Content area
Full text
Will JVC's GY-LS300 4K Camcorder Change Field Production?
The $4,000 4K camera field is a crowded one, but JVC's GY-LS300 4KCAM handheld Super 35mm camcorder stands out from the pack, primarily for its ability to accommodate a broad range of cinema and photographic lenses via Variable Scan Mapping technology, and its built-in live HD streaming capabilities.
Before I even began to consider the strong feature set, however, the construction and ergonomics of the camera caught my attention. Weighing just 3.75 pounds with battery, the camera is a well balanced handheld specimen. It is small enough to be held comfortably either cradled or with the side handgrip, but not so small that the controls are cramped and inaccessible for large fingers. The detachable top handle with integrated dual XLR audio inputs, record switch and zoom rocker attaches to the camera both with a slide-in shoe and with a large thumbscrew into the camera body. The connection is secure-I could feel no play whatsoever holding the camera by the handle.
The test unit I received at the beginning of August was a production model loaded with the original firmware. The very next day JVC announced a significant free firmware upgrade for the camera that will add several exciting new features. According to JVC, the 2.0 firmware will be available by the end of September, but I was not able to test it in time for this story. Here, I'll relate my experiences with the original firmware and make reference to 2.0 features that will be available soon.
The LS300 has a unique sensor and camera mount combination, a feature that will be further leveraged in the 2.0 firmware. First of all, the camera boasts interchangeable lenses for greater versatility. Its native mount is Micro Four Thirds (MFT), with a Super 35 size 4K CMOS image sensor. That may seem like a strange combination, but JVC's Variable Scan Mapping (VSM) technology allows the camera operator to select the appropriate scale area of the Super 35 sensor to provide native support of PL and EF mount lenses, among other lenses. With the right third-party adapter and lens, VSM intelligently remaps the pixels on the sensor chip in accordance with the native field of view of the lens...