Multifunction, portable 19″ rack for live, DiT and post production applications.

July 14, 2025 alisterchapman 1 Comment

I have a 6U tall, shallow depth 19″ rack that I put together as a general purpose system to cover a wide variety of applications. In its original form the main units in the rack were a Blackmagic Design 1ME 4K Production Studio switcher, a 4K Hyperdeck Studio and a 4K Ultrastudio.

My original multi function 19″ rack for live production, DIT and post production tasks.

These units worked very well for me, but they are older units and less efficient than the latest ones and this leads to 2 issues – heat and noise. Even after replacing the fans in the units with special very low noise fans they could still be quite noisy at times and the units always ran hot, necessitating the addition of additional fans in the back of the unit. When using it for DIT jobs the fan noise could be a problem on a quiet set. Additionally, the lower efficiency of these older units means they need more power than more recent similar units and one of the applications I have is portable live switching and DIT work, perhaps based out of my camper van and sometimes “off grid”. Another investment will be a portable power pack or “solar generator” to run the rack when I don’t have mains power, so efficiency is important. And finally these are 6G units, so limited to 4K 30p, for 4K 60p you need the more recent 12G units.

The rear of my original version of the multi function rack.

With a big job at the Glastonbury festival coming up, where I would be deeply involved with a special Circus spectacular that would open the festival in front of a crowd of around 70,000, helping with the video feed to the side screens of the main stage and the BBC, I decided it was time to upgrade the units to the latest versions.

The updated version of my 19″ multi function rack with new Blackmagic Design units.

My 1ME 4K Production studio was replaced with a Blackmagic Atem 4K Constellation with 10 inputs and 6 outputs. This has the wonderful benefit of being able to map any of the inputs or the program or preview bus to any of the 6 outputs. So, as well as being a great switcher it can also act as a 10 input, 6 output router. My previous 1ME switcher had 3 AUX outputs that could be assigned to any input, but having 6 gives me a lot more routing possibilities. The ability to act as a router is really useful in the DIT role where I may have feeds from multiple cameras that need to be routed to different monitors etc. The Constellation is also smaller than my old 1ME, it’s the same 1U high, but now less wide and this freed up some space in the rack for a new Thunderbolt 3 hub. The Thunderbolt 3 hub powers my Macbook Pro and thanks to the TB3 loop through also connects it to the new 4K UltraStudio Mini. The Ultrastudio Mini is half the size of my old Ultra studio, uses a lot less power and generates a lot less heat. It also has a more up to date Thunderbolt 3 interface . The Ultrastudio allows me to perform live grades with DaVinci Resolve when I’m working as a DIT. It also gives me that all important calibrated video output when I’m doing normal grading jobs.

One thing I’m not sure many actually realise is how important it is to have something like an Ultrastudio or Decklink card to provide an HDMI or SDI output when editing or grading rather than trying to use a computers built in HDMI output. Computers often use different gamuts to the gamuts we use in the world of video production. And while computers do a pretty reasonable job of adding corrections between gammas like Rc-709 or HDR10 and the computers internal colourspace, very often small errors will creep in and all the extra conversions introduce artefacts such as banding into the monitoring pipeline. It’s only by using a proper video production oriented output device or card that you can be sure that you are monitoring your content in the correct colourspace and without any gamma shifts. The Ultrastudio is an absolutely essential piece of kit in my workflow.

I also upgraded the Hyperdeck from a 6G Hyperdeck 4K to the latest Hyperdeck Studio 12G. This new 12G Hyperdeck can also record to SD cards as well as SSD’s and adds H264 and H265 codec options. For a live switching job the Hyperdeck can be used to record the mixer output or it can be used as a playout device for clip playback and the playback can be controlled by the switcher, although most of the time for playback I prefer to play out of a laptop via the Ultrastudio. In the DIT role the Hyperdeck gets used as a backup recorder to record the cameras output at the DIT station. This then allows me to play back clips almost instantly without having to remove any media from the camera. It’s great to check for problems and the footage can also be looped into DaVinci Resolve via the Ultrastudio for live grading (one thing the old 6G Hyperdeck studio had was the ability to provide an input in to Resolve via Thunderbolt 2, but this one can’t do that). Again this new Hyperdeck runs cooler, quieter and uses less power.

What else is in the rack?

Rear view of my updated multi function rack.

