Clever chaps...

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/09/27/aaton-unveils-the-delta-penelope-camera/

Some interesting ideas there; hadn't heard about this one.

Mike

 

[Matt Ryan]

14 stops, looks more like 8 from the sample images provided in the article. That noise is fine grained and looks great from stills. Reserving criticism till I actually use it myself, but from the looks its nowhere near 14 stops.

 

[Robert Hart]

As a former 35mm groundglass adaptor builder the mechanical tech aspects interested me as they were in principle discussed on dvinfo way back when. Those were multiple grades of groundglass texture on a single disk in quarter-turn increments selectable by offsetting motor sync slaved to sample video frame rate from the camera and of course the base function of the moving groundlgass achieving greater apparent resolving ability than a given texture could deliver. The motor drive and controller was determined to be beyond the tech and cash ability of home-builders then but Aaton has actually cracked the nut. It will be interesting to see if the moving sensor also enables the use of a less aggressive anti-aliasing filter or its elimination altogether for that in itself is a serious resolution wall.

 

[Ryan De Franco]

Robert--bingo.

If this camera doesn't take the craft forward would it be the first time Aaton hasn't?

 

[Mike 'Fireman' Ross]

Those who laugh, stop. At least Aaton have the balls to try something different.

Not so long since plenty people were laughing at RED...

Mike

 

[Mike Garrick]

Aaton a name that deserves respect, up there with Arri.

Beautiful camera's in there day. Not sure how this translates to digital but I know "Penelope" has been in development for a while. Generally when this company does something they do it right . Be interesting to see how the market responds.

P.S. It is the most "film like" looking digital camera I've seen an acknowledgement to its lineage .......how french.

 

[Vadim Bobkovsky]

CCD S35 sensor looks interesting. I'm curious to see the footage, when it's available.

 

[jake blackstone]

From the two stills provided, I have to say, I'm quite impressed so far. In the outside shot image holds the details in the shadow areas of the street as well as the canopy under the sun. Judging from the shadows length, it seems, that it's not that close to sunset, making this feat even more impressive. 14 stops is a tall order, but it seems, that technologically they are on the right track. The indoors shot feels very painterly in it's texture, but there is strange blotchy large grain-like texture on their faces, back wall and clothing, but very clean in other areas, like the counter. Strange. All in all, if this is only the "apparent half of the resolution image", I'm intrigued.
The shutter design is very intriguing too, as this addresses an important question of too much sensor sensitivity. This was the big question Deakins posed to the ARRI guy during his now infamous 2k vs 4k speech. He was really annoyed about the necessity of stacking ND filters.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Good luck to them, I see they still have the Cat on the shoulder design, it just needs a Pad...