Also, a BNC cable is needed to feed the built-in monitor (if needed). Although it allows easier deployment of the camera, particularly on location, it does mean CineMags must be used - there is no laptop or gigabit ethernet cable down which to save the data. It has a built-in video monitor and essentially replaces the usual laptop control and its tethering gigabit ethernet cable. What's a Remote Control Unit (RCU)? Another unique idea for Phantom cameras is the handheld camera control (RCU), wirelessly communicating via bluetooth. However, if one shoots in 4K and then samples the data down to HD when saving the shot, the lens length is not affected. If one uses the camera in HD mode by using only the centre of the sensor, the lens in effect becomes much longer and actually becomes Super-16mm format. An important note about lenses! The Flex4K sensor is designed to be used at 4K with standard 35mm cine lenses. So, if you have time and want best quality, don't use CineMags. When downloaded later using a CineStation, the data is decoded as 12 bit files, but the data only contains 10-bit information. However, there is a downside (isn't there always?) to achieving such rapid data transfer into the CineMag: the data is compressed from 12-bit down to 10-bit. To give you a handle on CineMag capacity, a 2TB CineMag will store approximately 116 minutes of 25fps footage, so think of it as being a two hour tape. Possibly even better, one can choose the best of the takes for saving later, rather than time-consumingly saving all takes. In addition, one can review shots stored in the CineMag, so instead of using a separate composite video playback system & operator, one can review earlier takes without the additional cost of video playback. The data is downloaded using a CineStation as cine raw files or played out in 4:4:4 10 bit video. So no download time on set! Of course, one still needs to copy footage from the CineMag later, but without interrupting the shoot. Above 180fps, one shoots in the usual way into the camera memory, copying the footage across to CineMag in a matter of seconds. In HD mode (1920x1080) the frame rate limit is 763fps.

If shooting at less than 180fps in 4K mode (4096x2304 pixels) one can save footage directly into a CineMag (by-passing the camera's internal memory) so one can shoot very long takes. What's a 'CineMag'? CineMags are unique to the Phantoms: they are blocks of memory which clips into the camera body. To work out other run times, depending on colour bit depth, resolutions and frames rate, use this on-line calculator. How long can it run for? Used in 12 bit colour, 4096 x 2304 resolution, our 64GB cameras can store approximately 4800 frames.

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