Well…. There is a 5 port ethernet switch and a small router. The router is there to create a network for the times the rack isn’t connected to an external network such as my home office network. The network is necessary to allow a computer and other devices to control the Constellation switcher and the Hyperdeck. The router also provides WiFi access so that a tablet can be used to control the switcher (more on that in a bit).
I have also included an SDI to HDMI mini converter to feed one of the switchers 6 SDI outputs to a cheap HDMI to USB dongle. The dongle is then connected to the Thunderbolt hub and this allows me to convert the switcher output to a UVC compatible video input on the connected laptop.

Using the MixEffect app to control the Constellation from an iPad Pro

The main way I use this is to take the switchers multiview output and feed that into the “MixEffect” application on the computer. MixEffect is a brilliant way to control a BlackMagic switcher as it is highly configurable and can run on many different types of device including tablets. On my Macbook I use MixEffect’s ability to overlay the switcher controls over the live Multiview feed, so I can monitor and control the switcher from a single screen. This is very handy for portable setups.

I also have a Blackmagic Bi-directional HDMI to SDI converter in the rack as often I need to bring in an HDMI signal such as the output from a PC for event productions. Being Bi-directional this can also be used to take any of the SDI outputs in the rack and convert it to HDMI. The old 6G switcher had a couple of HDMI outputs but the Constellation doesn’t have any, which is a shame.

There is also an Accsoon Seemo Pro. The Seemo is connected to one of the switchers SDI outputs and I can use it to provide a video feed into an iPad. This allows me to use the MixEffect app on an iPad to both monitor and control the switcher. I’ve been using an old 12.9″ iPad Pro as a low power monitor for those times when I’m running the system off grid. The iPad Pro makes a great monitor, it’s colour accurate and very low latency.

There is a 12v 10 amp power supply. It provides power for the Seemo (which in turn will power and charge the iPad Pro). It also powers a small, 5 output USB power supply that I use to power the SDI and HDMI converters and the router. The power supply is also connected to a 56v power converter that provides PPoE power that can feed an external 5G/4G router for those times when I need to get an internet connection via the cellphone network. It also gives me the ability to power a small 12v monitor or other 12v accessories from the rack.

On average, with everything running and a 16″ MacBook Pro connected (remember the thunderbolt hub in the rack also powers the MacBook) the updated rack draws between 175w and 200w of power. So, a relatively affordable 1000Wh Solar Generator should be able to run it and a monitor for around 4 hours. If I’m using it in the camper van, the van has a 1000Wh power system plus up to 300W of solar (on a bright and sunny day). With enough sun, I should be able to run all day, but we can’t rely on the sun in the UK. To be honest I think I will still need “shore power” mains power for longer jobs unless I get enough off grid projects to justify the expense of a +3000Wh solar generator.

Burano

Sony Burano Version 2 Firmware Released

June 3, 2025 alisterchapman 2 Comments

After a rather long wait, Sony have today released firmware version 2.01 for the Burano camera. This firmware brings many new scan modes and UI improvments to the camera. For me, this update turns Burano into that workhorse camera that the F5/F55 was. The image quality form the Burano sensor was already excellent, being just that tiny bit above the FX6/FX3 etc and almost indistinguishable from Venice 2. The ability to now chose to shoot at up to 120fps in the full frame crop mode is very welcome, although do be aware that under some shooting conditions there is a greater chance of aliasing and moire issues when using the bined scam modes.

Please do follow the installation instructions carefully and make sure you do check the checksums of the files to ensure you are not trying to install corrupted firmware.

Here’s the link: Sony Burano Firmware.

