CineAlta
 | This article needs more citations. (May 2023) |
 | |
| Type | Video camera |
|---|---|
| Inception | 1999 |
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Website | |
CineAlta cameras are a series of professional digital movie cameras produced by Sony that replicate many of the same features of 35mm film motion picture cameras.
Concept
CineAlta is a brand name used by Sony to describe various products involved in content creation, production and exhibition process within digital cinema workflow. The first product in the CineAlta line was the Sony HDW-F900, which was also the first HD camera that could shoot at 24 frames per second in true progressive scan. Since then the CineAlta product line has come to include cameras, recorders, cinema servers and projectors. "CineAlta" is a portmanteau of Cine, from cinematography, and Alta, an Italian word for "high".
Logo
The original CineAlta logo was designed by Hiroki Oka, Chief Art Director of Sony CreativeWorks Corporation, based at the Sony Technology Center in Atsugi. The twinned ribbons represent the marriage of film and videotape, arranged in a way to deliberately evoke the infinity symbol, to symbolize the infinite possibilities. An updated version of the logo, designed by Tetsuro Sano, was used for the first time in branding for the F65.
Format
CineAlta cameras have at various points in time recorded onto HDCAM tapes, XDCAM Professional Discs, SRMemory, or SxS and AXS flash memory cards. They have the ability to shoot at various frame rates including 24fps and a resolution of up to 8K. The camera can be used with a Miranda DVC 802 converter. This allows the camera to output SDI, DV, and multiple HD outputs.
Tapeless CineAlta cameras record video as either Apple ProRes or XAVC. Earlier CineAlta cameras also had a raw image format, but since 2016 Sony has replaced it with a compressed linear 16-bit format named X-OCN, which essentially functions exactly like a more traditional raw format.
History and use in motion pictures
In June 1999, George Lucas announced that Episode II of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy would be the first major motion picture to be shot 100% digitally. Sony and Panavision collaborated to develop the High Definition 24p camera that Lucas would use to accomplish this, and thus the first CineAlta camera was born: the Sony HDW-F900 (also called the Panavision HD-900F after being "panavised"). However, the science-fiction film Vidocq was actually the first released feature that was shot entirely with digital cinematography. Lucas held a private screening of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones for the Atsugi Technology Center staff, and inserted a credit to specifically thank the Sony engineers at Atsugi for the use of the HDW-F900.
For Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith the more advanced Sony HDC-F950 was used, with higher resolution and better color reproduction than its predecessor. The film was cropped to a 2.40:1 aspect ratio from its native 16:9 frame. As a result, only 818 of the 1080 vertical pixels were actually used. An anamorphic adapter lens is available from Canon to allow shooting in 2.39:1 without losing any pixels. Manuel Huerga's Salvador is the first movie shot with this adapter.
2002's Russian Ark was recorded in uncompressed high definition video using a Sony HDW-F900. The information was recorded uncompressed onto a hard disk which could hold 100 minutes, thus allowing the entire film to be shot in a single 86 minute take. This was very complicated, as in 2001 there wasn't widely available technology for high capacity hard disk recording, and even less for doing this portably, on battery power, indoors and out from −23 °C (−9 °F) to 23 °C (73 °F). Four attempts were made to complete the shot, which had to be completed in one day due to the Hermitage Museum being closed for the shoot. The first three had to be interrupted due to technical faults, but the fourth attempt was completed successfully. Extra material on the DVD release includes a documentary on the technology used.
