- THE BIGGER PICTURE: 65mm
- ARRI ALEXA 265
- ALEXA 265 compared with ALEXA 65
- Cooke Panchro 65/i
- Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65
- URSA 17K 65 — Formats, Aspect Ratios, Image Sizes
- Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
- Q&A with Kristian Lam
- Leica SL3-S Stills and Cine
- Leica SL3-S Framelines 36
- Leica SL3-S Video Profiles & Framelines
- Leitz ELSIE 15mm T2.1
- Still Moving Pictures: SL3-S & ELSIE 15mm
- A DP Walks into a Museum
- Ralph Gibson
- Leitz THALIA 65 Primes
- New Leitz 20mm THALIA 65
- IB/E Optics Full Frame to 65mm Expanders
- IB/E Optics Full Frame RAPTOR Scope
- Johanna Coelho, DP on THE PITT
- Ronford Atlas Mini 7 Manual & Motorized
- ARRI ALEXA 35 Base
- ALEXA 35 Base Licensing
- Nanlux Evoke 5000B 5kW LED
- Nanlite Rapid Parabolic Softboxes
- A Complete Unknown – Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC
- P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC
- Serra on Senna
- Kinefinity HDMI e-Viewfinder
- Kinefinity HDMI e-Viewfinder on SIGMA fp L
- Anton/Bauer EDEN 2.5kWh Power System
- Happy 10th Birthday — Bright Tangerine Misfit Atom
February 2025 – Online and In Print
February 2025: Issue 129
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Jon Fauer’s Film and Digital Times is published on paper, online and on iPad roughly every two months. Depending on events, introductions and technological breakthroughs, we sometimes combine issues into larger editions. Join us for the adventure and subscribe online. We talk about products and procedures in practical production—here’s the job at hand: how do we use tools and techniques to get the results we want?
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Over 120,000 of his books on cameras, cinematography, film and digital video have been printed. Think of this bimonthly Journal as Fauer’s next book — arriving a year early, with up-to-the minute information brought to you in episodic format.
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News
- CP+ 2025 Imaging Show Japan
- SIGMA BF Beautiful Fun
BF stands for Beautiful Foolishness. The new SIGMA BF is also Beautifully Fun, Beneficially Fast, Bellissima Fashionista, Bravely Functional.
But in Italy, I am also called a BF. Buona Forchetta. The Good Fork. Someone who likes to wield a big fork over a fine meal. So named by Jacques Lipkau Goyard and Elisabetta Cartoni.
Here in Japan, Masako Misako calls me Film and Delicious Times. And so, BF the person takes BF the camera for a day of street and restaurant photography in Tokyo. read more... - BSC Expo 2025 Slideshow
BSC Expo 2025 was the location for the latest working pre-release Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65 and a FUJIFLM ETERNA 65 under glass. Dominick Aiello got measurements and had Wooden Camera accessories ready for the yet-unreleased camera. So did Vocas.
Cooke showed a prototype Panchro/i 65 prime. Leitz rebranded THALIA to THALIA 65 and had a super wide 20mm prime. Geck0-Cam also had a hot-off the assembly bench 65mm Ayana prime.
RED DIGITAL CINEMA showed V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X cameras with Nikon Z Mount and the new cinematized Z Mount NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ.
Nanlux premiered their incredibly bright new EVOKE 5000B (5K COB LED).
And lots more... read more... - FDT at BSC
Film and Digital Times February 2025 Worldwide Edition goes online at 9am EST February 12. Print editions are in the mail.
A Special BSC Expo Print Edition will be distributed at BSC Expo London.
See you there -- at BSC Expo 2025 in Battersea Evolution, London. Lots to see. Register now.
Friday 14 Feb 10am to 7pm.
Saturday 15 Feb 10am to 5pm.
