Just got a new camera - Sony F35

Yeah, it is expensive! I am wondering asking if I can save money if I send them my IF box to destroy

Cinedeck, well, like yourself it was that or the Gemini. Things that swung it were:

1. Gemini only takes their own SSDs, which are hideously pricey.
2. Gemini is Uncompressed only - big no no - that'd mean I'm doing shedloads of DIT work - it'd be worse than when I used to shoot tape! (Also means I would need more drives)

Unfortunately the big problems with the cinedeck are size and weight. Now, for me, most drama stuff I do I can be on sticks or something, and I've now got a roughly workable handheld setup. I can run the cinedeck on a longer cable if need be, and have it as a monitor for someone.

Cinedeck are very coy about the power draw of the camera, they tend only to quote voltage. It will draw up to 70w if you get the hi-brite option, and it does weigh around 2kg. However, it does do basically everything I could want it to, with the exception of 50P/10-bit/4:4:4, but that's a sacrifice that has to be made I guess. The only recorders I know which properly support the camera's abilities are the SR deck and the Codex Onboard.

The menu interface and abilities of the cinedeck are excellent. The software and hardware CAN be a bit buggy, so test any release thoroughly before going shooting. I had one incident with it recently where I lost footage, but I do believe this was partly thanks to human error.

The cinedeck records to nearly any codec under the sun, my favourite is cineform as their software and party tricks are fantastic. There's also the popular DNxHD/ProRes and plenty of other stuff. As the cinedeck is also a windows computer, I have used it as a DIT station to copy files in a tight spot.

I cannot fault the quality of the footage it records, although annoyingly the screen is set to PC levels so judging exposure that way is hard. Fortunately, it comes with all the scopes you could want and I do find these invaluable.

Mounting it is a PITA, but as you can see I've got a solution for that.

For the money, I am toying with the idea of a blackmagic recorder to have an alternate "lightweight" setup that can run off battery power, but I am not sure if that defeats the point of where I'm going with it or not....

That should cover some of the basics... I do know they are working on a new version, but it sounds pricey.
 
Let us know what they tell you, maybe they have a few of those plates already made and getting dust and would sell for cheap.
Also remember to look for the lemo model number please!
 
JMtheDP said:
What part do you require the lemo model number for?
Click to expand...

This one:

lemof35.jpg
 
That's not a LEMO connector, it's a 3-pin Fischer if memory serves. I will have a search round and look, but I don't believe it's a tricky one to get. I think ARRI use the same on their film cameras?

In other news, I have just disassembled my interface box, and I reckon I can make something along the lines of what cinema interfaces are making, for considerably less money - I think their price is taking into account buying a new box. I am going to look into it further, but would anyone else here be interested in something like that?

James
 
JMtheDP said:
That's not a LEMO connector, it's a 3-pin Fischer if memory serves. I will have a search round and look, but I don't believe it's a tricky one to get. I think ARRI use the same on their film cameras?

In other news, I have just disassembled my interface box, and I reckon I can make something along the lines of what cinema interfaces are making, for considerably less money - I think their price is taking into account buying a new box. I am going to look into it further, but would anyone else here be interested in something like that?

James
Click to expand...

I'd take one for sure if it was as well finished as the other one.
 
Cool, I don't see why it wouldn't be - the CNC guys I use are top-quality, they fabricate parts for superbike race teams (pistons etc...). Everything is one-off aluminium.

I think the cost of doing it would still be around the £1,000 mark, possibly less (depends how simple the part is) - out of curiosity what would you want the back of it to be? Flush aluminium?

I reckon I can make a back plate, and then drill two holes straight through, between the two connectors (there is nothing between them electrically) and use these to connect to the cinedeck. Just thinking of other uses/ideas too.
 
One idea I just had, which seems feasable

I could integrate the interface box INTO my custom aluminium bracket for the cinedeck. Ie. there would no longer be a need to mount the IF box - the aluminium plate on top would have two hd-sdi ports/cables on the side of it that you hook up directly.

The down side is you would lose the interface box's power supply ability, and it's XLR inputs, but for me at least these are a bit of a non-issue as the cinedeck has XLR inputs anyway, and I can put a battery bracket elsewhere on the camera.

