Open Cinema Camera Campaign - Apertus AXIOM Beta

Hi,

Just a heads up for any Blender users with an interest in film making or live action VFX.

For the past few years, a team has been working on an open hardware digital cinema camera. Open in the sense that the hardware/software details will be public so individuals and groups can customise the cameras to add their own features.

The camera is basically a small computer running a lightweight Linux distribution. Connectivity includes; USB/serial, Ethernet, WiFi (through router or USB dongle). An alpha prototype has already been produced and they are now looking for supporters for the next step - production of a Beta model:

https://apertus.org/axiom-beta

It’s important to stress that there are a lot of challenges to overcome. The initial Beta cameras will have a reduced set of features which will be added to as time goes on. But it’s an interesting project with a lot of potential.

Sample footage from the Alpha camera:

Disclaimer: I’m not directly involved in the project. Thought this would be of interest to some Blender users :slight_smile:

That does look really cool. I also dig the quote from Ton on their crowdfunding page. I wish them great success!

Yep, there are some really neat features - like high frame rate options (possibly up to and beyond 300FPS) and customisable HDR modes.

Some of the available sensors also have a global shutter option, so video won’t have the dreaded ‘jello effect’ which can cause issues with motion tracking.

and the clever people over at MagicLantern have recently joined the project :yes:

Fingers crossed the project makes the funding target.

Well, good news for everyone! The project has been funded, and all stretch goals have been reached! There are still some micro 4/3s and some of the fancier custom models available for anyone interested. I’m excited! 4 hours left!

Interesting idea, but a few things look odd:

-Looks like it has a spinning fan? Ugh.
-EOS mount seems like an odd choice with its long flange distance. Why not PL mount? Or something like the E-mount with a very short flange distance?
-Seemingly there’s no option to record 4k internally, so you’ll need an expensive external recorder.

I am against this idea. It is taking people jobs away from them.

As there is no record of design rights it will certainly contain stolen designs in many peoples minds. You have to buy the science from people who have had to pay to learn.

What is wrong with hiring a camera??

Nothing. If a standard Arri or RED is all you need then you’re fine. But other people want a camera platform that’s restricted only by what the hardware is capable of, not just what a manufacturer’s marketing department thinks you should have.

I run MagicLantern on my 60D and it makes the camera way more useful. This is just an extension of that where someone’s come along and said “Instead of just hacking Canon hardware, let’s get our own really good camera together and solve some hardware issues while we’re at it!” (e.g. global instead of rolling shutter)

Not every cinematographer is going to want or need this camera, but it’s a big world and there’s space for all sorts of things in it.

…also… you are on a forum for open source software… you could say the same thing about “stealing” here. There is no guarantee that anything will be stolen, so that is a huge blanket concern. Also, just like with software, you still need people to produce the product. Even if designs were “stolen”, jobs would simply be switching hands, even if through unjust means. Basically, don’t try to paint these guys as criminals, that is slander to say the least.

I think this is an exciting project to say the least.

Hardware and open source software are not the same thing. Stolen hardware is indeed a " huge blanket concern ". You must prove you thought of every part and detail yourself and even with the best will in the world anonymous internet crowds will not provide that security.

Even with the famous brand names there is always a thought that they are just band wagoning and the question is “Why do all their designs all look so much the same”

The main campaign closed at €174,500! There’s still the option of getting a discounted camera for the next week.

Yes, I’m not sure what the reason was for making the Beta so small - it certainly makes cooling tricky, with less choices for passive designs…

Seemingly there’s no option to record 4k internally, so you’ll need an expensive external recorder.

It’s worth stating that the Beta is just that - a beta design.

AFAIK, it will be a camera head + control electronics for testing/research/development. Recording will initially be up to the end user. So for many, an Atomos HDMI recorder or similar will be a good choice. Everything that’s learnt will end up shaping the next camera, the Gamma - which will be much more feature complete and have modular addons.

Personally, I’d prefer the external design/dimensions to be more along the lines of the Arri Alexa.