Ikonoskop A-cam dII at IBC2008

[Anmol Mishra]

I went through the interview.
1. About 1/2 - 2/3rd into the interview they show a sample video of taking the camera on a car and shooting streetlights. I could not see blooming and obviously no rolling shutter.
2. Sensor is 2/3-inch - my fault in my post before
3. Workflow needs conversion to quicktime or dpx. Dont know if anyone supports what they call RAW DNG.
4. For 24P @ 3.5 MBps, its 3.5*24 = 84 MBps. For realtime editing, you need a fast 2-disk RAID0 or a 3-disk RAID0. What I use for my uncompressed HDMI capture.

I was a bit impressed actually. Isn't this a cheaper version of the SI-2K with uncompressed capture AND A CCD sensor ?


Lets see what the sensor can do, which sensor it is.

[Anmol Mishra]

Would be interesting to know which sensor ? I could lookup specs on low light and dynamic range..Each pixel size seems to be about 6 micrometer..i.e. 2M divided among a 2/3-inch sensor. Hmmm!
They say they have lots of pre-orders. First shipping on 1st week of December. Mass orders in January..

Seems to be this sensor

KAI-02150

EEProductCenter.com :: CCD image sensor delivers 1080p resolution at 60 fps
CCD image sensor delivers 1080p resolution at 60 fps

KAI-02150 image sensor provides full support for the 1080p image capture standard, supporting 1920 x 1080 pixel (16:9 aspect ratio) image capture at 60 frames per second

The new sensor also provides a dynamic range of 64 dB

Pricing: Approximately $425 in volume.

>>> Hmm. At least we have an idea of the margins involved..

other imaging parameters such as image smear and read noise have been improved with this technology, which also results in improved image quality.

TRUESENSE 5.5 micron Interline Transfer
>>> 5.5 micron low light is looking goooood..

Sorry for all the info....But I am excited..This looks good - realllllyyyy good...

KODAK Image Sensor Solutions - KAI-02150 - Overview

KODAK Image Sensor Solutions - KAI-02150 - Specifications

The vertical overflow drain structure provides antiblooming protection and enables electronic shuttering for precise exposure control. Other features include low dark current, negligible lag and low smear.

12.1mm diagonal sensor size..

NOW I have to try get 10G's for this camera..OR hope that the EUR goes down a lot in the next couple of months.

[Anmol Mishra]

http://www.viddler.com/explore/blacktar/videos/1/
Includes histogram and Picture-In-Picture zoom for focusing.
2-channel audio.

Costs 6950/- Eur (he said 7K Eur in another interview) includes battery, camera, 80-GB cartridge and a 9mm lens (S16mm equivalent).

[Anmol Mishra]

Here is the summary FAQ. Chris,, I have never been so excited. Do you mind making a category for this camera ? This sounds better than the RED..
FAQ: dII | Support | Ikonoskop


FAQ: dII

Here are some of the most common questions that we get today.

Q. What about workflow with FCP/Avid etc?
A. We will not deliver any software, but we think that you will see a lot of software developers in a couple of weeks supporting DNG. IBC was a big deal for DNG as a new standard.

Q. Is the RAM removable?
A. We record to a memory cartridge that is on 80GB. Once full you can either change to another one, or off load the data to a computer.

Q. Will there be a external card reader, or do I always need to use the USB in the camera to transfer the files?
A. A memory cartridge reader is developed. It will be available at the same time as the camera and the memory cartridge. It has USB 2.0.

Q. Is the camera upgradable in the future?
A. We will in the future support Cinema DNG as one of the founders of that new standard. One of the reasons for on-board USB is also for the user to be able to update the firmware in the camera whenever needed.

Q. If I order today - when can I get my camera?
A. We will not announce any dates or numbers, but orders after IBC will most probably be shipped during February. So it is time to sign-up.

Q. Can I play recorded files through a monitor?
A. Yes, through your computer. Playback through the camera will be limited to viewfinder, external monitor and O-Led.

Q. Is It possible to get several mounts? And at what price?
A. You choose one mount for one camera. We support Leica, IMS, C and PL. Prices will be confirmed later during 2008.

Q. Will the camera work with zoom lenses?
A. Yes.

Q. How much will one 80GB Ikonoskop Memory Cartridge be?
A. No price for the memory card yet.

Q. What about Audio? Wich format, separate chanels? Mic/line?
A. Records 48kHz, stereo PCM.

Q, What is the estimated running time from the Sony battery?
A. Roughly 45 minutes. Maybe more, we are testing the power management at the moment.

Q. Where are the much promised footage? Any available video or still images?
A. We will post some footage in a couple of weeks on the website. Please subscribe to our RSS-feed for more information.

