Bolex D16: RAW, 16/Super 16 sensor size, costs less than MkIII

[underpressure]

Check it out! http://www.digitalbolex.com



Here's the press release:

Launching A Digital Revolution
SXSW Film Festival and Technology Trade Show, Austin, March 12, 2012

Bolex International has leveled the digital cinema playing field with the announcement of the Bolex D16, the first digital camera from the 200 year-old Swiss company whose 16mm and 8mm cameras dominated the international consumer marketplace from the 40’s to the 70’s.
The D16 is an interchangeable-lens digital cinema camera that features a Kodak CCD sensor and produces images with a frame size equivalent to Super 16mm. The D16 remarkably captures the look and feel of film at a price that finally makes digital cinema available to filmmakers on any budget. The D16 shoots RAW image sequences at true 2K (2048x1152), without the rolling shutter or line scan effects found with CMOS sensors. The camera’s large pixel size contributes to better light reception without any need to artificially boost the signal.

Adaptability and Compatibility
The D16 comes standard with a C-mount Lens mount, but lens mounts in PL, B4, and EF will also be available and are easily interchanged. The camera has two flash mounts so a monitor and a microphone can be mounted at the same time, an adjustable 2.4” angle display with focus assist, and, in Bolex fashion, a stylish pistol grip that allows for exceptionally steady hand-held shots.

Under The Hood
Like the classic Bolex cameras, the D16 has a carbonized steel frame that gives it a rigid body and unmatched durability. To Bolex, affordable means “high quality” and “digital film” means shooting frames per second. The D16 will offer Adobe’s Cinema DNG format along with other image sequence file types, to ensure the highest quality footage without the pitfalls of video compression. With an internal buss of over 200 Mbps and a 256Gig internal buffer drive, this camera churns through RAW footage like butter. Dual CF card slots make sure that data storage is relatively cheap and readily available. Power is supplied by internal battery, but with a built-in 4-pin XLR port, the D16 can also be powered by a traditional battery belt for long shoot days.

Shoot to Thrill
With a sleek body design, functional pistol grip, and Bolex’s iconic crank, the D16 is fun to use and has character to spare. The crank can be programed to adjust just about anything in the menu, from volume to focus to fps. This feature and the start/stop trigger on the pistol grip makes for a shooting experience that’s unique to the Bolex brand.

Buying and Trying
The Bolex D16 is currently available only via Kickstarter.com. 100 cameras will be pre-sold on Kickstarter and shipped over the summer, dates to be announced. Additional cameras will become available to the general public in late Summer/Fall 2012. The estimated retail price for the D16 and its accessories is $3299.

[squig]

Sounds like everything Scarlet was supposed to be and more. It only goes to 400 ISO but pushing the RAW files 2+ stops shouldn't be a problem.

[KahL]

If this is true, and comes w/o major pitfalls, I will halt on my GH2 purchase pronto!!!!

[Greg Smith]

Do you have to turn the crank on the side to make it take pictures? What the heck is that for?

- Greg

[James0b57]

name-your-price-spotlight.jpg
already been done.

[Digigenic]

Check it out! http://www.digitalbolex.com
....
The Bolex D16 is currently available only via Kickstarter.com. ....

Well, no mention of it on the site yet, but I guess that'll come soon.

Do you have to turn the crank on the side to make it take pictures? What the heck is that for?

Doesn't look like it will have that same mechanism.

[HHL]

More competition....SWEET! We'll see what this little bad boy can do....

[Digigenic]

Footage from the prototype . Looks no bigger than a deck of playing cards.

[underpressure]

Kickstarter is here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-digital-cinem

[KahL]

Resolution	2048 x 1152 (Super 16mm mode) + 1920 x 1080 pixels (16mm mode)
Format	Adobe Cinema DNG, TIFF, JPEG Image sequences
Colour depth	12 bit – 4:4:4
File size	2 to 3 MB per frame in RAW
Sensor	Kodak CCD: 12.85 mm (H) x 9.64 mm (V) – Similar to Super 16mm
Pixel Size	5.5 micron (compared to the 4.3 micron size of many DSLRs)
Framerate	up to 32 fps at 2K, 60fps at 720p, 90 fps at 480p
Sound	Balanced, 2 channel, 16 bit, 48 kHz via XLR
Viewfinder	320×240, 2.4” diagonal, with Focus Assist
Video out	640 x 480 B&W via ⅛” video jack (HD-SDI avail in separate unit)
Ports	⅛” video, headphone, USB 3.0, Audio XLR (2), 4-PIN XLR
Data Storage	Dual CF card slots, SSD (buffer drive)
Power	Internal battery, 12V External via 4 pin XLR port
Body	Milled steel and hard plastic
Size (body)	Approximately 5”H (without pistol grip) by 4”W by 8”D
Size (grip)	5”H by 2”W by 5”D
Lens mount	C-mount comes standard; Optional PL, EF, B4
Weight	5lbs
ISO Options	100, 200, 400
Also in the box	pistol grip, USB 3.0 cable, internal battery, 4 pin XLR Battery, cable, video cable, transcoder/raw conversion software