Monday 17 November 2014

Alexa 65 Lenses information


Alexa Open Gate image

ARRI Rental
have exclusively commissioned a brand new range of 65 mm prime and zoom optics, which utilize Hasselblad lens elements from the world-renowned HC series of large-format lenses.


To create a truly class-leading 65 mm cinema lens look and feel, these lens elements have been re-housed in robust and uniform lens barrels, co-developed with IB/E Optics to our own design specifications – including a new iris system for the prime lenses, and a new focus/iris/zoom control mechanism for the zoom lens. These lenses use a new proprietary XPL mount system with LDS functionality. However, the ALEXA 65 XPL lens mount is modular in design and will allow for adaptation to other medium-format lenses in the future.

This new Prime 65 lens series delivers unparalleled MTF, excellent contrast and geometry, and no chromatic aberrations or focus breathing. Usability and environmental ruggedness is comparable to that of the ARRI/Zeiss Master Prime lenses.

Additionally, a Vintage 765 lens range, originally developed to partner the ARRIFLEX 765, has been adapted for use with the ALEXA 65. These lenses provide a classic filmic look with a gradual, soft roll-off across the image – perfect for creating a softer look that is complimentary to the new Prime 65 and Zoom 65 lenses.

The ALEXA 65 is fitted with a brand new proprietary XPL lens mount, supporting the Prime 65 and Zoom 65 lenses, as well as the Vintage 765 range. ARRI Rental is currently looking at other lens and lens mount options and will make further announcements in due course.

At present, there are eight lenses within the Prime 65 range and one Zoom 65. The Prime 65 series offers focal lengths from 24 mm to 300 mm, with apertures from T2.2 to T4.8, while the Vintage 765 lens range offers 11 focal lengths from 30 mm to 350 mm.


Primo 70 lenses - Camerimage 2014

Camerimage 2014 Primo 70 Lenses

BYDGOSZCZ, POLAND (November 13, 2014) – Panavision, the company behind the world’s best cinema lenses for 60 years, is showcasing their new line of Primo 70 lenses optimized to work with today’s larger sensor digital cameras. The lenses are being exhibited here at the 22nd edition of the Camerimage International Film Festival, a premier event for directors of photography.

“Panavision Primo lenses have set the standard for excellence in motion picture production for 25 years,” says Kim Snyder, Panavision’s president and CEO. “Now, filmmakers can combine that essential Primo character with the larger sensors found in the latest digital cameras.”

Panavision Primo 70s are the most advanced cinema lenses ever developed, and specifically designed to work with today’s larger sensors. The result is more consistency from edge to edge and sharper corners. The organic flavor, pleasing bokeh, and gradual focus roll-off that DPs depend on have been carefully maintained in the Primo 70 series.

Large format sensors are the natural next step for filmmakers looking to create powerful, affecting imagery, and Primo 70 lenses maximize their aesthetic potential. Together, large sensors and Primo 70 lenses deliver unprecedented visual impact.

Panavision Primo 70 prime lenses are available in twelve focal lengths: 24mm, 27mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 65mm, 80mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 200mm and 250mm. Super 70 zoom lenses are also available in three sizes: 28-80mm, 70-185mm and 200-400mm. The Primo 70 series are equivalent in size and weight to standard Primos, a feature driven by the need for portability and maneuverability on today’s film sets. Primo 70 lenses have already been tested in the field under real-world production scenarios, including two feature films and several commercials.

“The 70mm Primos are beautiful – just amazing,” says Peter Menzies Jr., ACS about his experience using them on a feature film. “I have never seen lenses that hold their sharpness and contrast across the entire frame. … They are also light, fast and the lens sizes in the kit are perfect. The two zooms we used are excellent -- incredibly close to the primes.”

“The Panavision 70mm lenses have a grand look,” notes Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS who relied on the Primo 70s for a commercial shoot. “Their visual language is significantly different than 35mm. The focus falls off quickly and beautifully. As a cinematographer, this allows me to tell a different story. … For decades, Panavision has given filmmakers exciting new tools that can open up our imagination. These lenses promise really outstanding new possibilities.”

Panavision’s Dan Sasaki, VP of Optical Engineering, adds, “The cinematographers who have used these lenses reported that they were very happy that we didn’t create something that is synthetic or too scientifically sharp. Cinematographers tell us that the character of the lens is even more important with digital cinematography. We maintained the artistry, and preserved the dimensionality that was originally designed for the Primos back in the 1990s. The Primo 70 lenses definitely share the Primo family resemblance.”

Panavision Primo 70 lenses are the product of state-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques and materials, and they incorporate feedback from industry pros. Primo 70 lenses are not compatible with film cameras, as they are specifically designed to work with digital cameras. The internal mechanics retain a familiar Primo feel. Floating internal elements control breathing and allow the lens to maintain extremely high performance from infinity to close focus. Currently, Panavision has made Primo 70 mounts for the Sony F55, RED DRAGON, ARRI Alexa (standard and Open Gate), Phantom Flex4K and Phantom 65, with other cameras being assessed for compatibility.

“Panavision’s unparalleled experience in optical design and lens construction, and our deep and longstanding relationships with filmmakers, have all been brought to bear on these superlative lenses,” adds Snyder. “Filmmakers have expressed a need for lenses that work with larger sensors in an array of cameras. We’re focused on providing the tools cinematographers need to tell their stories and express their creativity.”

