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    PHANTOM FLEX 4K - 4K RESOLUTION FOOTAGE

    (4096 x 2160 PIXELS) UP TO 1000fps & 2K / 1080

    PIXELS UP TO 2000fps

    Europe's complete Phantom Flex4K rental solution by the most experienced people based in London. Pirate's kits have been developed for maximum portability to enable shoots anywhere, with the biggest memory capacities available (64GB internal and 2 x 2TB CineMags).
     
    Pirate's cameras are fully equipped with HD colour live-image video eyepieces, a full range of cine lenses and accessories.
    Camera Features;
    Additional Benefits;
    Image Size = up to 4096 x 2304 pixels. It's massive.
    35mm Depth-of-field. It's beautiful.
    True 4K images at 1000fps. Just as you'd expect.
    1/500,000 second maximum shutter speed. It's fast.
    12-bit sensor bit depth. It's excellent quality.
    Instant playback on Panasonic HD LCD monitor Coo at the graceful way that bullet smashes through plate glass while the next shot is being set up.
    Sensitive image sensor (ISO 640 film equivalent at 360 degree shutter 25 fps) Typical shots require only 10kW tungsten lights, keeping costs lower.
    Data delivered on external hard drive Many data formats available - please call
    End Record Trigger Continuously record in a loop and cut when you've seen the action - no more missed takes.
    Synchronise Trigger Kit option Synchronise an event to camera turnover - pyrotechnics have never been so much fun.
    PL Lens Mount Suits a wide range of cine lenses.
    Low weight of 5.9kg Mounts on motion control rigs, cranes, booms and sleds - try that with a Photosonics film camera.
    Motion Control Option If you need repeatable high speed camera moves or ultra-fast accurate focus pulls, Pirate has a portable motion control head - the camera can pull focus, zoom, pan & tilt.
    Phantom Flex4K camera body (64GB memory) with Computer Control system, Viewfinder, 4x5''Matte Box & 19mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI Monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. Lock-off Head and legs.
    £2700.00  day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    DIT
    £405.00 day
    Cooke 135mm T2.8 miniS4/i Cine Lens
    £78.00 day
    Remote Control Unit V2 (RCU2)
    £200.00 day
    Shoulder Mount (for Handheld)
    £90.00 day
    Battery Kit (4 x batteries, charger & battery switch)
    £395.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £125 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
    Further Information;
     How long can it run for?
     
    What's a 'CineMag'?
    CineMags are unique to the Phantoms: they are blocks of memory which clips into the camera body. If shooting at less than 180fps in 4K mode (4096x2304 pixels) one can save footage directly into a CineMag (by-passing the camera's internal memory) so one can shoot very long takes. In HD mode (1920x1080) the frame rate limit is 763fps. CineMags are hot-swappable too. Above 180fps, one shoots in the usual way into the camera memory, copying the footage across to CineMag in a matter of seconds. So no download time on set! Of course, one still needs to copy footage from the CineMag later, but without interrupting the shoot. The data is downloaded using a CineStation as cine raw files or played out in 4:4:4 10 bit video. In addition, one can review shots stored in the CineMag, so instead of using a separate composite video playback system & operator, one can review earlier takes without the additional cost of video playback. Possibly even better, one can choose the best of the takes for saving later, rather than time-consumingly saving all takes. You know it makes sense. To give you a handle on CineMag capacity, a 2TB CineMag will store approximately 116 minutes of 25fps footage, so think of it as being a two hour tape.
    However, there is a downside (isn't there always?) to achieving such rapid data transfer into the CineMag: the data is compressed from 12-bit down to 10-bit. When downloaded later using a CineStation, the data is decoded as 12 bit files, but the data only contains 10-bit information. So, if you have time and want best quality, don't use CineMags.
     
    An important note about lenses!
    The Flex4K sensor is designed to be used at 4K with standard 35mm cine lenses. If one uses the camera in HD mode by using only the centre of the sensor, the lens in effect becomes much longer and actually becomes Super-16mm format. However, if one shoots in 4K and then samples the data down to HD when saving the shot, the lens length is not affected.
     
    What's a Remote Control Unit (RCU)?
     
    What's an HD-SDI Transmitter Receiver System for?
    This allows the transmission of a live or playback camera picture without wires, so usually used when the camera is running on batteries mounted on a rig, quad bike or steadycam, for example. We have the "WEVI CAM-WAVE CW-5HD" microwave link for rental, made by IDX.
     
    What's the 'HD-SDI data capture facility'?
    We have built a powerful computer system capable of capturing the Phantom's HD-SDI 4:2:2 monitor output as 10 bit uncompressed Quicktime data files. These are supplied on external hard disk, in the same way as the cine or tiff files. The data quality is the same or better than recording to a Sony SR55100 deck. The advantage of this approach is that one does not need to download a shot (it is simply recorded whilst watching the playback) and much time is saved in post. However, the downside is that one is not getting best quality data - the camera can provide 12 and 14 bit data.
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    PHANTOM FLEX - HD VIDEO (1080) UP TO 1275fps

    IN HIGH QUALITY MODE

    EUROPE'S COMPLETE PHANTOM FLEX RENTAL SOLUTION BY THE MOST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE BASED IN LONDON. PIRATE'S KITS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR MAXIMUM PORTABILITY FOR SHOOTS ANYWHERE.
     
    The Phantom Flex camera produces 12 bit colour images on a larger than HD sensor - 2560 x 1600 pixels in which the maximum frame rate is 1455fps. It can shoot HD too of course, at up to 2570fps! However, this high frame rate is only in 'Standard Mode'. For best quality, we use the camera's 'High Quality' which is unique to the Flex. Software multi-sampling in which half the exposure time of each frame is effectively used for continuous calibration resulting in stable (low noise) blacks and a higher dynamic range. The downside is that the maximum frame rate is halved, to 1275fps. Compared with the Phantom HD GOLD, the sensor has a higher sensitivity rating of ISO 1000. All your favorite 35mm lenses work just the same of course at the full sensor resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, but get longer if used to shoot an HD cutout. You might want to try this handy on-line lens calculator and Depth of Field calculator.
    Pirate's cameras are fully equipped with HD colour live-image video eyepieces, a full range of cine lenses and accessories.
    Camera Features;
    Additional Benefits;
    Image Size = up to 2560 x 1600 pixels. Super-sized HD.
    35mm Depth-of-field. It's beautiful.
    Bigger than HD images at1455fps. More pixels for HD post production.
    1/500,000 second maximum shutter speed. It's fast.
    12-bit sensor bit depth. It's excellent quality.
    HD eyepiece or HD on-board monitor with no image lag. Great for handheld and focus pulling.
    Instant playback on Panasonic HD LCD monitor Coo at the graceful way that bullet smashes through plate glass while the next shot is being set up.
    Sensitive image sensor (ISO 1000 film equivalent at 360 degree shutter 25 fps) Typical shots require only 10kW tungsten lights, keeping costs lower.
    Data delivered on external hard drive Many data formats available - please call
    End Record Trigger Continuously record in a loop and cut when you've seen the action - no more missed takes.
    Synchronise Trigger Kit option Synchronise an event to camera turnover - pyrotechnics have never been so much fun.
    PL Lens Mount Suits a wide range of cine lenses.
    Low weight of 5.9kg Mounts on motion control rigs, cranes, booms and sleds - try that with a Photosonics film camera.
    Motion Control Option If you need repeatable high speed camera moves or ultra-fast accurate focus pulls, Pirate has a portable motion control head - the camera can pull focus, zoom, pan & tilt.
    Phantom Flex (32GB Memory) with  Computer Control system, Viewfinder, 4x5''Matte Box & 19mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI Monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. Lock-off Head and legs.
    £2300.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    DIT
    £405.00 / 10 hour day
    Cooke 135mm T2.8 miniS4/i Cine Lens
    £78.00 day
    Remote Control Unit V2 (RCU2)
    £200.00 day
    Shoulder Mount (for Handheld)
    £90.00 day
    Battery Kit (4 x batteries, charger & battery switch)
    £260.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHANTOM HD GOLD - HIGH QUALITY HD VIDEO

    (1080) UP TO 1000fps & 2K SQUARE FOOTAGE

    (2048 x 2048 PIXELS) UP TO 550fps

    Europe's complete Phantom HD GOLD solution for ultra slow motion, with the most experienced people based in London. Pirate has two camera kits and have designed and developed their own underwater housing kit, battery kits and hand-held kits with wireless HD transmitter/receivers for wire-free operation.
     
    Pirate has developed ShotServer, a must for high-end shoots where time and quality are important.
     
