Monthly Archives: February 2015

1 Codex, 4 Alexa Minis, No Waiting

Normally associated with barbershops (4 barbers no waiting) and Jimmy Contner, when he was a camera operator (2 cameras no waiting)… Codex announced 8-channel HD-SDI recording for the new ARRI Alexa Mini camera. The Codex recorder will enable simultaneous ARRIRAW recording from 4 Alexa Minis. This will be good for multiple cameras on car rigs, stunts, and multi-camera shoots. In 16:9 mode, the… read more…

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New ARRI Alexa Mini

ARRI officially announced the much-whispered ALEXA Mini today. It has a lightweight carbon fiber housing, a titanium PL mount connected directly to a new sensor assembly for unwavering flange focal depth. It can also accept interchangeable lens mounts of the ARRI Amira for B4 video and EF (Canon) mount lenses. Alexa Mini is compact, quiet and has a symmetrical design. You can shoot in almost any orientation: upside-down, portrait mode, straight up, down, etc. There are many mounting points. read more…

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AMIRA SUP 2.0 & 3.0 Updates

  ARRI Amira SUP 2.0  Scheduled for release in March 2015, SUP 2.o promises UHD recording with the purchase of a license at the ARRI License Shop (and camera sensor calibration at an ARRI service center for cameras purchased in 2014). It lets you record codecs up to ProRes 4444 in UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution onto the in-camera CFast 2.0 cards,… read more…

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ARRI Alexa Updates

ARRI released new Updates for Alexa and Amira. A wave of additional news is expected soon. ALEXA SUP 11.0 with ProRes 3.2K  Software Update Packet (SUP) 11.0 for Alexa is now ready for download. Alexa’s 11th software update includes ProRes 3.2K recording and ADA-5 (enhanced debayering for improved image quality). ProRes 3.2K is available for Alexa XT and Classic cameras with the XR Module upgrade. It uses a larger 3.2K picture… read more…

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NAB 2015

Register for free NAB Exhibits Guest Pass courtesy of FDTimes. Fill in name, company, email and then on the next page enter this code: Guest Pass Code: LV5787 To speak with an NAB Show customer service agent call 888-740-4622 (Toll Free) or +1-301-682-7962 (International). Or  email  NABShow@experient-inc.com  

New from RVZ Paris

RVZ showed some interesting new products at AFC Micro Salon last week. Their prototype rectangular ring light (contradiction in terms — but still a good name) attaches to the front of an LMB5 mattebox. It’s LED, bi-color daylight-tungsten, and dimmable. Nowhere is it written that a beauty eye-light must be round, and rather than fitting something round around something square-ish… read more…

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AFC Micro Salon

  Images of AFC Micro Salon, Feb 6-7. This was the 15th year of the annual expo and seminars held at la fémis in Montmartre–organized by the Association of French Cinematographers. Photos by Garry Yankson and Hugues Faure from EMIT. Click on first thumbnail for slideshow.

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Andreas Kaufmann, Leica Camera

Interview with Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of Leica Camera, on the Leica Summilux-C cine lenses and the Academy Scientific and Engineering Award. Leica Summilux-C lenses got a Sci-Tech Oscar on Saturday. As the lenses were developed, I had interviewed most of the cast of characters involved in developing them. But we had never really discussed the point of view of Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of Leica Camera. Here is his interesting narrative on how these lenses came about.

 

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Big News: Hawk 65 Lenses

Vantage Film announced three new sets of lenses for 65mm format. Hawk65 Anamorphic Hawk65 Anamorphic Vintage’74 Hawk65 MAX for Imax They have all been designed from scratch for 65mm digital sensors. Of course, they will also cover any other format between 35mm – 65mm. Hawk65 Anamorphic includes prime lenses from 35 mm to 250 mm and front anamorphic zooms. Hawk65 Anamorphic Vintage… read more…

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Leica Summilux-C Sci-Tech Oscar

Feb 8. Beverly Wilshire Hotel. An Academy Scientific and Engineering Award was presented to Iain Neil for the optical design and André de Winter for the mechanical design of the Leica Summilux-C lenses. (In photo above, L-R: Erik Feichtinger, Managing Director, CW Sonderoptic; Christian Skrein, Member of the Board: André de Winter, Mechanical Designer; Iain Neil, Optical Designer, Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of Leica Camera and CW Sonderoptic; Gerhard Baier, Managing Director, CW Sonderoptic. read more…

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EMIT at Micro Salon 2015

It’s Micro Salon time again in Paris. The 15th annual expo, screening and seminars takes place in La Fémis film school, formerly the Pathé Montmartre Studios. Emit is a major distributor of interesting products. Once again, the Emit booth will have lots of new products, and the Emit team and their manufacturing partners will be on hand for hands-on demos and explanations. The new… read more…

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Rune Ericson 1924-2015

Rune Ericson, FSF passed away, age 90, while on vacation in Thailand. Father of Super 16 and 3-perf, he was a cinematographer, inventor, distributor, and fellow sailor. read more…

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Enzo Castellari at USC

Enzo G. Castellari was born on July 29, 1938 in Rome, Lazio, Italy as Enzo Girolami. He directed “A Few Dollars for Django (Pochi dollari per Django),” the original “The Inglorious Bastards (Quel maledetto treno blindato),” “Any Gun Can Play,” “Keoma,” “One Dollar Too Many,” among many other films. Currently, Enzo is in preproduction on a new film starring legendary Spaghetti Western actor… read more…

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Cinematheque Online Catalog

La Cinémathèque française just published an online illustrated catalog of their historical motion picture equipment collection. It also includes the CNC’s (National Center for Cinema). The French Cinematheque has acquired, nurtured and maintained one of  the finest equipment collections  in the world, thanks to generous donors, since 1936. The most prestigious pieces include those of Étienne-Jules Marey, Louis Lumière, Georges Méliès, the Chronomégaphone and… read more…

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