- Print-it-yourself 30 MB PDF download via login for Subscribers.
- Click the Free Access button below for 14 MB PDF Complimentary Edition.
- Best with Adobe Acrobat Reader, 2-page view, show cover page; or Apple Preview, View>Two Pages.
- Joshua Pines on LUTS, CDLs, Looks, Transforms, VENICE 2
- Jason Fabbro on Grading VENICE 2.
- Nobutatsu Takahashi, GM of Sony Cinema Line
- Autumn D. Arkapaw, ASC on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Rob McLachlan, ASC, CSC on American Gigolo.
- Claudio Miranda, ASC on Top Gun: Maverick.
- Russell Carpenter, ASC on Avatar: The Way of Water
- Adriano Goldman, ASC, BSC, ABC on Andor and The Crown
- Geoffrey Haley, SOC, on The Gray Man
- Taylor Matheson, 1st AC on The Gray Man
- Chris Teague on Only Murders in the Building
- Chayse Irvin, ASC, CSC on Blonde
- Arnau Valls Colomer, AEC on The English
- Carlos Caba, DIT on The English
- Aidan Farell, Senior Colorist, Picture Shop on The English
- Jonny Mass and Pete Konczal on Cowboy Currency
- Jon Chema, Cinematographer
Latest Edition
January 2023: Issue 118
FDTimes 80-page January 2023 Issue 118.
Happy New Year and new, new year’s resolutions.
Some of these new resolutions are in VENICE 2 Version 2.00 Firmware Update, available now, with new imager modes, higher frame rates, Rialto 2, LUTs and lots more. But this is not just a story about Sony VENICE cameras. It is a broad discussion of technique and technology, art and tools—our favorite themes—by the people who use them and make them.
Discussions by:
Titans of the Industry
Moguls
Executive Producers
Producers
Co-Producers
Assoc. Producers
Media Partners
Rental Houses
Readers’ Comments
Required reading for everyone in our company, shop, and rental departments
”Just read your latest issue and I found it so facinating and well written. It was some of the best cinematography writing in recent history. Thank you.
”The only thing to read for professional information
”I don’t know how I managed before without all the info of FDTimes
”About FDTimes
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?
Film and Digital Times is an inside-the-industry look at the nuts and bolts of high-end prodcution: how-to and how not to, technique and technology, style and strategies, tips and trends for Cinematographers, Directors, Producers, Rental Houses, Manufacturers, Camera Assistants, Camera Operators, Photographers, Videographers, Gaffers, Grips, Students, and Faculty.
More About FDTimes
About Jon Fauer
Jon Fauer, ASC is an award-winning cinematographer and director who has written 12 bestselling books, famous for their user-friendly way of explaining things as if you’re right there on location with him.
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.
More About Jon Fauer
News
- Suggested SIGMA fp L Settings
- CVP at BSC Expo 2023
CVP will be back on the mezzanine area of BSC Expo 2023 on February 24-25. The latest cameras, lenses, accessories and production equipment will be on display, curated by CVP’s technical consultants, product specialists and engineers.
A Virtual Production stage will demonstrate a range of applications, budgets and specifications.
The ever-popular, non-alcoholic Lens Bar is back with a more extensive collection of new and vintage glass for evaluation and comparison for combinations of lenses and filters on a variety of cameras.
I assume there will be a real, high-octane Bar opposite the Lens Bar. read more... - Mandy Walker, AM, ASC, ACS at ARRI Rental NY
Mandy Walker, AM, ASC, ACS will discuss her work at an ARRI Close-Up event in New York on Tuesday, Jan 31 at ARRI Rental from 6:30 - 9:30 pm.
Ms. Walker has been nominated for an Oscar in Best Cinematography 2023 for her work on ELVIS. (AM, by the way, is Member of the Order of Australia, for service in a particular field of activity.)
There will be time for Q&A and refreshments. read more... - FDTimes January 2023 Issue Updated
FDTimes is pleased to release Version 1.01—the January 5, 2023 Edition of Issue 118, a mere 12 hours after initial launch.
There's a new page 33. Dan Sasaki, Senior Vice President of Optical Engineering and Lens Strategy at Panavision goes into detail about lenses used by Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Typos and errors were corrected, with thanks to readers and reps. And yes, the sun is 93 million miles away, not 239 thousand. read more... - ZEISS Cine Service Center in Korea
If you have been binging on beautifully photographed Korean movies and series lately, you may have been guessing which lenses were at work. To support one of the most vibrant film industries in the world, ZEISS and Saeki P&C announced the opening of a new ZEISS Authorized Cine Service Center in Seoul, Korea.