    Camera Features;
    Additional Benefits;
    Image Size = up to 2048 x 2048 pixels. It's Big.
    35mm Depth-of-field. It's beautiful.
    True 1920 x 1080 High Definition at 1000fps. Just as you'd expect.
    1/500,000 second maximum shutter speed. It's fast.
    14-bit sensor depth (42-bit colour). It's excellent quality.
    HD eyepiece or HD on-board monitor with no image lag. Great for handheld and focus pulling.
    Instant playback on Panasonic HD LCD monitor Coo at the graceful way that bullet smashes through plate glass while the next shot is being set up.
    Sensitive image sensor (ISO 320 film equivalent at 360 degree shutter 25 fps) Typical shots require only 10kW tungsten lights, keeping costs lower.
    Data delivered on external hard drive Either as Cine Raw files or 8, 10, 12 or 14 bit Tiffs, or even HD Quicktime movies
    End Record Trigger Continuously record in a loop and cut when you've seen the action - no more missed takes.
    Synchronise Trigger Kit option Synchronise an event to camera turnover - pyrotechnics have never been so much fun.
    PL, PV, BNCR, Nikon and Sony B4 Lens Mount Suits a wide range of lenses.
    Low weight of 5.5kg Mounts on motion control rigs, cranes, booms and sleds - try that with a Photosonics film camera.
    Motion Control Option If you need repeatable high speed camera moves or ultra-fast accurate focus pulls, Pirate has a portable motion control head - the camera can pull focus, zoom, pan & tilt.
    Phantom HD Gold Camera (16GB Memory) with Computer Control system, Viewfinder, 4x5''Matte Box & 19mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI Monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. Lock-off Head and legs.
    £1800.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    DIT
    £405.00 / 10 hour day
    Cooke 135mm T2.8 miniS4/i Cine Lens
    £78.00 day
    Remote Control Unit V2 (RCU2)
    £200.00 day
    Shoulder Mount (for Handheld)
    £90.00 day
    Battery Kit (4 x batteries, charger & battery switch)
    £260.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
    Underwater Housing Kit for Phantom HD Gold
    Pirate has designed, built and tested a unique kit which enables a Phantom HD Gold camera to operate inside one of Peter Scoones' underwater housings. Peter is a world renowned, Emmy award winning underwater cameraman who has developed his own underwater housings over the last 40 years.
    Pirate's underwater adaptation kit assembled
    Peter Scoones installs camera adaptation kit into his modified housing
    Assembled underwater housing with onboard monitor housing showing external camera & lens controls
    The kit interfaces between Peter's tried and tested underwater camera housings and the Phantom HD Gold. The housing is fitted with an HD Astro onboard monitor built into a water proof housing mounted on an adjustable arm. Fitted with a CineMag, the Phantom HD Gold and monitor are run using a block battery mounted beneath the camera. The Phantom is run in 'run-stop' mode, meaning footage is recorded directly into the CineMag at upto 450fps. Fitted with a Nikon lens driven by the housing provides remote control of both iris and focus. The camera's frame rate and shutter angle are set before putting the camera into the housing, leaving the cameraman to simply press and release a button to start and stop recording into the CineMag.
    Whilst submerged, the camera can be powered on or off. The camera can be powered on for a total of 20 minutes, after which it must be brought to the surface to 'breath'. Although this may seems limiting, one should remember that at the maximum frame rate of 450fps the camera will actually run for approximately 3.5 minutes, much less than the time the camera can be powered on.
    £150.00 day / £600.00 week
    Adaptation Kit
    Phantom HD Gold Kit, less lenses
    CineMag, each
    Battery Kit
    £1900.00 day / £7600.00 week
    £260.00 day / £1040.00 week
    £300.00 day / £1200.00 week
    Underwater Housing
  •  

    PHOTRON FASTCAM BC2 (aka PHOTRON FASTCAM

    SA2) - BEST QUALITY HD VIDEO UP TO 2000fps and

    5000fps AT STANDARD DEFINITION 16:9

    A comprehensive Photron BC2 / SA2 solution for slow motion HD at 2000fps, based in London. The BC2 is the latest offering from Photron, specifically designed for the film & TV market.
     
    The BC2 is based on the successful SA2, sharing all it's features with several new ones, such as an eyepiece connector and additional HD-SDI out connectors on the rear panel. Image quality has been improved too and really is superb, and shooting 1080p, 12 bit colour at up to 2000fps (standard definition 16:9 at 5400fps!) with 640ASA sensitivity, the BC2 provides a better high speed solution than the Phantom HD Gold where portability and speed of use are not as critical. In addition, our BC2 has 32GB of internal memory, twice that of most Phantom HD Golds, giving twice the running time, like for like. With the BC2, the image is sharper and cleaner than the Phantom HD Gold, but it does not have the Phantom's CineMag facility (making long downloads on set inevitable) and cannot be easily used on anything other than a tripod (certainly not handheld!). Both these issues are being addressed by Pirate: watch this space.
    Due to the success of our ShotServer system and the now established workflows for Phantom HD Gold footage, we can provide the same service for the Photron BC2.
    Pirate's BC2 is fully equipped with HD colour live-image video eyepieces, a full range of cine lenses and accessories, producing superb, crisp film-quality HD shots with 35mm film depth-of-field at 2000 fps. Pirate's latest idea, ShotServer, really is a must for high-end shoots where time and quality are important. Alternatively, Pirate has built an HD-SDI data capture facility to save on post-production costs where best quality is not needed.
     
    To discuss if the BC2 is right for your shoot, please call Michael or Martin, if you've got 20 minutes ....
    Camera Features;
    Additional Benefits;
    Image Size = up to 2048 x 2048 pixels. It's Big enough for most people.
    Instant playback on Panasonic HD LCD monitor Coo at the graceful way that bullet smashes through plate glass while the next shot is being set up.
    35mm Depth-of-field. It's beautiful, really beautiful.
    Very sensitive image sensor (ISO 640ASA film equivalent at 360 degree shutter 25 fps) Typical shots require only 10kW tungsten lights, keeping costs lower.
    True 1920 x 1080 High Definition at 2000fps. It's the fastest there is.
    Data delivered on external hard drive Either as Cine Raw files or 8, 10, or 12 bit Tiffs, or even HD Quicktime movies
    1/500,000 second maximum shutter speed. It's rather quick.
    End Record Trigger. Continuously record in a loop and cut when you've seen the action - no more missed takes.
    12 bit colour. It's excellent quality.
    Synchronise Trigger Kit option Synchronise an event to camera turnover - pyrotechnics have never been so much fun.
    HD eyepiece or HD on-board monitor with no image lag. Great for setting up and focus pulling.
    PL, PV, BNCR, Nikon and Sony B4 Lens Mount Suits a wide range of lenses.
    Low weight of 5.5kg Mounts on motion control rigs, cranes, booms and sleds - try that with a Photosonics film camera.
    Motion Control Option If you need repeatable high speed camera moves or ultra-fast accurate focus pulls, Pirate has a portable motion control head - the camera can pull focus, zoom, pan & tilt.
    Photron BC2 Camera (32GB Memory) with Sony C35 HD eyepiece, Computer Control system, Tripod & Head, Arri 4" Matte box & 15mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. (BNCR, PV, Nikon and Sony B4 lens mounts available too)
    £1800.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    High Speed Camera Assistant
    £430.00 / 10 hour day
    Birger lens mount (see here)
    £100.00 day
    HD-SDI data capture facility (10 bit uncompressed Quicktimes - similar to Sony SR55100)
    £300.00 day
    HD-SDI wireless transmitter kit (wireless feed of live camera picture (see here)
    £80.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHOTRON FASTCAM SA1.1 - 16:9 STD DEFINITION VIDEO

    (10,000 fps)

    Just like Pirate's Photron Ultima APX, but better! Put simply the SA1.1 does everything the Photron Ultima APX does but is capable of shooting Standard Definition 16:9 TV (1024 x 576 pixels) at a staggering 10,000 fps!
     
    In addition, it is more light sensitive by at least two stops and the image has more dynamic range (equivalent to latitude in film) is wider and colour rendiiton is nicer. And data is stored as uncompressed 12 bit .tif files, nice and quickly using the Gigabit ethernet interface. As with the Ultima APX, Directors and DOPs love the ease of use of Pirate's high speed video, because it has been integrated with a live-image on-board monitor, a full range of cine lenses, accessories and optional Motion Control, that produce film-like quality images without the hassle and expense of shooting film. They have the luxury of knowing they can go for another high speed take without wincing at spiralling costs.
    Camera Features;
    Additional Benefits;
    The camera shoots full widescreen broadcast images (1024 x 1024 pixels) up to 5400 fps, continuing up to an amazing 10,000 fps at 16:9 TV frame size, stored directly on disk (as 12 bit TIFF files).
    Instant playback on G1 monitor Coo at the graceful way that bullet smashes through plate glass while the next shot is being set up.
    After wrapping, the data can be taken away on any portable drive.
    Sensitive image sensor (25 fps, 180 degree shutter it has a 320 ASA film equivalent) Typical shots require only 10kW tungsten lights, keeping costs lower. Nice!
    Whether shooting in Pirate's 1,000 sq ft studio or away from base, the portable Motion Control head means the camera can pull focus, zoom, pan & tilt, enabling computer-controlled camera moves during a high speed shot.
    25fps & Custom Frame Rate option. You wanted to match live actionand the standard speeds may not be exactly what you wanted.
    End Record Trigger. Continuously record in a loop and cut when you've seen the action - no more missed takes.
    Synchronise Trigger Kit option Synchronise an event to camera turnover - pyrotechnics have never been so much fun.
    Camera & Control system, Live-feed 6" on-board monitor, Tripod & Head, Arri 4" Matte box & 15mm Rails, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. 9" Sony monitor
    £2100.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Operator
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    Camera Assistant
    £430.00 / 10 hour day
    300mm-T2.8 prime- Canon Century Precision
    £150.00 day
    Motion Controlled Head, 4 axis, option (see here)
    £910.00 / 10 hour day
    Custom frame rate option eg 25fps
    £200.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £125.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHOTRON ULTIMA APX - 16:9 STD DEFINITION DIGITAL

    HIGH SPEED VIDEO (2,000fps)

    Directors and DOPs love the ease of use of Pirate's high speed video.
     
