Products
Configuring KOMODO
Like a Lonely Planet geeky guidebook, not as amusing as Mark Twain’s The Innocents Abroad, less strenuous than Survivor, here is a quirky travel guide of a RED KOMODO’s journey to Film and Digitial Times. The accessories and methods listed here are not comprehensive. In fact, they are the result of things that happened to be shipped, arrived and tried. (This article first appeared in FDTimes Aug 2021 Issue 109, pages 32-44.)
Sony VENICE 2 Report – older version
Four years and nine days after the original VENICE camera first launched five miles from Venice Beach, at Sony Pictures Culver City, VENICE 2 arrives in 6K and 8K. Except for a completely flat base with big air vents, they look very similar to the original VENICE. The design is clean and understated.
Not understated is the performance of this camera. Sixteen stops of exposure latitude retain highlights and reveal shadow detail. Skin tones are smooth and gentle. Images are elegant, natural, with a quality that seem almost tactile and impossibly three-dimensional.
If you have used the original VENICE, the learning curve is almost instantaneous. This is a familiar friend.
Download the free 64-page VENICE 2 Special Report (8 MB PDF) by FDTimes.
SUBSCRIBERS: Download the high resolution 64-page VENICE 2 Special Report (22 MB PDF) by FDTimes. read more…
Cooke Varotal 30-95 and 85-215 T2.9 FF Zooms
Cooke is back in the Varotal zoom lens business. These things seemed to go in cycles. Horace W. Lee designed the legendary Cooke Speed Panchros a century ago, in 1921. A half century later, in 1971, Cooke introduced the 20-100 mm T3.1 Varotal zooms, designed by Gordon H. Cook. Primes returned in 1998 with the Cooke S4 series. And now, Cooke announces two new Full Frame Varotal zooms: 30-95 mm T2.9 and 85-215 mm T2.9. They come in PL or LPL mounts. read more…
Panasonic LUMIX BS1H Full-Frame Cine
October 7, 2021. Panasonic announced their new full-frame cube-style LUMIX DC-BS1H. Panasonic’s Matt Frazer said, “Picture an S1H mirrorless camera put into a box. Hence the B in BS1H.”
Matt asked why I call it a cube and not a box-style camera. The reason goes back to Fritz Gabriel Bauer’s sassy comment, “A camera is just a box onto which you put beautiful lenses.” That’s a tongue-in-cheek statement from the guy who developed the innovative Moviecam cine cameras. Surely, a good cine camera is much more than a box.
And so, the good BS1H is much more than a box. It is also more than just an S1H mirrorless hybrid still/cine camera stuffed inside.
Both share most of the same specifications: 24-megapixel full-frame (35.6 mm x 23.8mm) sensor with Dual Native ISO, 6K full-height recording, wide dynamic range, V-Log, anamorphic desqueeze, and more. read more…
DJI Ronin 4D
This is one of the most captivating cinema cameras since, well, the birth of cinema. I hear howls calling for superlative deleted, but please indulge this attention-grabbing opening line for a few moments. The DJI Ronin 4D is like a polymath of primordial portable 1895 Lumière Brothers Cinématographe, mixed with 1970s Aaton LTR, styled by a dreamed-up team of DaVinci, Gaudí and Ive, commingled with stabilizers, Lidar, integrated wireless video and wireless control, inspired by Inspire 2, Zenmuses and ancestral Ronins. It is an astonishly seamless cinematographic system. Download the free 22-page FDTimes DJI Ronin 4D Special Report. 22 pages. 5.3 MB PDF. read more…
Tags: DJI Ronin 4D
ELSIE Leitz Cine Lenses
You may ask, why is Elsie Kühn-Leitz the cover story of September FDTimes and why are the new Leitz lenses called ELSIE?
Rainer Hercher, Managing Director of Leitz-Cine Wetzlar, explains:
“The story began when we discussed the naming of our lenses. Previously, we had followed the Leica tradition of naming lenses according to their apertures. Summilux-C were T1.4. Summicron-C were T2. But then, at a certain point, we wanted to honor the fundamentals that the Leitz family started in 1849 in Wetzlar.”