- Band Pro Open House 2022
Thursday December 8, 2022. On a crisp afternoon and evening in Burbank, more than 500 industry colleagues gathered inside a large tent for the annual Band Pro Expo and Open House. Amnon Band honored Otto Nemenz for his years of friendship and service to the industry. There was an A to Z list of exhibitors. The band played Stevie Nicks... read more... - FDTimes 117 November 2022 Latest Edition
Late, Later, Latest Edition. Here is the proofed, debugged, no-longer beta release of Film and Digital Times November 2022 Issue 117.
Subscriber download, print-ready PDF.
Free Access lower rez PDF. read more... - Cooke Varotal/i FF 19-40, 30-95, 80-215 Details
Download 14-page FDTimes 2.5 MB PDF article about the new Cooke Varotal/i FF 19-40 mm and 30-95, 80-215.
Cooke is back with more zoom lenses.
Two new Cooke Varotal/i FF Full Frame zoom lenses were introduced in November 2021 and released earlier this year: 30-95 mm T2.9 and 85-215 mm T2.9. And now, the duo becomes a trio. Please welcome the Cooke Varotal/i FF 19-40 mm T2.9. read more... - Cooke Varotal/i FF in Industry City Video
View All NewsThis is the fourth facility in the world equipped with genuine ZEISS measurement instruments and test equipment. Lenses brought to the Service Center will undergo the same level of care as if they were at the ZEISS Headquarters' service department.
read more...Took a Look at Cooke Varotal/i FF Zooms
FDTimes looked at Cooke Varotal/i FF Zooms on VENICE 2 at Industry City, in Brooklyn, NY. You can see the 4K video on YouTube at: youtu.be/zF-5mThr0j0 and on Vimeo: vimeo.com/766754992 read more...Factory Tours
- Cooke Tour 2020
This was my 4th tour of Cooke Optics in Leicester, England. The factory has come a long way since previous visits in 2006, 2009 and 2013. It is now a state-of-the-art, modern facility with clean rooms, the latest machines, and many more technicians. As Les Zellan described it, “The glass manufacturing area is cleaner and neater and there are many... read more... - ZEISS Supreme Primes Special Report
FDTimes Factory Tour and Special Report about the new ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses. Download 44-page 11MB (high rez) PDF. ZEISS Supreme Primes cover a FULL FORMAT image area up to 46.3 mm diagonal. They are incredibly small, lightweight and fast. The focus barrel has a unique, advanced square helical thread that is as smooth as cams and even more rugged. There are 13 lenses planned so far. read more...
View All Factory ToursEvents
2/24/23 – 2/25/23 
CVP at BSC Expo 2023
View All EventsCVP will be back on the mezzanine area of BSC Expo 2023 on February 24-25.
New Products
- SIGMA fp and fp L cameras get EL Zone
- Nikon Z 9 for Cine
Nikon’s flagship, top-of-the-line hybrid, mirrorless digital still and cine camera is adept at both stills and video. Its 8K 12-bit video images are as spectacular as its stills. It feels like a longtime friend the moment you grab it. With the Z 9, Nikon unquestionably raised the bar on image quality, ergonomics and versatility for filming on location and in studios. Images from the 45.7MP Full Frame Stacked sensor are gorgeous. The camera’s tactile, ergonomic heft is familiar. It may remind you of a Nikon F4 from analog film days. Every button is familiar and intuitive. The Z 9 records internal 8.3K 12-bit N-RAW up to 60 fps, or 4.1K 12-bit N-RAW up to 120 fps, or 4.1K ProRes RAW up to 60 fps. read more... - Angenieux Special Report 2022
This 24-page Special Edition is a retrospective of FDTimes articles from previous editions about Angénieux Full Frame lenses: Type EZ zooms, Optimo Ultra 12x, Optimo Primes and Optimo Ultra Compact Zooms. read more... - FUJINON 25-1000 F2.8 Zoom
New York. Dec 14. At an open house today, FUJINON showed the first working HZK25-1000mm F2.8- F5.0 PL Mount Box Lens on a Sony VENICE 2. Although officially called a "box lens," you'll find it on major motion picture sets in addition to its original intent as a 40x fast zoom for multi-camera concerts, events, broadcast and sports.
