If you thought the concept of a hand-held classic cinema camera is inevitably gone and now is only a thing of the past, you’d better think again. Believe it or not, the old-school 8mm style won’t die out anytime soon; it’s not even close to this point. And no, I’m not talking about the next iteration of the D16 Digital Bolex camera (which is quite awesome by the way).
What I have in mind is a totally different concept combining of the latest high-tech advancements in smartphone technology and the classical ergonomics that lo-fi classic cameras such as the evergreen 8mm Bolex film camera from the days gone by provides.
This is what now the innovative Lumenati CS1 case brings to all filmmakers around the globe. All in all, it transforms an iPhone 6 into an old-school cinema camera giving you the option to swap a variety of lenses on the go while triggering video recording through a single push of a button. More on the subject in the video below.
You simply need to pop your iPhone into the Lumenati CS1 just as your grandpa would load an 8mm film cartridge. The lightweight, portable unit allows anyone to frame and film a steady, stable shot with the pull of an intuitive trigger.
Furthermore, you can rig the combo as you would normally do with any other camera in this size. There is a cold shoe that allows one to attach lights, microphones, extra handles and other accessories for even more convenient and optimised shooting experience. Plus, the real-time viewfinder allows you to frame your shots even in the most challenging lighting conditions.
The Lumenati CS1 uses an optical-quality glass lensing system ranging from wide-angle to telephoto lenses and deliver crisp stunning images as expected. The lenses are designed for high-resolution HD cameras and when paired with the CS1 create the perfect look for any occasion. There’re even standard 58mm super wide and fish eye lenses included in the kit.
Simply pop your iPhone into the case with the Lumenati app loaded and you are ready to shoot. Then squeeze and hold the bright red trigger, and release it when you are finished. It’s just as easy as that.
The true power of the Lumetri CS1 system though is actually locked in the dedicated iOS application created to control the iPhone’s video settings, thus insuring a true shooting experience. The app itself provides not only control over basic settings such as focus, exposure, or frame rate but you can also add filters to the videos you are capturing in real-time. You can even edit and share the recorded material online with a single tap or two.
Here are some real-life examples of footage capture on the Lumenati CS1:
CS1 Skate Session from Lumenati on Vimeo.
CS1 Outdoors from Lumenati on Vimeo.
CS1 at Night from Lumenati on Vimeo.
Given the great concept of Lumenati CS1, the popularity of smart phone technology and, in particular, the Apple iPhone 6, I’m not surprised that the Kickstarter campaign is doing so well with more than $53,000 pledged so far. If you want to support the creative team of Colorado filmmakers and claim your Lumenati CS1 case in advance head over to the official Kickstarter page of the project.
As of now, the case is only compatible with Apple’s iPhone 6 though the team behind Lumenati CS1 hopes to bring the smart case to more people through successful fundraising.
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