Is the CION ever going to ship?

RatLabProductions said:
I don't think you will see movie footage from the FS7 as most users aren't buying it for that purpose. Commercial,Corporate,event,R&G, Doc will be the FS7 bread and butter and what most users are generating.

There is nothing about the FS7 that indicates it wouldn't produce a great image under narrative movie setups when shot CineEI+Slog3+Sgamut.cine
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Yep, I agree. The stuff I've seen is really good for sharp, detailed, somewhat desaturated, realistic footage. I have heard about those settings and try to keep up on how that all works.

It seems difficult and error-prone to me. I don't have the experience with the newer Sony workflows so I'm just going on what everyone on here has related about their experience. It's one of the design ideas I like about the Cion that it's a thick digital negative, albeit cooked, that you can shove around in post but can also judge on set. I've shot with RED, and even though you need to grade it before you know what you got, it was pretty easy to shoot with regarding exposure. It leaves a lot of room for error. The Sony on-set workflow seems complicated and hard to me - exposing for slog seems counter intuitive and fiddely and getting desired results appears elusive, even to the guys working so hard to get them as if some mighty colorist will make it all work or a lut will finally be developed that will realize that look they want.

I want to work but I don't want to fiddle. I want to light and frame and shoot like on the sets with the Alexa when we're shooting to SxS cards. There's plenty else to do.
 
What do you know? Now shipping! That along with a new video showing EI, Gammas and Color Correction settings... must go see.
 
hscully said:
I don't have the experience with the newer Sony workflows..exposing for slog seems counter intuitive and fiddely
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I dont want to turn this into an FS7/Coin thread - personally Im sure the Coins fat codec will bring a better image that the FS7 (without the gubbins on the back)

I would point out however that while there are many reasons to not get the FS7 what you have outlined above does not seem to be the correct reasons. Sony onset LUT management and journey to post has radically improved.

S
 
I was commenting on a price comparison and got kind of talky there. I was going on what I heard and not first hand experience, which is dumb. I certainly don't want to turn this into a FS7/Cion thread either
 
Indeed Im just saying if you are actually considering a purchase of one or the other I feel you should not reject the sony on that sole basis without a little more research. Many other reasons to reject it of course :)
 
Jon Thorn said:
You will notice that the AJA website home page looks a bit different now
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Now shipping.

For those who like shoulder cams, this is the camera to beat. The ergonomy looks wonderful. And the video quality is superb. Generally I had wanted something like S-Log, because camera makers' baked-in looks clearly weren't lining up with what I preferred. But of course a camera that gives you the look you want straight out of the box is better than one you have to tweak in post. This video posted a few months ago was all I needed to know that AJA nailed it:


But for those who like to look at test charts, or who just want a break from the in-laws during Christmas, they just put up this, too:

 
combatentropy said:
Now shipping.

For those who like shoulder cams, this is the camera to beat. The ergonomy looks wonderful. And the video quality is superb. Generally I had wanted something like S-Log, because camera makers' baked-in looks clearly weren't lining up with what I preferred. But of course a camera that gives you the look you want straight out of the box is better than one you have to tweak in post. This video posted a few months ago was all I needed to know that AJA nailed it.

i hope so too! With their track record in excellent I/O gear odds favour an excellent camera. Certainly it was designed by someone who shoots on the shoulder. If the feedback is strong, I will get one very soon after.
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I've been told by Joe Kelly at Texas Media Systems that my Cion will be in by Friday, and shipped to me within a few days after that.
 
Terry what's the price of Aja add on's... front plate... back plate... so on and so on...

Also I never seem to find a listig of recording times... how much for 4k raw vs 4k pro (both formats)....
 
The CION doesn't record directly in RAW, but instead outputs this for other devices to record. But a useful record time chart is available on the Convergent Design website and it should be fairly accurate for the CION as well.
 
