Philip Vischer Joins Second Reef
SmallHD Quantum 32 Monitor
SmallHD launches their Quantum 32 – a 31.5” OLED reference monitor. It is intended for grading suites, post-production and on-set monitoring for discerning eyes: DPs, DITs and Directors. The Quantum 32 displays HDR and SDR images using Quantum Dot OLED technology, with exceptional luminance, color uniformity and a wide viewing angle. read more…
Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K
“Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts.” The descent into Las Vegas Airport for NAB can be turbulent as adiabatic or katabatic winds from the nearby Valley of Fire shake the aircraft. Blackmagic Design also seems to delight in shaking things up at NAB. This year is delightfully interesting with the introduction of their new flagship Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K… read more…
AJA ColorBox v2.1
ColorBox v2.1 from AJA Video Systems is a free software update for the AJA ColorBox.
Quick review: AJA ColorBox is a powerful device for on-set color management, DIT carts, post-production work and live production. It does LUT-based color transformations using the AJA Color Pipeline as well as other look management tools—including Colorfront, ORION-CONVERT, BBC, NBCU LUTs and now ACES.
ColorBox has 12G-SDI in/out and HDMI 2.0 out. It can handle up to 4K/UltraHD 60p 10-bit YCBCr 4:2:2 and 30p 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 output. ColorBox’s browser-based user interface makes it simple to adjust settings—connected via Ethernet or a third-party WiFi adapter. read more…
Tags: AJA ColorBox v2.1
ARRI ALEXA 35 Live – Multicam System
Marc Shipman-Mueller, ARRI Senior Product Manager, and John Gilbert, ARRI Product Manager Fiber Systems, appear on a video meeting with stop-the-press news.
“ARRI is introducing a completely new camera system called the ALEXA 35 Live – Multicam System, said Marc Shipman-Mueller, ARRI Senior Product Manager. “It is for live production applications such as concerts, musical events, sports, esports, TV shows, fashion shows, scripted content, comedy specials, etc. This is a major commitment by ARRI to the live entertainment sector, bringing together specialist cameras, stabilizers, lighting, and custom solutions. We put a lot of resources into this and we’re planning other products in the future and expanding the system.” read more…
DJI Focus Pro, RS 4 Pro & RS 4
DJI PRO has three interesting new products to keep scenes steady and in focus: DJI RS 4 Pro, DJI RS 4, and DJI Focus Pro. They are intuitive, work together, setup quickly, and provide advanced focus control.
DJI Focus Pro includes Automated Manual Focus (AMF) control.
DJI RS 4 Pro is the new, top-of-line RS (Ronin Single-handle) gimbal stabilizer that, among other features, supports heavier payloads and has carbon fiber arms.
DJI RS 4 is a more affordable stabilizer for lighter payloads. read more…
Tags: DJI Focus Pro, DJI RS 4, DJI RS 4 Pro
NAB 2024 – FDTimes Booth C7436
Film and Digital Times will be at NAB. Please pick up a free copy of our NAB edition from the publication bin near the entrance to Central Hall. Or stop by FDTimes Booth C7436. Here’s the floorpan. NAB Show runs from April 13-17, 2024 in the Las Vegas Convention Center with exhibitors and visitors from around the world. There will… read more…
Tags: FDTimes at NAB, NAB 2024
Photographing the Eclipse
In anticipation of the solar eclipse on April 8th, Canon and Keith Ladzinski (Canon Explorer of Light and National Geographic Photographer) and shared these suggestions. Photo (above) and text courtesy of Canon and Keith Ladzinski. It is never safe to look at the sun without proper eye protection when any part of it is visible behind the moon. It is… read more…
Johan de Nysschen, ARRI Americas CEO & Pres.
March 28, 2024, Munich. Johan de Nysschen has been appointed President and CEO of ARRI Americas Inc. He will also be responsible for ARRI Rental North America and Illumination Dynamics—and reports directly to Matthias Erb, Chairman of the Executive Board at ARRI. read more…
Cooke Gallery London
“The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you.” Stepping into the Cooke Gallery in Fitzrovia, London immediately conjures up Ollivander’s Wand Shop of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The lens chooses the Cinematographer…no doubt about it. Wizards and filmmakers alike can step into this magical space on Newman Street. Enter into a museum-like gallery with large video displays and photographs. The current exhibition is all about Focus. Pick up a pair of headphones paired with moving images on the wall for examples of deep focus, shallow depth of field, rack focus, and more. read more…
Tags: Cooke Gallery London
Andrew Tiffen named President of Tiffen Co.
New York, March 15. Andrew Tiffen (at right, above) has been named President and COO of The Tiffen Company. He is responsible for the operations of the company, including manufacturing, marketing, sales, R&D and Product Development.
Steven Tiffen will remain as Chairman and CEO.
The company’s brands include Tiffen Filters, Steadicam, Lowel, DOMKE, Davis & Sanford, Stroboframe and Zing. read more…
Cine Gear NY 2024
It was a beautiful, warm spring day for a walk to the opening of Cine Gear Expo exhibits in Industry City. And there are many other choices of where to get off and take a subway, cab or car service.
