These are exciting times and many people are very excited about the Panasonic AF100/AF101 camera.
This very impressive new camera produces very nice images using AVCHD.

We get questions concerning using the nanoFlash with the Panasonic AF100/AF101 cameras.

I have prepared this list with the reasons why one might consider adding a nanoFlash to these wonderful cameras.

It should be stated that for some, recording in-camera will be satisfactory and thus a nanoFlash may not be needed.

For others, adding a nanoFlash will greatly extend the capabilities of this wonderful camera.

1. By adding a nanoFlash, your images will be in 4:2:2, as opposed to 4:2:0 when recording
in-camera. 4:2:2 images provide much more Chroma detail.

This is, by far, the number one reason to add a nanoFlash to the AF100/AF101.

No matter how great one says the native AVCHD images are, the 4:2:2 images recorded by the nanoFlash will always be superior. 4:2:0 images are not in the same league as 4:2:2 images.

2. With the nanoFlash recording in 4:2:2, Chroma Keying (greenscreen work) will be much cleaner and easier.

The difference is dramatic when one records in 4:2:2 as opposed to 4:2:0.

3. The nanoFlash’s images will hold up much better in post, especially in serious color grading and other multi-generation post work. The nanoFlash images can hold more detail in the shadows and in the highlights.

4. The high-bit rate options of the nanoFlash provide insurance against an image with excessive detail, or a shooting situation where there is excessive motion in the image or in the camera. These are situations where a lower bit-rate codec can produce less than stellar results.

5. The nanoFlash records in native Quicktime for Final Cut Pro. The files are easily edited and do not tax the processing power of one’s editing computer. Also, the workflow is “Drag and Drop” simple, and thoroughly proven.

6. The nanoFlash, via a menu option, can also record in native MXF for easy editing in Avid,
Sony Vegas, Edius, or Adobe CS5 and other NLE’s (Non-Linear Editors).

Disclaimer: I am the Director of Sales and Marketing for Convergent Design and the nanoFlash and nano3D are our products.

The bitn rate can be increased to 100 mbps with the Nano, if I'm not mistaken, compared to the native 24mbps, correct?

Dear Glen,

Yes, absolutely, the nanoFlash can record up to 280 Mbps.

The AF-100 plus a NanoFlash is my Rig-to-Be 4:2:2 and 100mbps will really push this cameras output into "cinema level" quality. Not that without it wouldnt hold up well on a 40ft screen, but with a nano, this things picture would likely stack up well against just about any other 1080 setup. F3 included.


One question:

Will it be possible for me to record simeltaneously to a NanoFlash and to the SD cards? if so, then you should add that to the list of benefits. Having an automatic backup on media cheap enough to archive like tapes is a huge thing, and really adresses the ONLY thing DV tapes had over solid state workflow. I wuld sleep much easier during production knowing that I have both a 4:2:2 version, and an "OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FOOTAGE" backup, just in case.

I am sure the simulations recording will work great in the AF100.

I use it with my EX1R and EX3 all the time, nice peace of mind.

I am very exited about the 100/NF combo myself.

Normally you can trigger the NF to record by having TC set to rec run so when the TC advances the NF starts and stops when TC advancement ends. This is really a convenient way to record on both internal and NF media.

Dan can probably comment on this, but I understand that the AF100 may put a signal out over HD-SDI that will cause the NF to record as well in a future FW upgrade.

Can Nano Flash record 1080 50p? This is a great attribute of AF100...

Dear Friends,

Yes, you can certainly record to the nanoFlash and AF100/AF101/AF102 simultaneously.

And yes you can trigger on incrementing timecode, or in a future release via an additional method.

Sorry, but the nanoFlash can not record 1080p50 or 1080p60 as these frame rates are not output over the HD-SDI from the camera.

There is no 1080 50P or 60P output during over crank in the HD-SDI or HDMI on the AF100, because there is no such thing in the specs of those protocols.

So the 1080 over crank will have to be internal only. Jan said in Boston that there is no output at all when over cranking in 1080. I did read somewhere else that there may be standard 1080 60i/50i output then but I am not sure that is right, maybe someone here knows for sure.

So until the HDMI or more likely HD-SDI standards change this will not be possible.

Power supply is a big issue for AF100.
Can we get a battery product for both AF100 and nanoflash power at same time just as Sony EX do?

Dear Yi-nan,

Yes, will have multiple options shortly.

I don't know why Panasonic didn't just provide a higher bit rate 4:2:2

Most likely marketing and cost reasons. They would wanted to have P2 cards for that as well.

Both AntonBauer Goldmount and IDX V-mount plates will be available with both 12v and 7.3 taps.

I will be putting those on a NanoFlash mounting plate and shoulder brace combo, with adjustable 15mm rod system available as well as VCT-14 wedge quick release option custom made for the AF100.

I will have other power options available as well.

This should be available in January. I am still waiting for my AF100 to set up the rig.

If anyone is interested in helping me beta test this setup, contact me.

olof@westsideav.com
603-383-9283

50mbps or more is safely doable with CF. Less compression should be easier, except for possibly needing more buffer on the write side. 24 mbps is just intentionally crippling the camera, AFAIK.

This is why we need Red on the lower end. The Japanese oligopoly dribbling out the minimum they feel they can get away with is tiresome.

'The Japanese oligopoly dribbling out the minimum they feel they can get away with is tiresome'

Roger that Don, but why would an industry, like the Japanese pro-video, cut it's own throat?They will hand out crumbs untill the Bastille burns.

The bean counters rule - even in Japan.

Now, I would have used oligarchy, but I would have been wrong... the rule of a small elite, but not in the world of commerce.