The Primo 70 series of lenses are available to rent from Panavision worldwide.


Panavision 70mm Lenses


PANAVISION PRIMO 70 SERIES

Introducing the Primo 70 series lenses, the highest performance motion picture lenses ever developed. Primo 70 lenses on digital cameras represent a new creative choice to the cinematographer, building on the Primo heritage and extending it into the future. Intrinsic characteristics of these new lenses include flat field, natural sharpness, minimal chromatic aberration, minimal breathing, excellent field illumination, and close focus performance. Other artistic traits include roundness, dimensionality, pleasing skin tones, personality and good bokeh. Wider formats are currently in development.

Primo 70 lenses are compatible with the following 35 mm digital cameras equipped with new Panavision 70 mount systems:

Arri Alexa

Red Dragon

Sony F55

Phantom 65

Phantom Flex 4k





Arri ALEXA 65 65mm 6.5K Camera : current overview of specs


This camera looks like a bigger version of the Arri Alexa XT, with the digital viewfinder there is no news of the optical version from the XT Studio.



Here are the official specifications :


Overview :
Camera type 65 mm format digital cinema camera
Sensor ARRI A3X CMOS sensor
Image aperture 5-perf 65 mm (54.12 mm x 25.58 mm active image area)
Sensor resolution 6560 x 3102 (Open Gate – maximum recordable)
Dimensions Length: 387.8 mm | 15.3 in
Width: 208.3 mm | 8.2 in
Height: 163 mm | 6.4 in
(body only with XPL mount)
Weight 10.5 kg | 23.2 lb
Lens mount ARRI XPL mount with Lens Data System (LDS) functionality
Shutter Electronic, 5.0º to 358.0º. Adjustable with 1/10º precision.
Frame rates 20 to 27 fps (Open Gate) *
Exposure index EI 200 to EI 3200. Base sensitivity EI 800
Dynamic range >14 stops


Recording system :
Recording file format Uncompressed ARRIRAW
Recorder crop modes 5-perf 65 mm (Open Gate, 1.78 extraction)
8-perf 35 mm (future)
Storage (type) Codex XR Capture Drive *
Storage (capacity) 480 GByte capacity / 850 MByte per second data rate *
Storage (recording time) 11 minutes @ 24 fps


System interfaces :
Viewfinder Electronic color viewfinder ARRI EVF-1
BNC connectors 4 x 3G SDI
- MON (1) OUT: 2 x 3G SDI
- MON (2) OUT: 2 x 3G SDI
SD card For software updates and menu settings etc. as with ALEXA
New high speed operating mode for fast ARRIRAW frame grabs (planned feature)
Miscellanous interfaces Focus / iris / zoom motor control with full wireless lens control support
5 x RS 24 V
1 x 12 V
TC I/O (5-pin Lemo)
1 x LDD
2 x LCS
BAT and ACC connection


Monitoring and playback :
Monitoring 3 independent color outputs, all with optional overlays:
EVF-1 OUT
MON (1) OUT
MON (1) OUT
MON OUT assistive displays:
Zoom, overscan, overlay info, frame lines, false color exposure check, peaking focus check
CDL CDL server support is provided as ALEXA XT
In-camera playback Playback via EVF-1, HD-SDI MON OUT including audio



Open Gate means using the full area of the sensor. The sensor allows for the use of the entire area allocated to the actual sensor or a crop inside to measure an exact pixel size.

* Upgrade planned for Q1/2015. For more information on specifications, check out the official page from Arri.

The most important specifications are the sensor size and resolution. Then comes the lens mount and the data rate.




At this time the Alexa 65 is rental-only.

Comparing the sensor of the Arri ALEXA 65 with others

How big is the sensor of the Arri Alexa 65 and how does it compare to its competition.




The Alexa 65 is the widest sensor (there are some medium format digital sensors out there that are wider, but most of them are older models). It is bigger than traditional 65mm film and even the discontinued Phantom 65.

Here’s a comparison of the sensor of the Alexa 65 with its most important peers, as well as the aspect ratio (native):


Format H. Crop Factor Native Aspect Ratio
Super 35mm 1.40 Various
FF 35mm 1.00 1.5
Phantom 65 0.69 1.67
65mm 0.67 2.28
IQ280 0.67 1.33
Arri Alexa 65 0.69 2.11
IMAX 0.51 1.34


For a large sensor the lens image circle is bigger, which means you will need medium format lenses
For larger apertures, the lenses will be even bigger than their 35mm equivalents.
The center and corner performances of the lenses must be precise. Any imperfections will be blown up on 6.5K.

DOF will be shallower, and pulling focus will also need to be accurate.
The sensor will heat up and Arri claims the two fans used in this camera are ‘very quiet’, though we don’t know at this stage wether it is quiet enough for audio recording.


Speaking of lenses, here’s what Arri has in store for the Alexa 65:



These are rebadged (by IB/E Optics) Hasselblad lenses. The new options are eight primes and one zoom (114mm front diameter):
Lenses 35mm Equivalent Stop Equivalent
24mm T4.8 17 3.3
28mm T4 19 2.8
35mm T3.5 24 2.4
50mm T3.5 35 2.4
80mm T2.8 55 1.9
100mm T2 69 1.4
150mm T3.2 104 2.2
300mm T4.5 207 3.1
Zoom 50-110 T3.5 35-76 2.4


Arri also has a range of Vintage 765 lenses available. Hasselblad lenses are already famous for IMAX and other 65mm work, being some of the finest lenses on earth. However, they are not the only lenses available.