New Recording Formats
- FFcrop 3.8K 16:9, up to 120fps
- S35 4.3K 4:3 aspect imager scan mode, for anamorphic shooting, up to 60fps
- S35 1.9K 16:9 up to 240fps
  NOTE: When 240fps is selected for S35 1.9K 16:9, SDI output and HDMI outputs are not available.
Addition of 1.8x setting to De-squeeze function for anamorphic lenses
Addition of 24.00p to X-OCN 16:9 imager scan modes
Additional exposure tools (High/Low key)
Support for Active/High Image stabilization in FF crop 6K, S35 1.9K 16:9
Addition of S&Q selection increments : 66, 72, 75, 88, 90, 96, 110fps
Expansion of White Balance memory positions from 3 to 8
Inclusion of VF Gamma Display Assist while using S-Log3 for monitoring
[Monitor FHD] is newly added as a factory preset for SDI output for both X-OCN and XAVC
Improved the on-screen display which places camera status information outside of the image in [Monitor FHD] in both HDMI and SDI output
Addition of breathing compensation and image stabilization metadata in X-OCN
Time Code and Clip Name metadata are now overlaid to [Monitor FHD]
Support for 23.98PsF for SDI output
Image quality is improved in S-Log3 external output in Base Look
709tone is newly added as a preset Base Look
Improved image quality when applying user 3D LUTs
Compatible with commands for PL lenses supporting Cooke/i Technology
- Focus & Zoom: Can be controlled on the BURANO, from M&C app or via external devices
- Iris: Can be controlled from Remote Control Panel only
24V option is added to PL mount voltage setting (PL-Mt Voltage)
Autofocus improvement when recording with 29.97P, 25P, 24P, and 23.98P
Proxy recording is now available with system frequency of 24P
Factory-reset frequency is changed from 59.94P to 23.98P
In addition to Reset/Reset without Network, [Reset to Factory Defaults] menu is now available to initialize all settings e.g. password, User 3D LUTs in memory
?Variable ND control is now possible from Remote Control Panel (RCP)
“Imager Temperature” is added to the status screen (Information screen)
“Format Media” can be executed from the status screen (Media screen)
Camera ID and Reel # can be set in the status screen (Project screen)
Tally control is now possible from external devices connected via wired-LAN

Review

New Connected Monitors Coming From Accsoon.

April 2, 2025 alisterchapman 1 Comment

Accsoon will be previewing two very interesting looking monitors at NAB in Las Vegas. Accsoon are perhaps best know for their Seemo products that allow users to turn their iPhones into an SDI or HDMI equipped monitor or for thier extensive range of HD and 4K wireless video transmission systems (see my review of their 4K Cineview Master system here).

Now they are about to release a pair of really interesting monitors, The CineView M7 Pro and CineView M7. Both monitors have the ability to record footage at up to 4K60p in H.264 or H.265 direct to an SD card slot or to external USB thumb drives or external SSDs. This provides a simple solution for instant review of footage on-set, or sharing to social media and streaming platforms, with the increased processing power allowing the menus and file management to be incredibly responsive. Video and audio bitrates can be adjusted to match the required record times and storage media. I don’t yet have any information on bit rates, but the nice thing about H265 is it can deliver very high quality with very small files, so this could be an excellent backup for a cameras internal recording. They also have bluetooth allowing you to connect bluetooth headphones for audio monitoring.

The screens are 7-inch 1900×1200 displays with cinema-grade accuracy, covering 100% of Rec.709, and a 1500:1 ultra-high static contrast ratio. Like most modern monitors you get all the expected exposure and focus tools such as Waveform display, false colour, zebras and peaking etc.

They have powerful internal processors that allow the monitors monitors to work with both 3D and 1D LUTs which are loaded via USB, SD Card or flash drive. Importantly the CineView M7 and M7 PRO can also function as a LUT box allowing the transform to be applied to the output via HDMI, SDI or Wi-fi streaming, or to be ‘burned’ into the image recorded direct to card. This is a really nice feature.

The monitor can also cross convert between HD and 4K, both up and down and the press release also mention the possible future ability to convert between different frame rates.

The monitors take a pair of NP-F style batteries for onboard power and can also be powered via a DC input as well as USB-C PD.

Rear view of the CineView M7 Pro with cage fitted.

Powering Solutions:

Dual NP-F Slots

USB PD

I/O Interfaces:

HDMI IN: Supports up to 4K60 DCI video input

HDMI OUT: Supports up to 4K60 DCI video output

SDI IN: 3G SDI. Supports up to 1080P60 video input

SDI OUT: 3G SDI. Supports up to 1080P60 video output

SD Card Slot: You can directly record to the SD Card, import LUTs from SD Card and offload footage to the SD Card.

USB 3.0 (Type-C): Plug in external storage devices for recording and file import/offload

Microphone jack (3.5mm): Supports external audio input to replace the audio signal embedded in the video source.

Headphone jack (3.5mm): Supports using external headphones or speakers for audio monitoring.

Bluetooth: Supports audio monitoring using wireless earbuds.

The CineView M7 Pro includes a built in wireless receiver that is compatible with Accsoon’s wireless video transmitters making it a strong candidate for use as a directors monitor. The CineView M7 does not have a built in receiver so will I assume be cheaper.

The projected price for the CineView M7 Pro is $900USD which seems extremely competitive for a monitor with this feature set, especially if you already own any of their wireless transmission systems.

Everything Else

Making a Blackmagic Design Atem 4K 1ME Production switcher quieter.