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Other notable movies that were shot with CineAlta cameras include:
- Vidocq (2001, shot in May 2000)
- Kamen Rider Agito: Project G4 (2001 film) (2001, shot in January 2001) World's first all scenes shot in HD 1080/24P
- All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001, shot August 2000)
- Session 9 (released in 2001, shot in September – October 2000)
- Once Upon a Time in Mexico (released in 2003, shot in May 2001)
- Burning Annie (released in 2007, shot in February 2002)
- Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
- Dogville (2003)
- Scacco pazzo (2003)
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
- The World (2004)
- Zebraman (2004)
- Sin City (2005)
- Caché (film) (2005)
- Crank (2006)
- U2 3D (2008)
- Cloverfield (2008)
- Rachel Getting Married (2008)
- Yesterday Was a Lie (2008)
- Quantum Of Solace (2008)
- Tetro (2009)
- Public Enemies (2009)
- Avatar (2009)
- The Karate Kid (2010 film)
- Tron: Legacy (2010)
- Real Steel (2011)
- Just Go with It (2011)
- Shark Night 3D (2011)
- The Darkest Hour (2011)
- Sanctum (2011)
- The Sunset Limited (2011)
- Mirror Mirror (2012)
- Oblivion (2013)
- After Earth (2013)
- White House Down (2013)
- The Smurfs 2 (2013)
- Evil Dead (2013)
- Winter Sleep (2014)
- Lucy (2014)
- 6 Underground (2019)
- 21 Bridges (2019)
- Downton Abbey (2019)
- Harriet (2019)
- Two of Us (2019)
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
- The Life Ahead (2020)
- Unhinged (2020)
- Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
- Bad Boys for Life (2020)
- Tesla (2020)
- The Glorias (2020)
- I Care a Lot (2020)
- Parallel Mothers (2021)
- Coda (2021)
- Black Widow (2021)
- Annette (2021)
- Reminiscence (2021)
- The Mauritanian (2021)
- Cherry (2021)
- Wrath of Man (2021)
- Tom & Jerry (2021)
- Voyagers (2021)
- Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021)
- Cherry (2021)
- Kate (2021)
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- Hustle (2022)
- Spiderhead (2022)
- The Man From Toronto (2022)
- The Gray Man (2022)
- Do Revenge (2022)
- Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Matilda the Musical (2022)
- Creed III (2023)
- Tetris (2023)
- Ghosted (2023)
- Beau is Afraid (2023)
- The Pope's Exorcist (2023)
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
- Strays (2023)
- Gran Turismo (2023)
- Civil War (2024)
- A Complete Unknown (2024)
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
- Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
- Black Phone 2 (2025)
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
- Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
- Michael (2026)
- Backrooms (2026)
- Resident Evil (2026)
- Digger (2026)
List of CineAlta cameras
All cameras are made by Sony except where noted:
- BURANO (2023)
- VENICE 2 (2021)
- VENICE (2017)
- F55/F5 (2014)
- NEX-FS700 (2011)
- F65 (2011)
- PMW-F3 (2010)
- SRW-9000PL (2010)
- PMW-500 (2010)
- PDW-F800/700 (2008–2009)
- F35/F23 (2008)
- PMW-EX3 (2008)
- PMW-EX1/EX1R (2006, EX1R in 2009)
- HDW-F900R (2006)
- PDW-F350/F330 (2006)
- HDC-F950 (2003)
- HDW-F900 (2000)
| Model | Weight | Size (W×H×D) | Sensor | Lens mount | Media | Framerates | Introduced | Current |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HDW-F900 | 18 lb 8 kg |
5.5×10.4×15.0 in 140×265×380 mm |
3×2⁄3" CCD |
B4 | HDCAM | 24, 25, 30 (1080p) 50, 60 (1080i) |
2000 |  No |
| HDC-F950 | 11 lb 5.1 kg |
5.2×10.9×14.2 in 133×276×360 mm |
3×2⁄3" CCD |
