Products
ARRI Handle Extensions HEX
Once upon a time, there was an ARRI top handle called CCH-4. Its full name was Camera Center Handle 4. But not all camera crews carry cameras the same way. And so, the ARRI PCA team conceived of a modular system of handle extensions. The ARRI Handle Extensions HEX system carries on the design of the Camera Center Handle CCH-4. Each component can be connected in multiple ways to extend out from the top handle. It lets you customize your own top handle or turn it into a Hollywood Handle.
RED KOMODO 6K S35 Released
RED KOMODO is released and ready to order. This is the serial production model in black. Hundreds of custom color and white KOMODOs were already set free into in the wild—those were beta and special pre-release species. “KOMODO has turned into quite the beast,” Jarred Land said. “This tiny chameleon of a camera packs in amazing resolution, dynamic range and image quality with a global shutter that has allowed filmmakers to capture footage in ways never thought possible.” Here are updates and specifications that were missing from my previous post about KOMODO. read more…
Leitz THALIA Large Format Primes
Leitz Thalia primes cover Large Format, Full Frame, Leica Format and 65mm Format cameras like ARRI ALEXA 65, Fujifilm GFX 100, etc. The image diagonal is 60 mm. There are three Makro lenses in the Leitz THALIA set. They focus to 1:2, meaning that you can fill the frame with an object that in real life is twice as large as the sensor. The focus barrels are marked not only with distance, but also magnification factor and exposure (light loss) for which you have to compensate. The German spelling of Makro is used, with a “k.”
Tags: Leitz, LEITZ THALIA, Makro lenses, THALIA
Jarred Land on KOMODO 6K
Here is an interview with Jarred Land, president and co-owner of RED Digital Cinema, about the new KOMODO camera. This is a preview of the cover story and interview in the upcoming October edition of FDTimes. It’s the beginning of October 2020, the camera hasn’t been officially released, and thousands of people already know about it. Jarred explains, “Yes, it hard to believe that the KOMODO isn’t actually official nor commercially for sale yet in production form. It is vacant from RED.com and we are just ramping up to get ready for traditional manufacturing. And yet it is a camera that everyone seems to be already shooting… read more…
LEITZ PRIME Lenses
LEITZ PRIME lenses have been described as “cinematic with an iconic confluence of coatings, glass, design, art and craft.” Development began in 2015. In 2019, I remember rhapsodizing, “LEITZ PRIME lenses has the look of glowing, lusciously smooth skin tones, detailed details where you want them—sharp eyelashes and eyebrows—with silky sympathetic focus roll-off, gently tempered depth of field dimensionality, impressionistic luminous backgrounds, beautiful bokeh and harmonious contrast.
Tags: LEITZ PRIME, LEITZ PRIME Lenses
LEITZ ZOOM Lenses
All four lines of LEITZ Full Frame / Large Format / Leica Format cine lenses are delivering now. The M 0.8 series was introduced in 2016. THALIA came next, in 2017. September 2018 saw a new set of unnamed and untouchable Leica Format prime lenses inside a locked glass case at IBC. The name came in February 2019: LEITZ PRIME. Shortly after, LEITZ ZOOM lenses were announced. Here are the zooms.
Tags: LEITZ ZOOM, Lenses, MacroLux
P.A.T. Lens Charts
Stéphane Paillard is a former Camera Operator and Camera Assistant who turned his sharp knowledge into a thriving business designing and supplying high-tech lens charts and essential accessories. His company P.A.T-Accessories (Prêt à Tourner—Ready to Shoot) is a few miles from the location where the Lumière Brothers shot The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station with their Cinematograph in 1895. P.A.T. charts let you check the resolution of a lens or the camera’s sensor. read more…
ARRI Signature Zooms
September 23, 2020. ARRI introduces four Signature Zoom lenses: 16-32 mm T2.8, 24-75 mm T2.8, 45-135 mm T2.8, and 65-300 mm T2.8 (110.5-510 mm T4.95 with dedicated 1.7x extender). They cover Large Format / Full Frame and have LPL mounts. So, now there is an ARRI Signature lens system consisting of four Signature Zooms and sixteen Signature Primes. Signature Primes were unveiled concurrently with ALEXA LF at BSC Expo in February 2018. First customer deliveries began in May 2018 with the 35, 47, 75 and 125 mm primes. Then, during every following month in 2018, at least one or two additional focal lengths shipped. By the end of 2018, I think delivered sets already consisted of thirteen lenses. Three more Signature Primes arrived in 2019; they were unique: 12, 15, and 280 mm. I cannot recall an introduction of so many cine lenses in such a short time. Pre-production 45-135 and 65-300 Signature Zooms have landed. read more…
Takumi 40.6 – 332 mm Full Frame
Musashi Optical System Company is located in Saitama, Japan. Their expanders, extenders and optical adapters are well known, including the OptMag, OptMag Plus and OptMore. Now, Mushashi-Opt presents their new Takumi 40.6-332 mm T4.8 Full Frame zoom lens.
Leica M10-R — 40 Megapixel Sensor
March 1914, Wetzlar. Oskar Barnack completes the prototype of his Liliput camera, the “Ur-Leica. It shoots 36×24 mm (Full Frame) stills, using 35mm cine film positioned horizontally. March 1925. The Leica I begins serial production and is introduced at the Leipzig Fair. The format is called Leica Format. 1930: the Leica I gets a 39 mm diameter threaded mount for interchangeable lenses and looking back, can be called a primordial ILMC—Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless Camera. 1932: the Leica model C standardizes on a Flange Focal Depth of 28.8 mm. 1954. The first M series Leica Camera, with a bayonet mount, is introduced at Photokina. Flange Focal Depth is now 27.8 mm and the mount’s Inside Diameter is 44 mm. July 2020: Leica Camera introduces the latest in their long line of M cameras–the M10-R has a new 40 Megapixel sensor.
