Codex Digital, specialist in high-resolution media recording and workflow systems, continues to shrink the world of digital cinematography for broadcast and motion picture production with the announcement of its new On-Camera solid-state recording system. The On-Camera, set to ship in Spring 2009, is packed with many of the same advanced features as the ground-breaking Codex Portable. It is designed to clip on to HD, 2K and 4K cameras, giving the camera crew the freedom to move anywhere around a set or location with enormous recording capacity.
The On-Camera can record over two hours of 2K cinema footage, or over four hours of high-end broadcast material, as well as audio and metadata. As with all other Codex recording systems, and unlike comparable products, the On-Camera enables true tapeless production. It offloads footage up to ten times faster than realtime, in file-formats ready for editing and compositing ‘ underlining the ability of Codex workflows to deliver unrivalled efficiency, productivity and creativity.

Weather-resistant, rugged and weighing less than 3kg, the On-Camera is designed for ‘run and gun’ production ‘ around a set, up a mountain or in a field ‘ on the full range of broadcast drama, episodic TV and light entertainment, as well as digital motion pictures.

The Codex On-Camera is always ready-to-record and runs off all standard camera batteries (12-28V). Flexible I/O configurations mean the On-Camera can record from virtually every digital camera available today ‘ including all HD cameras in video mode, plus data-mode from cameras such as the ARRI D-21™ and DALSA’s Origin ®, and others as their data ports become available.

The On-Camera also features a “Mutter Track” microphone input, which allows the user to add comments during a take for shot logging and notes.

In production, the On-Camera provides immediate playback and review of footage on its own daylight-readable screen, or remotely over a wireless network. It delivers DPX and MP4 files directly, and in conjunction with the Codex Transfer Station or Codex Lab, can deliver shots in all industry-standard formats, including DPX, MXF, DNxHD, QuickTime, AVI, JPEG, BMP, and BWF (WAV) files. It can even provide native-mode files that editing-systems can use with no importing at all.

Material is copied and backed-up at up to ten times faster then realtime, providing a clean, fast workflow that allows a production to move seamlessly between shooting to post-production, with no intermediate steps, bottlenecks or delays.

Paul Bamborough, co-founder of Codex Digital, said, “Our new On-Camera is designed for all productions ‘ broadcast TV and digital cinema ‘ where the highest quality and portability are essential. But its versatility goes way beyond production. It will deliver what you shoot straight into post production with unprecedented speed and ease. Like our Portable, the On-Camera is a comprehensive system, designed to deal with anything that future digital cinematography might hold.”

The Codex On Camera complements the award-winning Codex Portable and original, Codex HD, 2K, 4K Recorder, which have already redefined tapeless digital cinematography and are now being used on major studio productions in the US and Europe.

Pricing & Availability
Codex Digital expects to ship the first production-ready units in Spring 2009, and will announce pricing at that time.