Phantom Flex4k First Footage

Here is a video of the first public footage of the New 1000fps 4k camera.

Director Brendan Bellomo and cinematographer Greg Wilson were asked by Vision Research and Abel CineTech to shoot the first test footage with the new Phantom Flex4K Digital Cinema Camera. The camera was a little more than a week old and still in its alpha prototype stage when we got our hands on it. All the live action footage was shot on March 24th, 2013. Some additional fire elements were shot on the 23rd and 25th of March with the Hebron and Glastonbury Fire Departments in Connecticut. We were thrilled with the camera's performance at this early stage of its development and are very much looking forward to this camera as it matures prior to it's release this fall. This is a true 4K RAW camera capable of at 1000fps at 4K resolution. Thanks to our great crew, including lead Phantom camera technician Edward Richardson, VRI and Abel CineTech for giving us the opportunity to shoot with this amazing new camera system.

Phantom Flex4k 1000fps

Some of the biggest buzz at NAB 2013 has built around the new Phantom Flex 4K camera from Vision Research, which will have the capability of recording at up to 900 fps at full res (4096×2304) when the company releases it later this year.

At 4096×2160, the camera can capture up to 1000 fps, but if you're willing to step down to HD resolution, you can get 2000 fps out of it. And, just for good measure, the Flex 4K will support 720p recording at a bracing 3000 fps.

The camera has a Super 35 sensor size, and comes standard with a PL mount, which is interchangeable with Canon EF and Nikon F mounts. It can use Sony and Panasonic HD viewfinders via a component output, but the company tells us a new viewfinder is in the works and should be available later this year.

Vision Research is not just increasing capture resolution, but also updating the Phantom's raw workflow with this new camera. "The Flex 4K maintains the use of raw cine files, but now, for the first time, this camera can also record compressed files directly in the camera," Vision Research Cinema Product Manager Toni Lucatorto told StudioDaily. "The new Phantom CineMag IV saves cine raw files at the fastest possible speed, which is extremely important for high-speed cinematography."

For ultra-high-speed shooting, you would record directly to the camera's RAM (up to 64 GB is available), then dump the footage to a CineMag. The 1 TB CineMag IV can transfer at up to 1 gigapixel per second, and the 2 TB version can hit up to 2 gigapixels per second. For lower-frame-rate shooting, the footage can be recorded directly to the CineMag IV.

Users will also be able to record compressed formats to the CineMag IV, or to bring 4:2:2 4K video out via two 3G SDI outputs and record it on their device of choice.

The camera is being demonstrated at the company's NAB booth, but development will continue over the summer. Vision Research expects to start shipping the camera shortly after an official introduction at IBC. The price is targeted at between $100,000 and $115,000, depending on memory capacity. A completely tricked-out version with CineMags and the new viewfinder will likely run $150,000.
SEE THE FIRST FOOTAGE HERE

Blackmagic Designs Pocket HD and 4K

Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

NAB 2013, Las Vegas, USA - April 8, 2013 - Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, a beautifully designed, pocket sized digital cinema camera that includes powerful features such as Super 16mm sized 1080HD sensor, super wide 13 stops of dynamic range, built in SD card recorder for Apple ProRes, lossless compressed CinemaDNG RAW capture and active Micro Four Thirds lens mount, all in an attractive compact design for only US$995.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design NAB 2013 booth at #SL218.

Since the original Blackmagic Cinema Camera was launched at NAB 2012, it has been celebrated by industry professionals for its amazing film look and accurate and cinematic color. The new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera has most of the features of its bigger brother, including its feature film look, but has been redesigned with a dramatically smaller size that is less than an inch thick and can be held easily in your hand.

This compact design allows the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera to be used in more situations where a larger camera would not be practical. It’s so small that it can be used in situations in the field where a larger camera could be dangerous. The camera’s film look even allows personal video to be shot with the style and creativity of a motion picture film!

