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Sony is building a full-frame digital camera for pro filmmakers
If you've ever shot video with a full-frame DSLR, you know how alluring it can be -- that large sensor can be perfect for low-light shots and soft backgrounds. However, pro cinematographers have generally had to "settle" for Super 35mm and smaller sizes, even when using top-tier 8K cameras. Sony doesn't think pros should have to compromise, though. It's developing a brand new CineAlta camera (not pictured) with a 36mm x 24mm sensor -- its first full-frame sensor for a high-end movie camera, in fact. The company isn't divulging all the cam's capabilities just yet, but it is setting some expectations beyond the "exceptional" image quality.
Sony: 4K isn't just about the resolution
With M. Night Shyamalan already shooting his next movie -- After Earth -- on the F65 4K camera, Sony's PR machine is going all out to assuage remaining doubters in the film industry. One of the more curious aspects of the awareness campaign is that it doesn't focus solely on the exorbitant resolution -- in fact, it gives almost equal weight to other visual promises that Sony hopes will persuade producers, directors and cinematographers to make the leap before anyone else does. What might those eyeball treats be? Philippe Ros, a DoP hired by Sony to shoot a 4K promo film, put it succinctly at a showing we attended in London this week: "Only the first row in the cinema may notice the resolution, but I'm more interested in the colors than in the 4K." According to Ros, every terabyte that floods out of the F65 per hour of filming contains color and dynamic range info way beyond what you normally get when shooting digital. The end result? Crews on the ground can relax just that little bit more, knowing that any mundane-looking scenes can be given far greater impact later. Now, even bearing in mind that Ros couldn't have said anything bad about 4K without things getting awkward, it's still interesting that he admits to being skeptical of the resolution itself. But if others on independent shoots discover the same post-production flexibility that he did, then the push for 4K might come from filmmakers rather than those further down the food chain.
Sony's F65 CineAlta 4K camera now available for a paltry $65,000
Sony's F65 CineAlta camera now has a price tag to match its name -- and its girth. The imager, which was first unveiled at this year's NAB Show, has now been officially released ahead of this week's IBC conference in Amsterdam. The newest member of the CineAlta family captures images in 4K (4096 x 2160) resolution and features a speedy 20.4 megapixel, Super 35mm CMOS sensor, capable of reaching up to 72fps at 4K resolution and 120fps on 2K. The F65 also comes boasts 16-bit RAW output at 19Gbps on 4K and WiFi connectivity that allows you to manipulate it from the comfort of your tablet. The shooter won't start shipping until January, but filmmakers or production houses with lots of disposable income can order one now, for a mere $65,000. More details await you in the press release, after the break.
Sony shoots out CineAlta F65 4K camera and PMW-TD300 3D camcorder at NAB
The current trend in the world of home theater may seem like 3D cinematography is all the hype these days, but Sony's latest imager in its CineAlta family begs to differ. Unveiled at the 2011 NAB Show, this F65 mammoth camera (pictured right) packs one beastly 20.4 megapixel, Super 35mm CMOS sensor -- a huge leap from the F35's 12.4 megapixel 1080p CCD. Aside from the obvious quantitative difference, what's special about this new chip is that unlike the Bayer BG-GR subpixel matrix on conventional 4K sensors, here we have green pixels forming the 4K grid while an RB-BR matrix fills in the space, thus doubling the number of horizontal pixels to 8K for a finer 4K picture (see illustration after the break), as well as allowing better visual effects editing using the extra data. What's more, this sensor is fast -- not only can it capture up to 72fps on 4K, but it can also crank up to a smooth 120fps on 2K. As for those seeking to squeeze out every bit of detail from their clips, don't worry: the F65's got you covered with a 16-bit RAW output (19Gbps) at 4K resolution, or it can be compressed to 5Gbps for the convenience of recording onto the new SR-R4 portable 4K recorder. Looks like Sony's finally found a candidate that'll put a lid on film stock, but then again, at the end of the day it'll depend on the price tag when it comes out in Q3 this year. Of course, Sony isn't going to just ignore the 3D scene here. Also announced at NAB is the PMW-TD300, which will be the first professional 3D camcorder sporting a shoulder mount. Featuring a pair of Exmor 3CMOS sensors, hardcore cameramen will finally be able to go mobile with this new toy while filming 3D in 1080p. Not sure how the videos will turn out, though -- we're not keen on the idea of watching shaky and potentially nauseating 3D captured by someone running along the sideline. Anyhow, this camera will be up for grabs in Autumn this year. [Thanks, Blackjack]
Sony loading up four theatres with 4K SXRD digital cinema systems
Movie-goers in Dallas, Indianapolis, Riverside, California, and San Diego, you can go ahead and color us officially envious. Your lucky cities will soon host a total of 54 CineAlta SXRD 4K digital cinema systems from Sony, with an unspecified mix of 10,000 lumen SRX-R210 and 18,000 lumen SRX-R220 models planned to shock and wow customers at four AMC locales. The units were unsurprisingly crafted specifically for use in (home?) theaters, and will be paired up with Sony's LMT-100 Media Block servers. Barring any unforeseen disasters, installation should begin next month in the aforementioned areas, and holiday crowds should be enjoying a delightful visual experience before the year's end.[Via TGDaily]
Sony's CineAlta 4K digital cinema solution coming May 1st
May 1st is the date that Sony hopes will usher in the era of digital cinemas. That's the date their CineAlta 4K digital cinema solution goes on sale in Japan. With the SRX-R220 at its core, the 5-foot / 660-pound CineAlta 4K system projects a 4,096 x 2,160 pixel image at 18,000 lumens off its 4.2kW bulb. The 300GB films are stored in an encrypted JPEG2000 format within Sony's 19-inch, LMT-100 "media block" RAID array. Sony is counting on about 1/3 of Japan's 3,000 cinemas taking on their ¥1.5 million ($12,651) per screen solution by 2010 with even higher hopes for the US market. They'll need lots of help since projection systems are just a tiny fraction of the total conversion costs required to move cinemas into the digital age. [Via Impress]
Sony's 18,000 lumen SRX-R220 projector on sale early 2007
What's this, can it be, why yes... some good news from Sony! Seems their 18,000 lumen SXRD projector is outta prototyping and going manufacture gold sometime "in early 2007." The new SRX-R220 model uses the same lens with same 4096 x 2160 resolution as Sony's existing SRX-R110 and SRX-R105 projectors but manages 18 freakin' thousand lumens off a single 4KW lamp. Look for 'em to join Sony's 24p cams and XDCAM HD optical disc system under the CineAlta branding in the new year. Oh wait, there is a bit of bad news: these are destined for your neighborhood theater, not the home. Assuming of course, that someone (film distributors, you listening?) can convince theater owners to drop the couple hundie grand required to alta-their-cinema for digital, eh? [Via Impress] Read -- SRX-R220 Read -- CineAlta