    It has been integrated with a live-image on-board monitor, a full range of cine lenses, accessories and optional Motion Control, that produce film-like quality images without the hassle and expense of shooting film. They have the luxury of knowing they can go for another high speed take without wincing at spiralling costs.
    Camera Features;
    Additional Benefits;
    The camera shoots full widescreen broadcast images (1024 x 1024 pixels) up to 2000 fps, continuing up to an amazing 120,000 fps, stored directly onto disk (as 10 bit TIFF files).
    Instant playback on G1 monitor Coo at the graceful way that bullet smashes through plate glass while the next shot is being set up.
    After wrapping, it's then straight into your post-production facility courtesy of a portable drive.
    Sensitive image sensor (320 ASA film equivalent) Typical shots require only 10kW tungsten lights, keeping costs lower.
    Whether shooting in our studio or away from base, our portable Motion Control head means the camera can pull focus, zoom, pan & tilt, enabling computer-controlled camera moves during a high speed shot.
    25fps & Custom Frame Rate option You wanted to match live action and the standard speeds may not be exactly what you wanted.
    End Record Trigger. Continuously record in a loop and cut when you've seen the action - no more missed takes.
    Synchronise Trigger Kit option Synchronise an event to camera turnover - pyrotechnics have never been so much fun.
    Camera & Control system, Live-feed 6" on-board monitor, Tripod & Head, Arri 4" Matte box & 15mm Rails, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. 9" Sony monitor
    £1200.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Operator
    £431.00 / 10 hour day
    Camera Assistant
    £430.00 / 10 hour day
    300mm-T2.8 prime- Canon Century Precision
    £150.00 day
    Motion Controlled Head, 4 axis, option (see here)
    £910.00 / 10 hour day
    Custom frame rate option eg 25fps
    £200.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £125.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
    Photron Ultima APX Technical Information
    • The kit comprises a camera head & memory block, controlled by a custom-built Camera Control Unit (CCU). Custom-built lens mount permits a full range of 35mm cine lenses to be used. Pirate's baseplate provides full compatibility with 35mm cine camera accessories such as head, tripod, matte rails, matte box etc.
    • Video eyepiece allows easy shot setup.
    • 21" G1 monitor provides instant high quality image playback.
    • Motion Controlled Head option. Focus, zoom, pan & tilt can be motion controlled.
    • Custom Frame Rate option. Bespoke software and interface hardware permits any steady frame rate to be shot above 75fps. In addition, 25 fps can be shot to match live action with high speed shots.
    • Trigger Kit option. Events can be synchronised to camera turnover and/or motion controlled camera movements. (Standard trigger options include End trigger).
    • LaCie 160GB portable hard drive supplies uncompressed 10 bit TIFF files to clients (Mac & PC compatible) - supplied in rugged shock-proof case.
    So how exactly are the images stored?
    The frames are captured digitally within the camera memory, and then downloaded onto a hard disk within the CCU before using the camera again. Each take is saved as a numbered sequence of uncompressed 10 bit TIFF files within a named folder. As a rough guide, an edited 1000 frames will take 3 minutes to download, and occupy about 3Gb of CCU disk space. During the shoot, data is copied onto the 160Gb LaCie portable drive, which is formatted for plug & play use with Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000 and XP and Mac OS 9x & 10x allowing the files to be imported directly into an edit suite. (Sample data available on request). If required, Pirate can transfer the data onto digibeta tape for those who wish to edit conventionally.
    Standard Camera Speeds (fps)
    60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, 8000, 10000, 15000, 20000, 30000, 40000, 50000, 87600, 100000, 120000
    Standard Shutter Speeds
    1/frame rate and 1/3000, 1/4000, 1/6000, 1/8000, 1/10000, 1/15000, 1/20000, 1/30000, 1/40000, 1/50000, 1/87600, 1/100000, 1/120000
    Image resolution (No. of pixels) and maximum frame rate are inter-related as follows:
    1024w x 1024h Max frames = 2048 (plays back for 82 seconds at 25fps) 1024w x 768h Max frames = 2700 (plays back for 108 seconds at 25fps) 1024w x 512h Max frames = 4096 (plays back for 164 seconds at 25fps) Note: Pirate can provide High Definition 1080i format TIFFs on request too.
  •  

    ANALOGUE COLOUR HIGH SPEED VIDEO KIT

    (NAC HSV500C3)

    This ready-to-go kit comprises a NAC HSV 500C3 camera system, a Sony 9" monitor and a custom-built eyepiece.
     
    The lightweight, compact camera connects to a high-speed S-VHS videotape deck, recording at 125, 250 or 500fps, storing up to 43 minutes of live action. The camera's 3 x 1/3" 510 x 485 CCD image sensor array has high light sensitivity, resulting in extremely crisp, brilliant colour images in environments with low lighting conditions or environments where additional light cannot be added. The system is extremely easy to use and operates much like a standard VCR. It will record at 125, 250 or 500fps. Typical uses are as a high-speed video assist on high speed film shoots or motion analysis work, such as analysing the motion of machine tools within a factory environment.
    This camera can be dry hired - without operator and makes a cost effective too for analytical video work.
    Analogue kit and Operator
    £300.00 day
    Camera Technician
    £300.00 / 8 hour day
    Technician is optional - you may operate it yourself
    For this equipment a four day week is charged
  •  

    Optex Excellence Periscope Probe Boroscope
    (aka 'Abekus')
    Optex Excellence Periscope Probe Boroscope - aka 'Abekus'
     
     
    The main parts are: the periscope module which can be used at 90 degrees or extended straight in probe fashion; the main relay consisting of 0.8 Modulus gears for flawless integration with existing film accessories and Motion Control Rigs; and finally the Format Module for film or HD. The system includes four super-compact dedicated lenses offering 120°(10mm), 100°(14mm), 78°(20mm) and 60°(28mm) angles of view.
    The entire system is color matched so whether it is used as a periscope or probe, and whichever lens is used, color remains constant. Hence, one can mix HD and film and retain the same depth-of-field at comparable apertures.
    The system gives such high image quality you will think you are using a prime lens and as periscopes go, the Excellence is relatively fast having a minimum T stop of 5.6. There are no focus marks on the barrel, one eye focuses the lens, which is simple enough as the image is incredibly sharp.
     
     As Phil Savoie of the BBC Natural History Unit says -
    "The Optex scope is different from other periscopes and boroscope and an interesting one indeed.
    Tony Scott the optical engineer who designed it spent five years to get it right, where as most scopes are hybrids from many bits the Optex Excellence is purpose built. It has its own lenses that are smaller than normal primes and very good optically; a 10, 14, 20, 28. They have no iris for stopping down; this is done with the body of the scope. The stop is also a function of the format; 2.8 for Super16, 5.6 for 35 & HD. Wide open it can render 150 line pairs on axis and 80ish edge to edge - the same sort of performance one would expect from primes. One stop in the edges are noticeable better, after that diffraction quickly takes over and the image starts to fall off. It was designed for shooting wide open or a stop in.
    The feedback on the Excellence has been all very positive. More that one DP has mentioned it will cut with primes. The 90 degree prism may come in handy for your shoot to keep shadows out of frame."
    £630.00 day
  •  

    ACCESSORIES

    Birger lens mount for Canon EF lenses
    £100.00 Day
    The Birger lens mount is a computer controlled lens mount specifically for the Canon EF lenses, now popularly used on the Canon EOS 7D & 5D and RED cameras.
     
    It enables the remote control of an EF lens' aperture, focus and zoom. Fitted to Pirate's Phantom HD GOLDs or Photron BC2, this capability is particularly useful when a camera is mounted inside the underwater housing or on a crane or any other hard-to-get-to place. The lens mount is computer-controlled by the same laptop used to run the camera. Indeed, when fitted to the Phantom HD Golds, the lens is controlled by Phantom camera control software itself. By having computer control of the lens, programmable, repeatable lens moves are possible. This upgrade to Pirate's Phantom HD Golds brings them inline with the new Phantom v640 and Phantom Flex cameras (which have the mount as an optional upgrade) without those camera's drawbacks.
    Birger have a remote control under development at the moment. You can be sure that when it is available, Pirate will have one.
    Wireless HD-SDI Transmitter Receiver System Hire
    £80.00 Day / £320.00 Week
    This allows the transmission of a live or playback camera picture without wires, so usually used when the camera is running on batteries, untethered on a rig, quad bike or steadycam.
     
    Pirate has the "WEVI CAM-WAVE CW-5HD" microwave link for rental, made by IDX.
    The highlights:
    • Multiple video formats and profiles including 1080i/23.98PsF
    • Automatically detects between HD-SDI and SD-SDI signals
    • Transmission range of 150 feet line of sight or up to 100 feet through walls
    • No special license is required for operation
    • 2-channel embedded audio ensures no signal interference for complete audio/video syncronization.
    • Uses integrated V-Mount for camera and battery connection; fully compatible with ENDURA batteries.
    • Selection of 4 manual channel frequencies - ideal if operating multiple systems in close proximity.
    • No visible external antenna
    • 12W power consumption and weighs under 2 lbs.
     
    More techy stuff:
    • Frequency: 5.18GHz – 5.86GHz
    • Tuning Range / Frequency selection: Four selectable channels or one auto select (TX only)
    • Transmit Power: 89mW maximum (TX only)
    • Transmitter/Receiver Antenna: Internal 2dBi gain
    • Transmit Method: MIMO
    • Modulation: Orthogonal Frequency Diversity Multiplexing (OFDM)
    • Latency: Less than 1ms
    • Video Input: HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M) and SD-SDI (SMPTE 259M-C)
    • Video Formats: HD-1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080i/23.98PsF, 1080p/29.97, 720p/59.94, 720p/50 SD-525i/59.94, 625i/50
    • Audio Output (TX)/Audio Input (RX): Two channels SDI embedded channel 1 and 2
    Pirate's Denz 'Flange Depth Controller' (FDC) Collimator
    FREE!
    With the advent of digital sensors fitted to cameras intended to replace film cameras, and so using 35mm cine lenses, Pirate has been plagued by accusations of our cameras being uncollimated: sometimes a focus puller will complain he cannot get focus where he expects to find it.
    The strange focussing behaviour has been variously blamed on lack of collimation, distorted lens mounts, distortions due to heat etc. In fact, the problem is either the construction of the sensor (something to do with the fact that a sensor is physically thicker than film or the angle of light passing through the micro lens in front of each light well) or the presence of an optical low pass filter (OLPF) in front of the sensor or something else.
    Everyone at Pirate, just don't know (but think it's the OLPF and the fact that the lenses aren't telecentric). Pirate has researched it as best as they can - see here for a summary of an internet forum postings. If you know 'the' answer, please, please let Pirate know.
    In the meantime, Pirate has decided to prove on set that our cameras are collimated, right there, right then. That's the best we can do: if focus is still a problem, then there is nothing we can do, it is just the way it is.
    Pirate has a beautifully made piece of kit made by P E Denz in Germany known as a 'Flange Depth Controller' (FDC) for collimating digital cameras. It contains a laser and lenses, simply mounting on the camera in place of a lens and giving an idiot-proof method of measuring the collimation to within 1 micron. Good enough for most focus pullers.
    Kinoflo's VistaBeam Lights
    £165.00 Day / £825.00 Week
    Kino Flo’s VistaBeam® 600 will change the way the industry lights film and television studios.
     
