By Carl Mrozek, November 18, 2007
Barely a decade ago the only 720/60p cameras in America were basically experiments in a laboratory and were anything but portable. VariCams were still several years into the future and 720p field recording was just a dream on the distant horizon. Today, the VariCam--the first 720p camcorder--is already old news and JVC's GY-HD250 is the new kid on the 720p block. Priced at less than $11,000 with lens and weighing less than 10 lb. (without battery), it is as portable as it is affordable. It also takes 720/60p acquisition out of the lab and puts it within reach of thousands of independents, smaller market broadcasters and many more. Could HD wedding shoots be just around the corner?
Features
At a glance, the JVC GY-HD250 is indistinguishable from the company's familiar HD100 and 110 camcorders, with their long frames, interchangeable pro lenses and other such features that define the family. However, unlike the others, this compact (9"x9.7"x16") HD250 model is capable of functioning as a genlockable studio camera when assisted by the KA-D250U studio adapter.
Among the new or updated features are 50p/60p encoding, a new cross-converter for 1080i live or recorded output, H/V flip for image inversion with prime lenses, 14-bit A/D conversion, VariCam flagging, a new DSP for better picture accuracy, wideband analog front end for lower noise, better low-light performance and a sharper image. There's also genlock, timecode in and out, HD/SD-SDI, composite video input, a 6-pin remote connector and a studio package option.
The HD250 has a 230,000-pixel color viewfinder, plus a full-color flip-out LCD screen that slides to the left or right. The HD250 shares key audio functions with the HD100 and HD110, such as twin XLR inputs for line or microphone levels, 48V phantom power and independent user configuration of each input.
As for video formats, the HD250 supports 24p, 25p, 30p, 50p and 60p HDV recording, as well as 60p live output (analog 4:2:2). It can also generate VariCam flags in HD to facilitate motion effects in post. In the 720/60p mode, 12 frames are encoded into one GOP, with two extra flags inserted between frames. It can also record 480/60i DV in 4:3 or 16:9, while 24p DV can be shot as DV-24p with 2:3:2:3 pull-down or as DV-24pA with 2:3:3:2 pull-down.
An expanded menu offers a full palette of parameters for achieving a customized video or film look. The latter uses the HD250's ability to capture full-frame, true 24p images that are custom-configured in terms of exposure, detail, gamma, color matrix, knee adjustments, black levels and white clip.
An advanced menu offers "film-out" or "cinema" gamma options that can be dialed up quickly. Tables of custom looks, including some that replicate the visual characteristics of specific film stocks and other film artifacts, have been developed to enlarge the realm of possibilities in connection with the camera's use in the world of digital cinema.
The HD250 offers a full array of lens options, including 1/3-inch bayonet-mount video lenses. Fujinon's Th16x5.5BRM is most often bundled with the HD250, creating an HD camera and lens package for less than $11,000. Wider-angled and pricier is Fujinon's HT18x4.2BRMU, an HD lens that nearly doubles the package price. There is also a Fujinon 13x wide-angle lens and a wide-angle adapter for the Fujinon 16x.
On the telephoto end of the light-gathering spectrum there's a Canon 20x standard lens and several useful adapters. JVC's HZ-CA13U accessory adapts 16mm and 35mm prime film lenses for use with the HD250, which is greatly assisted by a new camcorder feature called HV flip (image inversion). There's also a 1/2-to-1/3-inch video lens adapter and still another that allows B4-mount 2/3-inch pro video lenses to be used with JVC's HD100/200 family of camcorders. Also, improved lens shading enables better integration of lenses with different optical characteristics.
In Use
The HD250 arrived without a manual, but I was able to begin shooting immediately, as most switches are located close to where they are on many 2/3-inch pro video cameras. (This is often not the case with many 1/3-inch HDV or DV pro camcorders, which creates adjustment problems for pros who work mostly on the 2/3-inch platform.) The camera's menu interface is quite similar to Panasonic's and other HD cameras with which I'm familiar, and I was able to navigate it fairly comfortably without the benefit of an instruction manual.
Some key features were conspicuously absent, though, such as switches for color bars and timecode (these are accessed via the menu), but there were far more similarities than differences in design between the HD250 and the 2/3-inch cameras I use, which facilitates a smooth transition to the HD250. Its modest weight and comfortable design for shoulder-mounting enabled me to use it like any 2/3-inch camcorder with the same tripod plate.
Interchangeable pro lenses also complement the HD250's ease of use, as even the 1/3-inch pro lenses by Fujinon and Canon are virtually identical in size and design to HD and SD pro lenses for mid-range pro 2/3-inch camcorders. Also, the variety of adapters available enables pros to use the very same lenses they've been using on 2/3-inch or 1/2-inch pro camcorders, or with film cameras.