Q. How many minutes will it take to download footage from the card to the Computer?
A. Card reader will be released with production of the camera. USB 2.0 supports roughly 40MB/second. So 15 minutes of footage in 25 fps will take roughly the double to transfer to the computer. That is why we recommend at least 3 cards.

Q. Is there any tool on the camera to control the exposure?
A. There will be a on-camera histogram. That, and the viewfinder will help you to get the right exposure. And since it is RAW you will have more than enough information in each file to do post processing such as colour correction.

Q. What is the deposit versus the total price?
A. The deposit is €695 for the pre-order. Please e-mail your details to dii@ikonoskop.com with all your details and we will arrange with a money request through PayPal.

Q. What kind of output to an external monitor will you support?
A. We have a Lemo-monitor connector to our handheld monitor. Also, the HDMI can be used with most HD-monitors. Also AJA and Black Magic Design have small, portable converters for HDMI to SDI.

[Hunter Richards]

Im pretty excited about this too, I hope they deliver a camera without any issues. Also an instant "on" would be nice.

[Kurth Bousman]

I love the design - a-minima-esque , however it's way too expensive ( 10k ) in the market it's about to face esp/ w/o lens and it's only giving us 60fps. I wish the scarlet team would look at this , esp. the viewfinder design and the horizontal concept . I remember in the goodoledays of super 8 when it was rumored aaton was going to release a super 8 camera with sync sound - I imagine this is what it would have looked like and it would have probably cost 10k but it's a brave new world.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Anmol Mishra

Chris I have never been so excited. Do you mind making a category for this camera?

I am not opposed to devoting a forum to Ikonoskop... anyone else?

Just added some better, high-res photos of the A-cam dII. See http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/digital-c...ii-photos.html

[Noah Kadner]

Kinda leery of that whole thing- what's the tech support/third party NLE support likely to be like?

-Noah

[Kurth Bousman]

Looking at the photo of the founders - they've obviously got a serious bug . I remember about a year ago there was a rumor that they were thinking about releasing a super 8 for about 5k - way too expensive considering what a used beaulieu goes for and not even considering the state of the super8 art . This was a far better business plan but they're going to be facing some serious competition from Red , and probably from the new sector being created with larger sensors . And they need to be offering package deals with lenses and accessories for less than 1/2 the cost . Who will buy this when Scarlet is released ? That said , it's a nice looking piece of hardware .

[John Sandel]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

I am not opposed to devoting a forum to Ikonoskop... anyone else?

I think a new forum is warranted.

Remains to be seen how the company fares—those storage cartridges can't be cheap to make. But if they deliver a reliable first iteration of their line, they've IDed a clear, if narrow market niche.

On two criteria (sensor size/latitude & camera form), I see the A-cam as a step between a video-enabled dSLR and a Red camera.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Noah Kadner

...what's the tech support/third party NLE support likely to be like?

They have a commitment to .DNG support from Adobe, according to Ikonoskop's Daniel Jonsäter.

In my opinion they should pursue Canopus / Grass Valley as well.

[Bill Koehler]

Originally Posted by Kurth Bousman

Who will buy this when Scarlet is released ?

Given that no one but Mr. Jim Jannard and RED have any idea what Scarlet will look like, and the S/N on all the relevant forums has gone very, very low on that issue, I think everyone will have to wait for NAB 2009 to be able to make that judgement.

[Kurth Bousman]

.....actually I believe I read November we will have the details of the new scarlet

[Simon Wyndham]

I've decided that this camera will be my next camera. It is exactly what I have been looking for. Yep, there is a workflow involved, but the whole thing just looks so elegant and simple. Batteries should last forever. No cooling fans etc. No fuss.

And the fact that for 7k Euros you get a lens, battery, and one recording card just makes it sound better and better!

Now, I believe, judging from the literature, that this is a true 2/3" sensor (as opposed to normal 2/3" sensors that aren't actually 2/3") Anyone able to confirm that? Should mean slightly shallower depth of field than a normal 2/3" video camera, but not as unmanageable as 35mm.

For once I am really excited about this.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

Now, I believe, judging from the literature, that this is a true 2/3" sensor (as opposed to normal 2/3" sensors that aren't actually 2/3")

Slightly off-topic... this is the point where I insert my rant about the uselessness of measuring image sensors with imperial units based on an equivalency system held over from the old tube camera days. The industry needs to start expressing chip sizes with the metric system by stating their *actual* dimensions in millimeters, instead of their equivalent tube size, where 2/3rds is not really 2/3rds.

Ikonoskop has a chance to show some leadership here...