    A VistaBeam 600 produces a soft flicker free light equivalent to a 4,000 Watt Softlight, drawing only 4.6A. The fixture has a DMX control system and the ability to produce daylight or tungsten balanced light from the same fixture. The cool soft like is ideally suited to food and people shots where the heat and harshness of other fixtures would make working with them difficult.
     
     The VistaBeam 600 DMX (230V version) runs at 25kHz, housing 6 x 96W tubes. It measures 37.5" x 36" x 8.5" (95.5 x 91.5 x 21.5cm) and weighs 47.6lb (21Kg).
    To see the full specification of the VistaBeam 600 (and 300), please click here.
    Abakus 260 B4 to PL converter - big video zooms onto 35mm
    £100.00 Day / £300.00 Week
     
    This enables the huge range of video zoom lenses (e.g. 100:1 zooms) to be used for 35mm-based cameras, such as our Phantom HD Golds and Photron BC2. This is particularly useful for sports outside broadcast work.
     
    Panasonic BT-LH900AE HD onboard monitor with built-in WFM
    Scaffolding Camera Mount & Head
    Angenieux zoom lens T3.2, 25mm - 250mm
    Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI 17" monitor, flight cased on monitor stand
    90mm Zoomar macro lens T2.8
    27" Sony Cube monitor in flight case
    High-speed follow focus
    18mm-T1.5 prime
    Millisecond Trigger Kit Option (see here)
    HD-SDI wireless transmitter kit IDX WEVI CW-5HD (wireless feed of live camera picture) (see here)
    £80.00 day
    £75.00 day
    £150.00 day
    £70.00 day
    £310.00 day
    £75.00 day
    £85.00 day
    £910.00 / 10 Hour day
    £40.00 day
    £280.00 day
    £95.00 day
    £50.00 day
    300mm-T2.8 prime - Canon Century Precision
    Motion Controlled Head, 4 axis, option (see here)
    Pirate Studio dry hire
    £550.00 / 10 Hour day
  •  

    USEFUL INFORMATION

    HIGH SPEED CAMERA COMPARISON
    The following is from an article Pirate had published under the title 'workflows for high speed cameras' in the February 2011 edition (issue 46) of HD Magazine, a UK publication covering all matters concerning the professional High Definition video world.

    WORKFLOWS FOR HIGH SPEED CAMERAS

    Post Production Workflows for High Speed Footage
    The following is from an article we had published under the title 'workflows for high speed cameras' in the February 2011 edition (issue 46) of HD Magazine, a UK publication covering all matters concerning the professional High Definition video world.

    WORKFLOWS FOR HIGH SPEED CAMERAS

    Focusing issues with digital cameras
    Following are some internet forum comments regarding the focusing issues people are experiencing with another digital video camera - the Red - and some possible explanations and work arounds:
     
    ISSUE: "I had a fairly serious shoot a couple of weeks ago with two Red cameras - we took a back up camera along - and we had real difficulty getting our sharps - with both cameras. We were using a just-before-checked set of master primes. We checked back focus (which was about 6 microns out) - and were helped in this by an extremely helpful lens technician from Arri. There were two issues:
    Firstly, we could really only get the centre of the frame sharp - it got very soft as soon as you moved away from dead centre.
    Secondly, the depth of field appeared to be a matter of a few inches when it should have been several feet. We took focus at T1.3 by eye (zoomed in on an HD monitor) and closed down to 5.6 to shoot - that alone should have given us enough leeway to be sharp - but obviously we also set focus with a tape. Eye and tape seemed to match what the lens said they should.
    We then looked at the 4k tiffs and they were soft - and I'm not talking about a lack of sharpening. I've shot handheld, pulling focus by eye, using the Red (a different one) on a doc with super speeds wide open and it was all pin sharp."
     
    EXPLANATION 1:
    "There may be a small focus shift with the lens stop used when there is an OLPF and sensor cover glass+micro lens array behind the lens, even if you adjust for the Paraxial Ray path length.
    There may also be a small focus shift when the angle of the light varies from parallel, some lenses have their ray crossing point closer to the sensor than others, so the distance through the glass plates will be longer or shorter for some lenses or others. The focus shift is about 1/3 the path distance difference or maybe a few 1/10000" or just maybe enoough to be a little soft in the corners.
    With f/1.2 lenses the sides of the rays cone take a longer path through the glass plate than the center rays, or in the corners one side is shorther than the center and the other side, so that makes the "best focus" distance shift not only from center to corner, but from full open to stopped down.
     
    To avoid this shift only use f/8 and remark the lenses. Otherwise there will be a small shift, not much for a film camera, but at 4K small shifts might be a little soft.
    The mount should be set for your zoom since the zoom cannot be remarked, then remark your prime lenses.
     
    Anamorphic lenses are VERY fussy about the backfocus and cannot be remarked and get right focus, so if you shoot scope, set the mount for the lens at the stop you will be shooting at.
    The lens and f/stop used when the mount is setup may not be the same as what you are shooting at, so you should check the backfocus at the stop and with the lens you will shoot with. The error is small, and if you focus on the monitor at 1:1 pixel, the marks do not matter (except for INF), the focus will just be a little soft at large stops, which is what the OLPF is meAnt to do anyway, blur the image over four pixels so that two green and one blue+red pixel are always exposed to avoid colored spots. If the corners go softer than the center, it does not matter except on charts since those parts of the frame do not have in focus things most of the time anyway.
     
    I should add, that if you use lenses that were aligined to their focus mark on a lens projector or collimator, those do not have the optical plates (OLPF and coverglass+microlensarray) so the alignment could show a slight shift when the "Best focus" is checked on the camera. If you adjust the lens mount for one lens aligined on a lens projector or collimator, then put another on that is opticaly at a different distance for the rays to cross, the "Best focus" can be a little different ON THE CAMERA even though the lenses were right on the lens projector or collimator, due to the shift in optical path length with angle through the OLPF and coverglass+microlensarray. So if you rent lenses, rather than have your own, the rental house would probably not have aligined the lenses focus marks on a RED ONE (tm) of the same serial number as yours, and therefore you would need to remark the lenses for each stop if you are going to focus by tape, and hope that you can go to INF when you need to.
     
    The reverse can also happen, if you mark the lenses for use on a RED ONE (tm) and then put them on a film camera, you might get some soft shots on the film camera, but with film being what it is you might not notice so much. Anyway, if you are going to a filmout the lens in the projector will probably be far enough out of focus that the camera lens issues will not be visible from the back of the theater(?)."
     
    EXPLANATION 2:
    "What some people seem to get confused about is that they seem to think there is one setting of the backfocus that will fix this problem for all lenses that are made for a film camera, there is no single setting of the backfocus that will correct for this plate thickness since the length of the rays through the plate varies with the f/stop, the angle of the lens (ray crossing point), and from the center to the edge of the frame introducing curvature of field as well as negative spherical aberration.
     
    The "plates" do three things: 1) there is no longer a single "best focus" for all stops (not that there was, its just worse now). The lens needs a new focus mark for each stop. 2) the "best focus" error is larger more for larger stops. (unless lens had positive sperical aberation before). 3) the "best focus" for the center and corner are not the same, i.e. the lens is no longer "flat field" (not that it ever was, just maybe worse now, although it might be better for some odd lens.)
     
    The thicker the "plates" behind the lens the more this shows up. The faster the lens stop, the more this shows up.
     
    If the "plates" are less than 0.01" total its not so bad, maybe just a little shift of the "best focus" on the different lens stops, but thicker you might see something in the end result. Does anyone know the total thickness and index of the OLPF and coverglass+microlens array?
     
    How much shift in backfocus are people seeing between lenses in 1/10000" (I guess they check wide open)? Most lenses are retro-focus or tele-photo so the point where the rays cross is not as different as when "short" focus wide angle and "long" focus lenses were used."
     
    EXPLANATION 3:
    "At 4K there is almost no DOF, being just a little off focus means that you are not getting a 4K image of what you want in focus, something may be in focus like the actors ear, but you might be focusing in front of his noise as well.
     
    To get a 4K image, you need the subject in focus. The point of the OLPF is not not get 4K with a high MTF, but to fuzz the image up so that the high MTF comes below 2K. None the less, some detail comes through in the LUMA from the De-Bayer near 4K, and that is what makes the image look in-focus or out-of-focus.
    When shooting at f/1.2 using a 75mm at 4K DOF is very short, the charts made for film cameras relate to something closer to a 1K image, check to see what size spot the DOF table was made using.
     
    When you look at the circle of confusion at high magnification you can see the shift in "best focus" for the stops, for film cameras a lens stop shift of 0.001" might just look like the follow focus guy was a little off, but at 4K if you see the image with all its glory 0.001" may be enough shift to notice.
    The simple fix is to set the backfocus short so that all lenses will go to INF, then focus by the 1:1 pixel display, and only use prime lenses that focus by moving the whole lens in and out. You cannot set the backfocus too short or you will run out of travel on wide angle lenses. If you have a fixed focus wide angle lens you would need to fiddle with the mount, so try to only use lenses that move and focus on the image not the marks, or tape a new mark on for the stop/lens on the camera...
     
    The thickness of the OLPF can only be properly compensated for if the light is coming telecentric through the filter. In most cases an OLPF has about a thickness of 3mm! So you a talking about a significant amount of glass here. It has about the same dimensions as a regular Tiffen, it just sits in the optical path behind the lens (I heard of DPs who are concerned about this amount of glass in front of the lens). I haven't really understood the details of the OLPF but it seems that it is hard to design a filter which is much thinner than this. It's almost impossible to judge the thickness of the filter in the Red without demounting it, but I would assume it is also in the range of about 3mm.
     
