Why there is no running F aperture on Epic's monitor with CP.2?

[Lee Saxon]

It is substantially more difficult as there are no click-stops on a PL mount lens (well, most PL mount lenses at least).

Actually, it has nothing to do with the click stops. There's a boss on the lens and a matching one on the camera body. As you turn the aperture ring, the lens boss moves the camera body boss. The camera just knows how much travel the ring has and knows where to register the adjustment, even without click stops. I've moved the camera boss with my finger to confirm that.

 

[Eric Oh]

Is it the same case with most PL cineprimes?

Super Speeds, Ultra Primes, Master Primes?

Lens metadata was developed by Cooke Optics with their /i Technology..

http://www.imetadata.net/i-faqs.html

Cooke decided to share their technology so that it could become a new industry standard and somewhat ubiquitous. However, as Glen mentioned there are two pin placements. Cooke uses them on the side and Arri on the top of the PL mount. Most "newer" film camera (Arricam for example) have pin placements in both spots so that you can get lens metadata no matter what kind of lenses you use. I would imagine due to size and cost factor, Red has only placed them on the side so it only works with lenses that have /i Technology pins placed on the side (such as Cookes).

When I first got my Epic over a year ago, it would no display lens data info. Upon testing my Cooke Panchro/i (Mini S4's as they'll be soon rebranded as) on other Epics, I found that some gave lens info and some did not. Fast forward a year later and now everything works fine. Distance information is given when focus is pulled and as well the T-Stop information is visible. Something quite handy for post if you have heavy compositing.

 

[Martin Schneider]

Shame really because it forces camera companies to choose one or the other.

Not true: The last Arri Filmcameras (Arricam ST/LT - released 2001; Arriflex 435 Extreme - released 2004) and the Alexa (Plus, Studio, M) support both systems and have both contacts, as do the Sony F35, F65 and F3. F5 and F55 probably will too. AFAIK Red Cameras are the only high-end cameras to only support one (Cooke/i).

 

[Martin Schneider]

Cooke uses them on the side and Arri on the top of the PL mount.

It's the other way around, actually...

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

It's the other way around, actually...

Yes. i/tech is 12:00, and LDS is 3:00.


The rumor mill has been spinning on this subject... and someone pretty close to the matter has said my hunch is a pretty good one. The rumor/hunch is that Arri will abandon LDS and go i/technology, since it's what everyone else is doing (Angineux, Cooke, Sony, Red, Fujinon, etc)

It makes perfect sense.