Sony F35 CineAlta Camera with rare Wet Dock, Codex Recorder, EVF, many custom extras

[Igor Bertolucci]

The time has come for me to part with my treasured Sony Cinealta F35 camera. This is a legendary camera used in many visually stunning feature films like Tron Legacy, Transformers Dark of the Moon, Real Steel, and one of my personal favorites, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. To this day the Sony F35 produces one of the most filmic images of any camera thanks to its 4.5K (12.4 megapixel) CCD sensor, global shutter, film-like highlight rolloff and vast color spectrum.

I have spent a long time finding the right camera and all the components, some extremely rare, that make up this complete, top of the line, F35 cinematography kit. Some of the rare components are the BandPro "wet dock" (interface plate), made for the Real Steel film production, that replaces the old and bulky IF box and outputs quad 1.5G HD-SDI, along with GPIO and power. Paired with the Codex Onboard Recorder M, this enables the highest quality output from the camera as well as triggering the recorder from the F35 REC button. Although you may find some Onboard Recorders on eBay, without the extremely rare Data Transfer Station to unload the footage, the recorder is basically useless. Codex Data Transfer Stations are nearly impossible to find these days and are very expensive. In this kit I am including everything you need to record, playback, and offload your footage. You just need to add a battery and a lens, and you are ready to go.

Here is the list of items included in this sale:

- Sony F35 Serial #11036 with 2765 hours
- BandPro Codex CDX-P055 Sony F35 "wet dock"
- Codex CDX-3010 Onboard M recorder
- 3 x 512GB Codex Mags (SSD drives)
- Codex CDX-5500 Data Transfer Station
- ATTO ExpressSAS H6F0 PCI card (inside Sonnet enclosure)
- Sonnet Echo Express SE 1 Thunderbolt 3 enclosure (used to connect the Codex Data Transfer Station to a modern Mac via Thunderbolt 3)
- Alphatron EVF-035W-3G Electronic Viewfinder (SDI input from either the camera or Codex recorder. When connected to the Codex you can also review your footage with a LUT)
- 2 Ravpower NP-F550 batteries and a USB charger (batteries used to power the Alphatron EVF)
- Element Technica EVF mount
- ACSE German-made custom baseplate for F35 with power distribution and quick release shoulder pad
- Custom-made AC adapter with 20 feet (6 meter) cord
- Custom-made V-mount battery plate with 3 foot (1 meter) cord and belt clip
- All cables needed to get everything working

Here is the link to 30 high resolution photos to see the kit in detail: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZPoAQ74ej41j162JA
(Please note the lens and battery you see in some photos are not included in this kit. They are for demonstration purposes only.)

Everything is in good to very good physical condition and 100% functional. The only issue I have encountered is that one of the two outputs from the Codex Recorder is not functioning, however since it has two identical outputs, this is not a problem - I keep the EVF connected to OUT 2. I feel I should mention this to be completely transparent as this is a very rare and unique piece of kit. In fact, I will be very happy to help you get up and running with it as I have learned much about using this equipment throughout the years.

Price: $7200 + PayPal fee + shipping. I will also accept Venmo, in which case there would be no PayPal fee.

Although I have not posted much here on Cinematography.com, I have been a member of Dvxuser.com since 2004. I have posted many times, purchased and sold many items there, on RedUser.com and on eBay (eBay ID is Samana76). Everyone I have done business with has always been 100% satisfied. You can rest assured you are dealing with an honest and reliable person.

I am located in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are local, you are welcome to come see and pick up the F35 in a COVID safe environment. I also have extensive experience in packing and shipping delicate items safely everywhere in the world, so domestic or international shipping is not a problem.

Please look at the high resolution photos and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

[Peter Olejnik]

Very interesting package. Albeit a bit heavy, but super rare. Why are you parting with it, if I may ask? 

[Max Field]

I might be interested but the package is a bit too sprawling and it's priced quite high for the current market, especially post COVID.

[Igor Bertolucci]

Hello,

Thank you all for your interest. This is truly a special camera and a fantastic setup. I had a great time finding just the right combination of parts to get the highest quality output from the camera while keeping it as compact and comfortable as possible for tripod and shoulder mount work. I really enjoy using the F35 and am always amazed by the color and detail. The uncompressed 12bit 444 DPX files have so much information in them - the histogram is so thick, you can manipulate it however you want and it will never fall apart. If you expose properly, the camera has an amazing amount of dynamic range.

The reason I am selling it is that I am downsizing my equipment as my career is taking a different path.

I think the price I am asking is very reasonable for this/these piece(s) of equipment. This is obviously not your typical consumer electronic device, which drops in value as soon as the next model comes out and is no longer in vogue. This is a camera that was developed by the biggest names out there, Panavision and Sony, sparing no expense to develop a digital cinema camera that captures light with similar qualities to film. Yes, cameras today are smaller, lighter, have higher dynamic range, and can see in the dark, but the F35 was, I think, the pinnacle of mimicking the qualities of film in a digital format. There is something so emotional in the images this camera produces: it's a mix of color, highlight roll-off, a softness and texture to the image - but still retaining fine detail, the quality of motion thanks the global shutter, a film-like grain rather than digital noise, and a glow in the highlights that makes this camera so unique. After the era the F35 was produced, camera manufactures became more interested in a super clean, digital, plasticky - like CGI - image, which is what we see everywhere today.

I am obviously very passionate about the F35, but I think that is exactly the kind of owner this camera is for. This is not going to be your daily driver, this is your weekend vintage sports car. This is the one you admire during the week when you come home with your sedan. The one you tweak and customize to make it your own. The one you plan the weekend drive for and can't wait to take out for a spin; and when you do, you enjoy every second of it and look forward to your next outing.

Cheers,
Igor

Edited January 19, 2021 by Igor Bertolucci

[Igor Bertolucci]

Price for the entire package reduced to $6500 + PayPal + Shipping. I will also accept Venmo, in which case there would be no PayPal fee.

[Igor Bertolucci]

This camera package is no longer available. I have sold the Codex M Recorder and will list the Sony F35 camera body with the "wet dock" and other components separately.