nofilmschool » d16

Plethora of Updates on the Digital Bolex Reminds Us That Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Robert Hardy — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:00:55 +0000

Remember the Digital Bolex? Despite the fact that most of the camera buzz has been around Blackmagic and Canon (with the RAW video hack of the 5D) for the past month or so, Joe and Elle have just kept on with bringing their vision for the Digital Bolex D16 to fruition. While the final design of the camera is not yet being manufactured, many of the pieces needed to make the camera function out of the box (like a custom-built PL mount and the Kish lenses for the turret) are now nearing completion in time for the release of the camera. Hit the jump to see what the fine folks at Digital Bolex have been up to for the past two months. (more…)

'Beyond the Bolex': a Kickstarter Documentary About Jacques Bolsey, Inventor of the Bolex Film Camera

Guest Author — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:25:42 +0000

This is a guest post by Alyssa Bolsey.

First things first, you want to make a movie and you need a camera, right? The options are endless and it feels like there is a new camera coming out every couple of months! What to do? After you’ve done all your research, you either buy one, rent one, or most likely (as in my case) you beg until someone will let you borrow theirs for a few days. Ahhh… Such is the life of an indie filmmaker. Now, imagine a time when there wasn’t an affordable camera to buy, borrow or rent because independent filmmaking didn’t exist and therefore, a camera for the independent filmmaker didn’t exist. This is Beyond the Bolex, the story of the man responsible for the beginning of independent filmmaking and the inventor of the Bolex motion picture film camera, Jacques Bolsey. (more…)

First Impressions of the Digital Bolex from SXSW, and a Short Documentary About the Camera

Robert Hardy — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:24:08 +0000

The Digital Bolex D16 has been one of the most anticipated products in recent memory for the indie film community. Since it was first announced via Kickstarter over a year ago, and since it blew past its funding goal, Joe, Elle, and the team at Ienso Electronics have been incredibly busy taking customer feedback and zeroing-in on additional features for the camera. While it has taken quite a bit longer than those involved with the product design had anticipated, the finalized version of the D16 appears to be right around the corner. Joe and Elle were at South by Southwest last week showing the final design of the camera and fielding questions. Below is a quick video of Mike from the Digital Bolex team with the final version of the D16. (more…)

New Lenses for the Digital Bolex D16 Camera Make the Traditional Follow Focus Obsolete

Joe Marine — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:53:32 +0000

What good is a camera without lenses, especially those designed specifically to take advantage of the format? Digital Bolex has settled on the final design for the body of their D16 camera, which has a Kodak Super 16mm-sized sensor, but they’ve been in development on some low-cost but extremely sharp lenses to go along with the body (designed by Kish Optics). These lenses are probably unlike anything you’ve ever used before, as they are fixed focal length and fixed aperture lenses. Prime lenses with one aperture setting, you say? Absolutely, and they’ve also got a pretty ingenious way of focusing these lenses that will have you running and gunning in no time. (more…)

Digital Bolex Reveals Final Design for the D16 RAW Camera, First Units to Ship This Quarter

Joe Marine — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:53:22 +0000

We’re coming up on one year since the D16 Digital Bolex camera was first announced and Kickstarted, but it’s now one giant step closer to completion and release. The RAW Super 16mm-sized CCD camera, which should retail for a little over $3,000, made a splash when it was first announced (no doubt because of those attributes), but it’s taken a bit of tweaking to finally get the D16 to where it is today. The final design for the body has now been completed, and along the way, there have been at least 100 changes from the initial design — all of which came after careful consideration and feedback from potential users. Click through to check out the final design and read about some of the major changes. (more…)

Digital Bolex Not Stopping with the D16, May Release a Large Sensor 4K Camera in the Future

Joe Marine — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:58:22 +0000

We just recently talked about some of the changes to the Digital Bolex camera, and it seems that it’s shaping up to be a worthy competitor to anything released in the $3,000 and under price range (namely, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera). RAW video is powerful (ask any RED owner), and it was only a matter of time before anyone and everyone would be able to record sensor data straight from the camera. In the video interviews below, Joe Rubinstein and Elle Schneider talk a bit about the current D16 project and what it’s like to shoot with the camera. Joe also mentions that this will not be their first camera, and there’s a good chance it may be a 4K model down the road. (more…)

A History of the Digtial Bolex Camera Project and an Update on Its Progress

Joe Marine — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 20:11:22 +0000

It’s been quite a while since we’ve written about it in-depth (March, actually), but the Digital Bolex project has undergone some minor changes since the success of its Kickstarter campaign. The Digital Bolex, if you haven’t heard of it before, is very similar in concept to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. Take an off-the-shelf sensor, make it inexpensive ($3,300), and let it shoot RAW. While it’s a little unfair to compare them since they have different overall design philosophies, and Blackmagic has quite a bit more money invested in their own project, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to each one. (more…)

A Digital Cinema Camera That Shoots 2K Raw for $3300? The Digital Bolex D16 Aims High

E.M. Taboada — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:11:42 +0000

There are a lot of great cameras for filmmakers to put on their wishlist – the RED Scarlet-X, the Canon C-300, the Canon 5d Mark III. Now a small outfit with a classic brand name has just launched a Kickstarter campaign for its new digital cinema camera – the Digital Bolex D16. The initial specs are quite juicy, and at a planned street price of $3300 ($2500 if you “pre-order” it through the Kickstarter campaign) this item aims to make many people’s wishlists. What does the footage look like, and what are the specs? Check it out: (more…)