April 1, 2025 alisterchapman 2 Comments

I’m in the process of creating a mobile DiT station/production unit. I’m going to use a Blackmagic Atem 1ME production studio 4K as both a vision mixer for multicamera productions and as a router for DiT applications. This unit has the ability to route any input or the PGM or Preview bus to any one of 3 auxiliary outputs using buttons on the front panel, so it can act as a basic hub. They can be picked up used via ebay or places like MPB for around £300-£400 ($300-400).

However, from the factory these units are extremely noisy. The fans that Blackmagic use are LOUD. It is too noisy to be used on set as it is, so I decided to replace the fans with some quieter ones. If you can solder this is a pretty easy job.

There are 3 fans that blow air out of the chassis. I replaced these with Noctua NF-A4x20 PWM fans. Make sure you get the PWM versions!
These are 4 wire PWM fans. Blackmagic use a smaller fan connector than used in most computers so you will need to cut the connector off the original fans and solder this to the leads from the replacement fans.

Quiet Noctua Fans replacing the ATEM exhaust fans

For the Noctua fans see the image below for which coloured wire is connected to which.

Blue original goes to Noctua Blue.

Yellow original goes to Noctua Green

Red original goes to Noctua Yellow

Black original goes to Noctua Black

The other 4 fans were replaced with AAB Cooling Super Silent Fan 4’s, these are normally available from Amazon and are quite a lot cheaper that the Noctua equivalent but equally quiet. Again you will need to re-use the connectors from the original fans, but the wire colours are the same.

The reduction in noise is already dramatic after the fan replacement. But if you drill out the vent grill for the exhaust fans the unit will be even quieter.

Everything Else, Venice

How Tough is a Sony Venice?

March 27, 2025 alisterchapman 4 Comments

A fire damaged Sony Venice that still works just fine!

This camera absolutely stank! It smelt of burnt plastic, burnt rubber and was really quite nasty to get too close to. It is a Sony Venice that was being transported in the back of a van that caught fire and was totally destroyed. Not only was the camera subject to the heat and flames of the fire but it was also thoroughly doused in water as the fire fighter fought the fire.

When clearing up the aftermath the rental company that owned it decided to see if it did still work and much to everyone’s surprise the camera booted up as normal. There aren’t even any dead sensor pixels.

You can even see that behind the melted plastic over the main LCD that the panel behind it is still working (it appears to be requesting that an APR be performed). But this camera stinks so much there is no way you would want to be too close to it for any length of time.

Venice

Sony Venice 2 Mini Extension System (baby Rialto).

March 27, 2025 alisterchapman Leave a comment

Sony mini extension system on a RS4 gimbal

Yesterday Sony launched their new extension system mini for the Venice 2 cinema camera. The catchily named “Venice Extension System Mini” is a system that allows you to separate the sensor unit from the Venice 2 camera body via a 4.5m or optional 12m cable. Compared to the original Venice extension systems, commonly called “Rialto” this new system result in a camera head that is 70% smaller at a mere 63.9 mm × 103.2 mm × 60.2 mm (W × H × D) and in it’s base E-Mount configuration weighs approx 0.54kg. It’s small enough and light enough to be used on a normal gimbal such as a the DJI RS2/3/4, there is no need for the much larger Ronin’s. I wish I had taken a picture of a Rialto next to this new camera head as the size difference is huge! This really is much, much smaller.

The Venice Extension System Mini with an Leitz LPL mount adapter.

To make it this small, rather than using the Venice cameras existing sensor and ND filter unit, the new mini system uses a new camera head module with it’s own 8.6K sensor (exactly the same sensor 8.6K sensor as the camera has) and a completely new drop in ND filter system. The new filter system makes the unit far smaller. You get the very same extremely high quality filters as the main camera, just as individual drop in filters that quickly and easily slide into a slot behind the lens mount. While not a squick to change as a filter wheel, it only takes a few seconds to swap ND filters.

Interestingly this filter system also opens up the possibility to have a slightly modified camera head with no IR cut filter and then use a drop in IR filter to restore normal visible light performance (Sony conformed to me that these modifications and filters are available by special order).

2x Sony Venice Extension System Mini’s with Cooke SP3 lenses for 3D

Being so small you can place two of these extension units side by side for 3D applications with an intraocular distance of 64mm (although to get the cameras this close together you need small lenses).

A simple stereoscopic setup with 2 of the Venice Extension System mini’s mounted side by side.