    In addition those filters are often sitting rather close to the sensor. In a Red the OLPF is pretty far out. It's hard to guess, but I would assume it is about 8-10mm away from the sensor.
    This helps to not see dust, but the downside to this is, it seems to increase focus shifts and chromatic abberations. If the exit pupil of a lens is rather short the light is entering and exiting the filter on an angle. As there is a significant increase of length (from what I recall about x1.5) of the optical path if light travels thru glass rather then air, the distance to the sensor is not the same if the light is going thru the filter at 90° or on an angle. This could also explain a backfocus shift when stopping down, as the rays of light are more bundled.
     
    As film lenses are always designed for a film plane with no glass in between focus issues and also chromatic abberations will be much more critical when such a heavy amount of glass is introduced in the optical path. I've had very ugly magenta and green edges on highlights, which I have never seen on film before. On 16mm lenses this is much more obvious as they have a very very short exit pupil.
     
    It is very disappointing but it looks like these are the options: 1) Only work with telecentric lenses (get a set of Uniqoptics) 2) Only do focus by eye 3) Collimate each lens with shims to match to each other and create a Red set (which wouldn't be good for film anymore) 4) Use a much much thinner OLPF (if only it would be available) 5) Make different marks on the adjustable mount for different lenses. 6) Mark the scales of your lenses individually if needed."
     
    EXPLANATION 4:
    "It may hurt some of you to hear this, as you glance over at your cases of Nikons or antique PL mount lenses. An OLPF is necessary in front of a digital sensor. These filters are made of layers of crystal, alternately oriented north/south & east/west, so that they do not astigmatically reduce sharpness (meaning that they do reduce sharpness evenly). That's fine & dandy for the center of the image, but as one moves off to the corners, the path of light on non-telecentric lenses becomes increasingly oblique, or at an angle. This means that the light is passing through the OLPF at an angle and therefore passing through more of the filter. How much more does this diffuse the light?
     
    Depends on the grade of OLPF needed for the sensor size and design and of course the angle of said light. But this is what RED is referring to with their "optimized for digital" lens designs.
    I can tell you from my experience with RED and other Digital Cinema cameras that generally this is really not an issue or an incredibly minor one at best. And this is with testing on optical benches and various metrics charts. And I can also tell you that it should have little to no bearing on why popping one lens on comes up soft while the next appears soft. This would effect corner to corner (edge fall off) sharpness only."
    Editing High Speed Footage in Final Cut Pro (FCP)
    'Out of the box' both Phantoms and Photrons can deliver 16bit .tif sequences. These can be delivered by Pirate or you can download the relevant software for transcoding the RAW data to DIY. For simple edits, or where budgets dictate an in-house edit, here is a no-cost method for using them in FCP:
    • Connect the external harddisk to the Macintosh computer and mount it. It is then best to copy the data to a Mac volume.
    • Open Quicktime Pro and open 'Image Sequence' by navigating to the directory and selecting the first .tif frame. Choose the frame rate (usually 25fps).
    • Save the sequence as a reference movie (important) in the same folder, that way the reference movies will not get separated from their .tifs.
    • Open FCP then import the reference movies you've just made.
    • Set up the sequence settings to match the resolution of the RAW data and select the "TIFF" compressor, otherwise FCP will try to render whilst you are editing. Slow. Bad.
    • Do your edit (the hard part) and colour correction etc.
    • Render the file and export it as an uncompressed Quicktime, but not as a reference movie this time. h) Use whatever software you like to convert / compress the Quicktime master file.
    Applications for high speed video
     Although Pirate have developed their kit specifically for the TV & film market, other markets are served -
    • 'Motion Analysis' of machine tools and industrial processes - for example, at Sarah Lee's factory in Slough a capping problem on a bottling line was solved in an afternoon and at Bentley Motors in Crewe automatic door mechanisms were analysed - they were so pleased with the results they have since bought two cameras like Pirate's!
    • 'Ballistics' - analysing the trajectory of projectiles in flight and their impact. Pirate would like to tell you what's been shot shot, but would have to kill you.
    • 'Natural History' - although we've all enjoyed Natural History on TV, some people, such as the Royal Vetenary Society, use high speed video to learn from nature some tricks to incorporate in future machines.
    Lighting for High Speed TV and Film Shoots
    When shooting high speed both the quantity and the quality of light are important considerations: as the frame rate increases, there is less time to expose the film or video frame, so more light is needed, and flickering not seen by the naked eye or cameras shooting at 25fps becomes all too apparent.
    To address the quantity issue, one cannot simply add more lights - not only can the heating effect cause practical problems, but also the flicker effect will remain. For those who have not seen it, flicker looks like the lights are throbbing or pulsating, which indeed they are as the filaments heat and cool in time with the 50Hz mains cycle.
     
    Using Strobe Lights
     
    In fact, the images produced by strobe lighting can have so little motion blur that they look rather unpleasant - in the way that one can tell the difference between film and video because of a lack of motion blur, the footage can look like jarring 'bad' video. The effect is particularly noticeable if the objects are moving rapidly, because they have moved so far between frames. This can be alleviated by adding some motion blur back in - using a small shutter angle and introducing an additional steady light source (see below) with the right intensity.
     
    Although at first daunting, metering strobe lights can be achieved quite simply. Most strobe lights have a 'metering' setting, giving a steady 60 flashes/sec, so by setting a light meter's gate to be 1/60s in the flash (strobe) mode, one can measure the light from a single strobe flash. Of course, one would take several readings to ensure that a single full flash was measured.
     
    A minor detail to bear in mind is that is the 6000K colour temperature, which can be corrected using an 85 or 85-B ge, or of course one can colour correct at the lab or in post.
     
    The main drawback of using Unilux lights is the cost: A typical shot, say a food commercial featuring falling coffee granules, would use two heads running off a single control unit. In the UK, hiring from Panavision this would cost £1380/day for the first head (an H3000) and control unit, plus £485/day for the second head and £385 for the operator. That's £2250/day. The other drawback is that it is not unknown for there to be a problem - when the film rushes return the next day an error in synchronisation can have dire consequences.
     
    Steady Light Sources
     
    Another approach is to use a triplet of lights with each light on a different phase, which produces a steadier overall light than an 18kW HMI for example. The approach is good for lighting large areas evenly. Whilst this is a very cost-effective solution to flicker-free lighting for high speed, the heat output can be a problem for people and models. Hence, at Pirate, we generally build rigs to perform pours, drips etc so that actions can be performed reliably and repeatably without stress.
     
    And yet another approach is to use LED lights, which will not flicker as long as they are not dimmed.
     
    And, finally, the Sun doesn't flicker ...
    Why Video Artifacts Occur in High Speed Digital Video Images
    All high speed digital video cameras, in common with most digital stills cameras, have a single image sensor, the surface of which is divided into a grid of light sensors. These sensors are only 'black & white' - they only measure brightness. To 'see' colour a red, green or blue filter is fixed in front of each sensor. On our cameras, the colour arrangement of these filters is in a particular pattern known as a 'Bayer' pattern.
     
    The light falling on each sensor, through its own colour filter, is measured by electronics to produce a 'raw' computer data file of red, green and blue values. In the case of the Phantom HD, the file format is called 'cine raw'. Subsequent to downloading the .cine file, the raw data is converted (de-Bayered) into a sequence of colour images, usually .tif files, using a particular algorithm (a sophisticated mathematical recipe for interpreting the colour information in a RAW file into ‘real’ colour).
     
    A consequence of this technique is that when viewing finely detailed scenes, some algorithms are better than others at interpreting the fine detail: all algorithms generate 'artifacts' or errors of these finely detailed areas. At Pirate, we actually use this inherent fault for focusing - by using a focus chart containing fine lines the appearance of these artifacts on the chart indicates pin-point focus.
     

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF HIRE

All rights reserved © PIRATE 2017

  •  

    PHANTOM FLEX 4K - 4K RESOLUTION FOOTAGE

    (4096 x 2160 PIXELS) UP TO 1000fps & 2K / 1080

    PIXELS UP TO 2000fps

    Europe's complete Phantom Flex4K rental solution by the most experienced people based in London. Pirate's kits have been developed for maximum portability to enable shoots anywhere, with the biggest memory capacities available (64GB internal and 2 x 2TB CineMags).
     
    Pirate's cameras are fully equipped with HD colour live-image video eyepieces, a full range of cine lenses and accessories.
    Phantom Flex4K camera body (64GB memory) with Computer Control system, Viewfinder, 4x5''Matte Box & 19mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI Monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. Lock-off Head and legs.
    £2700.00  day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    DIT
    £405.00 day
    Cooke 135mm T2.8 miniS4/i Cine Lens
    £78.00 day
    Remote Control Unit V2 (RCU2)
    £200.00 day
    Shoulder Mount (for Handheld)
    £90.00 day
    Battery Kit (4 x batteries, charger & battery switch)
    £395.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £125 minimum or mileage
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHANTOM FLEX - HD VIDEO (1080) UP TO 1275fps

    IN HIGH QUALITY MODE

    EUROPE'S COMPLETE PHANTOM FLEX RENTAL SOLUTION BY THE MOST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE BASED IN LONDON. PIRATE'S KITS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR MAXIMUM PORTABILITY FOR SHOOTS ANYWHERE.
     
    The Phantom Flex camera produces 12 bit colour images on a larger than HD sensor - 2560 x 1600 pixels in which the maximum frame rate is 1455fps. It can shoot HD too of course, at up to 2570fps! However, this high frame rate is only in 'Standard Mode'. For best quality, we use the camera's 'High Quality' which is unique to the Flex. Software multi-sampling in which half the exposure time of each frame is effectively used for continuous calibration resulting in stable (low noise) blacks and a higher dynamic range. The downside is that the maximum frame rate is halved, to 1275fps. Compared with the Phantom HD GOLD, the sensor has a higher sensitivity rating of ISO 1000. All your favourite 35mm lenses work just the same of course at the full sensor resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, but get longer if used to shoot an HD cutout. You might want to try this handy on-line lens calculator and Depth of Field calculator.
    Pirate's cameras are fully equipped with HD colour live-image video eyepieces, a full range of cine lenses and accessories.
    Phantom Flex (32GB Memory) with  Computer Control system, Viewfinder, 4x5''Matte Box & 19mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI Monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. Lock-off Head and legs.
    £2300.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    £405.00 / 10 hour day
    DIT
    Cooke 135mm T2.8 miniS4/i Cine Lens
    Remote Control Unit V2 (RCU2)
    Shoulder Mount (for Handheld)
    Battery Kit (4 x batteries, charger & battery switch)
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    £78.00 day
    £200.00 day
    £155.00
    £260.00 day
    £1.05 per mile
    £90.00 day
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHANTOM HD GOLD - HIGH QUALITY HD VIDEO

    (1080) UP TO 1000fps & 2K SQUARE FOOTAGE

    (2048 x 2048 PIXELS) UP TO 550fps

    Europe's complete Phantom HD GOLD solution for ultra slow motion, with the most experienced people based in London. Pirate has two camera kits and have designed and developed their own underwater housing kit, battery kits and hand-held kits with wireless HD transmitter/receivers for wire-free operation.
     