The Arri Alexa 65 uses a new mount called the XPL mount  It has a flange focal distance of 60mm. Here’s how the flange focal distance compares to other medium format lenses:

Mount Flange Focal Distance
Arri PL 52
Leica S 53
Panavision PV 57.15
Mamiya 7/7II 60
Arri Alexa 65 60
Mitchell BNCR 61.47
Hasselblad H 61.63
Mamiya 645 63.3
Bronica 645 ETRS 69
Pentax 645 70.87
Rolleiflex SLX 74
Kiev 60 74.1
Hasselblad 500 74.9
Kowa Six/Super 66 79
Hasselblad/Kiev88 82.1
Pentax 6×7 84.95
Zeiss Ikon Panflex 99.35
Bronica S2A 101.7
Mamiya RZ 105
Mamiya RB 112




Codex Data - Workflow

Codex has released the VaultLab65.



The Alexa 65 can record to the following resolutions:



That’s 0.7 TB/s (though in the official specs the data rate is 850 MB/s) If you shoot a 90-minute movie with a shooting ratio of 5:1, you’ll need about 20 TB. A feature or documentary will easily be in the hundreds of terabytes, and most likely in the Petabytes. The camera does not record in Prores. 

Here is the workflow diagram:





The weight of the Alexa 65 is 10.5 kg – which is almost similar to what the Arricam ST weighs with film loaded so the Alexa 65 will not be as heavy as an IMAX system, but will be similar to using a Super35mm film camera with all the reels one has to carry. The advantage of a 11 minutes-at-a-time (like a film magazine) media card makes this camera shoulder-mount friendly as well:



The Alexa 65 has a frame rate range of 20-27 fps but mostly one will shoot 24 fps. More options are possible in future updates. Even if 120p is possible at 6.5K, the data rate will be a around 3.5 TB/s. This is almost in the realm of science fiction.

Arri ALEXA 65 with the 6K Red Epic Dragon and Sony A7s the Sony A7s is the only other large sensor that can shoot 4K. The Red Epic Dragon is the only camera that can shoot 6K, but with a Super35mm-sized sensor which makes the Alexa 65 special and unique.

The Alexa 65 is a medium format 6.5K recording sensor, made for one main purpose only – to deliver the highest image quality possible. If the dynamic range is greater than 14 stops, and the highlight rendering anywhere near the Alexa XT, this camera is the ultimate cinematographer’s dream for the ultimate project.

Arri ALEXA 65 and who it is for is probably large scale big budget movies. Mega documentaries. And small format movies like The Master, where the goal is to get the ‘medium format look’. Though the price for this look is going to be too steep for the average die-hard fan.


What possibly does the future hold from here. Sony will come out with a similar sensor with 8K of pixels and resolution, and maybe Red will either increase the pixel capture size of current sensors it has had manufactured or be in the process of creating larger sensors. Although it appears the Alexa 65 has drawn a line for 2014 and current in the hands technology.








Thursday 6 November 2014

Axiom Beta progress report November 2014


First Image Sensor Module PCB design draft finished


We've just finished the schematic and layout for the AXIOM Beta 4K Super35 (CMV12000) image sensor board. Yay!





The design features a few new ideas we gathered during the crowdfunding campaign from input and feedback to the existing design.


Those are as follows:


The sensor board contains an EEPROM to store sensor model, voltages and unique identifiers.


The sensor board can be rotated by 180 degree and still work with the same interface board (auto discovery to detect orientation).


The sensor board specifies and verifies what sensor voltages are desired and required (up to six voltages can be requested).


There are no parts on the top of the PCB except for the sensor/sensor socket to facilitate any kind of cooling system.


There is a cut-out area in the middle to connect to a heat sink or to measure sensor temperature with a thermopile.






Besides that, the designed interface should be generic enough to accommodate a number of other sensors without any changes to the interface board connections. This is an important step in AXIOM Beta design towards the modularity we are aiming for with the AXIOM Gamma. If you are experienced with schematics and/or board layout, please take the time to review the design and notify us about any issues you find. Note that this is a preliminary design and needs to be verified before we can actually build it.


Schematic:

Layer images:

Eagle files:


Perk Fulfillment Team


Our perk fulfilment team has been extra busy to contact all backers about their preferred button design choice, their t-shirt sizes or to notify backers who did not add the shipping cost to their pledges so far. The buttons are already in production and should arrive in our office soon.

AXIOM Beta Remote Controller Menu Simulator


We started creating an online simulation of the remote controller menu structure so we can evaluate the best way how these devices can be operated intuitively. The simulator is still an early draft but the basic foundation is now done and future extensions can be added easily.





If you want to help us feel free to grab the source code and make changes (send us a pull request when done): https://github.com/apertus-open-source-cinema/dictator/tree/master/HTML-Simulator




AXIOM Remote Control Device is looking for a name


In 2011 when we first announced the project to build a remote control device for the Elphel camera at that time we called it “Dictator”. We referred to the “benevolent dictator” like Linus Torvalds who is typically the initial leader of an open source community project but we did acknowledge that most people had other interpretations of much less popular persons of interest in history. We are still looking for a name, make suggestions here: http://lab.apertus.org/V3


UK Rental House Rogue Element To Rent AXIOM Beta Cameras 


While the concept of “open source” may seem arcane to many, it is in fact a profound intellectual and moral breath of fresh air – and has very specific implications for digital filmmakers. In the world of cinematography and photography, its champions are Magic Lantern (software), Apertus (hardware) and now Rogue Element (commerce), all working together.

