Film and Digital Times Mid-Year Cine Gear 2010 Edition (issue 32+33) is now online for subscribers.
We will be all over Cine Gear.
Visit us at Booth # 126 for a complimentary paper copy.
See you there: June 4-5.www.cinegearexpo.com
Archive for the 'Aaton' Category
Eagerly awaited almost as long as Penelope herself, Aaton showed a working prototype of the Penelope-Delta Digital 4K “Magazine” at NAB. Expect working models at IBC 2010, and delivery probably this time next year. The large nautilus-looking sculpture where the film take-up inching knob used to be is a large silent fan—needed, as on most things digital, to cool the internal electronics. At 19 dBA, it’s even quieter than her film cousin’s 400′ 35mm magazine. The digital back fits all Aaton Penelope film cameras, providing optical, mirror reflex viewing.
The astounding thing about Jean-Pierre Beauviala and company’s latest camera is how they were able to do what Dalsa could not: harness a greater-than-4K Dalsa CCD sensor into a small, hand-holdable 7.5 kg (16.5 lbs) cat-on-shoulder one-piece design. You’ll remember the original Dalsa and its storage were almost the size of a refrigerator, and the last version was almost Mitchell BNC in shape. Behind the upper battery, there’s a slot for an SDHC card that records DNxHD–36 (Avid) compressed files for immediate editing. These “offline proxy” files can be recorded at the same time as high-rez onboard files. The camera-right side screen displays essential information: timecode, ISO, battery voltage, fps and remaining ‘footage’ (also visible on Operator’s side).
There are 2 outputs at the top rear: HD422 (1.5GHz), HD444 (3GHz), and 1 input to sync 2 cameras for 3D.
DNxHD files can be recorded onto the onboard, slide-in 2.5” SSD DeltaPacks.
The lightweight (360gr) Aaton DeltaPacks are Codex Lab compatible.
Very fast boot-up: from no-power to REC-ready in less than 4 sec. The two onboard Li-Ion batteries run the camera from 3 to 6 hours. You can hot-swap batteries.
You can switch from Super 35mm to the DPX recording digiback in less than half an hour. With the rotating mirror shutter, there are no rolling shutter artifacts. The bright and sharp optical viewfinder has extra peripheral coverage. The Dalsa CCD sensor has 13 stops dynamic range, with an 800 ISO basic sensitivity that can be reduced to 100 ISO (to help avoid having to use ND filters in bright sunlight.) There is very low noise at 3200 ISO equivalent.
There are two videos online: starring Martine Bianco of Aaton
Highlights of AFC Micro Salon 2010. Full report coming soon. Click here for full-screen slideshow.
The December 2009 Issue of Film and Digital Times has gone to press in LA and should be in the mail soon. Our online edition is now ready to download (PDF files) for all Subscribers and Members. We end the year in low light, with articles on: Forgetting Three-Point Lighting; Lighting with Paint at one footcandle; ISO 12,800 to 102,400; Game-Changing Hybrid Cameras; Why We Still Need Big Lights on Cranes; Twice the Distance = One Quarter the Light; Anamorphic Ahead; Anamorphic 2x and 1.3x; Sensors; Backpack Cinematography; People and Products of the Year; Run & Gun Kit from iDC Photography; and more.
Forget Three-Point Lighting; Lighting with Paint in Low Light (one footcandle); ISO 12,800 to 102,400; Game-Changing Hybrid Cameras; Why We Still Need Big Lights on Cranes; Twice the Distance = One Quarter the Light; Anamorphic Ahead; Anamorphic 2x and 1.3x; Sensors: Film and Digital
Backpack Cinematography; People and Products of the Year; Run & Gun Kit from iDC Photography
photo of Geoff Haley and Aaton Penelope ©Jojo Whilden 200
The first 2-Perf Aaton Penelope production in the United States recently wrapped. Two cameras, supplied by Abel Cine Tech were used on this 90% handheld and Steadicam job. Here’s a reprint of the article from the IBC issue of FDTimes.
In previous years, it was possible to digest the relevant news from NAB into a few pages. This year was different. Products were announced, then subsequently modified, added or subtracted. We’ve spent the intervening time writing and re-writing. Here is our first report, as a digital digest, with an in-depth look at the companies beginning with A: Aaton, Angenieux, Abel and ARRI. The rest of the alphabet will follow in our sequels–more to follow soon.
Download 6 MB PDF file here. FDTimes Midsummer Online Report 25.1
It is fitting that while touring Aaton, the Tour de France was underway.
2 Rue de la Paix in Grenoble has long been on my list of places to visit. In the center of Grenoble, a university town at the foot of the French Alps, Aaton cameras have been built here for the past thirty years, along with Cantar, Indaw, Keylink and other famous Aaton products. Presiding over an enterprise of more than 70 craftsmen and women, Jean-Pierre Beauviala (above right) is the personification of the company–an eminence, not grise, and often called the only man in the world who can truly explain, in plain English (and French) timecode on film.
Click here for the Aaton Report as a LoRez PDF (2.5 MB): FDTimes Aaton Report LoRez2
Click here for the High Rez 300 dpi PDF (15 MB): FDTimes Aaton Report HiRez2
We recently visited Björn Blixt and Blixt Camera Rental in Copenhagen, Denmark. Björn is a fellow cinematographer with a wicked wit, cunning at punning and an enthusiastic entrepreneurial spirit. Rune Ericson, the legendary Swedish cameraman and “father of Super 16,” often joked about how most of the world thought he lived at the North Pole. Blixt Camera Rentals may not be on the North Pole, but it certainly feels like Santa’s workshop.
Click below to download the Reports (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader):
FDTimes Blixt Report MedRez (2 MB PDF)
FDTimes Blixt Report HiRez (5 MB PDF)
Our Paparazzi caught these five top models at Cannes, left to right: Linda (Super Model from Angénieux), Penelope (Aaton‘s newest, silent, 35mm model), Optimo (Angenieux’s 15-40 mm lightweight zoom), Rainbow II (Transvideo‘s 6.5″ SuperBright Monitor), and of course, the legendary JP (Jean-Pierre Beauviala, Aaton’s founder and president.
Angénieux and Aaton were seen at the Cannes Film Festival (May 19-20), demonstrating Angénieux 15-40 and 28-76 Optimo lightweight zooms on Aaton’s new Penelope 35mm camera. Aaton was well represented in the official selection at Cannes 2009:
Ang Lee “Taking Woodstock” Camera Aaton 35 (Eric Gautier) -Cantar (Drew Kunin)
Alain Resnais “Les Herbes Folles” Camera Aaton 35 (Eric Gautier)- Cantar (Jean Marie Blondel)
Jacques Audiard “Un Prophète” Camera Aaton 35 (Stéphane Fontaine)
Lars Von Trier “Antichrist” Cantar (André Rigaut)
Cherien Dabis “Amreeka” Cantar (Brock Capell)
Marina De Van “Ne te retourne pas” Cantar (Carlo Thoss)
Xavier Giannoli “A l’Origine” Cantar (François Musy)
Michaël Haneke “Das weisse Band” Cantar (Guillaume Sciama)
Ken Loach “Looking for Eric” Cantar (Ray Beckett)
Tsai Ming-liang “Face” Cantar (Roberto van Eijden)
Gaspar Noé “Soudain le Vide” Cantar (Claude La Haye)
Elia Suleiman “The Time that Remains” Cantar (Chris Monheim)