    Pirate has developed ShotServer, a must for high-end shoots where time and quality are important.
     
    Phantom HD Gold Camera (16GB Memory) with Computer Control system, Viewfinder, 4x5''Matte Box & 19mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI Monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. Lock-off Head and legs.
    £1800.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    DIT
    £405.00 / 10 hour day
    Cooke 135mm T2.8 miniS4/i Cine Lens
    £78.00 day
    Remote Control Unit V2 (RCU2)
    £200.00 day
    Shoulder Mount (for Handheld)
    £90.00 day
    Battery Kit (4 x batteries, charger & battery switch)
    £260.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
    Underwater Housing Kit for Phantom HD Gold
    Pirate has designed, built and tested a unique kit which enables a Phantom HD Gold camera to operate inside one of Peter Scoones' underwater housings. Peter is a world renowned, Emmy award winning underwater cameraman who has developed his own underwater housings over the last 40 years.
  •  

    PHOTRON FASTCAM BC2 (aka PHOTRON FASTCAM

    SA2) - BEST QUALITY HD VIDEO UP TO 2000fps and

    5000fps AT STANDARD DEFINITION 16:9

    A comprehensive Photron BC2 / SA2 solution for slow motion HD at 2000fps, based in London. The BC2 is the latest offering from Photron, specifically designed for the film & TV market.
     
    The BC2 is based on the successful SA2, sharing all it's features with several new ones, such as an eyepiece connector and additional HD-SDI out connectors on the rear panel. Image quality has been improved too and really is superb, and shooting 1080p, 12 bit colour at up to 2000fps (standard definition 16:9 at 5400fps!) with 640ASA sensitivity, the BC2 provides a better high speed solution than the Phantom HD Gold where portability and speed of use are not as critical. In addition, our BC2 has 32GB of internal memory, twice that of most Phantom HD Golds, giving twice the running time, like for like. With the BC2, the image is sharper and cleaner than the Phantom HD Gold, but it does not have the Phantom's CineMag facility (making long downloads on set inevitable) and cannot be easily used on anything other than a tripod (certainly not handheld!). Both these issues are being addressed by Pirate: watch this space.
    Due to the success of our ShotServer system and the now established workflows for Phantom HD Gold footage, we can provide the same service for the Photron BC2.
    Pirate's BC2 is fully equipped with HD colour live-image video eyepieces, a full range of cine lenses and accessories, producing superb, crisp film-quality HD shots with 35mm film depth-of-field at 2000 fps. Pirate's latest idea, ShotServer, really is a must for high-end shoots where time and quality are important. Alternatively, Pirate has built an HD-SDI data capture facility to save on post-production costs where best quality is not needed.
     
    To discuss if the BC2 is right for your shoot, please call Michael or Martin, if you've got 20 minutes ....
    Photron BC2 Camera (32GB Memory) with Sony C35 HD eyepiece, Computer Control system, Tripod & Head, Arri 4" Matte box & 15mm Rails, Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI monitor, Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. (BNCR, PV, Nikon and Sony B4 lens mounts available too)
    £1800.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Technician
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    High Speed Camera Assistant
    £430.00 / 10 hour day
    Birger lens mount (see here)
    £100.00 day
    HD-SDI data capture facility (10 bit uncompressed Quicktimes - similar to Sony SR55100)
    £300.00 day
    HD-SDI wireless transmitter kit (wireless feed of live camera picture (see here)
    £80.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £155.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHOTRON FASTCAM SA1.1 - 16:9 STD DEFINITION VIDEO

    (10,000 fps)

    Just like Pirate's Photron Ultima APX, but better! Put simply the SA1.1 does everything the Photron Ultima APX does but is capable of shooting Standard Definition 16:9 TV (1024 x 576 pixels) at a staggering 10,000 fps!
     
    In addition, it is more light sensitive by at least two stops and the image has more dynamic range (equivalent to latitude in film) is wider and colour rendiiton is nicer. And data is stored as uncompressed 12 bit .tif files, nice and quickly using the Gigabit ethernet interface. As with the Ultima APX, Directors and DOPs love the ease of use of Pirate's high speed video, because it has been integrated with a live-image on-board monitor, a full range of cine lenses, accessories and optional Motion Control, that produce film-like quality images without the hassle and expense of shooting film. They have the luxury of knowing they can go for another high speed take without wincing at spiralling costs.
    Camera & Control system, Live-feed 6" on-board monitor, Tripod & Head, Arri 4" Matte box & 15mm Rails,  Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm. 9" Sony monitor
    £2100.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Operator
    £555.00 / 10 hour day
    Camera Assistant
    £430.00 / 10 hour day
    300mm-T2.8 prime- Canon Century Precision
    £150.00 day
    Motion Controlled Head, 4 axis, option (see here)
    £910.00 / 10 hour day
    Custom frame rate option eg 25fps
    £200.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £125.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
  •  

    PHOTRON ULTIMA APX - 16:9 STD DEFINITION DIGITAL

    HIGH SPEED VIDEO (2,000fps)

    Directors and DOPs love the ease of use of Pirate's high speed video.
     
    It has been integrated with a live-image on-board monitor, a full range of cine lenses, accessories and optional Motion Control, that produce film-like quality images without the hassle and expense of shooting film. They have the luxury of knowing they can go for another high speed take without wincing at spiralling costs.
    Camera & Control system, Live-feed 6" on-board monitor, Tripod & Head, Arri 4" Matte box & 15mm Rails,  Arri Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses - 16mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm.  9" Sony monitor
    £1200.00 / day
    High Speed Camera Operator
    £431.00 / 10 hour day
    Camera Assistant
    £430.00 / 10 hour day
    300mm-T2.8 prime- Canon Century Precision
    £150.00 day
    Motion Controlled Head, 4 axis, option (see here)
    £910.00 / 10 hour day
    Custom frame rate option eg 25fps
    £200.00 day
    Inside M25 equipment delivery / collection, inc. operator time
    £125.00
    Outside M25 equipment delivery / collection £145 minimum or mileage at
    £1.05 per mile
    Outside M25 operator travel time charged pro-rata
    PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE COSTS APPLY TO UK SHOOTS ONLY
    Photron Ultima APX Technical Information
    • The kit comprises a camera head & memory block, controlled by a custom-built Camera Control Unit (CCU). Custom-built lens mount permits a full range of 35mm cine lenses to be used. Pirate's baseplate provides full compatibility with 35mm cine camera accessories such as head, tripod, matte rails, matte box etc.
    • Video eyepiece allows easy shot setup.
    • 21" G1 monitor provides instant high quality image playback.
    • Motion Controlled Head option. Focus, zoom, pan & tilt can be motion controlled.
    • Custom Frame Rate option. Bespoke software and interface hardware permits any steady frame rate to be shot above 75fps. In addition, 25 fps can be shot to match live action with high speed shots.
    • Trigger Kit option. Events can be synchronised to camera turnover and/or motion controlled camera movements. (Standard trigger options include End trigger).
    • LaCie 160GB portable hard drive supplies uncompressed 10 bit TIFF files to clients (Mac & PC compatible) - supplied in rugged shock-proof case.
  •  

    ANALOGUE COLOUR HIGH SPEED VIDEO KIT

    (NAC HSV500C3)

    This ready-to-go kit comprises a NAC HSV 500C3 camera system, a Sony 9" monitor and a custom-built eyepiece.
     
    The lightweight, compact camera connects to a high-speed S-VHS videotape deck, recording at 125, 250 or 500fps, storing up to 43 minutes of live action. The camera's 3 x 1/3" 510 x 485 CCD image sensor array has high light sensitivity, resulting in extremely crisp, brilliant colour images in environments with low lighting conditions or environments where additional light cannot be added. The system is extremely easy to use and operates much like a standard VCR. It will record at 125, 250 or 500fps. Typical uses are as a high-speed video assist on high speed film shoots or motion analysis work, such as analysing the motion of machine tools within a factory environment.
    This camera can be dry hired - without operator and makes a cost effective too for analytical video work.
    Analogue kit and Operator
    £300.00 day
    Camera Technician
    £300.00 / 8 hour day
    Technician is optional - you may operate it yourself
    For this equipment a four day week is charged
  •  

    Optex Excellence Periscope Probe
    Boroscope (aka 'Abekus')
    Optex Excellence Periscope Probe Boroscope - aka 'Abekus'
    £630.00 / 8 hour day
     
    The main parts are: the periscope module which can be used at 90 degrees or extended straight in probe fashion; the main relay consisting of 0.8 Modulus gears for flawless integration with existing film accessories and Motion Control Rigs; and finally the Format Module for film or HD. The system includes four super-compact dedicated lenses offering 120°(10mm), 100°(14mm), 78°(20mm) and 60°(28mm) angles of view.
    The entire system is color matched so whether it is used as a periscope or probe, and whichever lens is used, color remains constant. Hence, one can mix HD and film and retain the same depth-of-field at comparable apertures.
    The system gives such high image quality you will think you are using a prime lens and as periscopes go, the Excellence is relatively fast having a minimum T stop of 5.6. There are no focus marks on the barrel, one eye focuses the lens, which is simple enough as the image is incredibly sharp.
  •  

    ACCESSORIES

    Birger lens mount for Canon EF lenses
    £100.00 Day
    The Birger lens mount is a computer controlled lens mount specifically for the Canon EF lenses, now popularly used on the Canon EOS 7D & 5D and RED cameras.
     
