New functions of the 435 Xtreme include: a super bright high quality viewfinder, available for either spherical or anamorphic viewing; an extensive speed range from 0.1 to 150 fps; and the latest generation of the Arri Integrated Video System, the IVS-2, which not only shows a brilliant, bright video image, but also can also superimpose camera status information and frame lines, allow for automatic or manual colour balancing of the image and can preview motion blur effects.

Also a new ramp generator improves ramping capabilities with faster and smoother ramps, and with the Single Frame System the 435 Xtreme transforms into a single frame/time lapse camera. The unique Integrated Capping Shutter (available in 4- or 3-perforation) allows viewing of the viewfinder and video assist image even when the shutter is closed, and with the Motion Control Interface (MCI) the movement, mirror shutter and Internal Capping Shutter can be independently and frame accurately controlled by a motion control computer.

by Frédéric-Gérard Kaczek AAC

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Arri has unveiled its latest 35mm film camera, the Arriflex 235, a small and lightweight MOS camera designed for hand-held and remote applications where size and weight are crucial. The 235 is designed for steadicam use, car rigs, motorcycle rigs, bicycle rigs, underwater applications, crash housings, aerial photography, or as a ‘C’ camera for feature films.

The 235’s body and viewfinder weigh about 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs), half the weight of a 435 body and viewfinder. Despite its compact exterior, the 235 is equipped with all the features cinematographers, producers and crews have come to expect, including Super 35, a 3-perforation option and a high quality video assist.

A bright and ergonomic optical viewfinder can be freely rotated and extended just like the Arricam or 435 viewfinders. This and an optional medium extension eyepiece allow for comfortable viewing in any camera position. The viewfinder is accompanied by a video assist of the same image quality and features as the Arricam and 435 video assist. A new and unique optical design makes viewfinder and video assist independent of each other, so a switch from hand-held to steadicam mode is fast.

The 235 control panel, video assist controls and threading method resemble their counterparts on the 435. Because the 235 works with existing 60m (200’) and 120m (400’) magazines, it can easily share magazines with the 435 or 35-3. For hand-held use a new 60m shoulder magazine has been designed that is perfectly balanced and lightweight.

The 235 is compatible with the majority of 35mm production gear, including all PL mount lenses, the Arri Remote Control Unit (RCU), Wireless Remote Control (WRC), Iris Control Unit (ICU), Electronic Synchronization Unit (ESU) and the Arri Wireless Remote System. For simplicity’s sake the 235 uses 435 ground glasses.

Other features include extra attachment points for rigging, operating buttons with an adjustable backlight, fixed gap technology in the film gate for utter simplicity in maintenance, automatic or manual image orientation in the viewfinder, super light magazine construction, a reversible camera handle for well balanced low tracking shots, and an extra low mode handle.

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FILM STYLE CREATIVE OPTIONS BY DESIGN

Since the single 6 Megapixel CMOS sensor at the heart of the D-20 has the same size as a Super 35 mm film aperture, the D-20 uses the same lenses as 35 mm film cameras. This makes the vast range and excellent optical quality of 35 mm lenses available to directors and cinematographers when shooting HD, greatly expanding their creative options. The resulting images have the same depth of field as 35 mm film, giving film makers the ability to direct the viewer's attention to a specific part of the image, a crucial tool in visual storytelling.

Other issues essential to cinematography are also addressed: the D-20 has the ability to capture images at higher speeds, it runs speed ramps, has excellent color fidelity and a high dynamic range.

WHAT IS CMOS?
Like other photoelectric sensors, CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors are based on an array of photo-sensitive diodes. Each pixel contains one diode that converts light into an electrical charge.

Unlike CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices), which output the charge from the pixels serially in a "bucket brigade" process, CMOS image sensors provide a voltage signal at each pixel that is directly proportional to the amount of charge the pixel has collected. Each pixel can be individually addressed to access this information, resulting in a much higher level of flexibility with regards to timing or image format.

WHY CMOS?

Since the D-20 sensor is an ARRI specified design, its performance is custom tailored to digital cinematography and gives ARRI tremendous freedom for future developments. CMOS sensors inherently have superior power efficiency and a natural blooming immunity, plus it is possible to read out any portion of the sensor at any time. This has a wide range of advantages, including the ability to read out high frame rates despite the high pixel count and the ability to run speed ramps. It also means that the recording format can be freely chosen, so it is possible to trade spatial resolution for frame rate. Because CMOS is essentially a more flexible technology than CCDs, ARRI can experiment in the future with new and sophisticated features like higher frame rates or a double read-out of each frame to further increase dynamic range.

A MODULAR AND FUTURE PROOF APPROACH
To ensure that the D-20 is an economically viable investment it is designed in a modular fashion; the sensor can be upgraded when advances in technology offer better performance, and the signal output boards can be exchanged to accommodate future file based interface and storage options. The rest of the D-20, including the housing, the Optical Module (containing the lens mount, mirror shutter, optical viewfinder and camera control electronics) and the internal data bus have been designed to last through many upgrade cycles with traditional ARRI robustness.
To further future proof the D-20, many components have been designed for capabilities far greater than the currently available recording technologies can accommodate. The sensor and the internal data bus, for example, are prepared for frame rates up to 150 fps.

THE OPTICAL MODULE

Users of ARRI film cameras should feel right at home with the bright optical viewfinder and the
silent rotating mirror shutter borrowed from the ARRICAM. The optical viewfinder provides not only the highest quality color image for evaluating focus and composition but also allows the operator to see a larger image area than the sensor is capturing. The optical video assist, which is optional, consists of the IVS II optics and electronics from the ARRIFLEX 435 Xtreme. An optical video assist has many advantages in a digital camera, as it provides a video image when the mirror shutter is stopped in the viewing position, showing a larger area than the sensor is capturing and using little power.

The Optical Module can be expanded to provide interfaces for many of the extensive range of cine accessories, including wireless lens and camera control or speed ramps with the Remote Control Unit RCU-1. These accessories integrate with the D-20 just like they do with any other ARRI camera.

FLEXIBLE OUTPUT OPTIONS: VIDEO OR FILM MODE
Different productions have different needs, and the D-20 is a flexible tool that can be used in two different output modes: Video or Film Mode.

Different productions have different needs, and the D-20 is a flexible tool that can be used in two different output modes: Video or Film Mode.
In Video Mode, the data coming from the D-20 sensor is processed live in the camera. Color reconstruction is performed simultaneously as the 2880 x 1620 pixel grid is converted to 1920 x 1080 resolution. A sophisticated on-board color management system has been implemented to optimize the camera's performance for different lighting situations including blue and green screen work. In Video Mode, the D-20 can supply a variety of standard HD video signals for different recording formats, including HDCAM SR, thus allowing the D-20 to integrate seamlessly into existing HD infrastructures.

In Film Mode, the unprocessed data from the sensor is output directly to the recorder. Similar to a film negative, this data must first be „developed" in an off-line process involving complex 3D Look Up Tables (LUTs) before it is usable or even viewable. The advantage is that all the image information captured by the sensor is retained, and being able to use more processing power in post production results in higher image quality. The live HD output can still be used for monitoring and as a guide for color grading. The grading parameters can be stored as metadata with the unprocessed image data.

by Frédéric-Gérard Kaczek AAC

Visit the page www.arri.de