B4 | 24 (1080p) | 2003 | No | |
| HDW-F900R | 12 lb 5.4 kg |
5.0×10.6×13.6 in 127×269×345 mm |
3×2⁄3" CCD |
B4 | HDCAM | 24, 25, 30 (1080p) 50, 60 (1080i) |
2006 | No |
| PDW-F350 | 8.5 lb 3.85 kg |
4.9×10.6×12.9 in 124×268×328 mm |
3×1⁄2" CCD |
Sony 1⁄2" bayonet | XDCAM PFD | 4–60 (1080p) | 2006 | No |
| PDW-F330 | 24, 25, 30 (1080p) 50, 60 (1080i) | |||||||
| PMW-EX1/EX1R | 5.3 lb 2.4 kg |
7.01×6.93×12.26 in 178×176×311.5 mm |
3×1⁄2" CMOS |
Fixed | 2×SxS | 1–30 (1080p) 1–60 (720p) |
2007 | No |
| PMW-EX3 | 4.2 lb 1.9 kg |
9.8×8.3×15.7 in 250×210×400 mm |
EX-mount | 2008 | ||||
| F23 | 11.0 lb 5.0 kg |
7.85×8.62×7.79 in 199.3×219×197.8 mm |
3×2⁄3" CCD |
B4 | 1–60 (1080p) | 2007 | No | |
| F35 | 1×Super 35 CCD |
PL | 1–50 (1080p) | 2008 | ||||
| PDW-700 | 9.5 lb 4.3 kg |
4.9×10.6×13.1 in 124×269×332 mm |
3×2⁄3" CCD |
B4 | XDCAM PFD | 24, 25, 30 (1080p) 50, 60 (1080i) |
2008 | No |
| PDW-F800 | 1–60 (1080p) | 2009 | ||||||
| PMW-500 | 7.5 lb 3.4 kg |
2×SxS | 1–30 (1080p) 1–60 (720p) |
2010 | ||||
| SRW-9000PL | 15 lb 6.9 kg |
5.8×8.3×13.0 in 148×211×330 mm |
1×Super 35 CCD |
PL | HDCAM-SR | 24, 25, 30 (1080p) 50, 60 (1080i) |
2010 | No |
| F3 | 5.3 lb 2.4 kg |
5.9×7.4×8.3 in 151×189×210 mm |
1×Super 35 CMOS |
FZ | 2×SxS | 1–30 (1080p) 1–60 (720p) |
2010 | No |
| F65 | 11.0 lb 5.0 kg |
8.9×8.0×8.1 in 227×203×205 mm |
1×Super 35 CMOS |
PL | SRMemory | 1–60 (8K) 1–120 (4K) |
2011 | No |
| NEX-FS700 | 3.7 lb 1.68 kg |
5.71×7.03×9.27 in 145×178.5×235.5 mm |
1×Super 35 CMOS |
E | MS PRO Duo, SD/SDHC/SDXC | 1–240 (1080p) | 2012 | No |
| F5 | 4.9 lb 2.2 kg |
5.1×4.9×7.5 in 130×125×191 mm |
1×Super 35 CMOS |
FZ | 2×SxS, AXSM | 1–60 (4K) 1–240 (2K) |
2012 | No |
| F55 | ||||||||
| VENICE | 8.6 lb 3.9 kg |
5.2×6.3×6.8 in 133×159×172 mm |
1×Full Frame CMOS |
E | 2×SxS, 2×AXSM | 1–30 (6K) 1–60 (4K) |
2017 |  Yes |
| VENICE 2 (8.6K) | 9.5 lb 4.3 kg |
6.0×6.2×9.8 in 152×158×250 mm |
1×Full Frame CMOS |
E | 2×AXSM | 1–30 (8.6K) 1–90 (5.8K) |
2021 | Yes |
| VENICE 2 (6K) | 9.3 lb 4.2 kg |
1–90 (6K) 1–110 (4K) | ||||||
| BURANO | 5.3 lb 2.4 kg |
5.74×5.61×8.59 in 145.7×142.5×218.1 mm |
1×Full Frame CMOS |
E | 2× CFexpress Type B | 24, 25, 30 (8.6K) 24, 25, 30, 50, 60 (6K) 24, 25, 30, 50, 60, 100, 120 (4K) |
2023 | Yes |
- Notes
- ↑ Width × Height × Depth, excluding lenses and protrusions
- 1 2 Including lens, battery, and cassette
- ↑ No onboard recording. Connects to SRW-5000 HDCAM or SRW-1 HDCAM-SR videocassette recorders.
- ↑ Approximately 12 lb (5.4 kg) with viewfinder, microphone, Professional Disc, and battery
- ↑ Approximately 6.2 lb (2.8 kg) with battery and SxS card.
- 1 2 With lens.
- ↑ EX1R announced in 2009 with upgraded features.
- ↑ Approximately 7.9 lb (3.6 kg) with lens, battery and SxS card.
- ↑ No onboard recording. Connects to SRW-1 HDCAM-SR videocassette recorder. Solid state SRMemory compatible via dockable SR-R1.
- 1 2 Requires HKSR-102 to be installed in SRW-1 for 50/60fps in 4:2:2 mode; requires both HKSR-102 and HKSR-103 for 50/60fps in 4:4:4 mode.
- ↑ 13.2 pounds
6.0 kilograms with battery, viewfinder, and microphone. - ↑ Including lens, battery, and cassette
- 1 2 Attaches to SR-R1 via HD-SDI to allow recording to solid state SRMemory.
- ↑ Variable frame rate 1–60 fps when HKSR-9002 Picture Cache Board is installed.
- ↑ Available as a kit (with 35mm, 50mm, 85mm T2.0 PL-mount prime lenses, PMW-F3K) and bare body (PMW-F3L)
- 1 2 3 4 5 PL with included adapter
- ↑ 14 lb (6.5 kg) with accessories
- ↑ Via external docking recorder SR-R4.
