You know all those supremely cool camera rigs, cranes and toys you see on behind-the-scenes DVD documentaries? Ever wish you had a chance to examine them up close? The Cinegear Expo held every year in Los Angeles is the best way to do it, and it's free, if you register online before June 6th. It's a two day, open air event held on the backlot of Universal Studios (and yes, if you REALLY want, you can sneak off and check out the sights on the backlot without having to take the tram ride!). It has more of a festival feel than a trade show, there's barbecue and beer, and you might find yourself chatting with that famous cinematographer you've been admiring since you were a kid!

Check out the details at www.cinegearexpo.com. I'll be cruising around both days, so if any DVI'ers are there and you spot my name tag, come up and say hi.

This is one show that I really wanted to attend! And I'd be there, except work calls me away to Atlanta for a concurrent expo, InfoComm 2004. Drat! Well, there's always next year...

Thanks for the heads up, Charles. Sounds very interesting.

Chris is going to be in ATL? Well I guess that means no XL2 release at Cinegear... Chris are you going to catch any of the Atlanta Film and Video Fest while you are there? Charles I'll keep an eye out for you, are you going both days?

Yeah, I'm flying in from a job the first morning so I'll be getting there late on Friday, but I'll be there Sat. also, I think. Some good HD seminars scheduled on Saturday.

Nick

Unfortunately my work schedule at InfoComm allows for very little free time. But if the festival venue is accessible from downtown in the evenings, I'll try to poke my head in there. Currently the only sideline activity I have planned for certain in ATL is the Transit of Venus (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26936), a super-rare cosmic event that hasn't happened since 1882. If you get NASA TV, be sure to check it out on June 8th, as they'll cover it -- as will CNN too, I think.

Apparently the new Panavision HD camera (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/crafts/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000527854) is going to be unveiled at Cinegear. Another great reason to be there.

Oh, ah, Chris, actually I'm sure it's going to suck. Nothing to see, long beer lines, you're not missing anything...

The Genesis Device! D'oh! And I'm stuck in Hotlanta with a bunch of LCD projectors!

Well, you could always pop by the G8 summit and throw your two cents in, while you are in the neighborhood.

Some quick snaps (http://homepage.mac.com/chupap/Cinegear/PhotoAlbum18.html) of a few eye-catchers at the Cinegear show. Nothing earth-shattering on the DV front, plenty in the HD and film worlds.

Hey, thank you so much for sharing these with us no-shows, Charles.

I really know very little about Panavision gear. But I did not realize that they were offering HD rigs, let alone that they're built on Sony CineAlta bodies.

Yup, Panavision started modifying CineAltas for Lucas on Episode 1. They changed out the mount, started building their own series of lenses, beefed up the top and bottom to be better compatible with existing accessories and mounts, etc. But it was still a CineAlta under all that, and with their lenses, it could reach 4 feet long (no exaggeration, and this with a standard zoom). So it wasn't a great form factor. This new Genesis is much better suited for slotting into film production mode.

I know I'm porbably wrong on this and it's totally off topic but for some reason I thought it was plus8 that supplied the camera's to lucus. Am I jsut remembering wrong? or did they have some deal set up with panavision to use their cameras as well.

I think that Panavision did the first two but not the third (there have been three of them right? That's how memorable they were to me). I seem to remember that they used the Digiprimes on the third one, so that's where Plus8 would have come in.

that must have been it I just could have sworn I remember seeing all of the starwars camera's laid out on the plus8 website.

Thanks for pictures Charles! Looked like you had fun. How did the
Genesis feel in your hands?

Sort of--like a Panaflex...??!

They didn't have that unit powered up, which was a shame. The eyepiece is a color HD viewfinder, really quite sharp and a pretty good replacement for an optical finder. Sort of a strange experience, seeing a sharp color video finder! I'd still miss seeing outside the framelines for approaching objects, stands, booms etc. though. I know Panavision is trying to figure out a way to accomodate this.

If I understand the matter correctly this would only be possible
by going optical or use a larger chip with pixels that are just for
the viewfinder (which is probably not economically possible?) or
a combination of both.

Another way might be to just lift your head from the viewfinder
every now and then Charles <g>

<<Another way might be to just lift your head from the viewfinder
every now and then Charles <g>>>

All <g>'s aside, with an optical path your eye becomes part of the light seal, so you can't take your eye off the eyepiece during the shot for fear of contaminating the image (unless the viewfinder has a pressure-activated shutter system, which the Panaflex doesn't, you have to apply a lever on the body)

Well isn't that interesting. It sounds like the same issue encountered when taking timed or unattended shots with an SLR still camera. That is, you have to cover the eyepiece to prevent spill light from hitting the film/sensor, eh?

yessir..same principles apply.

Occasionally a shot may be too difficult to operate with an eye in the eyepiece, in which case I close it off and use the onboard video monitor after making sure that there aren't any issues with things in the frame and the focus is good. And I've gotten down the method of turning my head while keeping it pressed against the eyepiece if I need to whisper something to someone behind me (usually the dolly grip)