American Cinematographer - February 2012 - 76

New Products & Services
Kodak Expands Vision3 Line Eastman Kodak Company has introduced Vision3 50D color negative film 5203/7203, which integrates the company’s advanced Vision3 imaging technology into a fine-grained, daylight-balanced film. 5203/7203 is a low-speed negative optimized for capturing images in natural or simulated daylight conditions. The stock incorporates Vision3 technology advancements such as Dye Layering Technology and sub-micron imaging sensors, which deliver as much as two stops of additional overexposure latitude and better signal-to-noise performance, especially in over- and underexposure. The stock also offers improved color consistency with the ability to shoot challenging high-contrast exteriors and follow the action into bright highlights without loss of image discrimination. “This addition to the Vision3 film portfolio is designed to give extraordinary creative latitude to cinematographers working in daylight conditions,” says ASC associate Kim Snyder, president of Entertainment Imaging and vice president of Eastman Kodak Company. “This new stock — the finest-grained negative on the market — offers a combination of unmatched resolution, reliability and proven archival capabilities.” Cinematographer Blake Evans recently tested the new stock. He reports, “I wanted to stress-test the contrast capabilities of the new Kodak 50D stock, so we shot a few scenes in a high-contrast exterior situation that included bright whites and shadows. I exposed normally and followed the actors’ faces as they moved from the sun into the shadows. The negative was processed normally, and when I saw the footage as DVD dailies, I found the grain a tiny bit tighter in the dark toe of the shadows. That says a lot, considering the [Vision2 50D] 5201 emulsion was already a super-fine grain. This new 5203 stock dug deep into the shadows and maintained neutral colors, especially in the skin tones. There was no biasing of the whites in the bright highlights.” 5203/7203 also possesses all the necessary qualities that allow a color negative film to perform well in film recorders, including extremely fine grain, high resolution, excellent latent image keeping and reciprocity characteristics, and a low level of unwarranted crosstalk between the color channels. The ability to render finer-grain images in underexposed areas also produces cleaner film76 February 2012

• SUBMISSION INFORMATION • Please e-mail New Products/Services releases to: newproducts@ascmag.com and include full contact information and product images. Photos must be TIFF or JPEG files of at least 300dpi.

to-digital transfers. “We understand that digital cameras are improving, but the industry holds film as the benchmark by which they are all judged,” says Snyder. “This new emulsion is another example of Kodak’s dedication to filmmaking technology and ongoing innovation.” For additional information, visit www.kodak.com/go/motion. EasyFocus Makes Focus Easy Building on his experience designing the Moviecam and, with Walter Trauninger, the Arricam camera lines, Fritz Gabriel Bauer has introduced the Moviecam EasyFocus system, a distancemeasurement tool that combines a precise reader with a video display. EasyFocus is designed for focus pullers and is especially helpArri Adds 135mm to Master Prime Line Based on feedback from cinematographers, operators and directors, Arri has introduced the 135mm Master Prime. Fitting nicely between the 100mm and 150mm Master Primes, the 135mm makes an ideal portrait lens and brings the Master Prime set up 16 focal lengths. Like all other Master Primes, the 135mm provides a high resolution, high-contrast image with very low flares and veiling glare; the lens offers a clean starting point from which the cinematographer can shape and sculpt the image to his or her content, be that through lighting, filters or digital manipulations during color corrections. The 135mm focal length is sufficiently telephoto to separate the subject from its surroundings, but not so telephoto that the perspective becomes flat; therefore, faces retain a pleasing three-dimensional quality. The widest aperture of T1.3 combined with the Master Primes’ ability to maintain their high image quality even wide open allows for an extremely shallow depth of field when desired. Additionally, to facilitate closeups, the 135mm Master Prime has been designed with a close focus range of 37"; even at that close range, the 135mm maintains its high image quality. In keeping with the rest of the Master Prime range, the 135mm has its iris and focus rings at the expected positions, making lens switching fast and easy. The front diameter also remains at the customary 114mm to allow the use of the same mattebox for almost all Master Primes. For additional information, visit www.arri.com.

American Cinematographer

http://www.kodak.com/go/motion http://www.arri.com

American Cinematographer - February 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2012