For the story of Elsie and ELSIE, please see pages 1 – 24, FDTimes September 2021 Issue 110 – free download here. read more…
Tags: ELSIE Leitz Cine Lenses
Angénieux Optimo Ultra Compact Zooms
An Angénieux 37-102 Full Frame Optimo Ultra Compact Zoom was hand-carried from the factory in Saint-Héand, France to its USA premiere in New York. The 37-102 is the first of two new Angénieux Optimo Ultra Compact Zooms. The other one covers 21-56 mm. If the 2.7x zoom range sounds familiar, you probably have been using the iconic Angénieux Optimo 15-40 and 28-76 Super35 Spherical zooms, introduced 16 years ago. And so, the US launch was celebrated at the Salon de Ning rooftop outdoor event space on the 23rd floor of the New York Peninsula Hotel. read more…
SIGMA DG DN Contemporary I Series
SIGMA Corporation CEO Kazuto Yamaki introduced two new Full Frame mirrorless camera lenses today. The SIGMA 24mm F2 and 90mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lenses now bring the total “I series” lenses to six. Today also is the 60th Anniversary of SIGMA Corporation. Kazuto Yamaki said “If you asked me who my mentor was, I will immediately give you the name of SIGMA’s founder, my father Michihiro Yamaki. His determination, philosophy, poise and conduct as a manager have had a monumental influence over me in many ways.” read more…
RED V-RAPTOR Full Frame
Following on the Super35 KOMODO, another repilian-named RED camera arrived.
RED announced V-RAPTOR, as in Velociraptor.
V-RAPTOR is an 8K Full Frame (VV) or 6K Super35 cine camera. It weighs 4.03 lb.
V-RAPTOR has a new DSMC3 body that is just slightly larger than KOMODO–so it’s about 4.25″ h x 4.25″ w x 6″ long. The sensor was described as a new design with 8K resolution 8192 x 4320 (40.96mm x 21.60mm) and blisteringly fast top speeds–including 120 fps in 8K. read more…
Tags: RED V-RAPTOR Full Frame, V-RAPTOR
SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports
If you are a wildlife, sports, stunts and action cinematographer or photographer, a 150-600 zoom lens may be a constant companion.
Now, there’s a completely new SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports zoom lens. It covers Full Frame and comes in SIGMA/Leica/Lumix L-Mount (20mm FFD) or Sony E-mount (18mm FFD).
The result is like an extension of the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius: Faster, Lighter, Smaller, Smarter, Sharper — Together. read more…
Chrosziel Zoomer
Sony FX6 and FX9 (as well as FS7 and FS5) cameras have a nice right handgrip with a built-in zoom rocker. The assumption is that you’ll use a Sony zoom lens that has an internal zoom motor.
But what if you want to use a photo or cine zoom lens that lacks an internal motor? There are many E-mount Sony, ZEISS, SIGMA, Angénieux and other zoom lenses there for the asking.
Chrosziel’s new Zoomer (CDM-UNI-Z2) Universal Zoom Motor attaches to a 15mm lens rod. read more…
ARRI Hi-5 Hand Unit
Read all about it. The new ARRI Hi-5 is featured in Film and Digital Times August 2021 edition. Download free PDF.
Hi-5 highlights:
Tail Slate Mode protects you from the muscle memory impulse to cut when the Director says “Cut.”
The display screen lets you navigate by touch or buttons.
There are 10 pre-engraved focus rings. A smart chip is embedded within each ring and the Hi-5 automatically adjusts accordingly.
OCU-1 Camera Operator override and Focus Puller handoff is seamless and good.
Hi-5 has a built-in base so it can rest at a comfortable angle on a flat surface like your Inovativ Echo camera cart’s top shelf.
A pivoting bracket slides onto the Hi-5’s top NATO rail to support a monitor.
Three different Radio Modules plug into the rear of Hi-5 for different ranges and regions.
All Hi-5 units include ALEXA camera control by default. Sony and RED camera control is planned with a future software update.
Focusbug Cine RT Ultrasonic Rangefinder System integration is expected with future firmware updates. read more…
Tags: ARRI Hi-5 Hand Unit
Angénieux Optimo Ultra Compact Zooms
Angénieux lifted the mystery at Cannes today. Christophe Remontet, Managing Director Cinema Optics, announced two new Full Frame Optimo Ultra Compact Zoom lenses:
21-56 T2.9
37-102 T2.9
Specifications are expected in August, with the official launch of prototypes at Cine Gear in September and IBC in December. Christophe said that deliveries could be early 2022.