ARRI Lightweight Lens Support LLS-1
The sun is swiftly setting and you are scrambling with five more setups until wrap. You’re changing lenses faster than a short-order cook. But where are those essential lens supports? Instead of excavating the depths of the Bermuda Triangle that is your Camera Assistant bag, use ARRI’s versatile, adjustable lens support. The Lightweight Lens Support LLS-1 secures lenses with diameters from 39 mm to 153 mm. That’s a wide range from primes without support threads to big zooms.
Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6
Canon launched the EOS R System in Hawaii on Sept 5, 2018 with the Full-Frame Mirrorless EOS R camera and RF lenses. At that time, it was made clear that there would be more to come. The more affordable EOS RP was released in March 2019. For the third act in the EOS R series, Canon introduced the R5 and R6 cameras on July 9, 2020. Both cameras are weather, dust and spray resistant. My favorite feature, carried from the original R, is the mechanical shutter that completely covers and protects the sensor from dust when changing lenses (when the camera is turned off). All cine and mirrorless still cameras should have this.
Tags: Canon, Canon EOS R5, Canon EOS R6, EOS R System
ARRI Bicycle Grip Adapters
Philip Vischer started out as a Camera Assistant, Focus Puller and Camera Operator. Next he worked as a camera rental manager and head of sales. These positions surely influenced the thoughtful designs he undertook in the latest phase of his career, as ARRI PCA (Pro Camera Accessories) Product Manager for more than the past ten years.Here are some of the latest Professional Camera Accessories from ARRI, including the BGA-2 and BGA-2. Note that these accessories are camera agnostic. read more…
John Brawley and The Great New 12K Camera
Grant Petty introduced the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K on July 16, 2020. It has a 12,288 x 6,480 12K Super35 image sensor, 14 stops of dynamic range, and shoots up to 60 fps in 12K at 80 megapixels per frame as well as 8K up to 110 fps, and 4K DCI full sensor up to 110 fps. One of the first cinematographers to try it was “The Great” John Brawley (who shot “The Great.”) His demo footage showed silky smooth skin tones, gorgeous color and low to no noise. read more…
FUJINON Premista 19-45 T2.9 Zoom – Updated
FUJIFILM announces the third lens in their FUJINON Premista line of lightweight Full Frame zooms.
The new 19-45 mm T2.9 fulfills the demand for a wide zoom for documentary handheld shooting, Steadicam, aerials, underwater, on gimbals, remote heads and drones.
The 19-45 is 10% shorter and 14% lighter than its siblings, the Premista 28-100 mm T2.9 and Premista 80-250 mm T2.9-3.5. This is quite a feat for a short, wide zoom. The 19-45 has Cooke /i and ZEISS eXTended Data.
These are preliminary specsfor the 19-45 and will be updated when confirmed. The 19-45 is scheduled to ship in early 2021. read more…
Panasonic LUMIX S5
The new LUMIX S5 joins Panasonic’s growing line of beloved hybrid mirrorless cameras that shoot beautiful video easily.
The S5 is Full Frame—lighter and smaller than the S1H.
It shoots 4K 30p 4:2:2 10-bit and 60p 4:2:0 10-bit video internally as MOV or MP4 files.
The sensor has in-body stabilizing. Add that to Optically Image Stabilized L-mount lenses, and you gain 5 to 7 stops of steadiness. Handheld, you can almost be a human tripod.
The camera’s L-Mount has a 20 mm flange focal depth, and shares L-Mount lenses with SIGMA and Leica as part of the L-Mount alliance. read more…
Tags: Panasonic LUMIX S5
DENZ FF Optical Director’s Finder
Because not all anamorphic lenses have a 2x squeeze ratio, DENZ has added two new desqueeze modules to their OIC FF Full Frame Optical Director’s Finder. Now you can view 1.8x and 1.5x in Full Frame anamorphic desqueezed glory.
Scorpio FFA and Glaswerks Anamorphics are 2x; Cooke Full Frame Anamorphics are 1.8x and Technovision Anamorphic lenses are 1.5x, among others.
The DENZ OIC FF has a lever to flip from spherical to anamorphic (desqueezed) viewing. read more…
Tags: Denz, DENZ Optical Director’s Finder, OIC-FF
SmallHD 4K Monitors
Maybe you saw prototypes at IBC or BSC Expo. Now they’re here. SmallHD has a new series of production monitors that address screaming needs: Affordable, 4K, HDR or High Brightness or OLED, Rugged and Lightweight. Lighting and shooting 4K HDR shows while viewing on HD standard monitors seems sadly comparable to the old days of watching flickering, grainy black &… read more…
SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG DN | Art (E & L-Mount)
SIGMA announced their latest E-Mount and L-Mount high-end 85mm F1.4 Full-Frame lens for mirrorless cameras. The new SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG DN | Art prime lens is remarkably small and lightweight yet displays superb optical performance. MTF values even exceed its much larger 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art predecessor. read more…
Sony α7S III: Internal 4K 10-bit, External 4K 16-bit
Sony’s new α7S III continues to blur the boundaries between still and cine cameras. Not blurred, of course, are its images and the trajectory of thoughtful innovation inside. Some quick specifications of the new α7S III: 12 MP resolution, 4264 x 2814 3:2 (1.5:1) 36 x 24 mm sensor. ISO 80-102,400. (40-409,600 extended.) 15+ stop dynamic range in S-log3…. read more…