Thoughts anyone?
 
JMtheDP said:
Cool, I don't see why it wouldn't be - the CNC guys I use are top-quality, they fabricate parts for superbike race teams (pistons etc...). Everything is one-off aluminium.

I think the cost of doing it would still be around the £1,000 mark, possibly less (depends how simple the part is) - out of curiosity what would you want the back of it to be? Flush aluminium?

I reckon I can make a back plate, and then drill two holes straight through, between the two connectors (there is nothing between them electrically) and use these to connect to the cinedeck. Just thinking of other uses/ideas too.
Click to expand...

Argggh, 1000 pounds puts it near the price of the other version. Too much for me.
 
Yeah, the exchange rate at the minute is quite flaky.

If you PM me with your exact requirements, I can have a talk with my CNC guys and see what it would cost to do.

The more of them I can do at once, the cheaper it gets. I'd rather quote a price which is too high and find out we can do it cheaper, rather than the other way round.

James
 
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:(( dead end..

is there any capturing card ( blackmagic? ) that can capture 12bit dual HD-SDi out of the HDCAM SR tapes ( Sony SRW-1 recorder ) ???
 
I think the trick here is to record at 50fps (or any other speed different from the standard) but playback at 25/24fps from the srw1, then you could capture the footage with a standard recorder (hyperdeck, pix,...) at the end of the shot (or the day). Therefore the srw1 would act as a flash memory in a high speed camera, so that you use it only to store the slow motion shots temporarily. Testing is coming...
 
wow.. I didn't know it can be done that way .. that is cool.. I won't need my BM Multibridge anymore.. I will wait for tests!! THX !!!
 
macgregor said:
I think the trick here is to record at 50fps (or any other speed different from the standard) but playback at 25/24fps from the srw1, then you could capture the footage with a standard recorder (hyperdeck, pix,...) at the end of the shot (or the day). Therefore the srw1 would act as a flash memory in a high speed camera, so that you use it only to store the slow motion shots temporarily. Testing is coming...
Click to expand...

Thats definitely a good idea, but the extra bulk and weight of the srw1 and power needs? still not ideal solution. I'm thinking the Sr-R1 is probably the best for now?
 
Has anyone on here tried the SR-R1? I read about it, and am very disappointed that it doesn't integrate properly with the camera. I know sony intended to make a version just for the F23/F35 (SR-R3) but the demand wasn't there. Sony are pretty cheeky though because they say there's an "adapter" for it to mount on the cameras, but it's just a dumb connector!

In other news, I managed to grab myself a viewfinder, after much searching. I got an ACCUSCENE VF1280, bit of a relic and a bit of a beast... but I think it fits the theme of my camera! It's probably the best EVF I've used, barring the ALEXA one.
 
JMtheDP said:
Has anyone on here tried the SR-R1? I read about it, and am very disappointed that it doesn't integrate properly with the camera. I know sony intended to make a version just for the F23/F35 (SR-R3) but the demand wasn't there. Sony are pretty cheeky though because they say there's an "adapter" for it to mount on the cameras, but it's just a dumb connector!

In other news, I managed to grab myself a viewfinder, after much searching. I got an ACCUSCENE VF1280, bit of a relic and a bit of a beast... but I think it fits the theme of my camera! It's probably the best EVF I've used, barring the ALEXA one.
Click to expand...


Agreed.

Vidovation has the Sr-R1 and he is very happy with it. I have to say that the recordering quality is outstanding.
 
Alan Pierson said:
Where on earth were you able to find an Accuscene??
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Well, after much searching I found only TWO on planet Earth for sale, anywhere.

One is on eBay spain - it's still there, but it's broken. I was about to buy it, asked the guy for more pictures, and he said "oh i plugged it in and it doesn't work. sorry." So it's now up for spares or repair.

The only other one was in London, I grabbed it today and it would take an extremely tempting offer to prise it out of my hands. The picture quality is astounding. It's damn big for a viewfinder (like the original RED EVF, no coincidence), but the picture is fabulous once setup. Nice long cable and plenty of adjustment so I operate from the left eye on handheld - keeps it away from my matte box etc... and I can actually focus with the thing! A miracle compared to my crap Sony C35

James
 
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