Technical Info

Transcript

Technical Info Phantom Flex High-Speed Video Camera The Phantom Flex digital colour high-speed video camera records high-speed images up to 1,400fps using a 2560 x 1600 pixel array, not interpolated as some camera manufacturers offer. Higher frame rates can be achieved by lowering the number of pixels used to a maximum 280,000pps. The Phantom Flex uses the .Cine RAW format invented by Vision Research. Cine is an un-interpolated lossless format; with colour information is stored in the header. Frame rates are infinitely variable not fixed. At 2,500fps in HD, the Flex will record for approximately 4 seconds. 10 seconds at 1000fps, 20 seconds at 500fps. The camera can be triggered before OR after the event or anywhere during the capture period with it's adjustable trigger point. Unlike a high-speed film camera, there is no waiting for the camera to run to speed. Once the camera is powered up, it is continuously recording (and over records when the camera memory is full) until we press the on/off button. The effects companies love this feature as there is now no pressure on the technicians as we can end trigger after the product has fallen. Various aspect ratio choices are available using CAR (Continuously Adjustable Resolution) feature. Adjustments in 64 x 4 pixel increments Frame Size vs. Speed Resolution/Speed Chart (fps) 2560 x 1600 (Full Sensor) 1,455 2560 x 1440 (16:9) 1,600 1920 x 1080 (HDTV 16:9) 2,570 1280 x 720 (HDTV 16:9) 5,385 640 x 480 10,900 256 x 8 280,000 Camera Power An isolated 240/220volt 13amp supply is required for the camera and the laptop computer. We can power the HD using one of our 28vdc 5amp batteries. We can supply adapter leads for either Arri or Panavision batteries which can also be used. Please let us know if you require this option when ordering the camera. (A small charge will be made for the hire of our batteries and charger). Camera The sensitivity of the Phantom Flex is approximately 1000 ISO compared with cine film stock. Sensitivity Camera Mount The camera is supplied with either Arri PL, Panavision PV or Nikon Mount. (Please specify mount when ordering the Phantom camera). The PL and PV mount allows the use of wide aperture 35mm cine lenses. Green Door does NOT supply PV or PL lenses; they should be hired by production. The Phantom Flex uses a Sony viewfinder and we also provide a Panasonic 8.4" HD monitor to view back the recorded images. Set up is via the laptop computer. Using on board monitors allows real time viewing of the image and ideal if you wish to follow a moving subject as there is no image lag. Camera Accessories The Phantom Flex camera has riser which makes the camera compatible with the Arri BP-6 or BP-8 bridge and balance plate, 19mm bars, follow focus and matt box. These items, if required, should be hired by production. Lighting for High-Speed Video Because these cameras record in high-speed they can pick up "flicker” from lights of lower wattage. Using either 5kW tungsten or 4kW HMI lights (with flicker free ballasts) AND higher are generally fine. The longer the filament the better and especially if the lamps are the latest type with bulbs in the best condition. Finally don’t forget Daylight. Light Flicker The flicker you see in tungsten units at high-speeds is introduced by AC power, because the power is not continuous the light bulb is flashing on and off 50 or 60 times per second (50/60Hz), because the filament is losing power cooling down and then regains its power back and turns back on and repeats this 50 or 60 times in one second. The larger the filament the longer it takes it to come back down, 5K's, 10K's, and 20K's are the choice of lights when using AC power, if you can get DC power then any tungsten light will work just fine. With HMI's (NO MATTER THE SIZE), the flicker that you see is Arc wander... meaning that you see the change in brightness from the arc in the globe moving around, this can be overcome by diffusing the light and moving it further away from the subject. The larger lights are easier to use because you can move them away from the subject and still have enough light to get an image. Playback/Video Assist Once the sequence is captured in the camera, playback at 25fps, the scene can be evaluated for content. If it is to be kept and after trimming the shot is downloaded to the onboard CineMags before the camera is rearmed ready for the next shot. Connected to your video payback equipment recording at 25fps, this gives an instant result of what the shot looks like. This is a "quick-look-see” option; the results still have to down loaded from the camera to the computer. We can provide an HD-SDI downconverter to allow your normal analague video playback to record the images from the Phantom Flex camera. In some situations, for example when using the FLEX for close up table-top shots, the camera can get hot from the close proximity of the lights. We would ask you supply an electric fan to keep the camera cool as well as the camera crew!! For UK shoots we provide a Magliner Trolley for the laptop computer. This has to be near to the FLEX, within the 30ft Ethernet cable connection between the camera and the computer. For overseas work we ask that production provide a Magliner or similar. If you intend to use the Phantom FLEX on a crane or jib arm please let us know so we can supply the extra Ethernet and BNC camera trigger cables. The Phantom FLEX captures images using its own unique file format. These images are called .Cine files (not to be confused with systems from other