Frankly, I’m surprised by my own excitement over a press release, but there you have it: a UK rental house has just announced that it is embracing open source (in addition to its regular business model), and I want them to be successful.

You should, too.

If you’re a regular planet5D reader, you know that – like many of you – we’re big fans of Magic Lantern, the open source hack for Canon DSLRs (and even a mirrorless or two) which unlocks tremendous functionality such as RAW, wide dynamic range and much, much more.

Even Canon uses Magic Lantern.

More recently, you may have read our coverage of the open source AXIOM camera by Apertus and its crowd-funding campaign here, here and here,where we were delighted to learn that Magic Lantern and Apertus were joining forces with the same ethos of transparency, community and competence.

With Rogue Element’s announcement of its support for the AXIOM as well (they will be renting the beta cameras at a price of zero — you read that right), we now have the basis for an open source digital video ecosystem.

Why is this important and why should you care?

If you’ve ever been frustrated by manufacturers who cripple the functionality of their lower priced equipment in order to encourage customers to move to much more expensive gear, open source is perhaps the best antidote: competition based on that same transparency, community and competence — with concomitantly lower price points (although credit where credit is due: Panasonic’s GH4 and the broader mirror-less revolution have shaken up the DSLR giants).

Proprietary guys want to charge a lot of money for their gear? Totally fine, as long as you actually get what you pay for. One need look no further than Apple and Google in the ongoing phone wars to see a wonderful example of how “open” (Android) spurs the best effort from proprietary (Apple). No flame wars, please: both camps have their adherents, and to each his own.

But it’s when proprietary guys charge more by obfuscating what they’re actually doing that most of us get upset. It’s less about capitalism than rigging the game.

I’m not mentioning any names, but you know who they are.

On the other hand, too much innovation is simply exhausting and diverting, and more profits means more jobs for more people (unless it all flows to the top 1%, but that’s beyond the scope of this post). So we’re not against capitalism nor are we against proprietary gear.

But in the same way that journalism – when it functions well – works as the “fourth estate” and is a balance on the three branches of government here in the U.S. and elsewhere, open source can do the same in the world of things. It’s not for everyone, but it plays an invaluable role.

Oligopolies ultimately are most helpful to the oligarchs who run them, and in era of dramatically increasing inequality, gluttony and greed, that’s not OK.

To Apertus, Magic Lantern and now Rogue Element, we say: “good on ya.” We will be following your progress closely.

Rogue Element Embraces an Open Source Philosophy

Thursday 23 October 2014

Apertus Axiom Alpha Footage : Vimeo Link



http://vimeo.com/groups/274679/videos/107801527

I had the opportunity to play in post with some footage provided by the Apertus team. The footage was shot by the Apertus team with an early Axiom prototype.

I was really impressed with the footage and with what the Apertus team has achieved so far. There is some FPN in some shots ( in the Beta there are already plans how to eliminate it entirely). I am more than excited to see what the Apertus team is preparing for the following months. The fact that they also teamed up with the Magic Lantern team, makes things even more exciting.

indiegogo.com/projects/axiom-beta-the-first-open-digital-cinema-camera/x/8764138#activity

I think that for the first time, filmmakers will have the opportunity to choose the specs they actually want or need.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Axiom Camera Teaser : Hollywood Loves Open Source



Link to video : 

http://vimeo.com/106452874

A teaser for the upcoming short-form documentary about the Apertus AXIOM, the first Open Source Cinema Camera. The doc will run at around 10 minutes and encompass Open Source, Open Hardware and Hollywood's relationship to technological progress.

The crowdfunding campaign for the Apertus AXIOM is live until October 8, 2014: New extension has been placed.....
indiegogo.com/projects/axiom-beta-the-first-open-digital-cinema-camera/x/515086

An open source movie format for video and film production : a review

An open source movie format for video and film production

San Francisco, California, United States Technology


Let's create a movie format that addresses all the needs of professional users, now and into the future. MOX will use existing open source technology to create a new file format that is:
Professional
MOX will store audio and video using lossless and near-lossless compression, allowing users to maintain quality when moving media between applications. It will support high sampling rates, bit depths, and frame sizes, and hold all relevant metadata such as color space and timecode.
Cross-Platform
MOX will read and play consistently on Mac, Windows, Linux, or any other platform. This is because MOX will be an open format, based on open standards. It will include an open source C++ library, ensuring that any program will be able to easily support MOX files, now and forever.
Movie
As a movie format, MOX will store audio and video together. It will leverage technology used in existing audio-only and still-image formats to make the first professional movie format that is open source and patent-free.


The Problem with Existing Formats
There are already movie formats aimed at professional users, but they each fall short in one way or another. Some are not cross-platform, making them difficult to hand off to colleagues. Others do not support key features like higher bit depths and lossless compression. Few have well-designed APIs so that applications can take full advantage of them. Most require developers to pay licensing fees.
The source of these failings is that the formats are not open. Controlled by video software companies, their inner workings are shrouded in mystery. If users need the format to add a new feature or support a different operating system, it is entirely at the company's discretion to do so.
Compare this to an open format like JPEG, which can be read by any program on any device. Or see how OpenEXR has evolved to add features for today's visual effects artists. There's no reason we can't have the same freedom with a movie format.


