Film scanners are less ubiquitous on the post scene than they once were, but anyone digitizing film on a tight budget will appreciate Blackmagic Design’s continued commitment to development on the $30,000 Cintel film scanner. The most recent software update includes recording options aimed at keeping file sizes down, among other new features.
With the Cintel 2.1 update, Blackmagic is adding a compressed raw recording format that it claims is visually lossless and requires less storage space. In addition, images can now be cropped to the active image area, reducing the amount of picture information saved and thus further reducing the file size.
Also new in this update are improved image-stabilization features that work at sub-pixel accuracy, the company says, even with badly damaged or missing perforations. Live audio preview is now enabled during scanning when using the Cintel Audio and KeyKode reader, meaning users can hear sound as they scan backward and forward through a film reel. An optical audio equalization option has been added to allow flatter response, and a new slow advance feature kicks in when a user holds down a film frame advance button.
Scan quality has been addressed, too, with the update said to better cope with artifacts in the highlight areas of negative images.
The Blackmagic Design Cintel Film Scanner can scan 35mm and 16mm film at up to 30fps at up to UHD resolution (depending on film gauge) in real time via Thunderbolt 3 or PCIe. Cintel 2.1 Update is a free download from the Blackmagic Design website.
