Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The "Star Wars Camera" gets an upgrade

This is topic The "Star Wars Camera" gets an upgrade in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-27-2003, 11:19 AM:

Some of you may have heard, and the rest could probably guess, that the HD digital camera that will be used to shoot Episode III will be an improvement over the original one. Here's a link to starwars.com that talks about the new camera.

In case the link moves in the future, the story is called "Defining High-Definition" and was originally linked off the "Episode II" page.

Click Here

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-27-2003, 11:32 AM:

Gee, now they admit the Ep2 image was actually not really 1920x1080, even before it was transferred to film. I'm shocked!

Thanks for posting that link. Interesting reading.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-29-2003, 02:21 PM:

Of course it needs an upgrade.....Its A Sony!
Mark @ CLACO

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-29-2003, 02:32 PM:

Even though the upgraded camera uses less compression in the recording system, it still has much less resolution than 35mm film. Fixed raster sensors usually require an anti-aliasing filter to minimize aliasing artifacts or moire in the image. At a minimum, the resolution is more than halved from the nominal pixel count on the sensor. Here is what John Galt of Panavision had to say on a posting on the Cinematography Mailing List (CML):

CML Posting About CCD Resolution

quote:
A 1920 x 1080 pixel 2/3" CCD has pixels which are 5 x 5 microns in size. If we are not going to upset Mr. Nyquist (create aliased images or moire patterns on fine detail) then the minimum circle of confusion is 10 microns. In practice, because optical low pass filters have slope, just like electronic filters, the real circle of confusion is more like 2.3 pixels or 12 microns. Please remember depth of field is a convenient construct, a rule of thumb. When you focus a lens only a small point in space is truly in focus. Depth of field implies that a certain amount of defocus will be acceptable. Whether this is true or not depends on many factors. Do your own tests for your particular application.

John Galt, Senior Vice President, Advanced Digital Imaging Panavision 6219 De Soto Avenue Woodland Hills CA 91367-2602

So with needed anti-alias filtering, 1920 x 1080 pixel sensors produce less than 960 x 540 lines of resolution, or less than 480 x 270 line pairs (cycles).

Of course, there are many other advantages of film origination:

There's More to the Story

Data Comparing Film and Digital Camera Resolution

35mm Film Resolution Requires at Least 4K Scanning

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 05-30-2003, 12:56 AM:

I doubt Episode III will be worth watching, updated camera or not.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 05-30-2003, 08:29 AM:

I agree with Michael. Unless the upgrade makes the camera 'smart' ie; refusing to operate when pointed at Jar-Jar, or other bad acting....

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-30-2003, 12:02 PM:

John, if the camera refuses to operate when it sees bad acting, then Episode 3 will NEVER get made! It would be easier if it wouldn't operate due to bad directing... Sony could just send a camera shell with no guts inside because it would never be able to power up anyway.