Here’s a brief slideshow of the exhibits in Box Factory Hall, an 1900s historic industrial space with massive windows and gorgeous available daylight. read more…
Tags: Cine Gear NY 2024
Cooke Digital
Cooke Optics creates a new business unit to develop software-enabled products for post-production, VFX, animation and gaming.
Cooke has launched a new Cooke Digital business unit. Jordan Thistlewood (photo above) will be Managing Director of Cooke Digital.
This is a logical progression of Cooke’s /i Technology, an industry standard lens metadata protocol. In the past year, Cooke introduced Near Real-Time post-production capability in partnership with EZtrack, and explored other opportunities to extend Cooke’s role across the increasingly convergent creative markets of live action capture, animation and gaming. read more…
Band Film & Digital Europe
BAND PRO FILM & DIGITAL INC. REOPENS EUROPEAN OFFICE
Band Pro Film & Digital Inc., located in Hollywood, has been supplying the production industry with high-quality cameras, lenses and new technology for 40 years. This reopening of a new branch in Europe is a continuation of Band Pro’s expansion.
Band Film & Digital Europe GmbH is located in Hohenbrunn, near Munich. read more…
Nikon acquires RED
“HOLLYWOOD (March 6, 2024) – RED Digital Cinema (RED.com, LLC) announced that it will be acquired by Nikon Corporation (Nikon). The agreement with Nikon, reached with RED’s Founder Jim Jannard and President Jarred Land, signifies a new strategic partnership that brings together Nikon’s history and expertise in product development, image processing, optical technology and user interface, with RED’s innovative digital cinema cameras and technologies.”
Flashback to NAB in April 2006. FDTimes wrote, “Customers were holding a $1000 casting with serial number representing a refundable reservation for a RED One Camera. read more…
Tags: Nikon acquires RED
BSC Expo Feb 2024
BSC Expo 2024 exhibitors enjoyed 14-degrees-globally-warmed weather during setup days. Flowers blossomed in Battersea Park. The grass was a super-saturated green you probably would have dialed out in a grading suite. This being London, temperatures dropped, the clouds sputtered and a fresh 20-25 mph westerly breeze blew down the Thames in time for BSC Expo VIP and visitor days, Feb 15-17. Opening day was as packed as the Lexington Subway Line in New York at rush hour. It was a great, big, really busy expo. read more…
Tags: BSC Expo Feb 2024
Cine Gear Expo NYC 2024
Who said New York is a tough town for motion picture trade shows? After a great launch last year, Cine Gear Expo NY returns to Industry City in Brooklyn New York on March 14-16.
Register here—free through March 9.
This is not a convention center where, to misquote Truffaut, if prisoners were forced to eat the food inside, they’d rebel. You will not go hungry in Industry City. In fact, you will want to linger longer and enjoy the area, sometimes called Brooklyn’s playground or backyard.
Industry City in Brooklyn is a trendy, interesting, fun 137-acre area with offices, shopping, events, dining and more. Japan Village has a huge Japanese market with food stalls, an Izakaya restaurant, sushi, sake and Japanese groceries. Moore Brothers Wine Company has some of the best selections in the city and is cooled to 55 degrees F.
In between seminars and hands-on equipment exhibits at Cine Gear Expo NYC, wander around the businesses in Industry City. Buy a Volvo or Porsche. Furnish your home at West Elm or the Design Within Reach outlet store. Buy a computer, SSDs and media cards at Micro Center. read more…
BSC Expo 2024 London – Feb 16-17
See you at BSC Expo 2024 at Battersea Evolution in London on Feb 16-17.
The Feb 2024 BSC Expo Printed Edition of Film and Digital Times will be there as well.
BSC Expo in London is one of the most important events of the year to see and try the latest cine equipment.
There will also be 2 days of presentations and panel discussions in the seminar theatre. read more…
ZEISS Nano Primes
ZEISS launches Nano Primes: Full Frame, fast (T1.5), lightweight and compact cine lenses. They have nice ZEISS notoriously accurate lined focus scales and marks and are amazingly affordable.
Download the free FDTimes 20-page NP PDF Special Report
excerpted from the February 2024 FDTimes edition, going online and on paper shortly.
There are 6 focal lengths in the set: 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, and 100mm.
Nano Primes come in E-mount. What, not PL or LPL? read more…
The Life of Trevor
Trevor Steele passed away in Paris on Dec 20, 2023 He was a beloved, influential, innovative pillar of the cinema industry. Trevor was the center of attention, an optical centering, the life of the party wherever he went. He could explain technical details, and almost anything else, with great clarity, charm and wit.
Andrew and Ben Steele sent a call out to friends and colleagues for WWW—When did you first meet Trevor, Why did you meet him, and What happened. The response was amazing, really a who’s who of the industry remembering a beloved colleague. read more…
Tags: EMIT, The Life of Trevor, Trevor Steele