What We're Planning to Do
Good news! The core technologies we need have already been developed and released as open source. All that's left to do is corral them together into a cohesive format that's easy to use. Specifically, we need to:

Create a specification for MOX

Write an open source software library

Write open source plug-ins for popular video apps

The initial release will require some dedicated programming work, followed by years of part-time developer support and maintenance.


Funding Goals
The MOX software will be free to use, but it will not be free to create. A programmer (me!) will need to work on it full-time for several months. Programmer time will consume 100% of the MOX budget.
The average salary for a software developer in San Francisco is $1,800 per week. Working for half that rate, $20,000 pays for about six months of development time.
The primary $20,000 goal will allow me to create the spec, open source library, and write an Adobe Premiere plug-in. At this point, any application will be able to support MOX easily, and will have working code demonstrating how to do so.
But if we can write more plug-ins, that will only speed up the adoption of MOX. The more money is raised, the more software can be created, so we have some stretch goals:


$20,000: Adobe Premiere plug-in (primary goal, also works in Media Encoder)
$25,000: Adobe After Effects plug-in

$30,000: Nuke plug-in
And should those goals be met, we have no shortage of additional stretch goals ready to be revealed.


Technical Details
MOX is going to use the MXF container (SMPTE 377M) to hold a specific list of open source, patent-free audio and video codecs. Many of the video codecs will actually be embedded frame sequences, allowing frames to be copied in and out of a MOX as if it were a Zip file.
Video formats will be Dirac, OpenEXR, DPX, PNG, and JPEG. The sum total of these codecs means that MOX will be able to store video at 8-, 10-, 12-, and 16-bit integer, as well as 16- and 32-bit floating point. Each bit depth will have both lossless and lossy compression options.
Audio codecs will be FLAC, Opus, and raw PCM to do lossy and lossless audio compression at 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit.
Both audio and video will support any number of channels. Depending on the codec, this means that multiple compressed video streams may be present in a MOX, allowing for alpha channels, Z-depth, stereo views, etc.
MOX will support file-wide and frame-specific metadata. Color space metadata can include ICC profiles, named color spaces like Rec. 709, gamma & chromaticityvalues, OpenColorIO configuration information, and embedded LUTs. MOX will clearly differentiate between importing pixels in their native format and viewingpixels, which may involve a display transform.
The open source library and plug-ins will be programmed in C++, hosted on GitHub, and available under the permissive BSD license, allowing commercial and non-commercial software programs to use them freely.


Other Ways to Help
Spread the word! Send an email to the other video and film professionals you know. This project is for them.
And tell companies that make the software you use that you want them to support MOX! Many programs do not have plug-in architectures so we can't do it for them, even if we had the resources to do so.


About the Author
I got my start in visual effects working for The Orphanage, doing matchmoving on Jeepers Creepers II (23% on Rotten Tomatoes!). While at The O I worked on a number of films and commercials, my personal favorite being Sin City. Somewhere along the way I learned to write plug-ins, one of the first being eLin, a system for doing linear compositing inside 16-bit After Effects.
Since The Orphanage, I've written a number of other plug-ins, many of them offered for free on my website and blog. In 2007 I released the ProEXR package, which provides full OpenEXR support in Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere. The AE plug-ins have shipped with After Effects since 2008, and the code for them is freely available up on GitHub. I'm even in the AE credits!



Other open source projects include an OpenColorIO plug-in for After Effects, and a tool for DCI color space conversion. More recently I've worked on Theora and WebMplug-ins, which made me realize that all the necessary pieces for MOX were finally in place.

An open source movie format for video and film production

An open source movie format for video and film production

Video link below :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3Vf9Z6G2O80


Technical Details


MOX is going to use the MXF container (SMPTE 377M) to hold a specific list of open source, patent-free audio and video codecs. Many of the video codecs will actually be embedded frame sequences, allowing frames to be copied in and out of a MOX as if it were a Zip file.


Video formats will be Dirac, OpenEXR, DPX, PNG, and JPEG. The sum total of these codecs means that MOX will be able to store video at 8-, 10-, 12-, and 16-bit integer, as well as 16- and 32-bit floating point. Each bit depth will have both lossless and lossy compression options.


Audio codecs will be FLAC, Opus, and raw PCM to do lossy and lossless audio compression at 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit.


Both audio and video will support any number of channels. Depending on the codec, this means that multiple compressed video streams may be present in a MOX, allowing for alpha channels, Z-depth, stereo views, etc.


MOX will support file-wide and frame-specific metadata. Color space metadata can include ICC profiles, named color spaces like Rec. 709, gamma & chromaticityvalues, OpenColorIO configuration information, and embedded LUTs. MOX will clearly differentiate between importing pixels in their native format and viewingpixels, which may involve a display transform.


The open source library and plug-ins will be programmed in C++, hosted on GitHub, and available under the permissive BSD license, allowing commercial and non-commercial software programs to use them freely.

