New PODCAST 🎧 ep99 - What's the camera of the future? Trying out new features on CineD.com Listen or watch now!
LISTEN to PODCAST 🎧 ep99 🎬
What's the camera of the future?
Education for Filmmakers
Language
The CineD Channels
Info
New to CineD?
You are logged in as
We will send you notifications in your browser, every time a new article is published in this category.
You can change which notifications you are subscribed to in your notification settings.
The Panavision DXL large format 8K cinema camera is the latest gadget by a company that is well-known for their spectacular products. This one is certainly no exception, competing with the recently announced Arri Alexa 65 in the top-end large sensor digital camera arena.
This camera is special in many ways. Not only is it a very high-end large format cinema camera, it’s also a collaboration between three top-class companies in the moving picture industry. Panavison, Light Iron and RED have sat together in secret meeting rooms and workshops in order to create a high-end working machine for some serious filmmaking. Panavision optics and camera expertise, RED Dragon sensor tech and Light Iron color science: what a marriage! Make sure to watch the introduction video they’ve created:
https://vimeo.com/168869375
Almost everything about this camera is impressive. The features range from a built-in motorized lens control for their Primo 70 lenses (yes, without external motors!) to 6 independent SDI video outputs. Everything you need is tightly integrated in a very balanced and ergonomic package, with a very modular body in terms of accessories. Moving from tripod to steadicam? Not a problem. You don’t even need tools. It seems that a lot of real life field-testing went into this machine.
the Panavision DXL 8K cinema camera
The Panavision DXL shoots 8K .r3d RAW which is fully supported by RED’s workflow, and is even capable of shooting 4K proxy files in ProRes or DNx flavours simultaneously. Let that sink in: this camera’s proxy mode alone outperforms several existing professional cameras!
Additional Features
Although packed full of features, the Panavision DXL camera is a rather light piece of gear, weighing only 10lbs. That’s quite impressive! Cooling is another thing the engineers must have had to think about a lot, as all that processing power and the gigantic sensor are bound to generate a lot of heat. They have come up with a clever airflow system which ensures both sufficient cooling and silent operation.
Ok, with all the good stuff out the way, let’s get to the nitty gritty. Unfortunately, this mighty new camera package won’t be available for sale any time soon. It will be a rental-only system just like its competitor, the Arri 65. If you happen to be an A-List DP or someone with a widespread LinkedIn network, you could get your hands on this the first quarter of 2017 at a price that is still to be announced.
operator’s side of the camera
Although this camera will definitely be out of reach for most of us, it’s nice to see where technology stands at the moment. If we’re lucky, some of its glory will trickle down to other, more affordable cameras in the near future. In the meantime, we will have to sit tight and see… while being insanely jealous.
Check out their microsite for all the details.
Δ
Stay current with regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-to’s and more.
You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. For further details, see our Privacy Policy
Want regular CineD updates about news, reviews, how-to’s and more?Sign up to our newsletter and we will give you just that.
You can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link included in every newsletter. The data provided and the newsletter opening statistics will be stored on a personal data basis until you unsubscribe. For further details, see our Privacy Policy
Olaf von Voss is a freelance cameraman who is in business for well over a decade. He is living in Berlin, Germany but has traveled the world as well while shooting mostly documentaries.