Mitch Gross
Veteran
I don't know the size of Nikon diopter, but you can easily go to your local optician's sop and have them custom cut a diopter for you to drop in. There's usually an optical flat or other spot where a diopter can be fitted.
Interested in an Ikonoskop A-Cam DII
- Thread starter petermullett
- Start date
petermullett
Well-known member
Thanks to Lukas at Ikonoskop * who posted details of the Nikon diopters that would work with the DII I ordered a couple and they arrived the other day. The -2 proved to be the one that works the best for me. It screws right in to the DII's eyepiece but you have to remove the rubber ring that comes with the diopter otherwise you cannot get the screw threads to engage.
The other thing is that the DII's diopter adjustment is very loose. To stop it moving out of place / focus I put a small rubber band behind the diopter on the eyepiece's thread, that seems to have done the trick.
It's good to be able to focus the camera now!
Attached to this posting is a snap of the DII's VF with the diopter in place.
* ( Ikonoskop Forum thread at: http://www.ikonoskop.com/forum/?action=listPosts&forumID=8&parentID=2362 )
Also a couple of snaps of the camera set-up as it is right now, still tweaking the Wooden Camera rig bits, but really liking the A-Cam. This is going to work for me.
I haven't yet gone too deeply into testing the images, don't have a lot of time to do that right now, but hopefully will be able to get to all that in a week or so..
The other thing is that the DII's diopter adjustment is very loose. To stop it moving out of place / focus I put a small rubber band behind the diopter on the eyepiece's thread, that seems to have done the trick.
It's good to be able to focus the camera now!
Attached to this posting is a snap of the DII's VF with the diopter in place.
* ( Ikonoskop Forum thread at: http://www.ikonoskop.com/forum/?action=listPosts&forumID=8&parentID=2362 )
Also a couple of snaps of the camera set-up as it is right now, still tweaking the Wooden Camera rig bits, but really liking the A-Cam. This is going to work for me.
I haven't yet gone too deeply into testing the images, don't have a lot of time to do that right now, but hopefully will be able to get to all that in a week or so..
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Mitch Gross
Veteran
Nice. But those old Illuminas look great on the Ikonoskop. And those front rods are begging for you to import your Aaton handgrip over.
petermullett
Well-known member
done that already Mitch ! It just wasn't in these snaps....
I'd love to be able to have the Aaton grip activate the record / run button on the DII but everything I've read about that says that you have to remove the Aaton two position switch, ( test / run ), and replace it with a single action switch, and I guess the wiring / cable / and lemo connection have to change as well.
I just don't want to do that because I still use it on the Xtera and A-Minima.
Do you / ACT have a better solution, can it be solved with just new cabling that would work with the Aaton handgrip as it is and the DII?.....
And yes, it's great to be able to use the S16 Primes. The Illumina is the only one I have, it's the 35mm, I bought it from ACT way back to fill the gap from 25mm to 50mm in my Zeiss Mk III SS set . It works and cuts well with the Zeiss's. The 5.5mm Optex looks amazing on the DII as well.
I'd love to be able to have the Aaton grip activate the record / run button on the DII but everything I've read about that says that you have to remove the Aaton two position switch, ( test / run ), and replace it with a single action switch, and I guess the wiring / cable / and lemo connection have to change as well.
I just don't want to do that because I still use it on the Xtera and A-Minima.
Do you / ACT have a better solution, can it be solved with just new cabling that would work with the Aaton handgrip as it is and the DII?.....
And yes, it's great to be able to use the S16 Primes. The Illumina is the only one I have, it's the 35mm, I bought it from ACT way back to fill the gap from 25mm to 50mm in my Zeiss Mk III SS set . It works and cuts well with the Zeiss's. The 5.5mm Optex looks amazing on the DII as well.
resonance_image
Active member
Nice setup! I have the remote start stop switch from Ikonoskop which I have right next to my handgrip that I can activate with my thumb and it makes life easy. I'd also love to see anything from the Optex 5.5 since I'm looking for a better wide angle option. I have the Zeiss Aspheron adapter for my 11-110 zoom which is great when I'm using the camera for documentary work since I don't have to change lenses but the corners are too soft. Need to try the Angenieux 5.9 as well.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
I don't recall what the Ikonoskop's connector is for run/stop but I'm sure we could make you a cable. It would be just like your current Lemo-2 to Lemo-2 cable but would have a different connector on one end.
Except for cameras using LANC or the RED EPIC & Scarlet, which require an applied voltage across the connection, the only real difference for a run/stop is whether a camera wants a momentary contact or a continuous one. With the Aaton handgrip trigger, you have both. Just see which way works for you and away you go.
Except for cameras using LANC or the RED EPIC & Scarlet, which require an applied voltage across the connection, the only real difference for a run/stop is whether a camera wants a momentary contact or a continuous one. With the Aaton handgrip trigger, you have both. Just see which way works for you and away you go.
