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diodes had been around for a long time, but without blue light, white lamps could not be created. Despite considerable efforts, both in the scientific community and in industry, the blue LED had remained a challenge for three decades. Akasaki worked together with Amano at the University of Nagoya, while Nakamura was employed at Nichia Chemicals, a small company in Tokushima. White LED lamps emit a bright white light, are long-lasting and Steve Cosens csc energy-efficient. They are constantly improved, getting more efMember News ficient with higher luminous flux (measured in lumen) per unit electrihe Jacob Tierney comedy cal input power (measured in watt). Preggoland, shot by Steve Co- The most recent record is just over 300 sens csc, was named Most lm/W, which can be compared to 16 Popular Canadian Feature Film at the for regular light bulbs and close to 70 2014 Vancouver International Film for fluorescent lamps. Materials conFestival, which wrapped on October sumption is also diminished, as LEDs 10. The feature premiered at this year’s last up to 100,000 hours, compared Toronto International Film Festival in to 1,000 for incandescent bulbs and the Special Presentations programme. 10,000 hours for fluorescent lights.
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Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to LED Inventors
International Cinematographers Guild Launches Safety App
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 was awarded jointly to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura for the invention of blue light-emitting diodes. In the spirit of Alfred Nobel, the prize rewards an invention of greatest benefit to mankind. Using blue LEDs, white light can be created in a new way, and the advent of LED lamps means longer-lasting and more efficient alternatives to older light sources. When Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura produced bright blue light beams from their semi-conductors in the early 1990s, they triggered a fundamental transformation of lighting technology, according to the Nobel committee. Red and green
The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) has launched a safety app, available for the iPhone and Android, called “ICG Safety,” providing comprehensive safety reference giving users a complete list of safety bulletins, in-depth articles about safety and anonymous safety hotline numbers, including Local 600’s 24/7 tip line with one click. No Internet access is required to use this app, once installed. The app is available for download in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store. Safety on the set has been a top issue in the industry since the tragic death of ICG member Sarah Jones. The ICG represents more than 7,000 camera crew members, still photographers and publicists. see News page 6
Canon Launches EOS Upgrade; Introduces World’s Longest 4K Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens for Large-Format Single-Sensor Cameras Canon USA in October launched the Canon EOS C100 Mark II Digital Video Camera, the latest edition to the Canon Cinema EOS line of professional Super 35mm 8.3 megapixel CMOS cameras and the second-generation version of the Canon EOS C100 Digital Video Camera. Among the new camera’s features are advanced image processing, AVCHD and MP4 1920x1080/60p recording, and uncompressed YCbCr output from HDMI. The EOS C100 Mark II camera weighs 2.5 lbs. and is compatible with more than 103 Canon EF Series lenses, including STM models. The Canon EOS C100 Mark II Digital Video Camera is scheduled to be available at the end of December for an estimated retail price of $5,499.00. Canon also introduced the new ultratelephoto CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom lens. The lens has the world’s longest focal length (75-1500mm with its builtin 1.5x extender) and highest (20x) magnification among Super 35mm zoom lenses, according to the manufacturer. The ultra-telephoto lens has a removable Digital Drive unit to accommodate either broadcast or cinema-style production. Available in either EF- or PL-mount, the new lens is 15.9 inches in length (PL version) and weighs 14.6 pounds. The Canon CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-telephoto Zoom lens is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2015 for a suggested list price of $78,000.
4 • Canadian Cinematographer - December 2014 Courtesy of Canon