D-20 Test Shoots

Various test shoots with a pre-production model of the ARRIFLEX D-20 were conducted after NAB and Cine Gear. Cinematographers Curtis Clarke, ASC, Vice President of the ASC and Chairman of the ASC Technology Committee, Walter Lindenlaub, ASC, Eric Adkins, Jon Fauer, ASC and Sam Nicholson were the first in the US to test with the D-20 in and around Los Angeles.

Most shooting to date has utilized the Sony SRW-1 portable HDCAM SR field recorder, in both 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 HD modes, but uncompressed disk recording has also been successfully demonstrated with the S.two DFR system. Initial reactions were highly positive, with particular mention of the optical viewfinder and the overall build quality of the camera, together with the impressive image quality as important features.

The first test was conducted right after NAB, when Bill Lovell, Product Manager for Digital Cameras, took the D-20 from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Lovell invited Clarke, Lindenlaub and Adkins to an informal test. After the mandatory shot of the Hollywood sign, the crew moved to downtown LA where they captured some footage of the Disney concert hall at sunset. Later footage was shot at night exclusively with available light. The crew was using prototypes of the ARRI/Zeiss Master Primes, which not only have a widest opening of T1.3, but also show improved contrast and reduced flare in comparison to any other modern lens. Clarke remarked that "The detail rendered in the low light shooting situations, including the noiseless shadows, surprised us all."

After the Cine Gear show in June, Clarke, Lindenlaub and Fauer took to Venice Beach where they captured surfers and sunsets, seagulls and skateboarders using the Master Primes, Ultra Prime 8R and an Angenieux Optimo 24-290 zoom.

In addition to traditional tripod work they also used the D-20 in hand held mode to capture some dynamic skateboarding sequences. For the skateboard scenes they used the on-board monitor for framing, similar to the way a video assist monitor on a film camera would be used.

Next on the list was the improvised "Venice Beach Dolly", expertly pedaled by Thomas Greiser of ARRI Inc, to get some moving shots of tourists along the sidewalk. Lindenlaub operated the D-20 using the optical viewfinder, which provides a better image than an electronic viewfinder or an on-board monitor could. The battery and Sony SRW-1 tape deck were safely stored under the bicycles seat.

The sunset provided an opportunity to shoot some high contrast scenes. Both cinematographers noted the absence of flares in the Master Primes, flares that were more obvious in the zoom.

When asked about his overall impression of the D-20, Clarke said: "The D-20 impressed me with its ease of use and friendly feel. It is very much like a film camera, especially the superb optical viewfinder. In addition, the color saturation and highlight detail ... gave me new confidence in shooting with a digital camera that has these tone scale and color saturation capabilities."

The next day was spent indoors at the facilities of Stargate Films, where Stargate's owner and expert SFX cinematographer Sam Nicholson ran a variety of blue and green screen tests with the D-20.

Nicholson was impressed with the D-20, and his compositing technicians liked the images and their ability to key off the D-20 images. The team played with different setups and Look Up Tables (LUTs) to determine the best settings for blue and green screen.

Nicholson said: "I love the feel of the D-20, it feels like a regular, dependable ARRI camera. The depth of field and the lens choice it gives me are great, but the real advantage is the optical viewfinder. Judging focus is usually quite impossible on an electronic camera, unless you have a 30,000 USD monitor with you. The optical viewfinder of the D-20 will essentially save me 30,000 USD per shoot. Focus is the one thing that no one notices until it is out. In HD, often things get soft and you cannot tell. I would look to use the D-20 for some high quality keying on set for virtual backgrounds. "