Many new products to see. More than 160 exhibitors. Bigger Picture cameras and lenses. Panel discussions and demos. As always, this is one of the best shows of the year. read more... - Johanna Coelho, Cinematographer of THE PITT
THE PITT is a 15-episode series about a 15-hour shift in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room. It is airing now on MAX. They call it “a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital.” THE PITT comes from ER and West Wing executive producer John Wells, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh. It may remind you of ER with West Wing brilliant dialog.
Johanna Coelho is the cinematographer of THE PITT. They were still filming in January when we discussed her work on the series. read more... - Leica SL3-S with Leitz ELSIE 15mm
A DP walks into a museum. What could possibly go wrong? The DP is trying out the new Leica SL3-S camera and new Leitz ELSIE 15mm prime cine lens. In fact, nothing goes wrong in the Parrish Art Museum. hat better place to illustrate the prowess of the wonderfully wide angle 15mm ELSIE than the large and high-ceilinged indoor space of the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill? The DP stumbles upon an interesting exhibit: Ralph Gibson—Nature : Object. He films and photographs the photographs, testing 6K Open Gate SL3-S and ELSIE’s angles of view. https://fdtimes.us/elsie15mm read more... - Serra on SENNA
The 6-hour Netflix series SENNA follows the life of legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna with white knuckle racing scenes, action, drama and stunning cinematography by Azul Serra, ABC and Kauê Zilli, ABC (Association of Brazilian Cinematographers). It was a huge production in Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina—including six ALEXA 35 cameras, four RED cameras, 266 cases of cameras, lenses and equipment – 2500 kgs of gear.” Here's an interview with Azul Serra, thanks to Michael Keegan at Netflix and Ernesto Musitelli, Managing Director of Musitelli Film and Digital. read more... - P. Scott Sakamoto on A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
P. Scott Sakamoto, SOC talked about operating on A COMPLETE UNKNOWN: “I’ve worked on two movies with director Jim Mangold and he loves having the Steadicam. Often, when we rehearse a scene and he sees me setting up a dance floor for the dolly, he says, ‘I don’t want you to be on the dolly. I want you to be on the Steadicam.’ Because he often improvises the shot and doesn’t want camera moves to be restricted, he just prefers the freedom of a Steadicam. Jim and Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC have made several exceptional movies together and have a good rapport with each other. They know how to dance and tell a compelling cinematic story. It is a pleasure to come up with shots to advance that narrative at the right time with the right equipment." read more... - Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC, GCA on “A Complete Unknown”
Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC, GCA and Sony’s Tanya Lyon were in New York for a pre-release screening of A Complete Unknown. (It opened on Christmas day.) We meet at a favorite restaurant—Sistina, across from the Met Museum. Storaro likes the table in the back corner of the back room where the light is always beautiful. Skylights above make it just... read more... - Band Pro Open House 2024
Band Pro One World Open House 2024 opened on Thursday December 12 from 1 to 8 pm in Burbank, CA.
Alice Brooks, ASC was the guest of honor. She has been flying a lot lately, on the wings of recently released WICKED, directed by Jon Chu. Band Pro’s Open House was packed. Exhibitors included Angénieux, Blackmagic Design, Bright Tangerine, Canon, Fujinon, Ronford Baker, SIGMA, Sony, 16X9 and many more. read more...
View All NewsNew Products
- GFX ETERNA 65mm Open Gate
- SIGMA BF Camera
BF. Beautifully Fun. Best Friend. Brilliantly Fast Camera from SIGMA.
SIGMA Corporation CEO Kazuto Yamaki explained that the name BF stands for Beautiful Foolishness. It comes from The Book of Tea, A Japanese Harmony of Art, Culture, and the Simple Life, written by Okakura Kakuzō in 1906.
The context of “foolishness” here is not negative. In juxtaposing Beautiful with Foolishness, both Kakuzo and Kazuto are elevating something that is normally functional to a level that is artistic, stylish, interesting and perhaps seeking perfection in imperfection.