manufactures). These .Cine files are downloaded from the camera onto the CineMags. Using the laptop the camera can be rearmed ready for the next shot. If, on viewing the captured images, it is decided that the shot is not wanted, these images are deleted, freeing up hard-drive space. Downloading from the Phantom FLEX camera to the laptop computer is not instant, (please be patient) but quicker than waiting for a 16mm, Super16 or 35mm high-speed film cameras to be cleaned, oiled and magazines reloaded. Downloading to the Phantom CineMags takes seconds. No more waiting for file downloads! Processing Just like film cameras the images from the Phantom Flex have to be processed from the original .Cine images to Tiff's images for your post-production. We will supply the original .Cine files plus the Phantom CineViewer free software for you to process the images. During the shoot we will show you the conversion process. Because the Phantom Flex records images into its camera internal solid state memory, NO tape stock is required and more importantly there is no need to supply images on tape as the tiff’s are directly imported into your edit suite via our free loan LaCie Hard Drive. We will process images in downtime during the shoot, but please do allow extra time for processing to be completed on the day or later. Another option is for Green Door to supply a Phantom Assistant, with another computer and CineStation, to process the .Cines for you during the shoot. Cine Viewer is a PC BASED SOFTWARE (not Mac) and will work on Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows 7. Cine Viewer is also available from Green Door during the shoot or can be downloaded here. Our technicians have the right to refuse operation of the Phantom FLEX camera if he believes that the camera is to be put in a dangerous situation or used in a dusty or other hazardous environment. How long does it take to convert from .Cine to Tiff's? Using our current Laptops converting 10,000 frames (full 32GB Camera Memory) at the 1920x1080 pixel setting takes approx 40 minutes to process to the tiff format. We will let you have the LaCie Hard-Drive for FIVE working days FREE OF CHARGE and then it must be returned to us. For longer periods please contact us for the rental charge. However, should you wish to keep the Hard-Drive, then it may be purchased from us for £150 + VAT. Please let us know before the start of the shoot if you prefer this option. We do ask that the Pelican case be returned to us as soon as possible. We also offer a "back up” service of your Phantom .Cine Files, on our own library hard drive for ONE MONTH from the date of your shoot. This gives you the opportunity to back up the files on your own system. After the month has passed we will delete your .cine files from our system. It is the responsibility of production to insure their production and the Phantom camera system for all eventualities. See our terms and conditions which are available on request or can be downloaded via our web site. Tiff to Video Conversion We take your hard drive full of tiffs and transfer it via firewire onto some network attached storage, in a location that can be accessed from our main suites. The faster the network the better! We can then return your drive to you. We import the frames onto our compositor (Flame or Smoke), usually overnight. Any resizing is also done at this point, i.e. on the rare occasion we need to convert down to 720x576. The resulting clips are then played out to Digi-Beta, and a Beta-SP clone is made with matching time code for the editor. He cuts the film and gives us an edl, which we conform from the Digi-Beta, and hey-presto! If we have re-sized on import, we occasionally need to go back to the original tiffs to choose a different racking, but they exist on our network and are easily reimported. In this case we would import them in their native resolution and resize and re-rack within Smoke or Flame. Derek Moor, PrimeFocus, London. Our recommended method of converting the stream of tiff files produced by the Phantom camera into a .mov video file is to open the sequence in QuickTime® Pro. and then export it as a QuickTime® video file. Importing the tiffs directly into your video edit software will take much longer. Andy Matheson, Director, Panache Productions. Technical Specification of the Phantom FLEX Performance Sensor: Recording rate: Shutter speed: Pre/post trigger: Memory 2560 x 1600 pixels, SR-CMOS colour Up to 2,500 frames per second, at 1920x 1080 pixels; allocated formats with CAR (Continuously Adjustable Resolution), to 280,000pps Variable; independent of recording rate to 2µs (2/1,000,000sec) Continuously variable 32GB integral image memory for 3.9 sec continuous recording at 1200pps, full format. Longer recording times for lower sample rates and allocated formats. ® Software Phantom operates in a Windows™ environment using a laptop computer. Software gives control of a range of options for image acquisition, image processing, analytical playback and measurement, and file management. To save valuable time on site, in the studio or on location, you may wish to download the software direct from the website. Inputs/Outputs Via integrated quick-release connector Trigger: TTL pulse or switch closure Memory Gate™: TTL pulse Sync Image: TTL pulse Event Marker: IRIG-B Timing: TTL pulse or switch closure Irig-B code, modulated or unmodulated input, with IRIG-B output RS232/422: Strobe Sync: Network: Display: Power: TTL pulse Gbit Ethernet Sony Continuous video viewfinder 28V DC 1.5A