24K Video from Hasselblad Camera?

[Warren Kawamoto]

Hasselblad was always the first camera a professional photographer used in the days of film. Its image size was 60x60cm. My idea for them is this: Build a 60x60cm video sensor camera back for the 500CM! With its huge image, you could crop any aspect ratio you desired in post; horizontal, vertical, or square. It would be the ultimate production tool.

[Bruce Watson]

Originally Posted by Warren Kawamoto

Hasselblad was always the first camera a professional photographer used in the days of film.

Really? I always grabbed a Nikon and a handful of lenses from the equipment locker before heading out on assignment. Often a motor drive. Sometimes a second body and a second motor drive. Never used a Hassy. We all thought we were professionals. Hmmm.... maybe not. :-(

[Tim Lewis]

Warren, It think you may be overstating things slightly. The Hasselblad was a 120 roll film camera and the square format was referred to as 6x6. This was 6cm x 6cm (really closer to 55mm x 55mm) so I don't think it is quite as big as your original post. I follow the medium format digital cameras a bit, but I don't think anyone is making a sensor quite that size yet. I think they max out around 45mm on the long side. Horrible prices too!

I had a 500 ELM and it was a great camera, but I didn't use it enough and finally got rid of it for some more Nikon gear. Like Bruce, the Nikons seemed to be my "go to" gear. I still have all the Nikons from those days, and the lenses are still being used on my D2x's.

[Warren Kawamoto]

Haha! You're totally right, I meant 60mm, not 60cm. Anyway, all the professional wedding photogs I worked with back in the 90's used Hasselblads. I still think my idea is possible, but the end product would surely cost more than a house.

[Darren Levine]

What practical reason would such a thing serve? The larger sensor obsession has little validation. s35/aps-c has been the standard for a reason: DOF/FOV balance.

[Shaun Roemich]

I don't think you could dump the sensor fast enough using CURRENT technology for motion pictures (ie. 24+ fps). Even if you could, is there ANY record media currently that could SUSTAIN the throughput required?

And the second you started recording 8 bit 4:2:0 compressed, some idiot on the internet would whine "Why can't we have RAW 600 fps 24k 12 bit 4:4:4 footage??? I NEED it! And it should cost less than $500. Think of how many they would sell!"

<sigh>

[Dave Blackhurst]

Read an article a while back about a "government" project - basically a bunch of cell phone sensors built into an array that could be flown over a large area (drone), and produce a nonstop recording of that large area (city), that could then be played back down to street level to "look back" onto things like crime scenes. The storage array was of course monsterously HUGE, but it was all pretty much "off the shelf" hardware! Major "big brother" stuff, but as I recall, they actually had it operational for testing... so ya'all better behave yerselves, and don't forget to "smile"!

SO while the idea might be a tad awkward for the average shooter, it's not "that" off the wall!

[Betsy Moore]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

I don't think you could dump the sensor fast enough using CURRENT technology for motion pictures (ie. 24+ fps). Even if you could, is there ANY record media currently that could SUSTAIN the throughput required?

And the second you started recording 8 bit 4:2:0 compressed, some idiot on the internet would whine "Why can't we have RAW 600 fps 24k 12 bit 4:4:4 footage??? I NEED it! And it should cost less than $500. Think of how many they would sell!"

<sigh>

Those "idiots" are why we went from SD to 4k in nine years. Dissatisfied customers making totally unreasonable demands make products better.

[Bruce Dempsey]

that's a good one Betsy
It sure is exquisite pain though trying to keep up as a one man band. The exquisite part is seeing the new images for the first time and the pain is leaving behind expensive gear.
- 10 yrs ago I put together a SD live switched firewire based remote production kit (chucked most of it)
- 5 yrs ago put together similar HDV system (somewhat sold off )
- 2 yrs ago a 1080 hdmi multi cams & computer based switcher which is still incomplete will be looking for a new home
- 2 wks ago started the process all over again in 4k
Lovin it though

[Tim Polster]

Think of how good the DVDs will look from the 24k downsampled image!

[Darren Levine]

24k porn will probably give doctors the ability to diagnose stds from skincells visible from 100% crop

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Betsy Moore

Those "idiots" are why we went from SD to 4k in nine years. Dissatisfied customers making totally unreasonable demands make products better.

Hardly.

"Dissatisfied customers" had nothing to do with 4k. Broadcasters and manufacturers along with engineers are what got us there. Dissatisfied customers are killing the industry by insisting that one NEEDS 4k at 240fps for their kitten videos on YouTube and thereby rendering gorgeous HD or 2k footage as "not good enough" in the minds of clients everywhere who are trying to future proof their footage of a message that will be stale-dated in 6 months.

[Peer Landa]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

Dissatisfied customers are killing the industry by insisting that one NEEDS 4k at 240fps for their kitten videos on YouTube

So let me guess; you're a dog person..?

-- peer (supporter of 4k feline videos)

[Shaun Roemich]

I'm The Road Dog. What did you expect???

To show I'm a good sport, I present one of the more SURREAL moments from Adult Swim's Metalocalypse:Dethklok in GLORIOUS 360P!

Toki's Cat Dream Song | Metalocalypse | Adult Swim - YouTube

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Betsy Moore

Those "idiots" are why we went from SD to 4k in nine years. Dissatisfied customers making totally unreasonable demands make products better.

It's probably more about the TV manufacturer's need for build in obsolesce. If the products just remain the same there's no real need to replace them as often, although 4k for TV viewing in a domestic environment is questionable unless there's a major increase in screens sizes, so that the viewers are sitting at less than 1.5 screen widths, Computer screens probably make more sense, due to the closer viewing distances.

In the end technology, will progress, although I suspect the customers demands can only be met as far as the technology can meet it at cost they can afford, However, there will always be the next stage above that they want to aspire to, which has less compromises.

So far as increasing the life expectancy of the productions, most have a limited shelf life, with the long life ones not really mattering what format they were made on because the demand is for the content.