    It enables the remote control of an EF lens' aperture, focus and zoom. Fitted to Pirate's Phantom HD GOLDs or Photron BC2, this capability is particularly useful when a camera is mounted inside the underwater housing or on a crane or any other hard-to-get-to place. The lens mount is computer-controlled by the same laptop used to run the camera. Indeed, when fitted to the Phantom HD Golds, the lens is controlled by Phantom camera control software itself. By having computer control of the lens, programmable, repeatable lens moves are possible. This upgrade to Pirate's Phantom HD Golds brings them inline with the new Phantom v640 and Phantom Flex cameras (which have the mount as an optional upgrade) without those camera's drawbacks.
    Wireless HD-SDI Transmitter Receiver System Hire
    £80.00 Day / £320.00 Week
    This allows the transmission of a live or playback camera picture without wires, so usually used when the camera is running on batteries, untethered on a rig, quad bike or steadycam.
     
    Pirate has the "WEVI CAM-WAVE CW-5HD" microwave link for rental, made by IDX.
    The highlights:
    • Multiple video formats and profiles including 1080i/23.98PsF
    • Automatically detects between HD-SDI and SD-SDI signals
    • Transmission range of 150 feet line of sight or up to 100 feet through walls
    • No special license is required for operation
    • 2-channel embedded audio ensures no signal interference for complete audio/video syncronization.
    • Uses integrated V-Mount for camera and battery connection; fully compatible with ENDURA batteries.
    • Selection of 4 manual channel frequencies - ideal if operating multiple systems in close proximity.
    • No visible external antenna
    • 12W power consumption and weighs under 2 lbs.
    Pirate's Denz 'Flange Depth Controller' (FDC) Collimator
    FREE!
    With the advent of digital sensors fitted to cameras intended to replace film cameras, and so using 35mm cine lenses, Pirate has been plagued by accusations of our cameras being uncollimated: sometimes a focus puller will complain he cannot get focus where he expects to find it.
    The strange focussing behaviour has been variously blamed on lack of collimation, distored lens mounts, distortions due to heat etc. In fact, the problem is either the construction of the sensor (something to do with the fact that a sensor is physically thicker than film or the angle of light passing through the micro lens in front of each light well) or the presence of an optical low pass filter (OLPF) in front of the sensor or something else.
    Kinoflo's VistaBeam Lights
    £165.00 Day / £825.00 Week
    Kino Flo’s VistaBeam® 600 will change the way the industry lights film and television studios.
     
    A VistaBeam 600 produces a soft flicker free light equivalent to a 4,000 Watt Softlight, drawing only 4.6A. The fixture has a DMX control system and the ability to produce daylight or tungsten balanced light from the same fixture. The cool soft like is ideally suited to food and people shots where the heat and harshness of other fixtures would make working with them difficult.
     
     The VistaBeam 600 DMX (230V version) runs at 25kHz, housing 6 x 96W tubes. It measures 37.5" x 36" x 8.5" (95.5 x 91.5 x 21.5cm) and weighs 47.6lb (21Kg).
    To see the full specification of the VistaBeam 600 (and 300), please click here.
    Abakus 260 B4 to PL converter - big video zooms onto 35mm
    £100.00 Day / £300.00 Week
     
    This enables the huge range of video zoom lenses (e.g. 100:1 zooms) to be used for 35mm-based cameras, such as our Phantom HD Golds and Photron BC2. This is particularly useful for sports outside broadcast work.
    Panasonic BT-LH900AE HD onboard monitor with built-in WFM
    Scaffolding Camera Mount & Head
    Angenieux zoom lens T3.2, 25mm - 250mm
    Panasonic LH1700W HD-SDI 17" monitor, flight cased on monitor stand
    90mm Zoomar macro lens T2.8
    27" Sony Cube monitor in flight case
    High-speed follow focus
    18mm-T1.5 prime
    Millisecond Trigger Kit Option (see here)
    HD-SDI wireless transmitter kit IDX WEVI CW-5HD (wireless feed of live camera picture) (see here)
    £80.00 day
    £75.00 day
    £150.00 day
    £70.00 day
    £310.00 day
    £75.00 day
    £85.00 day
    £910.00 / 10 Hour day
    £40.00 day
    £280.00 day
    £95.00 day
    £50.00 day
    £550.00 / 10 Hour day
    300mm-T2.8 prime - Canon Century Precision
    Pirate Studio dry hire
    Motion Controlled Head, 4 axis, option (see here)
  •  

    USEFUL INFORMATION

    HIGH SPEED CAMERA COMPARISON
    The following is from an article Pirate had published under the title 'workflows for high speed cameras' in the February 2011 edition (issue 46) of HD Magazine, a UK publication covering all matters concerning the professional High Definition video world.

    WORKFLOWS FOR HIGH SPEED CAMERAS

    Post Production Workflows for High Speed Footage
    The following is from an article we had published under the title 'workflows for high speed cameras' in the February 2011 edition (issue 46) of HD Magazine, a UK publication covering all matters concerning the professional High Definition video world.

    WORKFLOWS FOR HIGH SPEED CAMERAS

    Focusing issues with digital cameras
    Following are some internet forum comments regarding the focusing issues people are experiencing with another digital video camera - the Red - and some possible explanations and work arounds:
     
    ISSUE: "I had a fairly serious shoot a couple of weeks ago with two Red cameras - we took a back up camera along - and we had real difficulty getting our sharps - with both cameras. We were using a just-before-checked set of master primes. We checked back focus (which was about 6 microns out) - and were helped in this by an extremely helpful lens technician from Arri. There were two issues:
    Firstly, we could really only get the centre of the frame sharp - it got very soft as soon as you moved away from dead centre.
    Secondly, the depth of field appeared to be a matter of a few inches when it should have been several feet. We took focus at T1.3 by eye (zoomed in on an HD monitor) and closed down to 5.6 to shoot - that alone should have given us enough leeway to be sharp - but obviously we also set focus with a tape. Eye and tape seemed to match what the lens said they should.
    We then looked at the 4k tiffs and they were soft - and I'm not talking about a lack of sharpening. I've shot handheld, pulling focus by eye, using the Red (a different one) on a doc with super speeds wide open and it was all pin sharp."
     
    EXPLANATION 1:
    "There may be a small focus shift with the lens stop used when there is an OLPF and sensor cover glass+micro lens array behind the lens, even if you adjust for the Paraxial Ray path length.
    There may also be a small focus shift when the angle of the light varies from parallel, some lenses have their ray crossing point closer to the sensor than others, so the distance through the glass plates will be longer or shorter for some lenses or others. The focus shift is about 1/3 the path distance difference or maybe a few 1/10000" or just maybe enoough to be a little soft in the corners.
    With f/1.2 lenses the sides of the rays cone take a longer path through the glass plate than the center rays, or in the corners one side is shorther than the center and the other side, so that makes the "best focus" distance shift not only from center to corner, but from full open to stopped down.
     
    To avoid this shift only use f/8 and remark the lenses. Otherwise there will be a small shift, not much for a film camera, but at 4K small shifts might be a little soft.
    The mount should be set for your zoom since the zoom cannot be remarked, then remark your prime lenses.
     
    Anamorphic lenses are VERY fussy about the backfocus and cannot be remarked and get right focus, so if you shoot scope, set the mount for the lens at the stop you will be shooting at.
    The lens and f/stop used when the mount is setup may not be the same as what you are shooting at, so you should check the backfocus at the stop and with the lens you will shoot with. The error is small, and if you focus on the monitor at 1:1 pixel, the marks do not matter (except for INF), the focus will just be a little soft at large stops, which is what the OLPF is meAnt to do anyway, blur the image over four pixels so that two green and one blue+red pixel are always exposed to avoid colored spots. If the corners go softer than the center, it does not matter except on charts since those parts of the frame do not have in focus things most of the time anyway.
     
    I should add, that if you use lenses that were aligined to their focus mark on a lens projector or collimator, those do not have the optical plates (OLPF and coverglass+microlensarray) so the alignment could show a slight shift when the "Best focus" is checked on the camera. If you adjust the lens mount for one lens aligined on a lens projector or collimator, then put another on that is opticaly at a different distance for the rays to cross, the "Best focus" can be a little different ON THE CAMERA even though the lenses were right on the lens projector or collimator, due to the shift in optical path length with angle through the OLPF and coverglass+microlensarray. So if you rent lenses, rather than have your own, the rental house would probably not have aligined the lenses focus marks on a RED ONE (tm) of the same serial number as yours, and therefore you would need to remark the lenses for each stop if you are going to focus by tape, and hope that you can go to INF when you need to.
     
    The reverse can also happen, if you mark the lenses for use on a RED ONE (tm) and then put them on a film camera, you might get some soft shots on the film camera, but with film being what it is you might not notice so much. Anyway, if you are going to a filmout the lens in the projector will probably be far enough out of focus that the camera lens issues will not be visible from the back of the theater(?)."
     
    EXPLANATION 2:
    "What some people seem to get confused about is that they seem to think there is one setting of the backfocus that will fix this problem for all lenses that are made for a film camera, there is no single setting of the backfocus that will correct for this plate thickness since the length of the rays through the plate varies with the f/stop, the angle of the lens (ray crossing point), and from the center to the edge of the frame introducing curvature of field as well as negative spherical aberration.
     
    The "plates" do three things: 1) there is no longer a single "best focus" for all stops (not that there was, its just worse now). The lens needs a new focus mark for each stop. 2) the "best focus" error is larger more for larger stops. (unless lens had positive sperical aberation before). 3) the "best focus" for the center and corner are not the same, i.e. the lens is no longer "flat field" (not that it ever was, just maybe worse now, although it might be better for some odd lens.)
     
    The thicker the "plates" behind the lens the more this shows up. The faster the lens stop, the more this shows up.
     