Looks like you bought your DII just in time, Peter:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...tion-of-the-A-Cam&p=1986334895#post1986334895
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...tion-of-the-A-Cam&p=1986334895#post1986334895
petermullett
Well-known member
Sure....I had heard some rumblings about their situation earlier in the Spring, sort of dismissed them knowing that many small, ( and probably some large too ), camera makers would be heading into hard times seeing how volatile and "trendy" the digital camera world has become. However I went for it, pushed my order through and I am very happy that I did so. I haven't had much time in recent weeks to play with the A-Cam but after I return to my place in France next week it's full bore into experimenting with the camera and trying to understand the Raw workflow.
The post is going to be a headache for me I know, but from what I have seen of the images that others have produced with the DII I already know that this little camera is going to be a "keeper" for me........
Like the Leica M Monochrom I have also picked up this trip I'm going back to simplicity with my tools.
I truly hope that Ikonoskop will weather this spot of financial turbulence and like Aaton has recently come through and keep producing this little jewel of a camera.
I bought mine without seeing or handling one beforehand but as soon as it arrived and I held it I knew it was a perfect match for the way I like to make my images.
I regard the Ikonoskop A-Cam DII as being the Leica M of the digital film camera world.
The post is going to be a headache for me I know, but from what I have seen of the images that others have produced with the DII I already know that this little camera is going to be a "keeper" for me........
Like the Leica M Monochrom I have also picked up this trip I'm going back to simplicity with my tools.
I truly hope that Ikonoskop will weather this spot of financial turbulence and like Aaton has recently come through and keep producing this little jewel of a camera.
I bought mine without seeing or handling one beforehand but as soon as it arrived and I held it I knew it was a perfect match for the way I like to make my images.
I regard the Ikonoskop A-Cam DII as being the Leica M of the digital film camera world.
petermullett
Well-known member
I have the Optex 5.5 and after reading your post I tried it out on the A-Cam today.....I have to say that this lens could easily become a fast favourite, especially on this camera. I used to use it a lot on the A-Minima but not so much for the past year or so. The A-Cam has given it a new lease of life!
I used to own the Angenieux 5.9 a long time ago, but the Optex, ( except for it's size ), is a much better lens in my opinion.
I will try and post some 5.5/DII images in the next week or so after my next round of travelling subsides. But if you can find one for sale I'd seriously recommend this lens for your kit. For me it's the next obvious step down from a 9.5mm SS, forget the 8mm.
resonance_image
Active member
thanks for the heads up on the Optek I was debating the 8mm SS I'll have to compare it to the 9.5 since I just found both at a great price. Haven't found a 5.5 other than for rent though.
petermullett
Well-known member
That's hard call to make, the choice between getting the 8mm or the 9.5mm. At one time, after I had already bought my Zeiss SS MkIII's I did consider buying a 8mm Illumina, ( I had already bought a 35mm Illumina to fill the gap between the 25mm SS and the 50mm SS and I've been very happy with that lens ), but already having the 9.5mm I felt that there was little point in buying the 8mm at that time..........Then a year later I went and bought the 5.5mm and 8mm Optex's.
If I didn't have either the 8mm or the 9.5mm and I had to choose now I would probably go with the widest lens seeing how little difference there is between the two, and also with the 8mm framing you can always tighten up a little in post if you want to.
Tough call though.
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resonance_image
Active member
Still from a shoot on Sunday, Ikonoskop A-Cam 0db gain, Zeiss 11-110 handheld.
petermullett
Well-known member
Lacking any more DIIs, do you consider the D-Bolex a good alternative camera?
The Bolex shoots 2K, 12-bit, 4:4:4 RAW, has a S16 CCD sensor, many different lens mounts, has its own inexpensive 16mm lenses, 24-bit audio w/ dual XLRs, records onto CF cards or internal SSD card. It seems close to a DII, but at a third of the price. The only thing I dislike is the internal battery.
D-Bolex finally release some screen grabs and they look very good. Even the designer said it looks comparable to the Ikonoskop.
The Bolex shoots 2K, 12-bit, 4:4:4 RAW, has a S16 CCD sensor, many different lens mounts, has its own inexpensive 16mm lenses, 24-bit audio w/ dual XLRs, records onto CF cards or internal SSD card. It seems close to a DII, but at a third of the price. The only thing I dislike is the internal battery.
D-Bolex finally release some screen grabs and they look very good. Even the designer said it looks comparable to the Ikonoskop.
The D16 accepts external battery sources via industry standard 4 pin XLR input. But the rationale behind the internal battery is solid. It was decided that having a 4 hour internal battery was a better choice vs being space limited to a 20 minute interchangeable battery due to the housing size. External batteries will run the camera even if the internal battery is dead and trickle charge the internal battery at the same time. So one can use external sources and run the camera continuously with the internal battery during battery changes for long shooting days. For handheld or stabilizer mounted use, no external power source is needed.
It records to the internal enterprise grade SSD as primary and backs up to CF cards. This means the CF card speed is not critical to reliable performance and you don't need them at all if you transfer directly to a computer via USB3.