- ↑ 6.7 lb (3.06 kg) with lens, battery, microphone, handle, viewfinder.
- ↑ AXSM via optional AXS-R5 recorder and HXR-IFR5 interface units.
- ↑ Via external docking recorder AXS-R5.
- ↑ F5 requires optional upgrade for 4K in XAVC.
- ↑ Limited to 180fps when recording in 2K XAVC
- ↑ Model number MPC-3610
- 1 2 3 36 mm × 24 mm (1.42 in × 0.94 in) sensor size.
- 1 2 3 Lever-lock variant of E-mount, which allows the rotation of a lever, rather than the lens.
- ↑ Via external docking recorder AXS-R7.
- ↑ Model number MPC-3628
- ↑ Model number MPC-3626
- ↑ Model number MPC-2610
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Feature Design: "CineAlta" Digital Cinema Camera F23". Sony. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ↑ "Feature Design: "CineAlta" Digital Cinema Camera F65". Sony. 11 June 2012. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ↑ "X-OCN explained". Sony Professional. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- ↑ "Download the X-OCN White Paper". Sony Cinematography. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- ↑ "Session 9 Budget / Box Office / Filming Dates, IMDB". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ↑ "Session 9 Technical Specifications, IMDB". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ↑ "Review: 'Session 9', Variety". 7 August 2001. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ↑ "Once Upon a Time in Mexico Technical Specifications, IMDB". IMDb. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ↑ "MovieMaker: How They Did It 'Burning Annie'".
- ↑ "HD World: The World of High Definition, Created by Sony" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-31. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
- ↑ Goldstein, Gregg (2006-10-31). "Mysterious ways: U2 in 3-D concert film". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- 1 2 3 "VENICE 2" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- 1 2 "VENICE" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "CineAlta Catalog 2015" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- 1 2 "NEX-FS700: Full-HD Super Slow Motion NXCAM Camcorder" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- 1 2 "PMW-F3L". Sony. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- 1 2 "SRW-9000PL". Sony. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "XDCAM HD422 Family" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Digital Cinematography Camera F35 / F23" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 "XDCAM EX" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- 1 2 "HDW-F900R Sony Digital Camcorder" (PDF). Sony. 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 "XDCAM HD Professional Disc System" (PDF). Sony. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- 1 2 "Sony Digital 4:4:4 HD Camera System HDC-F950 / HDCU-F950" (PDF). Sony. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- 1 2 "HDW-F900 Sony Digital Camcorder" (PDF). Sony. 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ "Full HD solid-state camcorder. PMW-EX1R" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ↑ Young, Rick (23 October 2009). "Sony announces replacement for the PMW-EX1". Network World. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ↑ "[Inter BEE 2006]Sony reveals a new lineup for accelerating HD World" (Press release). Sony. November 15, 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- ↑ Stuart, Mark (April 2008). "XDCAM HD: Sony's 2/3rd-inch XDCAM HD PDW-700 is here" (PDF). DVuser Magazine. pp. 6–12. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ Frazer, Bryant (19 April 2009). "Sony Stretches XDCAM HD, HDCAM SR Offerings at NAB". Studio Daily. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ "PMW-500 Solid-State Memory Camcorder" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ↑ Frazer, Bryant (10 September 2010). "Sony Introduces XDCAM PMW-500, Recording 4:2:2 HD to SxS Memory Cards". Studio Daily. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ Schubin, Mark (September 2010). "Electronic Image Acquisition Progress Report". SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal. 119 (6): 67–69. doi:10.5594/J12201.
- ↑ "Sony SRW-9000PL" (PDF). Film and Digital Times. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ Wilt, Adam (November 10, 2010). "Sony PMW-F3 Announced". Pro Video Coalition. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ↑ "Sony Launches F65 CineAlta Camera and Unveils End-to-End 4K Workflow for Digital Cinematography" (Press release). Sony. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- ↑ "Sony announces NEX-FS700 '4k-ready' E-mount camcorder". Digital Photography Review. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- ↑ Murie, Michael (31 October 2012). "Sony Announces F5, F55 and Other Toys". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- ↑ Allard, Matthew (6 September 2017). "Sony unveils VENICE – 36x24mm full-frame digital motion picture camera system". News Shooter. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- ↑ Fauer, Jon (November 15, 2021). "Sony VENICE 2 Special Report" (PDF). Film and Digital Times. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ↑ "BURANO". Sony. Retrieved 17 September 2023.