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Digital Bolex raw camera, no longer made
  • 1130 Replies sorted by
  • RamboRambo

    Wonder if Mr Bloom has his yet?

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Ugh, I just can't get on board with the color.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Just some citations from start of the thread (March 2012), as it seems like few newcomers jump to strange conclusions:

    I strongly suggest to think and make research first. As such project can slip it's data by year or two, with no one to blame but you.

    I doubt that this guys are pure scam. They just use simple approach - get the money and try to find someone who can make it in time.

    Fun thing how true this points was.

  • luekioluekio

    Manufacturers of disruptive cameras are rarely on time (red, bm) and It's hardly a scam, $3200 (non backers) for raw, global shutter, xlr and ssds is pretty reasonable. Cameras have shipped.

    Point two, they have their own engineering team. I don't think they ever suggested they would literally build it themselves. I've held the camera, where as you have not, and I can say it's well made, feels sturdy and well balanced.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Point two, they have their own engineering team. I don't think they ever suggested they would literally build it themselves. I've held the camera, where as you have not, and I can say it's well made, feels sturdy and well balanced.

    In fact your statements are just wrong.

    First. No one told it were scam here.

    Second. They really hired someone who understand how to make cameras :-) You can just read back on this topic.

    So, drop spreading false.

  • luekioluekio

    you said "I doubt that this guys are pure scam."

    which kind of implies it's at least part scam. Of course they hired someone to who knows how to make cameras work. You think Steve jobs made the iphones himself?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    which kind of implies it's at least part scam.

    I love how you play with words. No, it is not. It was reply to the post. I also do not know how to call thing were shady boss use two hipsters for promotion, knowing perfectly that cameras won't be shipped in promised time (in fact, in promised time it was still just pure ideas in the head). After this doing strange things for long time, and finally hires someone who really made cameras. Also everyone in the industry will tell you that firm now is in big minus due to time and money spent on such small batch. generally, this is why all this hurry and preorders appearing before cameras reaching people.

    Of course they hired someone to who knows how to make cameras work. You think Steve jobs made the iphones himself?

    Read the topic, at least :-)

  • luekioluekio

    Sounds like professional jealousy to me :P

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Sounds like professional jealousy to me :P

    LOL. For me it sounds like just post made without any reason and idea to turn it all into personal attack.

  • lunalobo75lunalobo75

    I know I'll take some heat for this, but here goes:

    I feel it's how the guys at 5second films shot it and graded it, and then uploaded it to the god awful youtube compression. It's a comedy channel with a quick turnaround, so I don't think they were the best test of the camera's capabilities. There's tons of crappy looking videos from Red and Arri cameras too due to user inexperience, as well as the Black Magic cameras - Heck, everyone here has seen crap from GH2 users out there and some really phenomenal stuff. I still think this ungraded D16 stuff looks great:

    Besides, it (Digital Bolex) turned out it wasn't vaporware, or a scam, and they've been shipping and I await talented DP and video artist to really show how this camera shines, or if it really is a terd-ware. Remember all the barking going on about black magic shipping dates, missed features, and unimpressive footage? More choices of cameras the better- Black Magic, Digital Bolex, Kine-raw keep it comin'!

    Side note, I bought a D16, based on it features, footage I liked and was able to test and grade, and Joe's a article on "Why Not 4K" (http://www.digitalbolex.com/to_4k_or_not_to_4k/). Can't wait to tinker with the D16; I loved playing with the D16 DNG's that were downloadable, and there's tons of info on their forums. Joe and Elle are pretty transparent and engage the forum members rather quickly too, so that's appreciated on my end.

    I also have a GH2 (GH13 before that), and Black Magic Pocket cinema cam (shot a fashion event over the weekend with BMPCC adn GH2) - all great cameras with their quirks; and individuals such as Vitaly, Shian Storm, Vic Harris, Chris Brandin, Nick Driftwood helped me embrace and understand these cameras potential within the limitation of their design. Hopefully I'll be able to do the same with the D16 since I sincerely believe in this camera potential. If not, then egg on my face for taking a risk. If you read this all the way thru, hell, I owe you a beer or two - thank you. Gotta put my daughter back to sleep;)

    Salud

  • babypandababypanda

    Even if the camera has a lot of flaws, it's mind-blowing that these 2 individuals had a creative vision, got backing for it and actually created it.

    And for people complaining that it's overpriced, how many cameras have you designed and created and manufactured lately? How the hell can you possibly know how much it should be priced? Maybe a lot of the other garbage on the market is much more overpriced compared to a product which breaks boundaries.

  • inqb8trinqb8tr

    Hipsters of the world, unite! The grail started shipping!

  • 3Kids3Kids

    @luekio Have you pre-ordered?

    p.s. I can't imagine anyone being jealous of "the guys that made the Digital Bolex", lol.. :-)

  • lunalobo75lunalobo75

    'Hipsters of the world unite!' Hahaha, yeah, that seem to be the consensus, huh? A little general, but I get it. I assure you, bruddah, I ain't a hipster, I'm too much of a surf bum... I can't afford their clothes or eclectic musical tastes:) Although my wife wouldn't mind that I hang up my surf shorts and try some tailored pants once in a while. Initially, it was definitely about nostalgia when purchasinf the D16: 20 years ago, I got the gift of a lifetime when I graduated from a JVC superVHS camcorder to a Bell Howell 70DR and a Bolex H16 - maaaan, that was exciting. Except for the cost of the film. Eventually, due to cost, I switched to a VX2000 with Adobe premiere 5 and a matrox rt2000 just so I could learn to shoot, edit and produce at a rate faster than my film school brethren, who were all scrounging for dollars to get their film stock developed, then fighting to get lab time to edit.