This is not your father's mirrorless camera. The SIGMA BF has 4 buttons and a dial. You operate these with your thumb to control the five things that matter the most: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, exposure compensation and look. The shutter release / record start-stop is on top.
February 24, 2025. 9 AM. The new SIGMA BF camera premiered at SIGMA Corporation's worldwide headquarters in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. It's an hour ride from Roppongi Hills—west, direction Mt. Fuji. read more... - ALEXA 35 Base Model with Flexible Licenses
The ALEXA 35 is now available from ARRI as one of two models. The existing ALEXA 35 (with the black jogwheel) has been renamed “ALEXA 35 with Premium License” and the new model (identified by a blue jogwheel) is called “ALEXA 35 with Base License.” The new, lower-cost ALEXA 35 Base model has the same hardware and sensor as the Premium model, but has a reduced feature set that can be upgraded with several licenses. read more... - Leica SL3-S for Cine & Stills Camera
Cinematographers everywhere will appreciate the new Leica SL3-S.
The SL3-3 takes amazing stills for location scouting or for personal use, works not only as a Directors Finder or for pre-viz, but also records full-height (Open Gate) full-frame (Leica Format) moving images.
In a landscape where many cameras crop the sensor to 16:9 or less than full height, the SL3-3 covers the entire 24MP, 3:2 Open Gate sensor area (approx 35.64 x 23.76 mm) to record up to 6K internally and 6K RAW externally. read more... - Kinefinity HDMI e-Viewfinder
Kinefinity continues to impress with great Electronic Viewfinders.They introduced their EAGLE SDI e-Viewfinder last July. Now there’s a wonderful HDMI version. It works with most cinema cameras, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras that have HDMI video outputs.
As with the SDI model, the new HDMI e-Viewfinder has a Micro OLED 1080P display. This is one of the most compact and lightweight EVFs on the market. It starts up quickly, has low power consumption and almost zero latency. It connects to video via a full-size HDMI port and is powered via a USB-C. read more... - Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Camera
Just when we thought Blackmagic was busy enough with their new 12K LF and 17K 65 URSA Cine Cameras, along comes this 2x 8K Stereo 3D camera for Apple Vision Pro. Blackmagic Design announced their new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Camera today. Designed to shoot Apple Immersive Video for the Apple Vision Pro — it's expected to ship in 2025. read more... - ARRI ALEXA 265 Camera Report
Download the Film and Digital Times 32-page ARRI ALEXA 265 Camera Report.
Free 10 MB PDF.
ARRI ALEXA 265 is lighter and smaller than predecessors ALEXA 65 and 765. The 265 camera has a 65mm format sensor measuring a familiar 54.12 x 25.58 mm (59.86 mm Ø diagonal. 6560 x 3100 photosites.) The camera body is about the same size as an ALEXA 35--slightly wider to accommodate the bigger sensor, so most ALEA 35 accessories fit. Data wrangling is streamlined. fdtimes.us/alexa265 read more... - Cooke Panchro 65/i Lens Series
Who said there aren’t enough lenses for 65mm format?
November 12, 2024. Cooke Optics announced their Panchro 65/i Lens Series—designed specifically for 65mm Larger Format digital cinema cameras.
The Panchro 65/i series will include six focal lengths:
30mm T2.8, 40mm T2.8, 55mm T2.5, 75mm T2.5, 100mm T2.5, and 152mm T2.9.
They all stop down to T22 and are equipped with Cooke’s latest intelligent /i technology. The Panchro 65/i series is lightweight across the range (1.8 kg to 2.3 kg). read more... - Canon L Lenses with Iris & Zoom Marks
Canon continues an industry trend of hybrid still/cine lenses with manual iris and zoom marks as well as having autofocus and auto iris.
The new RF24mm F1.4 L VCM and RF50mm F1.4 L VCM primes are fast (f/1.4), compact (3.9 inches long) Full Frame RF-mount lenses.
Things get really interesting with Canon’s new RF70-200 F2.8 L IS USM Z zoom lenses. read more...
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