American Cinematographer - April 2015 - 100

New Products & Services
Reflex Unveils 35mm Scanner
Burbank-based Reflex Technologies, an archival services
company that offers high-quality scanning of narrow-gauge film and various
video formats, has extended its digitalscanning services to include 35mm film.
Reflex's 35mm scanner has been
under development for the past two
years and includes all the unique filmhandling characteristics of its narrowgauge-film companion. "Both machines
have been designed and built internally
by Reed Bovee, our chief technology officer, who combines the skill of an engineer with his experience as a filmmaker,"
says ASC associate Tim Knapp, president
of Reflex Technologies.
Both scanners are sprocket-less; the
software automatically recognizes the
format being scanned, and the scanners use lasers to sense the
perforations and to trigger the camera off the most spatially relevant
perforation. The 35mm scanner's gate has been scaled up, but
otherwise it's identical to the smaller-gauge scanner in every respect,
and is capable of holding even highly warped film flat at the point
of image capture.
"For illumination, we're again using a strobe," says Knapp.
"In our 16mm machine, we [originally] used a xenon strobe, but
we've [since] replaced that with the same LED unit we're using in
the 35mm scanner. The LED strobe provides high intensity with low
energy, absolutely uniform flash-to-flash consistency, and very stable
color temperature. It's a major improvement."
There are significant differences between scanning narrowgauge and 35mm film. Bovee explains, "The 35mm image size is a
little over five times larger than the image area of 16mm film. The
scanning resolution is 5K rather than 2K. The roll weights are different. And we expect to handle more color film, including more color
negative."
In terms of its film handling, the 35mm Reflex scanner is
essentially the same as the company's unique narrow-gauge unit.
The control logic and tension-sensing mechanism are the same,
although the maximum tension is different - as recommended by
SMPTE standards - because of the difference in roll weights.
Reflex Archival Services has built a reputation for being able
to scan film that other services consider extinct due to its highly
distressed condition; the Reflex 35mm scanner will fully and gently
handle such film in the 35mm format. Knapp emphasizes that the
company has designed the scanner to produce high-quality scans of
archival films in every condition, including those that have been
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April 2015

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carefully stored and well preserved.
"Reed has designed the new scanner to enable us to provide
35mm service to the most discerning archivists," says Knapp. "We
take pride in assuring our clients that they can use our output as their
new digital archival masters and as access copies, and put their valuable films back into storage. Archivists have been able to trust us
with their 8mm, 16mm and archival video materials, and now they
can trust us to provide the same high level of assurance with
35mm."
For additional information, visit www.reflextechnologies.com.
Fujifilm Updates IS-mini
Fujifilm North America Corp. has released IS-mini Manager
Plus+, a significantly enhanced version of the Mini Manager software
for the company's IS-mini digital color-adjustment device.
The IS-mini is a small hardware device that takes an incoming
HD-SDI digital-camera motion-picture image and converts the color
information via two sets of 1D LUTs and 3D LUTs to outputs of both
HD-SDI and HDMI connections - all in record time while delivering
high picture quality. The newly improved Mini Manager version 2.3.3
adds several powerful features to the user-friendly interface, bringing post-house color-correction abilities to any on-set professional or
home user on a personal computer. Several features require activation of the IS-mini Manager Plus+ license (a $500 value).
The IS-mini can work with whatever
flavor of Log images are coming
from the camera. Connection is
easy: input HD-SDI from the
camera, connect the IS-mini output
to a monitor and the USB to a
laptop, then edit the color as the
camera captures in real time.
Because the IS-mini can be
powered by way of a 5-volt USB port,
it's very portable. Additionally, the Mini Manager software can
archive an unlimited number of edited LUTs, and can also export and
send them to the post team. The IS-mini can also store one LUT in
its own non-volatile memory, allowing it to be used as a LUT box
without a computer connection.
Multiple IS-minis, connected by way of a USB hub, can be
accessed from within the main screen of Mini Manager 2.3.3 and
within the color-correction window. During color correction, the
changes can be immediately sent to only one IS-mini or to all the
connected units in unison; Mini Manager will cascade the monitorcalibration correction, enabling precise grading even with low-end
monitors. Additionally, 4K monitor calibration is made possible
through multiple IS-mini units feeding four inputs.
Time-code logging has been newly added so looks can be

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http://www.reflextechnologies.com

American Cinematographer - April 2015

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