    If the "plates" are less than 0.01" total its not so bad, maybe just a little shift of the "best focus" on the different lens stops, but thicker you might see something in the end result. Does anyone know the total thickness and index of the OLPF and coverglass+microlens array?
     
    How much shift in backfocus are people seeing between lenses in 1/10000" (I guess they check wide open)? Most lenses are retro-focus or tele-photo so the point where the rays cross is not as different as when "short" focus wide angle and "long" focus lenses were used."
     
    EXPLANATION 3:
    "At 4K there is almost no DOF, being just a little off focus means that you are not getting a 4K image of what you want in focus, something may be in focus like the actors ear, but you might be focusing in front of his noise as well.
     
    To get a 4K image, you need the subject in focus. The point of the OLPF is not not get 4K with a high MTF, but to fuzz the image up so that the high MTF comes below 2K. None the less, some detail comes through in the LUMA from the De-Bayer near 4K, and that is what makes the image look in-focus or out-of-focus.
    When shooting at f/1.2 using a 75mm at 4K DOF is very short, the charts made for film cameras relate to something closer to a 1K image, check to see what size spot the DOF table was made using.
     
    When you look at the circle of confusion at high magnification you can see the shift in "best focus" for the stops, for film cameras a lens stop shift of 0.001" might just look like the follow focus guy was a little off, but at 4K if you see the image with all its glory 0.001" may be enough shift to notice.
    The simple fix is to set the backfocus short so that all lenses will go to INF, then focus by the 1:1 pixel display, and only use prime lenses that focus by moving the whole lens in and out. You cannot set the backfocus too short or you will run out of travel on wide angle lenses. If you have a fixed focus wide angle lens you would need to fiddle with the mount, so try to only use lenses that move and focus on the image not the marks, or tape a new mark on for the stop/lens on the camera...
     
    The thickness of the OLPF can only be properly compensated for if the light is coming telecentric through the filter. In most cases an OLPF has about a thickness of 3mm! So you a talking about a significant amount of glass here. It has about the same dimensions as a regular Tiffen, it just sits in the optical path behind the lens (I heard of DPs who are concerned about this amount of glass in front of the lens). I haven't really understood the details of the OLPF but it seems that it is hard to design a filter which is much thinner than this. It's almost impossible to judge the thickness of the filter in the Red without demounting it, but I would assume it is also in the range of about 3mm.
     
    In addition those filters are often sitting rather close to the sensor. In a Red the OLPF is pretty far out. It's hard to guess, but I would assume it is about 8-10mm away from the sensor.
    This helps to not see dust, but the downside to this is, it seems to increase focus shifts and chromatic abberations. If the exit pupil of a lens is rather short the light is entering and exiting the filter on an angle. As there is a significant increase of length (from what I recall about x1.5) of the optical path if light travels thru glass rather then air, the distance to the sensor is not the same if the light is going thru the filter at 90° or on an angle. This could also explain a backfocus shift when stopping down, as the rays of light are more bundled.
     
    As film lenses are always designed for a film plane with no glass in between focus issues and also chromatic abberations will be much more critical when such a heavy amount of glass is introduced in the optical path. I've had very ugly magenta and green edges on highlights, which I have never seen on film before. On 16mm lenses this is much more obvious as they have a very very short exit pupil.
     
    It is very disappointing but it looks like these are the options: 1) Only work with telecentric lenses (get a set of Uniqoptics) 2) Only do focus by eye 3) Collimate each lens with shims to match to each other and create a Red set (which wouldn't be good for film anymore) 4) Use a much much thinner OLPF (if only it would be available) 5) Make different marks on the adjustable mount for different lenses. 6) Mark the scales of your lenses individually if needed."
     
    EXPLANATION 4:
    "It may hurt some of you to hear this, as you glance over at your cases of Nikons or antique PL mount lenses. An OLPF is necessary in front of a digital sensor. These filters are made of layers of crystal, alternately oriented north/south & east/west, so that they do not astigmatically reduce sharpness (meaning that they do reduce sharpness evenly). That's fine & dandy for the center of the image, but as one moves off to the corners, the path of light on non-telecentric lenses becomes increasingly oblique, or at an angle. This means that the light is passing through the OLPF at an angle and therefore passing through more of the filter. How much more does this diffuse the light?
     
    Depends on the grade of OLPF needed for the sensor size and design and of course the angle of said light. But this is what RED is referring to with their "optimized for digital" lens designs.
    I can tell you from my experience with RED and other Digital Cinema cameras that generally this is really not an issue or an incredibly minor one at best. And this is with testing on optical benches and various metrics charts. And I can also tell you that it should have little to no bearing on why popping one lens on comes up soft while the next appears soft. This would effect corner to corner (edge fall off) sharpness only."
    Editing High Speed Footage in Final Cut Pro (FCP)
    'Out of the box' both Phantoms and Photrons can deliver 16bit .tif sequences. These can be delivered by Pirate or you can download the relevant software for transcoding the RAW data to DIY. For simple edits, or where budgets dictate an in-house edit, here is a no-cost method for using them in FCP:
    • Connect the external harddisk to the Macintosh computer and mount it. It is then best to copy the data to a Mac volume.
    • Open Quicktime Pro and open 'Image Sequence' by navigating to the directory and selecting the first .tif frame. Choose the frame rate (usually 25fps).
    • Save the sequence as a reference movie (important) in the same folder, that way the reference movies will not get separated from their .tifs.
    • Open FCP then import the reference movies you've just made.
    • Set up the sequence settings to match the resolution of the RAW data and select the "TIFF" compressor, otherwise FCP will try to render whilst you are editing. Slow. Bad.
    • Do your edit (the hard part) and colour correction etc.
    • Render the file and export it as an uncompressed Quicktime, but not as a reference movie this time. h) Use whatever software you like to convert / compress the Quicktime master file.
    Applications for high speed video
     Although Pirate have developed their kit specifically for the TV & film market, other markets are served -
    • 'Motion Analysis' of machine tools and industrial processes - for example, at Sarah Lee's factory in Slough a capping problem on a bottling line was solved in an afternoon and at Bentley Motors in Crewe automatic door mechanisms were analysed - they were so pleased with the results they have since bought two cameras like Pirate's!
    • 'Ballistics' - analysing the trajectory of projectiles in flight and their impact. Pirate would like to tell you what's been shot shot, but would have to kill you.
    • 'Natural History' - although we've all enjoyed Natural History on TV, some people, such as the Royal Vetenary Society, use high speed video to learn from nature some tricks to incorporate in future machines.
    Lighting for High Speed TV and Film Shoots
    When shooting high speed both the quantity and the quality of light are important considerations: as the frame rate increases, there is less time to expose the film or video frame, so more light is needed, and flickering not seen by the naked eye or cameras shooting at 25fps becomes all too apparent.
    To address the quantity issue, one cannot simply add more lights - not only can the heating effect cause practical problems, but also the flicker effect will remain. For those who have not seen it, flicker looks like the lights are throbbing or pulsating, which indeed they are as the filaments heat and cool in time with the 50Hz mains cycle.
     
    Using Strobe Lights
     
    In fact, the images produced by strobe lighting can have so little motion blur that they look rather unpleasant - in the way that one can tell the difference between film and video because of a lack of motion blur, the footage can look like jarring 'bad' video. The effect is particularly noticeable if the objects are moving rapidly, because they have moved so far between frames. This can be alleviated by adding some motion blur back in - using a small shutter angle and introducing an additional steady light source (see below) with the right intensity.
     
    Although at first daunting, metering strobe lights can be achieved quite simply. Most strobe lights have a 'metering' setting, giving a steady 60 flashes/sec, so by setting a light meter's gate to be 1/60s in the flash (strobe) mode, one can measure the light from a single strobe flash. Of course, one would take several readings to ensure that a single full flash was measured.
     
    A minor detail to bear in mind is that is the 6000K colour temperature, which can be corrected using an 85 or 85-B ge, or of course one can colour correct at the lab or in post.
     
    The main drawback of using Unilux lights is the cost: A typical shot, say a food commercial featuring falling coffee granules, would use two heads running off a single control unit. In the UK, hiring from Panavision this would cost £1380/day for the first head (an H3000) and control unit, plus £485/day for the second head and £385 for the operator. That's £2250/day. The other drawback is that it is not unknown for there to be a problem - when the film rushes return the next day an error in synchronisation can have dire consequences.
     
    Steady Light Sources
     
    Another approach is to use a triplet of lights with each light on a different phase, which produces a steadier overall light than an 18kW HMI for example. The approach is good for lighting large areas evenly. Whilst this is a very cost-effective solution to flicker-free lighting for high speed, the heat output can be a problem for people and models. Hence, at Pirate, we generally build rigs to perform pours, drips etc so that actions can be performed reliably and repeatably without stress.
     
    And yet another approach is to use LED lights, which will not flicker as long as they are not dimmed.
     
    And, finally, the Sun doesn't flicker ...
    Why Video Artifacts Occur in High Speed Digital Video Images
    All high speed digital video cameras, in common with most digital stills cameras, have a single image sensor, the surface of which is divided into a grid of light sensors. These sensors are only 'black & white' - they only measure brightness. To 'see' colour a red, green or blue filter is fixed in front of each sensor. On our cameras, the colour arrangement of these filters is in a particular pattern known as a 'Bayer' pattern.
     
    The light falling on each sensor, through its own colour filter, is measured by electronics to produce a 'raw' computer data file of red, green and blue values. In the case of the Phantom HD, the file format is called 'cine raw'. Subsequent to downloading the .cine file, the raw data is converted (de-Bayered) into a sequence of colour images, usually .tif files, using a particular algorithm (a sophisticated mathematical recipe for interpreting the colour information in a RAW file into ‘real’ colour).
     
    A consequence of this technique is that when viewing finely detailed scenes, some algorithms are better than others at interpreting the fine detail: all algorithms generate 'artifacts' or errors of these finely detailed areas. At Pirate, we actually use this inherent fault for focusing - by using a focus chart containing fine lines the appearance of these artifacts on the chart indicates pin-point focus.