Funding link below : 
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mox-file-format

Monday 20 October 2014

4rfv news Rogue & Axiom : Rogue Element Provides Open Source Digital Camera Solutions

http://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews/188455/rogue_element_provides_open_source_digital_camera_solutions

Rogue Element Provides Open Source Digital Camera Solutions




Rogue Element has become one of the first digital cinematography firms in the UK to take on an Open Source policy for its rental division by providing Open Source Digital Camera Solutions.

The Soho-based company is ensuring that 4K cinema is fully open to everyone by making AXIOM Beta Open Digital Cinema Cameras available to its rental customers.
AXIOM Beta cameras are the first products to be developed by apertus°, an Open Source cinema organisation founded by film makers and financed through crowd funding. The people behind apertus° were galvanised into action when they became concerned with the expensive and limited tools they were forced to work with every day. Instead, they wanted access to affordable devices and technology that delivered the highest possible image quality and could be customised to exactly suit their needs.
Since its formation in 2007, the apertus° project has applied an Open Source philosophy to everything it has developed. As no patents have been filed, anyone can access the technology behind its cameras and people are actively encouraged to adapt, modify, repair and even replicate them. To date, reaction has been very positive. Not only has the company achieved – and exceeded – its initial crowd funding target but it also has the backing of some very important film makers and cinematographers.
ASC and AIC Cinematographer Roberto Schaefer, who was responsible for films such as Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland and Stranger Than Fiction, says: "I believe than an Open Source camera will allow us to customize the digital camera to our personal liking. That should include ergonomics and hopefully give the ability to get rid of the shoebox, front heavy trend of current designs. I look forward to using custom elements to create the new Digital Aaton, even though they are no longer in business. The design possibilities that I've seen from the apertus° project are exciting, as are the image creation possibilities. Not being locked in to any one company’s idea of what the images should look like is a breath of fresh (film) air. Currently in order to switch film stocks we have to change camera systems. The AXIOM will hopefully change all of that and allow us to change stocks with a physical switch."
His views are shared by Emmy and Academy Award-winning DOP and Visual Effects Supervisor David Stump, who says: "The spirit of Open Source frees up the creative spirit to do something that no one else thought of," while IMAX cinematographer Lee Ford Parker adds: "Open Source cameras are a step back toward the dark room, in which making the tools is part of the joy of making the art."
The AXIOM Beta camera has just been released and is currently only available at cost to the community that backed the initial crowd funding campaign. Rogue Element was one of those backers and Managing Director Dan Mulligan says: "Open Source is a fantastic concept and we are delighted to be supporting apertus° by making this format available to the UK rental market. In taking on the Open Source philosophy, we hope to facilitate unfettered access to the technology and free up the creative spirit so that the cinema industry can engage in practices that encourage freedom of expression and is no longer limited by who can contribute."
Established by Mulligan in 2001 firstly with camera rentals, Rogue Element then pioneered tapeless and file-based digital workflows and onset correction with 3D LUTs, S.two & Codex data recorders and Filmlight colour timing suites until 2011.
Now starting an Open Source operation for 2014 onwards Rogue will offer new camera solutions and options for the Broadcast & Features markets.
Rogue Element can also provide dailies and workflows for Arriraw (Alexa 16:9/4:3 sensors) RED RAW (RED Epic & Dragon 6K),Sony S-Log3 (Sony F65), Canon RAW (Canon C100/300/500), Cinema DNG (Blackmagic), GoPro and many other of today's professional and niche camera systems. With this new operation for 2014 we want to pursue new avenues for the market.

www.rogueelementdigital.com

Broadcast Magazine 2014



Friday 17 October 2014

2014 Open Source Press Release








PRESS RELEASE

Rogue Element Embraces an Open Source Philosophy 

The digital cinematography company is one of the first in the world to rent out apertus° AXIOM Open Digital Cinema Cameras.

London, UK. October 17th, 2014: Rogue Element has become one of the first digital cinematography companies in the UK to adopt an Open Source policy for its rental division, providing Open Source Digital Camera Solutions.

In a move designed to unleash and encourage creativity, the Soho-based company is ensuring that 4K cinema is fully open to everyone by making AXIOM Beta Open Digital Cinema Cameras available to its rental customers.

AXIOM Beta cameras are the first products to be developed by apertus°, an Open Source cinema organisation founded by film makers and financed through crowd funding. The people behind apertus° were galvanised into action when they became concerned with the expensive and limited tools they were forced to work with every day. Instead, they wanted access to affordable devices and technology that delivered the highest possible image quality and could be customised to exactly suit their needs. 

Since its formation in 2007, the apertus° project has applied an Open Source philosophy to everything it has developed. As no patents have been filed, anyone can access the technology behind its cameras and people are actively encouraged to adapt, modify, repair and even replicate them. To date, reaction has been very positive. Not only has the company achieved – and exceeded – its initial crowd funding target but it also has the backing of some very important film makers and cinematographers. 

ASC and AIC Cinematographer Roberto Schaefer, who was responsible for films such as Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland and Stranger Than Fiction, says: "I believe than an Open Source camera will allow us to customize the digital camera to our personal liking. That should include ergonomics and hopefully give the ability to get rid of the shoebox, front heavy trend of current designs. I look forward to using custom elements to create the new Digital Aaton, even though they are no longer in business. The design possibilities that I've seen from the apertus° project are exciting, as are the image creation possibilities. Not being locked in to any one company’s idea of what the images should look like is a breath of fresh (film) air. Currently in order to switch film stocks we have to change camera systems. The AXIOM will hopefully change all of that and allow us to change stocks with a physical switch."

