White Paper 034 Addendum 6 (rev 2): Menu settings for Sony HDCAM, HDW750P

Alan Roberts, Richard Salmon

Abstract

Data for this section is taken from the handbook and examination of aprototype of the Sony HDW750P. This model is a 1080-line camcorder, isphysically smaller and lighter than the HDW900, has lower powerconsumption and some useful enhancements to connectivity. However, itruns only at 50Hz interlaced or 25Hz PsF, unlike the multi-speedHDW900. It records using the same HDCAM algorithm and data rate as theHDW900, tapes are interchangeable.

The camera is housed in an IMX camcorder shell. It has many internalmenus for setting the performance, such that it can then be usedwithout external controls. It is not ideally suited to multi-cameraoperation, although it can be controlled remotely. The HD viewfindercan be replaced with an SD one, especially useful when the camera is tobe genlocked to an SD source. A standard option is a livedown-converter to SD, so the camera can be used in mixed environments.Video output is analogue or SDI, both at HD and SD. An 8-second bufferallows the camera to capture pictures before the record button ispressed, thus power can be saved by not keeping the tape transport inStand By mode.

The menu settings result from several measurement and usage sessions,mostly attempting to get a good ""film-look"", and the settings reflectthat. It is useful to think of the camera, when used in this way, to bemimicing a film camera and telecine, with ""best light"" transfer totape, with about 11 stops of tonal range. Due to the extraordinaryflexibility of the controls, it is possible to make it mimic negativeor positive film, and resolution can be tailored to 35mmor 16mm, totaste. Assuming that a grading operation will be used inpost-production, the settings give the colourist the same range ofoptions as with film. The values for Gamma, Black Gamma and Knee allowabout 2.5 stops of over-exposure and one of under-exposure relative tonormal operation. The ""film"" gamma mode has a built-in knee, combiningthis with the main knee function gives smooth reproduction ofhighlights. This setup approaches a film-look, enhanced by theseparated Detail and Aperture controls (detail enhancement can be setnegative, to reduce in-band sharpness, leaving aperture correction towork at high frequencies). With both Detail and Aperture off, imagesare generally sharper than even for 35mm film, this can be an issue forproduction. For use in Sport or Light Entertainment, it would probablybe beneficial to switch off the Black Gamma, and to set Detail Level tozero (factory setting).

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