If you like the IQ of the Ikonoskop you will love the D16 as it uses the next higher model sensor in the same Kodak (now Truesense) KAI series CCD line. Maximum resolution is up to 2336 x1752 in 4:3 mode. There is an anamorphic optical block planned for this full frame mode that works with the Kish designed lenses. It will shoot 1080p in exactly the same 16mm sized format as the Ikonoskop and full 2k 16:9 in S16 mode.
Everything about this camera is aimed at producing the highest quality image possible within the price range.
Link to a full sized frame image I graded in Raw Therapee and Lightworks.
petermullett
Well-known member
If there are indeed going to be no more Ikonoskop DII's then the D-Bolex will of course be another great camera to use in the 16/S16 format. What I would miss with the Bolex would be the DII's eyepiece. For me having that makes the A-Cam a "real camera", like the cameras I've been used to filming with for many years.
Another good thing about more cameras being built in this format and outputting Raw is that the post production tools will become more diverse and easier to deal with, as is happening now with the Beta release of Pomfort's ClipHouse. That's a good thing.
Maybe down the road Aaton will pick up the S16 format again with the JP rumoured "spinning mirror VF" D-Minima.....Now that's something that would be worth waiting for, but hopefully not too long a wait. I'd jump at that one.......
Another good thing about more cameras being built in this format and outputting Raw is that the post production tools will become more diverse and easier to deal with, as is happening now with the Beta release of Pomfort's ClipHouse. That's a good thing.
Maybe down the road Aaton will pick up the S16 format again with the JP rumoured "spinning mirror VF" D-Minima.....Now that's something that would be worth waiting for, but hopefully not too long a wait. I'd jump at that one.......
I notice the Bolex D16 has a cold shoe mount on the left side of the camera, a perfect place to put an EVF, like a Zacuto. I would prefer a built-in EVF like the Ikonoskops.
I am also interested in the D-Minima Aaton. Let's see how competitively priced they make it.
I am also interested in the D-Minima Aaton. Let's see how competitively priced they make it.
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Joe said he reached out to Ikonoskop and to Aaton to offer any help he and his team could. Collaboration between them could result in economies of scale that none could do on their own.
I would expect that Aaton to be the high end entry in this category selling for more like the price of their 16mm film cameras.
Hope Ikonoskop can find a way out of their current predicament. There is certainly a place for it in the market IMO. Maybe with a little updating to catch up with the current capabilities of off the shelf media it could be a bit less expensive.
The bad state of the European economy in general I think had more to do with their problems than the cost or quality of the camera.
I would expect that Aaton to be the high end entry in this category selling for more like the price of their 16mm film cameras.
Hope Ikonoskop can find a way out of their current predicament. There is certainly a place for it in the market IMO. Maybe with a little updating to catch up with the current capabilities of off the shelf media it could be a bit less expensive.
The bad state of the European economy in general I think had more to do with their problems than the cost or quality of the camera.
petermullett
Well-known member
Actually the European economy isn't that bad, especially in the Northern countries like Sweden, but of course taxes are high and having to add +20% in VAT makes anyone think twice before investing in equipment.
Also building any sort of camera that will only have a limited appeal and market is a daunting task whichever country it is designed and manufactured in, I am sure that the folks at D-Bolex are learning that too.
What D-Bolex have done very well is to generate an enormous groundswell of interest in the camera well before one has actually made it to a customer. Their PR and promotion has been excellent, something that Ikonoskop never seemed interested in doing and I think have suffered because of that.
There's colleagues of mine, cameramen and AC's, that I have known for twenty years and when I tell them that I recently bought an Ikonoskop A-Cam DII, they ask "what's that.......?" That tells you something....
Assuming that Ikonoskop will not survive it would be great if someone could absorb them and maybe make a few economies in the manufacturing that would enable a drop in price. The form factor of the camera is truly wonderful, that shouldn't change but I cannot see the purpose and value of the side screen so for me that could go. I thought at first I wouldn't be able to work with the low resolution of the EVF, but in fact after solving the diopter problem I am experiencing no problems at all.
Sure, of course there's an updated version of it's sensor available now, ( the one that's in the D-Bolex I think ), but that's going to happen with whatever digital camera one buys, high or low, Alexa to D-Bolex. However there's little wrong with the one that is currently in the DII and I suspect it still has a long useful life in it.
Aaton of course is the dark horse, and I hope that they will be able to produce a D S16 camera. I still own their S16 Xtera and A-Minima cameras and would certainly be in line for whatever JP can build in the future. They have designed and made such great cameras and I am happy that they are going to continue.
Added later:
about EVF's. I really like the viewfinder in the Ikonoskop because it's so similar to a regular film camera's viewfinder, small in form and very comfortable, natural, to put the eye to. I am NOT a fan of EVF's like the Alphatron, Zucato, Cineroid etc and all the rest of them that simply are far too big to mount on a camera easily. Even with the F3 I couldn't find an EVF that unbalanced an already ungainly camera. So to use a currently available EVF on a D-Bolex would be like putting a half ton trailer on a mini.
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