I tested JVC's ACM-17 2/3-to-1/3-inch adapter with a Canon 18x9 pro lens and a Fujinon HA18x7.6 HD lens. I was greatly impressed with the enhanced telephoto power and resolution realized with the Canon lens. I was even more impressed with the crisp, rich video shot with the adapted Fujinon HA18x7.6 HD lens--even at maximum telephoto range plus the 2x extension. The results were as impressive as video shot with one of Fujinon's premier HD lenses that I use with 2/3-inch camcorders. Moreover, it counterbalanced the long HD250 body and battery pack. The Fujinon 1/3-inch HT18x4.2BRMU HD lens supplied with the HD250 also balanced nicely and performed well, even in low light. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to compare its performance with the budget-priced Th16x5.5BRM that is typically sold with the HD250.
The downside of using the 2/3-to-1/3-inch adapter is the loss of electronic zoom functions. While this had a rather chilling effect on my zooming, I was happy to see that the camera's auto exposure feature still worked. In fact, I alternated between manual and auto exposure with the momentary AE switch whenever light conditions changed.
The function of both on-camera modes of focus assist--Normal and Accu-Focus--was unimpeded by the adapter, and I must admit that they were useful, especially when depth of field was poor (in low-light conditions at full telephoto). With the combined enhanced viewfinder peaking and the focus assist, I was generally able to focus accurately, even in twilight conditions.
While the camcorder's 11 recordable video formats don't eclipse all of the camera's competition, they do offer interesting options, with several flavors of 24p, 720/50p and 720/25p, making the HD250 a global entry. I was able to change video formats and frame rates quickly in the advanced menu, which was fortunate because I had to limit my 720/60p shooting to short test spurts due to the difficulty in downconverting or cross-converting without the correct interface. (FireWire transmits only natively, and Final Cut was not supporting 720/60p HDV yet.) Hence, I recorded much more 720/30p than 720/60p, as I could import it to Final Cut via FireWire. I succeeded in locating a deck that could play back most of the formats recorded by the HD250, the BRD 50, which enabled me to downconvert all my 720/60p test video to 720/30p for subsequent playback and editing. To minimize the need for format transfers, I also shot in 16:9 DV60, which is playable in all DV and HDV decks and camcorders. There's also a 1080i camera mode--for live camera output only, not for recording by the HD250.
The HD250 is touted as JVC's most film-friendly HDV camcorder to date. To test this functionality, I tried some of JVC's cine settings and some that were independently developed. There are two types of cine gamma settings in the advanced process menu: "cinema" and "film-out." The cinema settings are geared to emulate the qualities of film, while those for film-out are supposed to be used exclusively for video that will be printed to film. The distinction was a bit vague, but I focused on the cinema settings, which are designed to emulate film's wide dynamic range and intense colors.
I also experimented with a series of "recipes" developed by Tim Dashwood, who spent considerable time at Clairmont Camera in Toronto experimenting with many variations of the "film look." Many of these lived up to their names, such as Filmnoir, Filmvert, Bleach Bypass and Cross-Processed Color Reversal.Most of these seem to be geared for "film-out" applications rather than for TV viewing. I took the liberty of dialing up the color gain and gamma settings to mid-level or above in their respective ranges and discovered that this yielded a warm, "cine" look immediately, as opposed to trying to create it later in post. The bottom line is that the HD250 possesses the adjustment latitude to deliver a wide range of customized cinematic looks for TV or for cinematic viewing.
The HD250 offers many of the audio options that pros with broadcast-grade 2/3-inch cameras are accustomed to. There is at least one addition, though: color audio level displays in the viewfinder. Color displays made it easier to stay within the safe zone than viewing the level display in black and white. I also appreciated the large, soft-padded earphone mounted on the handle for on-camera audio monitoring. It's really great for run-and-gun situations.
I tested the HD250 with 90W Anton/Bauer Dionic batteries (which I would strongly recommend to all). They will power the HD250 for about three hours without lights, and they provide an ideal counterbalance for long lenses such as the HT18x4.2. Their size, weight and capacity seem ideal for these cameras, providing a solid half-day's worth of shooting.
Summary
The HD250 represents the latest and greatest iteration of the highly professional camera series that JVC has been developing for several years under "Pro HD" and "HD for the Masses" banners. It more than lives up to both descriptions and has the feature set and sturdy design to allow it to become a workhorse in many applications. These functions can range from news to events to wildlife videography, my own specialty, thanks to the array of lenses that can be used. That versatility, along with 720/60p encoding, 24-bit signal processing, the ability to customize and save many "looks," a robust feature set and a modest price are among the reasons why it can succeed in being many things to many pro shooters. If you're a fan of progressive recording but don't have the budget for a VariCam or other mid- to high-end variants, perhaps the HD250 should be your next camera.
STATS
Features: Lightweight, options for using a range of lenses, support for multiple video formats.
MSRP: Standard package (Fujinon 16x5.5BRM lens, mic and Bauer tripod plate) $10,995; with Fujinon 18x4.2 lens, $12,000; JVC 2/3-to-1/3-inch adapter, $799; JVC 1/2-to-1/3-inch adapter, $799; HZ-CA13U lens adapter to allow use of 16mm and 35mm prime lenses, $4,395
Web Site: http://pro.jvc.com
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