Monthly Archives: October 2011
FUJIFILM X10
A smaller sibling of FUJIFILM’s X100 rangefinder digital camera, the new FUJIFILM X10 dress large crowds at this past weekend’s PhotoPlus Expo. It has a superb Fujinon Optics 4x zoom lens (28-112mm) with 11 elements and the similar EBC coating used on Fujinon motion picture lenses. The 2/3” 12 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor innovates the traditional Bayer array design with a… read more…
Fujifilm Optical Devices News
Mr. Shuichi Yamataka, Senior Operations Manager of the Fujifilm Optical Devices Division retired on June 30. He worked for Fuji Photo Optical (Fujinon) and Fujifilm for more than 35 years. During that time, he took part in major developments of motion picture and television products—particularly lenses. Mr. Yamataka became an instant friend when I visited the Optical Devices Division in… read more…
Update: Sony 18-252 mm Zoom
One of the hits of PhotoPlus Expo was a surprise sneak preview of Sony’s amazing new zoom lens for their PMW-F3 Camera. Shown unofficially and “out of competition” to a few cinematographers, the new 18-252 attracted lots of attention on the show floor. With good reason. This is the first 35mm format zoom that I know of with many… read more…
Tags: Sony
PhotoPlus Expo 2011 NYC
PhotoPlus Expo opened today at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, and runs through Sunday. It’s a great show and a wonderful peak at the maturing convergence of still and motion pictures. The production value was high, with Sony Samurai and Nikon Ballerinas and Canon Models. Fast moving action, still cameras that shoot video, video cameras that capture… read more…
Tags: Trade Shows
Vittorio Storaro’s Latest Book
Here’s the fifth book from prolific Vittorio Storaro, AIC, ASC. It is a lavish, large volume visual feast with more than 400 new images, paintings and photographs. This is the jewel in the crown of Vittorio’s visual references for every cinematographer, director and working member of the motion picture community, and for film aficionados as well. The photographs in Storaro–Writing with Light,… read more…
Tags: Books
Interview with Leica’s Dr. Andreas Kaufmann
I first met Dr Andreas Kaufmann at the Pacific Palisades home of Otto Nemenz two years ago. “We have an interesting story to tell you,” Otto said, as Santa Monica Bay glistened in glorious magic hour light. “It’s about Leica cine lenses.” The saga involved several degrees of separation that began more than 30 years ago, with Otto and his… read more…
Tags: Leica
Leica and Blackstone
Leica’s largest shareholder, ACM Projektentwicklung, Salzburg, and The Blackstone Group announced today that Blackstone will become a strategic investor in Leica Camera AG with a minority stake of 44 per cent. ACM, with Dr Andreas Kaufmann as its owner, will continue to hold the majority of Leica shares. What does this mean for photographers, cinematographers and practitioners of digital dark arts? Capital and commitment… read more…
International Leica Society
“Shooting with a Leica is like a long tender kiss, like firing an automatic pistol, like an hour on the analyst’s couch,” said Henri Cartier-Bresson. He should have added, “…and like spending a weekend with the LHSA International Leica Society.” Two hundred Leica fanatics converged on Pittsburgh last week to try new equipment, attend lectures, shoot pictures, swap tales and… read more…
Tags: Leica
Canon EOS-1D X
18-Megapixel Full-Frame CMOS Sensor, Full HD Video Recording, 61-Point Autofocus, new and faster imaging processors, 14-bit A/D data conversion. With a week to PhotoPlus Expo, Canon announces their new EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. The EOS-1D X replaces the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV, and many 5D Mark II owners will be flocking to Canon’s exhibit in New York’s… read more…
Tags: Canon
Birns & Sawyer Camera Auction
Birns & Sawyer will auction off its entire 16 and 35mm Film Camera inventory. Bids close October 19th. Bill Meurer (Owner/Cinematographer) writes, “It is with mixed feelings that we will be exiting the 16 and 35mm film camera business after 57 years. Nevertheless, our success with RED Mysterium X, ARRI Alexa, CANON 5D/7D, SONY F-3 and Panasonic AF-100 cameras as… read more…
Tags: Birns and Sawyer
Canon in Hollywood
Canon has been teasing us recently with intimations of a major product announcement in Hollywood. The rumor-phone has been ringing and OMG how the tweeterati are txting. Now hear this: Canon U.S.A., Inc. just announced the opening of the Canon Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center in the Sunset Gower Studio lot at 6060 Sunset Boulevard in LA. Canon sources… read more…
Tags: Canon
Blackmagic for Camera Crews
At IBC 2011, I met with Dan May, President of Blackmagic Design to find out how their products can help cinematographers, camera crews and the usual suspects who read FDTimes. Dan runs the U.S., North America and South America office. Dan joined Blackmagic five years ago when they needed a local office in the U.S. Previously, Blackmagic was all in Australia. The… read more…
Tags: Accessories, Post, Production
Case Closed
I met Cocoon’s Maik Finzel and Patrick Biesinger at IBC. Cocoon makes terrific custom foam interiors for camera and equipment cases. For example, their products have coddled Compact Prime and Master Prime lenses by ZEISS, Cooke S4 sets, and the new Leica Summilux-C primes. Cocoon is based in Jena, which happens to be where Carl Zeiss set up shop in 1846. These… read more…
Tags: Accessories, Cameras, Lenses
Andrew Laszlo, ASC 1926-2011
Andrew Laszlo, ASC passed away in Bozeman, Montana on October 7 th after a brief illness. He was at home, with his beloved family. Andy was a mentor and great friend. I’ll write more about him shortly. Meanwhile, while contemplating this great loss, I think the following interview says a lot about him. It was conducted a few years ago, during… read more…
Tags: Andrew Laszlo, ASC
Sony F65 Open House in Paris
Paris. October 14th. 10 am – 7 pm. PhotoCineRent hosts a Journée Portes Ouvertes (Open House) to introduce Sony’s F65 Camera. Peter Sykes and Richard Lewis from Sony Europe are personally hand-carrying a pre-production model to the event for demos and discussions.
Tags: Band Pro, Leica, PhotoCineRent, Sony
ARRI Alexa Studio USA Debut
ARRI Alexa Studio made her USA debut in Hollywood on Thursday evening. Two working Alexas were set up in the ASC clubhouse for hands-on scrutiny. Alexa Studio is the third sister in ARRI’s latest family of 35mm digital motion picture cameras. This is the one with a spinning mirror shutter, optical finder and full frame 4:3 35mm sensor. That is… read more…
Tags: ARRI
iPhone 1080p
Apple’s new iPhone 4S has a CMOS sensor that takes stills up to 3264 x 2448 pixels and 1080p video, with digital image stabilization. Although I thought that things with ringtones can’t be good cameras, this might be different. The new iPhone’s camera has an 8-megapixel sensor. That’s 60% more than the iPhone 4. The CMOS sensor is 73% more… read more…
Tags: Apple
IBC 2011 Images
Slideshow of pictures from IBC 2011. Photos copyright Film and Digital Times. Not to be copied, reused, or reposted without permission.
Tags: Trade Shows