There is no performance or operational difference with the mini extension system compared to a normal 8.6K Venice 2, the image quality is identical, all the frame rate and scan mode options are identical. The mini head has a small built in fan to control the sensor temperature and there are 2 assignable buttons. There is also a 24V output on an RS3 connector but there is no SDI out. So, if you want to add a monitor to the camera head you will need to add your own SDI cable from the main camera body to the head unit. There are 1/4-20 mounting points on all sides of the camera for easy rigging.

Sony Venice Extension System Mini, not the SDI cable from the camera body to provide the monitor feed.

The cable to the camera head can be detached from the rear to make it easier to pass through bulkheads etc. The connector is a special square block that is approx 40mm x 10mm so it still needs a fairly large hole, but it is a significant improvement over the original Rialto systems.

Sony Venice Extension System Mini on a DJI RS4

The camera head can be fitted with a variety of lens mounts. You can either adapt from the built in E-Mount or there are 4 screw holes and a set of contact pins for bolt on mounts. Sony have a nice PL mount for it and 3rd parties will have adapters for LPL etc.

Cages will be available for it from companies such as Bright Tangerine so rigging it will be easy. I’m going to make a tiny beam splitter 3D rig for it for stereoscopic filming or IR day for night etc.

As you are buying a new sensor when you buy this new mini extension system it is considerably more expensive than the Rialto systems which re-use the cameras sensor. The projected price is around 25K Euros with deliveries starting in July.

I can see a lot of applications for these units. It can be put on race cars (I believe that the recent Brad Pitt F1 film is what led to the development of this system). Fitted in the headlight or tail lights of cars. It can be used on smaller and lighter gimbals than the original Rialto. It will be used for Stereoscopic filming and it will be interesting to explore the infrared and other extended spectrum applications.

Below is the press release from Sony:

The new VENICE Extension System Mini comes equipped with the VENICE 2 8K sensor at a substantially reduced size than the existing VENICE Extension System 2. With a footprint the size of an average smartphone and approximately 70% smaller than the current system,^[1] the VENICE Extension System Mini is designed to provide additional creative freedom for filmmakers. The ultra-compact yet durable design has made the VENICE Extension System Mini perfect for handheld shots and extreme action. ?

“I love the size of the VENICE Extension System Mini,” says Director of Photography Claudio Miranda ASC who was one of the first people in the world to use the system. ?

He continues, “I love that you can put it anywhere, like a Formula One race car when you’re racing. You have the full resolution of a real cinema camera. It’s nice to have that flexibility without compromising image quality.”

DP Kate Reid BSC enjoyed using the new camera system. “The day that I saw the camera at One Stop where we were prepping, I felt really comfortable,” she attests. “This camera, you can operate it like a medium format stills camera, and so shoot from the waist.”

Building on the success of the current Extension System^[2], the new VENICE Extension System Mini allows greater flexibility with no compromise on image quality. The Extension System Mini features a custom drop-in ND cartridge system with nine (9) glass Neutral Density (ND) filters, including a clear ND specially developed to perfectly match the Sony VENICE 2 systems while maintaining a compact size.

The VENICE Extension System Mini also offers design improvements for easy mounting and rigging. For example, the connection cable between the VENICE Extension System Mini and the VENICE 2 camera body features a thinner, flexible cable that can be detached when rigging. It also features mounting points to attach accessories easily.

For example, multiple units of the new VENICE Extension System Mini can be used side by side for Stereoscopic imaging that recreates the way the human eye sees with a 64mm inter-axial distance which matches the distance between eyes (average human interpupillary distance). The VENICE Extension System Mini can also be used to create VR content and VFX plates in arrays.

Since its release, VENICE, Sony’s flagship digital cinema camera series, has been widely adopted by filmmakers around the world, including blockbusters Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and more recently, Nickel Boys, The Fire Inside, and A Complete Unknown. ?

“Through Cinema Line, Sony is committed to continue to expand a line of powerful creative tools designed to capture emotion in every frame and unleash the true power of visual storytelling from every corner of content creation,” says Sebastian Leske, Head of Business Development, Cinema Line

Pricing and Availability

The VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS) will be showcased at NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show 2025 in Las Vegas, opening April 6, 2025.

The VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-3621XS), 12m Cable for VENICE Extension System Mini (CBK-12C3621) and ND Filter Kit (CBK-ND1K) will be available from July 2025. For more information, visit pro.sony/mini and https://www.instagram.com/sonyprofilmmaking/?hl=en

Workshops and Events

Film making workshops with London Film School, March 2025

March 7, 2025 alisterchapman 8 Comments

I’m running a couple of film making workshops for London Film School in association with Sony. These workshops are aimed at new content creators or others that wish to improve their production skills. It will cover the whole film making process from concept to storyboard to production. There will be sessions on project development, camera and lighting techniques as well as sound. One of the workshops will be held over 3 evenings and the other over a weekend.

For the weekend course 22/23 March click here.

For the evening course 18/25March, 1st April click here.

Everything Else, Review

Osee Gostream Duet Vision mixer and streaming box.

March 5, 2025 alisterchapman 2 Comments

I’m sure many of my readers will be familiar with the Blackmagic Design Atem Mini’s. But how many of you have looked into the alternatives? I’m in the process of putting together a mobile production unit that can be used in my camper van or transported in a few small flight cases. I was going to use one of the Atem Mini’s but they only have a single HDMI output and this means you can’t have both a multiview output and a program output for a high quality feed, perhaps for a screen or projection at the same time as the multiview. So, that led me to have a look at some of the alternatives and the one I finally settled on is the Osee Gostream Duet.

Osee Gostream Duet switcher and streaming device.

No one asked me to do this review and I purchased the device based on the manufacturers spec sheet from Amazon, just as anyone else would. This review exists simply because I actually really like the product.
The Osee Gostream Duet is a 4/5 channel vision mixer designed for live streaming. It supports 4 HDMI and 4 SDI inputs plus a further external source which can be a UVC camera via USB-C or an NDI camera over the connected network. You have to choose between SDI or HDMI on each individual input, you don’t get 8 inputs at the same time, but you can have a mix of both SDI and HDMI sources. The very easy way the setup menu can be accessed from the Gostreams front panel means that you could quickly change the input settings during a session if you needed to have access to an extra source or 2.

You get a free NDI licence when you update the units software, so as well as the 4 main inputs you could have a camera connected over the network attached to the units ethernet port. Or you can add another camera via UVC as the device can accept a UVC input via one of the 2 USB-C ports. In total you can have up to 5 external sources at any one time.

It has a built in video player able to playback H264 HD files from an SD card. If you use a suitably fast SD card such as a V60 or V90 card it can also record to the same SD card as used for playback. Or you can attach an SSD or thumb drive to one of the USB-C ports. You can connect it to a Mac or PC where it will be seen as a webcam making streaming very simple or the device can stream to 3 separate destinations at the same time. There is a companion program for Mac or Windows to control the unit remotely and you can also control it via a Streamdeck or similar via the companion software.

It has an upstream keyer as well as a downstream keyer. There’s a DVE that can be used to resize and reposition the input sources and still frames. The DVE’s and keyers can be used to create a multi-source “supersource” which can be instantly recalled as needed. You can chroma and luma key with ease and the setup for the keyers and DVE’s can be done without a computer as you can access the menu system from the units front panel.

All in all I’m really impressed by the Osee Gostream Duet, it doesn’t cost much more than an Aten Mini, yet offers a lot more flexibility. Please watch the video to learn more.

Technology

Pixels should not be confused for resolution.

February 3, 2025 alisterchapman 12 Comments

Let me start with the definition of “resolution” as given by the Oxford English Dictionary:

“The smallest interval measurable by a telescope or other scientific instrument; the resolving power.

the degree of detail visible in a photographic or television image.”

OK, so that seems clear enough – measurable or visible degree of detail.

Expanding that a little further when we talk about the resolution of an image file such as a Jpeg, TIFF etc, or perhaps RGB or YCbCr* video frame, if we have a 4K image that will normally mean a 4K pixel wide image. It will have 4K wide of red, 4K wide of blue and 4K wide of green, three lots of 4K stacked on top of each other so it is capable of containing any colour or combination of colours at 4K of points or pixels across, in effect a 4K wide image will have 12K of values across the image.

Now we know what resolution means and how it is normally used when describing an image what does it mean when we say a camera has an 8K sensor? Generally this statement means that there will be 8K of pixels across the sensor. In the case of a single sensor that is used to make a colour image some of these pixels will be for Red, some for green and some for blue (or some other arrangement of a mix of colour and clear pixels). But does this also mean that 8K sensor will be able to resolve a 8K of measurable of visible detail – no, it does not.

Typically a single sensor that uses a colour filter array (CFA) won’t be able to resolve fine details and textures anywhere close to the number of horizontal pixels. So, to say that a camera with a single 8K or 4K colour sensor is a camera that can resolve an 8K or 4K image will almost certainly be a lie.

