Technology

The LDK 200 Triax camera combines a multi-role digital camera head using 2/3-inch CCD sensors with a triax adapter. The result is a flexible camera that is equally at home in the studio or out on location in an OB environment.

Camera Head

The Frame Transfer CCD DPM sensor offers superior performance and can handle highlights of up to 600%. The 2/3-inch sensors have a high dynamic range and high linear sensitivity over all camera lens apertures. Frame Transfer technology ensures that there is no lag nor smear. The Frame Transfer DPM sensor uses Dynamic Pixel Management which allows the format of the sensors to be switched between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios at the touch of a switch without loss of horizontal or vertical resolution. The 1000 pixels per line in both formats ensures that there is no loss in the horizontalviewinganglebutalsoensureshighresolution in the red, green and blue channels.

Digital Processing

The advanced digital processing of the camera is based on 12-bit A/D converters and more than 20-bit internal processing. Two DSPs combine all major camera functions in the digital domain, including knee, gamma, contour, matrix and colour correction.

The intelligent continuous automatics facility provides automatic control of black levels and black shading. Each sensor provides black reference signals that are used to monitor temperature changes. This means that continuous automatic correction is applied without operator intervention.

The digital contour processing uses full amplitude video RGB signals via an extended dynamic range contour circuit.

Colorimetry is selected by means of a variable 6-point digital matrix or via preset matrices. Digital gamma circuits provide a wide range of standardised gamma curves and enable soft contrast in black scenes to be enhanced, together with hard contrast and saturated colour in bright scenes. The matrix and gamma sequence is software programmable for precise colour matching.

Film-like characteristics

The pivoting knee circuit adapts both the knee point and the compression ratio according to the highlight content of the picture to emulate the softly limiting S- shaped transfer characteristics of film. Digital True Colour Knee circuitry maintains the correct hue for compressed highlights, reproducing colours faithfully, even overexposed skin tones.

Digital contrast circuitry provides a black stretch function for more detail in black areas and a black press function for improving the contrast impression by simulating the S-curve of film.

Advanced Triax Features

The full bandwidth of the Triax system allows remote control of camera up to a distance of 2,400 meters (7,875 feet). The Triax system uses full bandwidth R, G and B signals. The double sideband modulation provides automatic compensation of the amplitude characteristics of each video channel. This results in the best possible linearity, lower crosstalk and higher signal to noise over the maximum cable length. The chroma key quality is excellent as the primary colours do not have to be derived. Teleprompt and viewfinder signals maintain high performance even with long cable lengths.

The communication facilities provide for two-wire or four-wire high quality intercom signals.

The LDK 200 Triax is plug compatible with existing Philips base stations and full camera control is provided via Series 9000 Universal Camera Control system. Base station outputs can include an optional serial digital video signal.

SuperXPander

An optional SuperXpander enables the camera to be used with large lenses so extending the camera's use in studio and EFP situations.

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Operator's Manual LDK 200 Triax

Introduction