Several months ago I somehow found my way onto a site selling a newly designed 16mm film camera at a very low cost. It was new and fairly cheap and realitively small and it was not an old russian one or bolex or anything like that and it was not a refurb or recondidition one.

It was small and targetted specifically at indie and other low budget people to buy (I think it was around the 4-5k price mark) and advertised as a HD alternative I think.

Anyway, Just trying to find the website, if anyone knows it would greatly apperciate it.

never mind, after days of searching I found it... right after i made a post about not being able to find it - Isn't it always like that, right after you give up you stumble onto it

So others know its called the A-CAM SP16 by ikonoshkop at http://www.ikonoskop.com/

Interesting until you watch the demo reel...

I think that considered just a crash cam. I don't think it holds very much film. And unless they've changed the design, it uses a range finder so you don't actually see what the lens is capturing.

Ya, last time I saw it before i found it again their wasn't any footage. I've never shoot 16mm and wanted to see how it compared to 35mm from a lowend camera.

So far I've been very dissapointed in what 16mm offers, higher cost and lower image quality than hdv from what i've seen.

Interesting idea though.

Oh, I don't know. If I could afford it I'd shoot film and do an HD telecine. I think practically everybody would if money was no issue, but unfortunately, it most definitely is.

[QUOTE=Keith WakehamSo far I've been very dissapointed in what 16mm offers, higher cost and lower image quality than hdv from what i've seen.[/QUOTE]

Assuming that the HDV footage is generated by a 1/3" camera, properly shot Super16mm footage with a quality HD transfer will be superior in many respects, although this is a subjective observation. The best HD systems out there are now challenging alternatives to film, although the highlight overexposure handling of film is still the "holy grail" benchmark that HD has not yet met.

I meant in terms of random noise. The stuff that A-cam had online seemed very grainy which even at standard def resulted in what looks more like random noise.

I'm one who can't stand colour splotching and random noise at all but luckily i'm an engineer and not a cinematographer. So from my standpoint any variance that can occur from one frame to the next that is common but unpredictable isn't a good thing. Some people like this look but as an engineer what I want captured should be predictable based on specifications. Just my take guys.

Film is still king in acquisition but in terms of post and delivery - digital all the way baby!

That is one stylish cam.