» Posts Tagged ‘arri’
I’m always up for a demo of the Sony F3‘s S-Log mode, especially when compared to the much more expensive but similar ARRI ALEXA. The F3 has been called a “mini ALEXA” in S-Log mode, and I suppose you could call the Canon 7D a “mini F3,” though no one’s claiming the 7D can hold up to the big boys — it’s here as a reference for HDSLR shooters. Here’s the test, carried out by Hello World Communications using Cooke Panchro lenses: More »
Resolution. Sensor size. Frame rates. Dynamic range. These are terms we’re used to hearing in the ongoing battle between camera manufacturers. Now there’s another term you can add to the mix in the battle between RED and ARRI: “lawsuit.” This one’s not particularly straightforward, as it seems camera shop Band Pro’s President and CEO, Amnon Band, had his email hacked by former employee Michael Bravin after Bravin left Band Pro for ARRI. ARRI is quick to point out that Bravin acted on his own, but the plot thickens as RED’s Jim Jannard mentioned that his emails were also accessed illegally. Given there is no such thing as a pretty legal battle, this could get ugly: More »
In our global economy, one could amend the phrase “nothing is certain in life except death and taxes” to “nothing is certain in life except death, taxes, and knockoffs.” The country responsible for half of my existence, China, is knockoff/bootleg Ground Zero, and so it should come as no surprise that the first reports of a RED and ARRI ALEXA clone come from The Motherland. The 2K KineRAW Kinefinity camcorder is like a larger RED (using “KineMAG” SSD drives instead of REDMAG SSD drives) with the size and weight of an ALEXA. It even uses basically the same menu system and display on the side of the body as does the ALEXA (knockoffs are not exactly known for their originality). The camera will record to CinemaDNG or Cineform RAW and will supposedly ship for the “gorgeous” price of $7-8k. More »
The first episode of Zacuto’s anticipated sequel to the Emmy award-winning Great Camera Shootout 2010 is now available. This year’s installment is a bit different than last year’s, as it’s actually a documentary on the Single Chip Camera Evaluation conducted by Robert Primes, ASC. The cameras tested include 35mm film (Kodak 5213 and 5219 stock), the Arri Alexa, RED ONE M-X, Weisscam HS-2, Phantom Flex, Sony F35, Sony F3, Panasonic AF100, Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D7000. More »
I’m not going to go into much detail on Sony’s new F65, which I covered at launch, or the new offerings in the ARRI ALEXA lineup, because cameras that run six figures aren’t exactly the purview of DIY filmmakers (though they’re nice to think about, at least as a rental). Briefly, here’s what I saw at NAB about the latter: the ALEXA has gotten a number of new features, upgrading it to Plus status — 3.5K ARRIRAW codec, 120FPS shooting mode in 2K (which was working fully on the camera I toyed with briefly), and iPad wireless camera control. There are also two new models — the ALEXA M, which separates the camera head from the recording body, and the ALEXA Studio, which has a mechanical shutter, optical viewfinder, and 4:3 sensor with anamorphic de-squeezing. And of course, Sony has their new F3. More »
The ARRI ALEXA and RED EPIC (and RED ONE M-X) are cameras that we’ll be seeing hundreds of features shot on over the next several years. What’s the difference between the two? Check out this amusing video from Inspiration Studios, whose comparison of the ALEXA and RED cameras includes a none-too-subtle suggestion about the fading utility of their DSLR rental package: More »
Roger Deakins, ASC is up for a cinematography Oscar this year for lensing the Coen Brother’s masterful True Grit, and according to Deakins himself, it might be his last movie shot on film. Deakins — whose other credits include The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and The Shawshank Redemption — has been nominated for nine cinematography Oscars but has never actually won one (really?). Coming from the legendary cinematographer, who up until now has never shot digitally, it’s not just another “film is dead” quote. More »
Well, I should say, “what your DSLR is missing — among other things.” But one of the less obvious shortcomings of our DSLRs (other than aliasing, lack of good sound options, etc.) is the lack of dynamic range that DSLRs exhibit in video mode. And what better way to demonstrate this lack than by putting a Canon 7D side-by-side with a high-end ARRI ALEXA, and do a comparison video? More »
When it comes to shooting a DIY feature, one of the foremost questions for DSLR owners will be, “rent a camera or shoot with what I own… and know?” I own a 5D Mark II and I’m honestly not sure if I’d rent a RED, even if the latter came in at the same cost. I happen to think that the importance of resolution is overstated; that is, similar to the megapixel war with still cameras, people tend to focus on resolution because it’s a simple metric. One number is larger than the other, so it must be better, right? But there are many characteristics more important in a moving image than just resolution, and while RED is offering greater resolution than the forthcoming ARRI ALEXA, does the latter camera offer advantages that aren’t measured in resolution? Here’s a quick side-by-side video: More »
In the battle of large CMOS-based cameras with capitalized names, ARRI is looking to steal RED‘s lunch money. Earlier this month, RED’s Jim Jannard announced the high-end EPIC and less expensive SCARLET cameras have been delayed due to a major bug, for which “the fix could be tomorrow. Or not.” Meanwhile, ARRI today announced they are shipping their ALEXA camera, which in the words of 24 DP Rodney Charters, “will probably be the [camera] that transitions us away from film and towards truly electronic capture on large features.” More »
The 14th annual Cine Gear Expo took place this past weekend in Hollywood, and this year’s event undoubtedly included more low-cost film and DSLR accessories than any of the previous thirteen. I’m combing through all of the excellent event coverage by folks who were actually there, and sharing it here: More »
FreshDV is Johnny-on-the-spot this year at NAB (actually, they are every year), so for their complete coverage head on over to their site (and stay tuned to their twitter for the latest from the show floor).
Here are two digital solutions from two companies (ARRI and Aaton) transitioning from film to digital. Yes, their pricing is stratospheric compared to DSLRs (and even RED), but they’re priced-to-rent rather than priced-to-own. The question is, will either of these cameras offer appreciably better image quality than a cheaper RED package? More »
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