His views are shared by Emmy and Academy Award-winning DOP and Visual Effects Supervisor David Stump, who says: "The spirit of Open Source frees up the creative spirit to do something that no one else thought of," while IMAX cinematographer Lee Ford Parker adds: "Open Source cameras are a step back toward the dark room, in which making the tools is part of the joy of making the art."

The AXIOM Beta camera has just been released and is currently only available at cost to the community that backed the initial crowd funding campaign. Rogue Element was one of those backers and Managing Director Dan Mulligan says: "Open Source is a fantastic concept and we are delighted to be supporting apertus° by making this format available to the UK rental market. In taking on the Open Source philosophy, we hope to facilitate unfettered access to the technology and free up the creative spirit so that the cinema industry can engage in practices that encourage freedom of expression and is no longer limited by who can contribute."

Established by Mulligan in 2001 firstly with camera rentals, Rogue Element then pioneered tapeless and file-based digital workflows and onset correction with 3D LUTs, S.two & Codex data recorders and Filmlight colour timing suites until 2011.
Now starting an Open Source operation for 2014 onwards Rogue will offer new camera solutions and options for the Broadcast & Features markets.

Rogue Element can also provide dailies and workflows for Arriraw (Alexa 16:9/4:3 sensors) RED RAW (RED Epic & Dragon 6K),Sony S-Log3 (Sony F65), Canon RAW (Canon C100/300/500), Cinema DNG (Blackmagic), GoPro and many other of today's professional and niche camera systems. With this new operation for 2014 we want to pursue new avenues for the market.

Dan Mulligan, who has recently returned to Rogue Element after a three year stint at Technicolor, says: "The Arriraw format is now well established and there are a raft of high-end products catering for this market. We are still providing our customers with access to these workflows as they continue to develop, but thanks to our investment in the apertus° project we can now bring a very high quality Open Source 4K camera to the market at a much lower entry cost."

Mulligan adds that for many film makers, cost can be an ongoing issue and the price of using high end equipment does bar many talented people from entering the market. 

"This is why it is good to see the appearance of an Open Source camera system that has a much lower entry point," he says. "The ability to create your own 4K camera and your own workflow is hugely beneficial for the film and broadcast industry because it will encourage content creation and allow people to get involved at much less cost."

Rogue Element is not initially consider charging for the rental of its AXIOM Beta cameras. Instead, it will make its income through consultancy and through supplying additional new sensors, lenses, tripods etc., and add on services such as storage and workflow.

"We want people to try them so we are making them as easily available as possible," Mulligan says. "With the Axiom Open Source we now have a camera solution coming from an opposing end of the release spectrum with a differing approach to its target audience. There should be more than enough room for both this and the higher end systems."

-ends-

About Rogue Element:
Rogue Element provides digital cinematography filming services plus data and dailies, to the Film and Broadcast industries. A pioneer in tapeless and file-based digital workflows and on-set colour correction, the company's growing rental division also supplies and supports a wide range of professional Digital Cameras including RAW camera systems and workflows, apertus° AXIOM Beta Open Source cameras and new solutions for RAW workflows.

Tel:  +44 (0) 7957 588293


Press contact:
Sue Sillitoe
White Noise PR
Tel: +44 (0) 1666 500142
Mobile: +44 (0) 7798 621891



Open Source - Thoughts


New platform for open source.

Rogue Element wants to help promote the use of open-source software in the public and private sectors. Initially we are looking at Open Cinema but would look to broaden this in time.

Open-source software is software that does not conform to traditional software licensing models and can be used and distributed freely.

We believe open-source software is good for economies and costs and for the empowerment of the practitioners.

The Rogue website will make information available to allow those wanting resources or support for open source-software. We would love to be the central point for all conversations about open source and particularly its place in modern digital film craft.

It is not only servers and cloud-based applications where open source has a place, but also in the software that those craft principles can use every day. Most potential users would perhaps focus on a tiny subset of a softwares functionality.

Most computing devices now run on some form of open-source software. Google’s Android is a good example. Some smart TVs also run on Linux

Adopting and moving to open-source software will allow also allow developers to fill the gap left by the transition and long term move away from licensed to open-source software. With open-source software, it is not about limiting anyone, we just want to ensure that the majority of the computing we do happens on open-source software. Its very good for skills, and it allows us to write our own story and encourage development of skills.

Thank you,
Daniel Mulligan
Rogue Element

Thursday 16 October 2014

Early RAW DNG file example and download



The next step is to record an image. Many questions, possibilities can arise from the actual method of capture. True RAW uncalibrated images can be recorded but look very unappealing and need full processing to create useable versions, but you do have the full images sensor information to play with.

Less processsed, or as we see them RAW images already pre-processed, can be delivered with encoding applied such as Log curve, making the images available instantly to be worked on.

Plus the wrapper that then contains the image. This example uses DNG but you can create your own .abcd file format (say .axi) to then record/save your image sensor data inside.

Below is a link to a RAW DNG download as an example of a 4K image that is captured directly from the image sensor. It is a DNG file and may need to be converted via DNG convertor as the Axiom does not at this stage record full metadata which would allow the file to be seen via DNG SDK software. I converted this non metadata DNG to a new DNG again and the image then became available to me in software such as Resolve 11.1 and Assimilate Scratch Lab.

