Sanjin Jukic
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Everything about Digital Cinema is about a sensor and its "RAW developer" software.
Both RED Mysterium-X and Alev III are CMOS sensors.
Jim about Mysterium-X wrote at CML mailing list forum:
"Pixel size does not necessarily translate directly to native sensitivity of a sensor.
While it leans that way, there are a lot of other factors involved that can skew the rule. Is it a 3T, 4T or 5T pixel?
The more electronics that live inside the pixel, the less light gathering area there is left and the less sensitive the pixel is.
Is it a "back-lit" pixel design?
Is it a new "MINA" pixel?
The long and short of it is that it is dangerous to judge too much from the pixel size alone.
For example, Arri's new sensor program (which looks quite nice from what I could see at IBC) uses dual gain paths to create a great looking image at ISO 800.
The Mysterium-X (in EPIC) uses a new pixel design and some new technology to get to the same place.
The Mysterium-X has the same noise characteristics at ISO 800 of Mysterium (in a RED ONE) at ISO 250, even though the pixel size is exactly the same for both.
Neither company's sensor program achieves this "clean at ISO 800" look with just the pixel size.
In the end, what matters is what the image looks like.
What ISO can I shoot and get the noise results I desire?
What is the latitude?
What is the resolution and frame rate I can shoot?
These are truly exciting times.
The idea that digital sensors can provide a great film alternative seems very realistic right now.
And the progress has only begun.
Jim"
From ARRI digital web page about Alev III CMOS sensor:
"SUPERIOR SENSITIVITY AND WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE
800+ Exposure Index
FULL 35MM FRAME SIZE WITH MAXIMUM USABLE AREA WITH A 4:3 ASPECT RATIO, SUPPORTING ANAMORPHIC LENSES
Bayer color filter array with optical low pass filter
3.5K pixel count provides optimum oversampling for HD Video and 2K DI
DUAL GAIN ARCHITECTURE (DGA) FOR EXTENDED RANGE
The ALEV III sensor design provides 32 pairs of outputs.
Each channel is divided into a high gain path (H) and a low gain path (L),
resulting in 64 channels arriving at the 14 bit A/D converters.
In the final images the lowlights are reconstructed from the high gain path
and the highlights are reconstructed from the low gain path for an image
containing meaningful information in all 16 bits.
SENSITIVITY:
In our extensive discussions with cinematographers it was clear that the camera's sensitivity
and contrast range are more essential than having more pixels. Unfortunately,
there is neither a standard method for measuring sensitivity and contrast range,
nor a standard across different industries for how to express those photometric
performance characteristics in product literature. With different approaches used
in cinematography for features and TV, ARRI proposes we compare cameras with practical tests.
Using the ARRI Dynamic Range Test Target (DRTC), the following measurements were made comparing
the new ARRI digital camera prototype to a competitive camera used for digital cinematography.
First field with Modulation is just before clipping Gamma 0.6 (left).
Darkest field above noise level Gamma 3 (right).
The new ARRI Dynamic Range Test Chart provides more than 15 f-stops dynamic in one test chart.
An overlay with spatial content clearly shows the clipping points of a camera system."
So from here we (can) go in a sort of discussion:
Jim: "Everything in life changes... including our camera specs and delivery dates..."
ARRI: "Everything is about to change... | ARRI Digital"
Both RED Mysterium-X and Alev III are CMOS sensors.
Jim about Mysterium-X wrote at CML mailing list forum:
"Pixel size does not necessarily translate directly to native sensitivity of a sensor.
While it leans that way, there are a lot of other factors involved that can skew the rule. Is it a 3T, 4T or 5T pixel?
The more electronics that live inside the pixel, the less light gathering area there is left and the less sensitive the pixel is.
Is it a "back-lit" pixel design?
Is it a new "MINA" pixel?
The long and short of it is that it is dangerous to judge too much from the pixel size alone.
For example, Arri's new sensor program (which looks quite nice from what I could see at IBC) uses dual gain paths to create a great looking image at ISO 800.
The Mysterium-X (in EPIC) uses a new pixel design and some new technology to get to the same place.
The Mysterium-X has the same noise characteristics at ISO 800 of Mysterium (in a RED ONE) at ISO 250, even though the pixel size is exactly the same for both.
Neither company's sensor program achieves this "clean at ISO 800" look with just the pixel size.
In the end, what matters is what the image looks like.
What ISO can I shoot and get the noise results I desire?
What is the latitude?
What is the resolution and frame rate I can shoot?
These are truly exciting times.
The idea that digital sensors can provide a great film alternative seems very realistic right now.
And the progress has only begun.
Jim"
From ARRI digital web page about Alev III CMOS sensor:
"SUPERIOR SENSITIVITY AND WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE
800+ Exposure Index
FULL 35MM FRAME SIZE WITH MAXIMUM USABLE AREA WITH A 4:3 ASPECT RATIO, SUPPORTING ANAMORPHIC LENSES
Bayer color filter array with optical low pass filter
3.5K pixel count provides optimum oversampling for HD Video and 2K DI
DUAL GAIN ARCHITECTURE (DGA) FOR EXTENDED RANGE
The ALEV III sensor design provides 32 pairs of outputs.
Each channel is divided into a high gain path (H) and a low gain path (L),
resulting in 64 channels arriving at the 14 bit A/D converters.
In the final images the lowlights are reconstructed from the high gain path
and the highlights are reconstructed from the low gain path for an image
containing meaningful information in all 16 bits.
SENSITIVITY:
In our extensive discussions with cinematographers it was clear that the camera's sensitivity
and contrast range are more essential than having more pixels. Unfortunately,
there is neither a standard method for measuring sensitivity and contrast range,
nor a standard across different industries for how to express those photometric
performance characteristics in product literature. With different approaches used
in cinematography for features and TV, ARRI proposes we compare cameras with practical tests.
Using the ARRI Dynamic Range Test Target (DRTC), the following measurements were made comparing
the new ARRI digital camera prototype to a competitive camera used for digital cinematography.
First field with Modulation is just before clipping Gamma 0.6 (left).
Darkest field above noise level Gamma 3 (right).
The new ARRI Dynamic Range Test Chart provides more than 15 f-stops dynamic in one test chart.
An overlay with spatial content clearly shows the clipping points of a camera system."
So from here we (can) go in a sort of discussion:
Jim: "Everything in life changes... including our camera specs and delivery dates..."
ARRI: "Everything is about to change... | ARRI Digital"
