By technical editor Matt Allard:
SMPTE 2013: Convergent Design Odyssey7 and 7Q updates from Dan Chung on Vimeo.
Newsshooter’s Clinton Harn gets a quick update from Convergent Design on their Odyssey7 and 7Q external recorders. Recently they announced a price reduction for their solid state media. Check out the video for details.
The Convergent Design Odyssey 7 and 7Q were for me one of the most exciting products at NAB earlier this year. With a 7.7″ OLED display that has many of the professional features you would want: Waveform, Zebras, Histogram, Vectorscope, Focus Assist, False Color, Timecode Display and Audio Level Meters, and 1:1 Pixel mode. For $1295 the Odyssey 7 is remarkable value given its ability to be a high end on camera monitor as well as a fantastic recorder.
The more expensive Odyssey 7Q is the more exciting of the two: featuring all the monitor and recording characteristics of the 7 but adding in RAW support for many cameras. For me the 7Q’s biggest selling point is that is works my Sony FS700 for uncompressed or compressed 4K recording, as well as 2K RAW at up to 240fps continuous.
The 7Q can also record quad-stream HD – up to four separate (non-genlocked) video streams into four separate files using Avid DNxHD at up to 1080p30/1080i60 or 720p60 (up to 220 Mbps/stream, .mov format). The four HD streams can then be monitored in separate quadrants on the OLED display. This is fantastic for multi-camera shoots where you can record the same codec for every camera you are using, no matter the make.
Since its initial showing at NAB Convergent Design has continued to drop the price on their 2.5″ proprietary media and the costs of purchasing the codecs. Originally the Sony FS700 record option was $1495, then it was reduced to $995 and now it has dropped to $795. That’s great in itself but they have gone a step further. The $795 price npw gets you recording options for Sony’s F3 and F5/55 record options as well. Of course you are not just limited to Sony cameras, also available to purchase are packs for the Canon C500 (HD & RAW), Weisscam option (IndieCam, Lux Media Plan, Weisscam, P&S Technik X35, IO Industries) and ARRI (ARRIRAW from all ALEXA cameras with T-Link output). Both the 7 and 7Q record DNxHD in all flavors for no additional cost. Another yet to be announced popular codec is also on the way.