The thing that got my attention the most was its automatic breathing compensation. The 25-1000 can correct for breathing by compensating its focal length (zoom) in sync with focusing. read more... - Angénieux Optimo Ultra Compact FF & U35
Angénieux announces a “Full Pack” version of their Optimo Ultra Compact 37-102 and 21-56 Full Frame zoom lenses. The Full Pack includes each lens with both a Full Frame and an Ultra35 (U35) rear that can be changed easily to cover the entire sensor area of Full Frame cameras or the U35 (Open Gate) area of the ARRI ALEXA 35.
When equipped with the new IRO group, these lenses cover U35 (a.k.a. Ultra35 or Open Gate) with an image diagonal of 34.6 mm Ø and a gain in maximum aperture to T2.2. And so, Ultra Compacts with the U35 back become, respectively, a 28-76 T 2.2 and a 16-42 T 2.2. read more... - SLATE from Tribe7
Clapperboards haven’t changed much since Psycho.
Leave it to the team at Tribe7, innovators of Blackwing7 lenses, to come up with a new, exciting and innovative SLATE. It has familiar sticks that clap (heads or tails) and a board to mark with Dry Erase pens. But this is no ordinary writing surface.
SLATE has an e-paper display similar to a Kindle. Instead of a board with pre-engraved lettering or custom graphics that have to be ordered in advance, graphics and template text on SLATE can be changed immediately. read more... - Leitz Hugo Leica Format Cine Lenses
Hugo joins Leitz Primes, Elsie and Henri in the eponymous family of cine lenses and finders at Ernst Leitz Wetzlar.
Hugo Wehrenfennig, a talented mechanical engineer, helped design many early M Mount lenses and created the original Leica M Mount. Its four-pronged bayonet assembly was essential to Leica’s new M3 camera, introduced at Photokina in 1954. The M mount has connected Leica M cameras and M lenses to this day.
September 6, 2022. Ernst Leitz Wetzlar introduces the Leitz Hugo series of cine prime lenses. The initial set of 7 consists of 21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 75, 90 mm — all T1.5. There is an additional 50mm T1.0 lens in the series. They are expected in Q1 2023. read more... - Teradek RT MDR.S Motor Driver
Teradek RT MDR.S is a tiny receiver+control unit to drive lens motors. I guess the "S" in MDR.S could stand for small or stylish. You can control a single motor or daisy-chain up to 3 motors—for focus, iris and zoom. Short cables minimize clutter. MDR.S works with Teradek's CTRL.1 single channel or the CRTL.3 three channel hand unit. Maximum line-of-sight range is 5,000 ft. MDR.S is ridiculously lightweight: a mere 2.4 oz. read more... - Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2
June 23, 2022. G2 is for Generation 2.
Blackmagic Design launched their Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 today, the second generation of the original Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K introduced in October 2019.
What's different?
The new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 is almost the same as the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro (launched in February 2021) — lacking only the internal Clear, ND.6, ND1.2 and ND1.6 filters. The body is the same. Both cameras have an adjustable, tiltable 5-inch 1500 nit 5” 1920 x 1080 LCD touchscreen display. They both accept Blackmagic's superb Pocket Cinema Camera Pro OLED EVF.
read more... - SIGMA 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary Zoom
SIGMA's optical prowess continues to impress. Their new 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary Wide-Angle Zoom Lens (at left) is almost the same size and weight as its companion 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary Zoom (at right). If the best lens is the one that's light and small enough to put in your jacket pocket, and has exceptional imaging quality, then the 16-28 is the wide zoom you'll want to join the 28-70 that was released in March 2021.
Both lenses are for Full Frame mirrorless cameras and come in Sony E-mount or Leica/ SIGMA/Panasonic L-Mount.
Wide and fast zoom lenses are usually not this petite. The 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary maintains sharpness to the edges, with no shading (darkening of the edges). A few weeks ago I was gushing over the rectilinear, unbending lines of SIGMA's 20mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary prime. Now, here's a lens that's wider, is almost as small, and is a zoom. read more...
View All New ProductsTHE JOURNAL OF ART, TECHNIQUE AND TECHNOLOGY IN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION WORLDWIDE
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS:
French Spanish Portuguese Chinese Japanese