Play Scrabble by any chance?

"...dribbling out the minimum they feel they can get away with is tiresome."

Hey, it's a $5000 camcorder for cryin out loud.
I hope they're saving the good stuff for the next-gen Varicam...maybe an Alexa killer for 1/3 the price?

Hopefully P2 will not be a part of that....

Actually it's an $8000 device with SDI storage.

50mbps 4:2:2 from Canon is fine for commercial TV. It would cost Panasonic little or nothing to offer a bigger compressed file like that. The big lesson in the vDSLR thing is that people are willing to tolerate a lot of inconvenience for image quality. It will be interesting to see how close the AF100 comes to vDSLR, both in the AVCHD file as well as uncompressed output.

Personally the reason I like this camera is that I think it will be much better quality than my 5DmkII and 7D. Both the Canons have terrible problems with quality. From what I have seen from the AF100 it has eliminated the moire and aliasing problems from those cams.

If I could get a clean HDMI signal out of the DSLRs so I could use the NanoFlash with them I would love it.

I also think the ergonomics and video workability of the AF100 and upcoming F3 are very exciting. The DSLRs are very lacking in those departments.

50mbps 4:2:2 from Canon is fine for commercial TV. It would cost Panasonic little or nothing to offer a bigger compressed file like that.

Hey Don, you are comparing apples to potatoes. You can't compare quality between different codecs by bit rate.

I assume Panny has an AVCHD chipset designed for a specific bitrate--that they include in several cameras--hmc40, hmc150 and this one. Yeah, they probably have some minor differences but I bet they are more alike than different. So they'd need to re-design it for this one camera if they wanted a higher bitrate.

But the real point is that it really doesn't matter. Sorry, I can't remember where I saw it but there someone did a codec comparison--same camera with output recorded to several different recorders. The conclusion was that AVC at 24 was pretty darn close to mpeg2 at, well, some higher bitrate.

You have to pay for quality. There is no exception to this rule. At $6k (with lens) this looks like an absolutely kick ass camera..

I'm not comparing codecs by bit rate.
I'm comparing files from the AF100 to DSLR. From what I've seen so far the AVCHD file is inferior. That's fine for applications where avchd is adequate. But it's not going to excite people using dslr for mid level pro applications. From any codec 24mbps 4:2:0 is solidly consumer/low end these days.

I'm comparing files from the AF100 to DSLR. From what I've seen so far the AVCHD file is inferior.

Can you explain what you mean by inferior, and provide links that demonstrate what you are referring to?

But it's not going to excite people using dslr for mid level pro applications. From any codec 24mbps 4:2:0 is solidly consumer/low end these days.

Which DSLR cameras are using a higher bit-rate with 4:2:2 color ?

...I have heard this line several times, but nobody posts links that actually demo what they are claiming to be true.

Canon is 4:2:2, which is twice the color information as 4:2:0

Specifically what needs to be looked at is low light scenes; The candle light scene Olof provided viewed in the downloadable file from Vimeo. Also, the night night street scenes posted don't look anywhere close to DSLR.

At this point in time just about everything takes good images in bright light. But there's no tonality at all in the posted low light scenes. But that said we only have pre-release cameras and uncertain post work flow.

AVCHD was a good effort at packing a lot of image into a small file. Now they're just using it to cripple low end cameras. Cheap storage can easily take twice or more the storage rate. AVCHD maxes out at 24mbps and 4:2:0 because it suits Panasonic's and Sony market segmentation strategy.

Not to say there aren't many other advantages of the AF100. In general the files from that camera and the GH2 look nice.

Canon is 4:2:2, which is twice the color information as 4:2:0



I'm assuming you're talking about some Canon cameras other than the 5DII, 7D and 60D here. Because those cameras also shoot in 4:2:0 color space.

Canon XF series camcorders are 4:2:2 -- not their D-SLRs.

I was thinking of the new videocams. But the DSLRs do have half the compression. Which means fewer pixels of similar values get assigned the same value.
The usefulness of a larger color space and lossy compression do play off each other. I expect a large color space in very high compression is meaningless. But I don't know (or particularly care) about actual tradeoffs.

The dark parts in AVCHD looks low end to me (so far). The dark performance was a big part of the "oohing and aawing" of the first DSLR videos from the 5D.
I don't think AVCHD is good or bad, just unnecessarily small.

But fortunately AF100 SDI gets around that for uses such as TV and documentaries with a bit of a budget. Personally I would never bother with AF100 SDI for event photography. The features/tradeoffs of the vanilla AF100 seem excellent. That's why I brought up the "mid level". I don't think there's any problem at all with AF100 AVCHD for its target market.

Of course, this is an 8 bit camera. How would that compare to 10 bit cameras?

Is it 8 bit? The Canon ADC are 12 or 14 bit in the DSLR's. Maybe 16 now.
I expect 16 bit is not meaningful. But certainly the sensors can resolve more than 8 bit.

Wait a second! Are we talking bit depth of the camera's internal processing, or the bit depth of the file being recorded?

- Ken

I've compared many files shot with the AF100 do the similar ones, shot with DSLRs, Canon or Nikon or Panasonic for that matter. Nikon seems the best in my observations.

AF100 much better, have less noise, significantly less.. DD in better on the other hand, it resolves better shadows.. //better that GH2, no doubt about that, I do not have scientific test to present, that is a IMHO opinion.

??????.????? (http://narod.ru/disk/32224589001/NikonD5100%26Canon5dmk.zip.html)
compared 5dmk2 with nikon D5100 if anyone interested, I will be posting some observations, videos in January