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Ursa (DaVinci 888)vs. Spirit vs. Rank Mk3


Jarin Blaschke

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Anyone have any information as to how these telecine machines compare, especially as image noise is concerned . I have usually worked on a Spirit but am involved with choosing a telecine house for the transfer. The project is being funded out-of-pocket, so price is certainly a major concern, but quality is more so. Is the Rank that much worse than a Spirit to cost $60 less per hour? How do these machines stack up against each other? We would be transfering to DigiBeta from an anamorphic negative. Thanks.

 

-Jarin

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  • 2 months later...
Is the Rank that much worse than a Spirit to cost $60 less per hour? How do these machines stack up against each other? We would be transfering to DigiBeta from an anamorphic negative.

Depends on the Rank and the operator, but in general, I would say YES, the Spirit will deliver a better picture than an average Rank like an Ursa or (god forbid) a Mark IIIC from the late 1980s. :blink:

 

I think the Spirits are more inherently stable, have far less gate weave, plus they tend to show far less grain in underexposed scenes, assuming identical material. A lot depends on the color-correction system and the colorist using it; I'd recommend a daVinci 2K (preferably a 2K+), and request that you have a still-store available in the room with which to use for matching scenes. Some facilities offer the newer Rank C-Reality, which can also produce beautiful pictures from 35mm; I'd say the C-Reality and Spirit are a "Mercedes/BMW" comparison, each having pros and cons, neither beating the other in every way.

 

You mention you're going to DigiBeta. I would recommend instead that you transfer to HD 24P (like to D5), since that way, your film is available for distribution in high-def. Later, you can use this tape to generate DigiBeta tapes for both North America and the rest of the world -- NTSC and PAL, respectively -- with no compromises in quality.

 

Note that you will need to do multiple aspect ratio transfers. I would recommend you at least do one in 2.35 letterbox, and one in 1.33 (aka 4x3) pan/scan, and possibly a third version in 1.78 (aka 16x9), which more and more studios are requesting. That way, you have every possible base covered. Of course, you'll need to supervise and approve the recomposition as needed, but better you do it than an unknown technician.

 

All of this will cost somewhat more money, depending on the facility. Deals can be had, particularly if you're not picky on the time of day the job takes place. If you approach a facility at a time when they're not terribly busy, they might cut the costs considerably. Shop around and see how the rates at different facilities stack up.

 

--MFW

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