Final body design of 2K-shooting Digital Bolex movie camera revealed (Yes, it’s gorgeous!)
posted Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 8:56 PM EDT
A plan to create a digital version of those classic Bolex movie cameras took another step forward this week when the couple behind the project released new images of the final camera body.
Our initial impression? The D16, as it's called, looks gorgeous.
"Finishing this body has been an epic task!," Joe Rubinstein, part of the duo behind the project, wrote in a blog post yesterday. "Every piece of the body was redesigned. Every panel, every connection, every surface, the interior mounting brackets, exterior accessories mounting locations, the overall width and height, the shape, and of course there are many pieces added that weren’t in the original design."
We told you about Rubinstein and his partner Elle Schneider last March when they got the nod from the Switzerland-based Bolex company to develop the Digital Bolex, a modern camcorder with an alluring throwback design that includes the familiar pistol grip of the classic 16mm film shooter from the 1970s. (Unfortunately, the link our original story on the Digital Bolex is currently having technical issues.)
The Digital Bolex D16 will use a Kodak-made CCD sensor and record raw video in Adobe Cinema DNG. There will also be two resolution options: 2K (what they call "Super 16mm" mode) and a regular 1280 x 1080 HD option (16mm mode). Rubinstein and Schneider raised money for the Digital Bolex project through Kickstarter, raking in over $262,600 in funds and easily surpassing the goal of $100,000.
Along with resembling a film Bolex, the new version will have an old-school hand crank on the side of the camera you can program to adjust various functions such as frame rates, volume, or to switch the camera into single image mode capture for stop-motion work.
"I have heard some people say 'just give me a brick with a sensor in it.'" Rubinstein wrote on the Digital Bolex site yesterday. "And I understand that mentality, but as someone working every day to bring a product into this world, I’ll tell you, it’s not just about making a pretty object. It’s about the pride in your work, it’s about imagining someone caring for this object for years to come."
The Digital Bolex D16 is expected to sell for $2,500, whenever it makes it to market. No ship date has been announced yet. Read more about the project here.