Download link :

https://apertus.org/merry-christmas-2013


RAW DNG unprocessed example followed by graded version below it :











Updates



Hi,

As the Axiom Camera is on this blog it feels like a good time to outline the progress so far and what should in store for the next year of its development.

As explained this is an entirely open source development and allows anyone to examine and participate in that development, and also to add any suggestions or ideas to how it could develop even further.

Due to the nature of the digital industry new developments are taking place fairly rapidly so seeing how everything continues for the Axiom will be interesting. Coming up soon will be further explanations regarding the sensor and its capabilities, plus also a look at how the images will be recorded and to what degree a strongly considered and implemented workflow will be developed for the system.

More to come soon,

Daniel Mulligan

www.puredigitalservices.com

Axiom Dimensions


HDMI recording Axiom 4K



Interfaces
AXIOM Beta will have a wide range of Input/Output "Shields" (as we call modules for this purpose). A shield with 3x HDMI ports will be completed first, more shields for 3G-SDI, Timecode, Genlock, etc. will then follow soon depending on what the community is most interested in. Worth noting is that the three HDMI ports are fully independent from each other and can be configured to output completely differently processed images. Remember that anything is possible as this is entirely open source. This should allow some interesting configurations, here is one configuration example:


4K DNG Downloads

Here is a link to the RAW DNG file allowing you to play and grade yourself :
Here is a link to the 4K graded file, 4088x3064 1.6mb size :
I copied a small JPEG as an upload for a visual check in the previous post, the banding is there due to the compression from 1.6mb original to 266kb for easier upload bandwidth.
Dan Mulligan

Axiom RAW 4K DNG download



Here is a link to the RAW DNG file allowing you to play and grade yourself :

4K raw DNG Download

Here is a link to the 4K graded file, 4088x3064 1.6mb size :

https://images.indiegogo.com/file_attachments/914986/files/20141008121257-AXIOM_Alpha_4K_RAW_Still.jpg?1412795577

I copied a small JPEG as an upload for a visual check in the previous post, the banding is there due to the compression from 1.6mb original to 266kb for easier upload bandwidth.

Dan Mulligan

www.rogueelementdigital.com

Sunday 5 October 2014

Sony 8K processing

Sony 8K processing : Super Resolution De-Mosaicing Processor

The Super Resolution De-Mosaicing Processor is a complete solution designed to generate the highest quality motion image from F65 raw data up to 8K x 4K. A cutout function offers free resolution, free aspect ratio live-action contents.

Availability is scheduled for October 2014 and more information will be provided soon.

8K x 4K, 6K x 3K, 4K. 2K super resolution de-mosaicing from F65 raw data

Free aspect ratio, free resolution cutout

Export to standard file format

Task control and batch processing

Link : http://www.pro.sony.eu/pro/lang/en/eu/product/broadcast-products-camcorders-option-boards-modules-plug-ins/super-resolution-de-mosaicing-processor/overview/


Saturday 4 October 2014

Axiom Open Module Concept


Axiom Alpha


Apertusº website



Please find below the website for the 4K Open Source Cinema Camera system.


https://www.apertus.org






The goal of the community driven apertus° project is to create a variety of powerful, free (in terms of liberty) and open cinema tools that we as filmmakers love to use. The idea of building an open cinema camera using an Elphel camera for this particular purpose was born in 2006, found many followers over the years and ultimately resulted in this project entitled "apertus" (word definition) and this website.


Learn more about the apertus° project and about the apertus° history. Our latest efforts are to build the first ever open hardware and free software digital cinema camera from scratch.

Apertusº 2014 blog



Hi and welcome,

This new blog for 2014 will concentrate on the new open source camera being built through the Apertus programme.

There are up and coming visits to the development centre and updates as this new 4K camera system releases capabilities, specs, recording options, workflows and other new information.

It is an open source system, thus allowing for anyone to participate, aid development and even through crowdfunding invest a little.

This will be a very interesting journey and hope you will enjoy this along with us as the new camera develops and becomes fully available.

Thank you,

Daniel Mulligan













Friday 3 October 2014

Axiom updates October 2014


Wednesday 23 April 2014

2014 Twitter feeds running for all our new workflows

Take a look at our Twitter feed for 2014, lots of updates including NAB 2014 new equipment and our workflows for them.

https://twitter.com/refilms


Captain Philips NAB 2014 article published

Captain Philips article from HD Definition Magazine NAB Day 02 issue.

We provided all DIT services and dailies servcies via our mobile Lab system.


Friday 7 March 2014

LUTs article from 2010

http://www.definitionmagazine.com/journal/2010/4/30/a-lut-and-how-to-use-it.html

This article was written almost 4 years ago, wonder if it is still relevant?

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Web refresh and new services and credits

http://www.rogueelementdigital.com

New updates and services for 2014 click here

Friday 14 February 2014

New Tweets for 2014

And of course Twitter gets a new look from us also.

New 2014 Facebook pages

Inevitably we will be re-newing our Facebook profiles also.

Fresh websites and Social media

New for 2014 will be refreshed websites.

2014 new workflows and pipeline integration

2014 will see an increase in the demand for a much smoother digital workflow, which we will be working on and developing for 2014 and beyond.