Sony HDW-F900 HD Camera News and Samples

HD Studios personnel have served as directors of photography, HD camera operators, digital imaging technicians, and technical advisors on countless features, documentaries, commercials, concerts, and television shows. Since camera technology is changing so rapidly, a few of these projects are listed below to give you a sense of HD/HDV workflow associated with a particular camera, pros and cons, and the type of projects on which the equipment is being used.

HONDA COMMERCIAL

HD Studios provided Sony HDW-F900 HD camera rental to a production company shooting a commercial for Honda.

The Sony HDW-F900 camera is essentially a computer with a lens attached to the front: the HD camera captures images electronically, and these electronic circuits can be manipulated using the menus within the camera.

There are seven primary menus which fall under the "TOP MENU" heading: USER, USER MENU CUSTOMIZE, OPERATION, PAINT, MAINTENANCE, FILE, and DIAGNOSIS. There are several dozen submenus which fall under these primary menus, which can be used to change the frame rate, gamma, gain, hue, saturation, knee, black shading, white shading, etc.

One of the most attractive features of the F900 camera is that it is capable of 12-bit primary and secondary color correction in camera. Obviously, in the hands of a capable Digital Imaging Technician (D.I.T.), this means that you can save a lot of money by minimizing the time, and therefore the cost, of your HD color correction.

For the Honda commercial, baseline settings were loaded into the camera using a memory stick, which overwrote the existing values within the F900 camera. The camera's paint menus were then manipulated to establish various "looks," including one akin to a tobacco filter. This was done using the VIDEO LEVELS, USER MATRIX, and MULTI MATRIX menus in the F900 camera. This "look" was saved to the memory stick, and could be recalled within moments and at any time. The Sony HDW-F900 camera is capable of storing up to 100 individual "looks," called SCENE FILES, to a memory stick.

For the sake of simplicity, VIDEO LEVELS within the F900 camera can be manipulated to change values your blacks, mids, and highlights. The USER MATRIX operates as a 3-way color corrector; the MULTI MATRIX operates as a 16-way secondary color corrector.

The Sony F900 camera is unparalleled in its ability to manipulate the lensed image before it is recorded to the HDCAM tape.

If you wish to manipulate the menus within the F900 camera, it is best to hire an experienced Digital Imaging Technician. Please read about our HD crew services for more information.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

HD Studios' F900 cameras were rented for principal photography of a HD feature starring Forrest Whittaker and Virginia Madsen. HDCAM tapes were downconverted to DVCAM on set using our Miranda DVC 800 onboard downconverters. This allowed downconversion to DVCAM tape as each take is simultaneously recorded to HDCAM tape.

Downconversion is accomplished using the HD-SDI out of the Miranda DVC 800. This one cable carries audio, video, and time code, and ensures that they are all in sync. Downconversion may be done to any format on set, but it's always best to downconvert to another digital format.

Downconversion can also be done after the HDCAM tape has been recorded. HD Studios downconverts regularly to DVCAM. If you do not wish to downconvert to DVCAM, it is recommended that you downconvert to a digital format. If you do wish for your HD downconverts to be in an analog format, such as BETACAM, make certain an Afterburner is used to keep audio and video in sync. HD Studios has also downconverted to DVD or VHS simultaneously for dailies. These formats are not used for offline editing as they do not contain time code.

Take a look at our post production workflow samples for more information about this independent feature.

SOVEREIGNTY

HD Studios' and 900 Frames produced a commercial encouraging Iraqi citizens to vote called Sovereignty. The commercial aired before the country's first democratic elections. HD Studios' F900 cameras were not used on this shoot; 35mm cameras were used. A post effects supervisor was in the field to establish tracking points for compositing which would be done on an Avid DS HD Nitris. This Avid system is not only capable of HD online and HD color correction, it can also do SD online and SD color correction.

For more information or to view a clip of Sovereignty, visit our post production workflow samples.