These two lightweight and compact zooms complement and match the existing Optimo Ultra 12x (36-435 T4.2 in FF/VV and 24-290 T2.8 in S35)
and the 12 Optimo Primes. read more…
Le Voyage Continue
Tags: Angénieux, Angenieux Coming Soon
Blackwing7 News on 7/7
There’s something special about the number 7.
Tribe7, makers of Full Frame, tunable Blackwing7 lenses are especially attuned to sevens. Initially, there were seven focal lengths, each ending in a seven: 27, 37, 47, 57, 77, 107 and 137 mm. An additional focal length, 20.7mm, has been introduced.
And so, on 7/7 of this year, Tribe7 announces that Blackwing7 lenses will be distributed exclusively in North America by AbelCine. The news follows on the heels of TRIBE7 announcements that Second Reef GmbH is the exclusive distributor of the Blackwing7 lenses in Europe. And, CVP is the exclusive distributor in the UK. read more…
Teradek Bolt 4K LT MAX
“Video Village is a dot on the horizon. The walkie barks for a quick reset. The sun is setting.” That’s how Teradek introduces their new Bolt 4K LT MAX wireless video system. This good and terse writing style catches your imagination. It follows the 1917 Kansas City Star Style Sheet used by Hemingway. And so Teradek’s new Bolt 4K LT MAX sends and receives DCI 4K, 10-bit HDR, zero-delay video from camera to crew and video village over a line-of-sight distance of more than 5,000 feet, in a lighter, smaller, less power-hungry, more affordable 4K wireless video transmitter and receiver system. read more…
Tags: Teradek Bolt 4K LT MAX
Sony Airpeak S1 Drone
This is not your father’s Sony. My father’s Sony was an iconic 5″ tummy TV. Being a Mad Ave ad man, he also loved the print ad: “For waist sizes 38 to 46. For smaller tummies, buy the 4 inch set.” Nor is this your Sony, familiar for VENICE and Alpha. This is the Sony of Vision-s electric vehicles and Airpeak S1 drones. The sibilant letter “S” suggests something special. Today, Sony Electronics Inc. announced their Airpeak S1 drone. The Sony Airpeak S1 was also designed around carrying Full-Frame Sony Alpha series (a7, a9, a1, FX3) mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. These cameras connect to the drone directly via HDMI for video and USB for start-stop and camera control. The S1 flies at a maximum speed of 55 mph and stays steady against headwinds and gusts up to 44.7 mph. read more…
SIGMA fp Update 3.00. Framelines! EVF!
Faster than you can say fp Firmware Update 3.00, this free download brings many of SIGMA’s new fp L camera features to the fp camera.
Best of all, Version 3.00 lets you use the essential accessory SIGMA ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER EVF-11 on the fp. And it add custom framelines and aspect ratios.
The EVF is modular and screws onto the camera’s left side. It’s makes the fp a great DP / Director’s Finder. read more…
Musashi-Opt 29-120 T2.9 Full Frame Zoom
Musashi Optical System Co. Ltd announces the new Takumi 2 Full Frame 29-120 mm T2.9 PL-mount zoom lens. Musashi Optical System Co. Ltd is based in Saitama, Japan, about 20 km north of Tokyo. Founded in 2003 by former Fujinon executives, Musashi-Opt (as it is commonly called) is well-known for its OptMag and OptMore PL mount extenders and Full Frame expanders. In 2019, they introduced a Super35 23.9-195 mm T2.9 zoom lens. This was followed by the Takumi 1, a Full Frame 40.6 – 332 mm T4.8 PL-mount version of the lens. And now the Takumi 2 29-120 T2.9. read more…
EL Zone by Ed Lachman ASC
Ed Lachman, ASC has come up with an incredibly intuitive, innovative and essential exposure tool. It’s called EL Zone, which stands for Exposure Log Zone — or Ed Lachman Zone.
Think of it as a spotmeter in your viewfinder or monitor. Toggle it on or off. Each stop of exposure is represented by a color. White shows areas of the scene that are over-exposed by 6 or more stops. 18% gray is normal-neutral. Black is under-exposed by 6 or more stops. read more…
Tags: EL Zone, EL Zone by Ed Lachman ASC
