Jump to content

Penelope Update.


Nathan Milford

Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

I posted this in a 2-perf thread and JPB posted it on the CML, but I think it got buried so here you go:

 

 

Penelope-2 is a very quiet, light, low power, triple format camera:

35mm 3Perf and 2Perf (a 10 minute shop adjustment),

and, being of the instant magazine breed, it is designed

to receive a digital magazine (a one minute on-location operation),

the day a really good 4K sensor comes on the market.

 

Its 'progressive scan' video-assist brings an interesting

new function: it generates time-indexed jpeg proxies into a USB key,

which also stores all the metadata collected by the camera*.

Penelope thus generates an immediatly printable PDF 'Image-Report'

showing the proxies, (from four to N evenly spread over the take),

metadata, and AatonCode.

 

* Those of you with a good memory will recall the Super16 Xtr's

'Event Memory', introduced in the early 80s, which stored the

lens parameters, tilt angle, starts/stops, mag IDs etc..

and downloaded this data into the Aaton 'Script Supervisor'

master clock (a PDA before the PDAs).

 

Metadata retrieval is already a standard feature of the Aaton Cantar

8 track recorder which delivers an end of day printable 'Sound-Report'

in PDF format. It goes without saying that merging the two databases,

thanks to the camera and recorder common timecode, will result in an

easily readable Image/Sound-Report tremendously helping the on-location

team and the post-prod people.

 

Penelope-2 is waiting for you at the NAB.

--jp

 

It is (or is on it's way to being) one sweet camera. You'll also note that the magazines are much simpler to boot >8)

 

From Aaton's Home Page:

penelope-avril2007_1722_180534_t.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
:o wow, very nice. If only I had enough money...

 

by "light", how light is it?

 

 

Well, don't quote me, but the hope is to get it as light as if not lighter (by simplifying the magazines) than the 35-III. Part of the mission in design was to make it quieter, lighter and easier to load than the 35-III.

 

The 35-III weights about 16lbs with a mag, prime and battery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow...beautiful. I have been more excited to see this camera on the market than the Red. Any word on prices or are they just saying 'around XTRprod prices' like they have in the past. Professional proven design. And its modable. Take that Janarrd! (actually I been a red watcher for a few months after its announcement, then the heat turned up too much from their rabid supporters and turned me off of caring even. Where are all the sane-minded people who view new tools with slight novelty, not with hardcore rabid violence? You'd think red was a religion not a camera. this applies to all products by the way.)

 

 

I guess still no word on their delivery date. last I heard Q1 07 turned to 3d or 4th Q 07....has it been pushed back any further?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

It is similar in concept to a digital back for a Hasselblad or Rollei. It will be a 4K sensor that will sit where the magazine sits.

 

You can shoot 2-perf, 3-perf, 4-perf and scope as well as (eventually) 4K and possibly they'll allow you to window and down rez etc... But, this all depends on if/when JP finds a sensor technology he likes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is similar in concept to a digital back for a Hasselblad or Rollei. It will be a 4K sensor that will sit where the magazine sits.

 

You can shoot 2-perf, 3-perf, 4-perf and scope as well as (eventually) 4K and possibly they'll allow you to window and down rez etc... But, this all depends on if/when JP finds a sensor technology he likes.

That's nuts! Does it brew coffee?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weighs about 18 pounds, but it may shed or gain a few pounds by the time it arrives. 24db is the goal, but it may end up quieter. 48fps top speed again is the current goal.

 

Everything is still up for grabs, including elements of the form factor. But these are the specs they were telling everyone at NAB, so that's what I can share. The mags are an incredible improvement, as is the viewfinder. She's a very sweet machine. Goal is end of the year, but again, we'll see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess still no word on their delivery date. last I heard Q1 07 turned to 3d or 4th Q 07....has it been pushed back any further?

Q1 08 would be more realistic. That's what F. Fisher from Aäton told me last march.

 

This will cost around 100k-150k, no?

I'll say 50-60.000 ? for the body, right at the middle between an XTRprod and a 35-III price.

Just supposing...

 

Weighs about 18 pounds, but it may shed or gain a few pounds by the time it arrives. 24db is the goal, but it may end up quieter. 48fps top speed again is the current goal.

 

Everything is still up for grabs, including elements of the form factor. But these are the specs they were telling everyone at NAB, so that's what I can share. The mags are an incredible improvement, as is the viewfinder. She's a very sweet machine. Goal is end of the year, but again, we'll see.

24 dB at 3 perfs I hope. If so that's not much quieter than the 35-III (which is supposed to be around 24-26 dB at 3 perfs).

 

Have they manufactured a new viewfinder ? The one we can see on the new picture ? I thaught it was a (new) PSTechnik one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new camera will be quieter than the Aaton 35-3 3-perf model available for the last few years. It has three separate motors, one for the movement, one for the spinning mirror and one for the mag. By doing this there is no interlocking gearing, which is where so much noise is generated.

 

The viewfinder is new, built by P+S Technik based on their design for the Moviecam Compact Evolution. It is lightweight (a feat for P+S) and very bright & sharp. Everyone who picked up the prototype fell in love with her.

 

The goal is for the end of the year, but she'll be ready when she is ready. We offered many ideas for improvements and these things take time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...