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera features an industry standard Super 16 sensor size, so it’s perfect when using Super 16 cine lenses via MFT adapters, as the shooting experience is the same as using the same lens on a Super 16 film camera. The 13 stops of dynamic range look of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is almost identical to shooting on a professional Super 16 film camera. The Micro Four Thirds lenses offer a wide range of low cost lenses with amazing image quality, and they are compatible with mount adapters such as PL mounts for large lens and professional motion picture film rigs.

One of the most important features of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is its super wide dynamic range of 13 stops, allowing feature film quality images. A common mistake in the television industry is the assumption that more resolution means higher quality. Most cameras, even ones with higher than HD resolution, can produce"video" looking images that suffer from highlight and black clipping that limits details. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera's wide dynamic range eliminates this problem and provides film quality with dramatically more detail retained in black and whites in the image. Once the shoot is complete, DaVinci Resolve Lite color correction software can be used to adjust images and take advantage of this extra range in the images.

To eliminate the damage that low bit depth and high compression video storage creates, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera includes a easy to use SD card recorder that allows the full sensor dynamic range to be recorded in professional ProRes 422 (HQ) format, as well as 12 bit Log RAW lossless compressed CinemaDNG format. These files can be read by high end video software as they are all open standard. In addition to the regular CinemaDNG RAW format, Blackmagic Design will also be implementing a QuickTime wrapper for the open standard CinemaDNG and companion codec, allowing the camera to record in a format that allows RAW editing in popular editing software.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera has been designed as the perfect companion to editing software such as Final Cut Pro X and Avid Media Composer. Unlike other cameras, which require the use of custom video file formats, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera includes absolutely no custom video file formats, and every file type included is open standard.

The built in large LCD display makes focus easy, and allows playback of captured files. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera includes a built in microphone, as well as external jack based mic/line level balanced audio connections. When reviewing recorded clips, audio can be played through the built in speaker and routed through the headphone port or micro HDMI output. The HDMI output includes all camera data such as timecode, transport control, shutter angle, color temperature setting and ASA information overlaid in attractive anti aliased fonts.

"This is an extremely exciting camera and its been amazing to work on. Our original Blackmagic Cinema Camera was small, but this new model is so much smaller than the original, we almost cannot believe it features very similar image quality," said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. "We think customers are going to really enjoy this new model and use it both personally and professionally. It’s going to allow shooting in situations that could never have been achieved at this quality level previously. It’s also going to be the camera that thousands of new up and coming cinematographers use as their first camera for their independent films. It’s going to be exciting!"
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Key Features

High resolution 1080HD Super 16mm sized sensor with superior handing of image detail.
Super wide 13 stops of dynamic range allows capture of increased details for feature film look.
Compatible with extremely high quality Micro Four Thirds lenses. Compatible with other mounts via common third party adapters such as PL mount and Super 16 cine lenses.
Built in SD card allows long duration recording with easy to use media.
Open file formats compatible with popular NLE software such as ProRes 422 (HQ) and lossless compressed CinemaDNG 12 bit RAW. No custom file formats.
Features all standard connections, including mini jack mic/line audio in, micro HDMI output for monitoring with camera status graphic overlay, headphone mini jack, LANC remote control and standard DC 12 power connection.
Built in LCD for camera settings via easy to use menus.
Supports 1080HD resolution capture in 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
Compatible with DaVinci Resolve Lite color grading software.

Availability and Price

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is available in July for US$995 from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.

Sony 4K cameras and Lenses NAB 2013

 

At its NAB 2013 press conference, Sony told us several times that it never stops thinking about the future. It's fitting, then, that in addition to announcing pricing for two 4K sets, the company gave us a taste of what's to come a few years down the line. A wide variety of lenses, including both current models and some prototypes, appeared on stage briefly -- behind ropes, no less -- and while we got no shortage of shots, specs, model names and any other particulars were strictly off-limits. Current optics included basic wide-angle and telephoto models, and of the two prototype cameras on display, one was of particular interest, due in no small part to its DSLR-like form-factor -- this could perhaps become Sony's version of the Canon EOS-1D C. Unfortunately, Sony says that these devices won't make it to market for quite some time, so photogs will have to make do with this eye candy for now.

