Michael Maier

How much does an used Zeiss 10-100 usually goes for? How fast is it?

What are your favorite S16 lenses? Primes and Zooms.

Exactly. As I said, it's just not right comparing a high end ARRI to a homemade camera :)

Specs and ARRI behind it as a bonus ;)

Well, first, I'm not really fighting it. I'm just saying it cost too much for what it is and specially for not being a proved product from a proved company. 20k sounds a lot of money to dump on the uncertain. Second, the Drake is not and will never be as good as the Arri D20. If you think so, you are fooling yourself. Many have reported seeing a pattern in the Drake's image. Also the Drake is only 720p and 8bit. The D20 will be way better. Although way more expensive too. So comparing them is not really right. The D20 is comparable to the Viper, which the Drake isn't. Also, maybe, the fact that Arri, a company with years of experience in image aquisition and lots of money for R&D is not in a hurry to release their product should tell you something. They have a reputation and don't want to throw a product in the market which is not ready. They don't want you to beta test it. Which is exactly what you will do buying a Drake now. If Arri can't do it that fast, neither can a group of individuals with no industry back up. They are rushing it in too soon, because they probably have no more money left for R&D and need to sell some cameras to invest more money and continue R&D. Don't think they are just too good and beat Arri. They did not. The Drake have the same DOF as a Digibeta by the way. Last time I heard it had a 2/3" sensor just like a Digibeta. For 35mm DOF, you also need the Pro35 adapter. So, while I completely understand your enthusiasm for your countryman, thinking they are better than Arri, because they are rushing a half backed, homemade camera, made out sub-par parts to the market is really short sighted in my opinion.

Well, chances are you will not shoot with both cameras at the same time (since they will be different formats) so why not using the accessories? I still think it's just so they can sell it for more. I still think it's too much for a homemade camera with uncertain tech support and warranty. Also, let's not forget it's 720p 8 bit. Not 1080p or anything. Also the more complex post production path makes it all not all that worth. Might as well shoot super16.

But don't you think it's silly to make customers buy lens accessories(rods, focus, mattebox) when they don't even sell a lens with it?

That's really not the point here. Why is it a system if you have to buy accessories with it? Accessories mean, they are optional. You don't need a mattebox to use Darke, you don't need a follow focus, you don't need rods, all you need is the camera, viewfinder and HDDs. The funny thing is that they obrigate you to buy the accessories, which should be optional, but don't even include a lens I tell you why they want to sell it with the accessories only. It's because it's a way to jack the price up. Yep. because that camera can't cost more than 5,000 to build and that's already a lot. So they throw in 2000 in accessories to make it look like you are getting more. A real system would be camera, viewfinder, HDDs and lens. Accessories are just that, accessories. They are not needed to use a system. They just add to it. It's very funny though that they want to make you buy lens accessories, but don't seel a lens with it. Hilarious.

That's why I mentioned them. They are just bad business. Call them and try to buy a acamera. You won't be able to buy the camera if you don't buy all the accessories they push on you.

That's different. It's more like Sony telling you they won't sell you a F900 if you don't buy a mattebox, an LCD monitor (The Z1 is different. It's a flip out integrated), rods, focus pulling, a case, batteries, charger and power supply. It's trying to obrigate the customer to buy accessories. Those are accessories. You know, it reminds me of the famous scam where camcorder stores sell cameras for cheap, but they won't sell you the camera wihtout their over priced accessories. Like Broadway Photo does.

I think so too. I think they will sell way less if they stick with the "is the whole system or nothing" strategy. Maybe they will realize that and change their strategy.

I guess you are right about 4:4:4 uncompressed. But 8 bit only? Anyway, although I think the price is pretty steep for a home made system, if they would offer the camera only, it would maybe be cheaper. I mean, lots of people already have a mattebox, follow focus with rods and HD monitor. So why pay but them again?

I think to spend this type of money in a homemade camera with no big company behind it is very risk. Also, 4:4:4 720p 8 bits, will it really be different from 4:2:2 720p 8 bits? Heck the HVX will do 1080 in 24p. Will the harsle of having all this processing problems, color problems (very washed out colors ) no sound recording and no solid company support be worth the difference? Specially for the double of a HVX200?

Yeah the HVX200 will ne much easier to work with. You can record sound in sync, not true with the Drake. But what scares me is dumpping 20K on a home made camera. How about warranty and tech support? You never know if they go under in a year, you are out on your own. If it was a Panasonic or even a JVC, that would be different. But it's not easy to find the confidence to dump that much money on a weekend project. I would be interested to know how many they sale.

This camera sounds interesting but I have some questions. As I understand, it's a one chip camera? Will color be good with a 1 chip camera? Does it have a DSP for gamma, knee, color matrix etc? The image in the demos looked very unsaturated. By the way, when will it ship, if ever? The Kinetta never really happened. I hope the same doesn't happen with thi one. But 19k sounds too expensive for a home made camera. Specially now with the HVX200 for 6K. The HVX200 shoots 108024p which the Drake does not and also has variable frame rates. It's a 1/3", but it has 3 chips at least. Besides Panasonic behind it. Will this Drake camera even have a warranty? Can we pay so much for a camera which we don't even know if the company will be around if we need tech support?