    Anyways, thru the DVX100 to my trusty GH2 (I'm a Panny man), and getting a chance to shoot, but never own, Arri Alexa, Red Scarlet, the Canon line (5d Mark II and III and well and the C300), the Digital Bolex and its features just seem like the right fit for me - and it helped that I had a ton of Bell and Howell Angenieux lenses, as well and Kern Paillard Switar lenses from my old 70DR and H16... but I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to invest into nostalgia. So, I read as much as I could thru their forums (very helpful); played with their downloadable footage; thought about if it was cost effective out of the box with the kind of shooting I do; and kept following their progress and their transparency with the updates. It's easy to generalize and call this a 'hispters wet dream'; just like it's easy for for sports fan to manically insult their teams rival in a championship game (Broncos suck, brah!) . I recommend anyone to spend a day or 2 on their forum, get some info, and play with their footage. Ultimately, and I completely understand, it'll take that 'WOW!' footage from a talented DP to really turn the tide. as I said before, bravo to Black Magic, Digital Bolex, Kinefinity, and Ikonoskop for pushing the envelope with choices, you know?

    One thing, if Panasonic does come out with the AG-GH4, I'm a panny whore, so I'll probably get one of those puppies too;) Damn you Panasonic!

    Salud

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @lunalobo75 Then you might want to wait a little bit longer ;)

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    I recommend anyone to spend a day or 2 on their forum, get some info, and play with their footage. Ultimately, and I completely understand, it'll take that 'WOW!' footage from a talented DP to really turn the tide. as I said before, bravo to Black Magic, Digital Bolex, Kinefinity, and Ikonoskop for pushing the envelope with choices, you know?

    As far as I remember my PMs few peoples who had been backers and started expressing concerns in comments and forum were thrown out instantly.

    Let's make videos tell, not all this, ok? As for now we still do not got any good usable footage made by outsiders on this shipped batch.

  • lunalobo75lunalobo75

    @vicharris I probably should have, I know. But, I already took the plunge and pre-ordered the D16 based on what I feel was good info. When I get it ( I live in Los Angeles), I could set-up an invite for all the local GH2 and BMPCC user to take a crack at the camera - might be fun? Also, thank Vic for all your info on the BMPCC on this forum; helped me out with a shoot over the weekend when I shot in raw format mixed wiht the GH2- footage looks beautiful! I'll be posting the video in a few weeks.

  • luekioluekio

    Gossip, gossip, gossip. Wheres the proof?

  • lunalobo75lunalobo75

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev I agree.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @lunalobo75 No worries :) And yeah, that'd be great for a little run through sometime though I might be checking one out earlier. Not sure yet.

    Glad we could help out on the pocket. Though I'm by no means an expert I have been around this little guy a lot and used and seen it being used extensively on two features so I'm getting the hang of it. Now if I can just find a match to the Sigma 18-35 in 50mm I'll stop from going insane. Ahh, my bad, off topic :)

    How far in advance did you pre order this bad boy?

  • 3Kids3Kids

    Simple scenario: Something goes wrong with the camera, what do you do? I'm talking about professionals, not enthusiasts, since that's their target group (??lol??). I've never shot a paid job with a cam that I can't replace, rent or buy instantly, meaning in less than 1hr.

    IF we are talking about a workable solution in 1-2 years from now, and IF dbolex has survived, and IF they have enough backers in the next batches, and IF their service is ok, and IF their equipment is actually any good, and IF there aren't major issues or bugs, and IF the rest of the manufacturers have decided to let dbolex survive, then I might consider one for half that price :-)

  • lunalobo75lunalobo75

    @vicharris Dec. 16th was my pre-order, so you might get to play with a D16 waaay before me. If so, than I eagerly await what you can do with it;)

  • DrDaveDrDave

    It is irrelevant if it is a scam or not. I figure they probably will ship something. People who invest in Kickstarter know there are no guarantees. What matters is if the camera is any good. So far, we haven't seen any good video, and we haven't seen that the video came from "an actual product that was shipped". We probably will in a few days. Or not, who cares?

    The point is, it is already "used" gear--technology has moved on, so you can buy this older technology, just like you can buy older technology on eBay. Could be they will upgrade it to keep it current, and maybe that will be a good thing.

    Anyone who has looked at the "footage" and thinks its great, then we are happy that you are happy. Be happy. You would be happier still with an smartphone. Buy both. Then, if something goes wrong with the Bolex, you can call, send a text message, then finish the video with the phone.

  • luekioluekio

    Dave, how is 2k raw, global shutter, xlr, ssd old technology? meanwhile panasonic's next release is compressed 8/10bit with jello shutter and due out we don't know when. There's nothing else on the horizon offering RAW, non jello-cam HD in the sub $3500. Tis a good set of features for the price point, i'ts hard to argue.

    BM4k will come out who knows when and requires significant investment to be usable. Lets wait for more footage and be happy there are companies like BM and digital bolex daring to make affordable cine cameras.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    @luekio if you like the camera without having tried it, there are three possibilities for when you receive it: you will like it less, the same or more. Similarly, for me, having not tried it, there are also three possibilities, plus a fourth, I will buy something else.

    Right now, you can buy a Samsung Note 3 for $600 and shoot amazingly sharp 4K video. Plus it will play Angry Birds and it has an OLED screen. This cam shoots video that stomps all over BMCC

    It's also way better than the Bolex. Since neither I nor anyone else has compared them, I can say that without fear of contradiction. And since you haven't tried them either you are free to disagree.

    One more thing--since there is no track record for warranty service for the Bolex, you will have to buy two. So the price is double, making it much more expensive. That's if you want it for professional use. That may change, but the "pro" in pro camera means you can finish the film.

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