Pictures from Engadget

Convergent Design Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q

Convergent Design have introduced the Odyssey. A portable OLED field monitors which can be upgraded at any time to become a recorder with compressed video, uncompressed video, and even RAW. It all starts at US$1295. More details to be announced at NAB.  The letter Q stands for Quad and allows for recording up to four simultaneous streams and the Odyssey will also include a waveform monitor (in addition to zebras, histogram, vectorscope, and false color).

According to Convergenlit Design’s press release, recording options will include uncompressed HD/2K RGB 4:4:4 (up to 60p), 2K/HD Raw, ARRIRAW (full 16:9 and 4:3 support), and Canon 4K RAW.

 

ARRI XT Internal Filter Holder

ARRI Alexa XT cameras will be delivered with the Internal Filter Module (IFM) filter holder installed –  except the Alexa Studio which has its own motorized ND filter system and cannot use of the Internal Filter Module.
The filters that go into the IFM are called FSNDs. They are not included with the Alexa XT cameras, and have to be purchased separately.
The Alexa has an EI of 800. So you need ND filters when shooting in bright sunlight or when a shallow depth of field is desired. An ND filter inside the lens mount some advantages over external ND filters:
• Internal ND filters are smaller and lighter.
• They can avoid reflections you can get with multiple filters in the mattebox.
• Internal ND filters can reduce flares and narcissism (double image from reflections between the rear element of the lens and the sensor). An ND filter between the rear element and the sensor can reduce these reflections.
• An internal ND (or clear filter) protects the sensor from dirt contamination during lens changes.
The new filters used for the IFM are not the same as current external ND filters.
• An anti-reflective multi-coating, which is absent in most external filters, maintains high image contrast.
• Water white optical glass is precision polished.
• A broadband absorptive coating ensures an even attenuation of the light over the full spectrum, which is why they are called Full Spectrum Neutral Density (FSND) filters. There is no color shift at any density.
The Alexa XT Internal Filter Module is compatible with all ARRI 35 format lenses. ARRI has yet to find a lens from any manufacturer that it is not compatible. However, you never know — so the filter sets include a depth gauge to make sure a lens fits.
The FSND filters are relatively far away from the sensor, so if there  are small specs of dirt on the filter, they will not show up in the image at most common T-stops.
When using FSND filters, be sure the rental house has installed the IFM shim in Alexa’s PL mount. Using any filter between the lens and the sensor increases the flange focal distance by 1/3 the thickness of the glass, and this shim accounts for that. Once the shim is installed, you will always need some kind of filter between lens and sensor: either an  FSND or an optical clear filter, which ARRI also provides.

Sony F5 and F55 Simulator

Try the Sony F5/F55 Menu Simulator here

Try the sony F5/F55 Menu options here

Sony F5 & F55 Booklet

Film & Digital Times has released this booklet on the F5 and F55 from sony. You can download it direct from here:
http://www.fdtimes.com/pdfs/articles/sony/FDTimes-Sony-F5-F55-v5.5-MediumRez.pdf


'Updated (v5.5) on Feb 27 with latest revisions and software versions of Sony F5 and F55 cameras. This is a free online edition only. We are not printing on paper.
Also available in the Apple Newsstand for iPad and iPhone (but you have to pay for this version).
The Film and Digital Times Sony F5 and F55 Special Report is not an official Sony document. This latest update is an “Unofficial Biography of the F5 and F55 as it is about to ship.”
Note–there may be some additions or corrections to SxS Card information…
Free 96-page PDF (14 MB) Download. Best viewed in Acrobat as “2-page view, show cover page.”'