VariCam LT for Rent at VMI

Doctor Foster was the first UK drama to be shot with the Varicam 35 and VMI expects that the Varicam LT will be used widely for future drama production however, with a camera hire base in Bristol, the company also plans to offer the camera for Natural History and other documentary productions based in the city.

“The VariCam is a very strong addition to our 4K rental stock, offering uncompromised 4K quality with a new look,” said VMI Managing Director, Barry Bassett. “We saw from the VariCam 35 the quality of the sensor and the return of the ‘Panasonic Look’. So to get the 14+stops, dual native ISO and multiple format recording in such a small form factor will be of enormous benefit to directors of photography.

“The cameras will be fully accessorised by VMI to support high end drama, documentary and natural history projects. The Varicam LT sensor and colour palette parameters along with the low light capability offer a truly viable alternative to some of the more well-known and well-loved drama routes,” added Barry Bassett.

Panasonic UK Group Manager, Nigel Wilkes, said, “We are delighted that VMI has added the VariCam LT to its rental fleet. As we saw with Doctor Foster on the BBC, the VariCam is perfect for capturing high end drama. It’s important that our cameras are in the hand of the industry’s leading DOPs, who will love how, even in dimly lit scenes, the VariCam LT provides low-noise images without any compromise to picture quality.”

The VariCam LT camera retains the ability to shoot in both 4K (4096 x 2160) and UHD (3840 x 2160) and features high sensitivity, low noise, wide dynamic range and a cinematic depth of field. In addition, the VariCam LT offers the ability to change the mount from an EF mount (standard) to a PL mount (optional), increasing the range of usable lenses.

In order to maintain the VariCam ‘look’, the VariCam LT is equipped with a 35mm single-chip MOS sensor, originally developed for the VariCam 35 and has a similarly wide dynamic range. This ensures accurate image rendering over the entire image, from dark areas to highlights.