Would it be correct to call that 4K colour sensor a 4K resolution sensor? In my opinion no – it is not correct because if we use a bayer sensor as an example then it will only actually have 2K of green, 1K of red and 1K of blue pixels on any one row. If we compare that to a 4K image such as a Jpeg then the Jpeg image will be made up of 4K wide of green, 4K wide of red, 4K wide of blue pixels. It has the ability to resolve any colour or combination of colours with 4K precision. Meanwhile that 4K bayer sensor can not, it simply doesn’t have sufficient pixels to sample each colour at 4K, in fact it doesn’t even get close.

Clever image processing can take the output from a 4K bayer sensor and use data from the differing pixels to calculate, estimate or guess what the brightness and colours are at each point across the whole sensor and the actual measurable luminance resolution will typically come out at around 0.7x the pixel count, the chroma resolution will be even lower. So if we use the dictionary definition of resolution and the measured or visible details a 4K bayer sensor can resolve we can expect a camera with a 4K pixel across bayer sensor to have a resolution of around 2.8K. Your 4k camera is unlikely to actually be able to create an image that can truly be said to be 4k resolution.

But the camera manufacturers don’t care about this. They want you to believe that your 4K camera is a 4K resolution camera. While most are honest enough not to claim that the camera can resolve 4K they are also perfectly happy to let everyone assume that this is what the camera can do. It is also fair to say the most 4K bayer cameras perform similarly, so your 4K camera will resolve broadly similarly to every other 4K bayer camera and it will be much higher resolution than most HD cameras. But can it resolve 4K, no it can not.

The inconvenient truth that bayer sensor don’t resolve anywhere near the pixel count is why we see 6K or 8K sensors becoming more and more popular as these sensors can deliver visibly sharper, more detailed 4K footage than a camera with a 4K bayer sensor can. In a 4K project the use of an 8K camera will deliver 4K luma and chroma resolution that is not far behind and as a result your 4K film will tend to have finer and more true to life textures. Of course all of this is subject to other other factors such as lens choices and how the signal from the camera is processed, but with like for like an 8K pixel camera can bring real, tangible benefits for a lot of 4K projects compared to a 4K pixel camera.

At the same time we are seeing the emergence of alternative colour filter patterns to the tried and trusted bayer pattern. Perhaps adding white (or clear) pixels for greater sensitivity, perhaps arranging the pixels in novel and different ways. This muddies the water still further as you shouldn’t directly compare sensors with different colour filter arrays based on the specification sheet alone. When you start adding more alternately coloured pixels into the array you force the spacing between each individual colour or luma sample to increase. So, you can add more pixels but might not actually gain extra resolution, in fact the resolution might actually go down. As a result 12K of one pattern type cannot be assumed to be better than 8K of another type and vice versa. It is only through empirical testing that you can be sure of what any particular CFA layout can actually deliver. It is unsafe to simply rely on a specification sheet that simply quotes the number of pixels. And it is almost unheard of for camera manufacturers to actually publish verifiable resolution tests these days……. ….. I wonder why that is?

* YCbCr video or component video can be recorded in a number of ways. A full 4:4:4 4K YCbCr image will have 4K of Y (luma or brightness), a full 4K of the chroma difference blue and a full 4K of chroma difference Red. The chroma difference values are a more efficient way to encode the colour data so the data takes less room but just like RGB etc there are 3 samples for each pixel within the image. Within a post production workflow if you work in YCbCr the image will normally be processed and handled as 4:4:4.

For further space savings many YCbCr systems can if desired subsample the chroma, this is when we see terms such as 4:2:2. The first digit is the luma and the 4 implies every pixel has a discrete value. In 4:2:2 the 2:2 means that the chroma values are interleaved, every other pixel on every other line, so the chroma resolution is halved, this saves space. This is generally transparent to the viewer as our eyes have lower chroma resolution than luma.

But it is important to understand the 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 etc are normally only used for recording systems in cameras etc where saving storage space is considered paramount or in broadcasting and distribution systems and codecs where reducing the bandwidth required can be necessary. SDI and HDMI signals are typically passed as 4:2:2. The rest of the time YCbCr is normally 4:4:4. If we do compare 4K 4:2:2 YCbCr which is 4K x 2k x 2K to a 4K Bayer sensor which has 2K G, 1K R, 1K B it should be obvious that even after processing and reconstruction the image derived from a 4K bayer sensor won’t match or exceed the luma and chroma resolutions that can be passed via 4:2:2 SDI or recorded by a 4:2:2 codec. What you really want is a 6K or better still an 8K bayer sensor.

