panasonic VariCam 35 4K camcorder as “great” and “amazing”, and the images that the camcorder produces as “very beautiful” and “high quality”. He again speaks to the efficiency of the VariCam 35 as he explains that despite the fact that the camcorder was constantly in use over a 48 hour period, it used very little power. Find out more about why the VariCam is “a dream to use”. Falco Trio - Someone to lean on (Official Video) / Making Of from Varicam on Vimeo. The phenomenal flexibility and sheer breath of features and functionality of the Varicam 35 regardless of resolution make it a super versatily tool for just about any production - the dual ISO and high frame rates will see it used more often on commercials and feature films for sure. We'll keep you posted on new content shot with the Varicam 35. At Visual Impact, we are proud dealers of all things Varicam, and we have Varicam 35's in stock ready to ship, so to get a quote simply get in touch at 0208 977 1222 and our Panasonic specialists will assist you getting the right kit for your needs.