I hear you and agree Steve. Like you I am waiting for some actual reports from someone who has used or bought the Cion model that is now shipping. I am not suggesting that someone go out and drop 15K to take one for the team but I do think that if John Thorn reads this thread perhaps he can get one out to somebody. I don't think that somebody has to be one of the usual poster boys with their own sponsored web sites etc. but just someone who shoots for a living like the rest of us. lets get some real feedback! I really want to buy a new camera and Cion has all the physical "cat on the shoulder" aspects I am looking but I want to know it also makes excellent images.
There are things that I really like about the Cion on paper but there are issues with it that concern me. Just for example, when looking at the camera side view the bnc and usb, hdmi etc. connectors are all exposed. No cover. I shoot in Montreal and often outside so I worry about these connectors being exposed and subject to the elements and possible corrosion. I have asked the question regarding third party lens adapter builder being able to include a variable ND filter (like the FotoDiox Pro ND Throttle) but never got an answer to a couple of emails. ND is a big issue for many of us as Sony learned with the FS100.
I am not concerned at all about being able to connect to an Odyessy (no offense Mitch) and just want to see real images from the real camera and current commentary from actual users.
Not bitchin, just sayin
Brian
 
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AJA CION Accessory Prices at Texas Media Systems

AJA CION Accessory Prices at Texas Media Systems

Pak-dock $395
pak256 $695
pak512 $1295
front-baseplate $295
rear-baseplate $245
upper-rod-clamp $95
9-extension-arm $125
6-extension-arm $95
rod-rosette-mnt $95
vct-wedge $50
vct-heel $15
viewfinder-mnt $225
lanc-collar $75
coiled-lanc-cbl $25
short-lanc-cbl $19
7-15mm-rod $29
handgrip $95
handgrip-mount $85


garyincalifornia said:
terry what's the price of aja add on's... Front plate... Back plate... So on and so on...

Also i never seem to find a listig of recording times... How much for 4k raw vs 4k pro (both formats)....
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I think I'd also only want to buy into a camera that is going to sell fairly well - firstly so you know it will continue to be supported and even improved upon, and also so that when you go for jobs your clients will be very familiar with the camera that you suggest using - if only 2 people in the whole of the UK buy a Cion any producer I mention it to will likely say " a what?"
Steve
 
Hi Brian,
I have already arranged for some CIONs to go out as evaluation units. One CION went out to Hugh Scully who participates on dvxuser.com fairly regularly. Perhaps he will chime in with some of his opinions here if he sees your comment in this thread.

Regarding the CION connectors being exposed: like many electronics, CION needs some level of protective covering if you want to take it into environments where it may be exposed to moisture. I would recommend a rain or dust cover for environments that are less than ideal for electronics.

Regarding your emails asking about lens adapters: perhaps your emails were sent to one of our staff members who just recently retired after 40 years in the video industry. If he didn't get back to you before he retired or your messages got lost in the shuffle, I apologize on behalf of AJA for that.

A variety of lens mounts are available from third parties like MTF and Wooden Camera. None of these have a filter holder built into them as you are suggesting. One thing to keep in mind is that any filter in a lens mount has to be far enough back in the mount to not interfere with rear element of the lens being used. Additionally, any filter in the image path may need to be compensated for in terms of the relationship between the focal flange distance and the sensor. Luckily, if someone produced a lens mount as you are suggesting, the CION features the ability to adjust the focal flange distance (referred to in short hand as "back focus" in our literature). To be clear, CION was designed to be more like a film camera than an ENG video camera; the design assumes that you may elect to use a matte box to host your choice of filters.

Regarding images from the camera, we have recently posted a technical video and a document to accompany it. I appreciate that the video isn't very exciting to watch, but it was intended as a guide to allow people to familiarize themselves with the various settings and the out-of-the-box images that the camera may be used to produce. We are in fact planning additional technical videos. Additional videos will likely focus on the best practices for exposing, grading, etc. People accustomed to the look of a traditional video camera will find the CION quite different. We will do our best to explain how to get the most out of the camera in the coming weeks. In fact, we have a hands on event in Los Angeles next week and I assume that there will be more events worldwide that will be easy for you to attend where you are located.

I hope this information is helpful,
Jon Thorn
Senior Product Manager
AJA Video Systems, Inc.
 
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