Burano

Burano Version 2 Gains More Features

January 31, 2025 alisterchapman Leave a comment

Although it hasn’t been released yet, Sony have made it clear that the version 2 firmware update for Burano will include more additional features than previously stated. The version 2 update will be a huge update, particular adding the ability to shoot at up to 120fps in near full frame 4K.
Here’s the information from Sony, along with some of my own thoughts:

As previously announced, Version 2.0 will include new recording formats, including a new 3.8K Full Frame crop that leverages nearly the entire sensor and can shoot up to 120 fps and a 1.9K mode that can shoot up to 240 fps. These new recording modes allow the filmmaker to prioritize faster sensor performance depending on the needs of their application. Other new recording formats include the addition of 24.00 fps to X-OCN 16:9 imager modes and the following:

From Alister: It’s important to understand that whenever you take a sensor and optical filter sytem design for a higher resolution and use it at a lower resolution that you will almost always have an increase in aliasing and moire. So, with Sony reading out almost the full the 8K sensor at 4K there will likely be a greater risk of aliasing and moire issues in the 3.8K full frame crop mode. However, Burano likely uses the same sensor as the Sony A1’s 8K sensor. The A1 also has a near full frame 3.8K scan mode and it actually does a very good job of controlling aliasing and moire, in general the 3.8K full frame footage from the A1 looks very good and hopefull Burano will be similar. There can be times where you will see more moire over certain pattern or textures and aliasing can sometimes be seen on certain hard edges but it is very well controlled.

Full Frame 3.8K 16:9 Mode Up to 120 fps XAVC and X-OCN

Super 35 4.3K 4:3 Mode (for Anamorphic) Up to 60 fps X-OCN only

Super 35 1.9K 16:9 Mode Up to 240 fpsi XAVC only

BURANO Version 2.0 will also add a 1.8x de-squeeze setting as well as additional high frame rate (S & Q) modes, including up to 66, 72, 75, 88, 90, 96, and 110 fps. It will also add proxy recording for 24.00 fps recording formats.

BURANO Version 2.0: Monitoring, SDI, and Metadata Improvements

From Alister: I don’t know what these improvements are yet, it will be interesting to see how these are implemented.

In addition to the new recording formats, Version 2.0 offers various monitoring and metadata improvements, including standardized SDI video output for monitoring across X-OCN and XAVCii. It adds breathing compensation and image stabilization metadata in X-OCN, time code and clip name metadata to SDI output.

Based on feedback from BURANO users, Version 2.0 will offer an improved on-screen display that places camera status information outside of the image and also includes View Finder Gamma Display Assist while using S-Log3 for monitoring.

Version 2.0 will add 24V output to the PL Mount Voltage menu. In addition, it adds compatibility with Focus/Iris/Zoom control for PL Mount lenses while using the BURANO’s optional GP-VR100 handgrip.

BURANO Version 2.0: Improved Image Output and Added Exposure Tools

BURANO Version 2.0 will also include several image output improvements, including enhanced image output when using the preset S-Log3 look or 3D User LUTs. Additionally, Version 2.0 will enhance Auto Focus performance when recording with the following frame rates: 23.98, 24, 25, and 29.97.

Version 2.0 also includes additional exposure tools (High/Low Key) derived from the flagship VENICE camera system. It will also expand white balance memory presets from 3 to 8 and support Active/High Image Stabilization in Full-Frame crop 6K and Super 35 1.9K 16:9 imager modes.

From Alister: High/Low key is such a useful tool for checking what is going on in the shadows and highlights of a shot, it’s a shame more of Sony’s cameras don’t have this.

In addition, BURANO Version 2.0 will improve ease of use functionality with the ability to format media from the status screen as well as set CAM ID and Reel Number, which is standard for documentary and reality TV applications.

Version 2.0 will also change the factory default frequency setting from 59.94 to 23.98p and will add a setting to “reset to factory defaults” setting.

Finally, BURANO Version 2.0 will add live event and multicam functionality, including variable ND control from RCPs, improved camera control from Camera Remote SDK, and tally control for devices connected via LAN.

Availability

The new BURANO Version 2.0 is planned to be released in March 2025. Filmmakers can easily download the update directly to their camera using a Mac or PC. For more information, visit sonycine.com or follow us on Instagram @sonycine for more information.