Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/09/17

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Subject: [Leica] Death and rebirth of 4/3
From: durling at cox.net (durling at cox.net)
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:26:16 -0400

This is an interesting use of "single sensor" technology in the video
industry.  Unlike still cameras most professional video cameras use three
color sensors and a beam-splitter arrangement.  Now there is great
excitement with cameras like the Red One who use a larger, probably APS-C
chip with a Bayer pattern.  Both will give shallower DOF than the typical
2/3 inch sensor size of professional video cams.  

The other advantage that cameras like the Red have is that they can output
a raw video stream.  Like in still photos this leads to an image that is
able to be manipulated to a greater degree in post production without
gaining noise.

The new Panasonic camera only records a highly compressed video stream on
SD cards rather than a much more lightly compressed stream that a high-end
2/3 inch camera like their Varicam records.  The Varicam, of course, cost
5x as much as the new 4/3 camera will and thus serves a different market. 
We'll see how the new camera compares to the similarly-priced 1/2 and 1/3
inch video cameras on the market.  Some of those do pretty well.

Mike Durling

Original Message:
-----------------
From: George Lottermoser imagist3 at mac.com
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:03:53 -0500
To: lug at leica-users.org
Subject: Re: [Leica] Death and rebirth of 4/3


Now that is an exciting use of 4/3 technology!

Regards,
George Lottermoser 
george at imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com/blog
http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist





On Sep 17, 2010, at 9:14 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:

> Four thirds format dying? Hardly. It is likely to get a new lease on life
in
> the movie and TV industry. Panasonic has just introduced a new
professional
> video camera in the 4/3 format.
>
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/panasonic-adds-an-interchange
able-lens-camcorder/?nl=technology&emc=cta5
> All lenses for 4/3 cameras will fit the mount. Since many unique lenses
are
> introduced for the movie industry (i.e. ultra fast f .95 optics) they will
> be available for still cameras as well.
> 
> Incidentally, the story was pointed out to me by my daughter, a Senior
> Producer for a major metro area TV station. She says that they have a
> Panasonic 4/3 camera on order. She also knows that I have a stock of very
> good Olympus lenses and a 4/3 adapter mount and the techies at the station
> would like to try some of my lenses before they peel big bucks off their
> cash roll to buy made for TV lenses. The big attraction of the Panasonic
> camera is that lenses made in consumer volume are a lot cheaper than
> comparable pro lenses made in small volume. But I guess every Lugger know
> that.
> Larry Z
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


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Replies: Reply from abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge) ([Leica] Death and rebirth of 4/3)