With its "distant-eye viewfinder" A-Minima invites the operator to move the camera from eyebrow to arm's length (and back),
without worrying about the light that enters the eyepiece! This distant-eye feature is obtained by means of a cone-shaped
shutter attached to the reflex mirror (Aaton patent): it prevents the light that enters the eyepiece from being diffused onto the
film by the viewing screen. This feature is especially helpful to camera operators who wear glasses, or who take shots in
acrobatic positions (e.g. mountaineering).
A special mention should be given to the clarity, brightness and sharpness of the viewing system which, with its generous
extra-frame field of view, has nothing to envy to the most sophisticated professional cameras.
Enhanced picture crispness
The cone-shaped reflex shutter not only allows distant-eye shooting, it also contributes to image crispness: by reducing spill
light inside the 'camera obscura', it favours contrast in the fine details. The reason is that film-stocks not being black (but
instead beige, pinkish, etc.) reflect about 50% of incident light: part of that light escapes back out the taking lens, some is
absorbed by the black walls of the chamber, and the rest bounces onto the viewing screen from whence it is distributed
equally over the whole image in the gate, reducing fine detail contrast. With the cone-shaped shutter which hides the viewing
screen during exposure, that problem simply disappears.
The A-Minima's film gate is cylindrical, horizontally bowing the film by a few microns as it moves over the gate. Consequently,
film positioning during exposure is so stable that there is no need for a rear pressure plate: the film cannot breathe even a
micron during exposure, resulting in optimal image crispness.
An important spin-off of this 'no pressure plate' principle is that the A-Minima can be relied upon whatever the weather,
whatever the nature of the rawstock, and whatever the film backing or lack thereof (from sticky rem-jet negative to black-
and-white still-camera film).
With image quality and definition so enhanced by the technology of both the viewing screen shutter and the curved film gate,
we know of some DPs who choose the A-Minima as a complementary camera when their principal photography is done on 35
mm.
Specifications :
• About 2 kilos with film and lithium batteries (1 hour @24fps, 25°C.). * AatonCode-II time code system, compatible with
XTRprod; accuracy 1/4 image; also functions as a master-clock.
• Super 16 centered lens port and viewfinder.
• Revolving reflex mirror shutter, opening 172.8°. * Sound level 29dB +1/-1.
• Fiber-optics viewing screen, 9 x magnification, main frame 1.78:1. (finer frames show Std16, 1.85:1, 1.66:1, 14/9).
• 1 to 32fps on internal lithium batteries; 50fps on external NiMH; single shot with internal intervalometer control.
• Interchangeable PL and Nikon lens mounts.
• Incident-light photometer coupled to camera speed. * Floppy drive daylight-friendly magazines, 60m/200' spools (Kodak
film only).
• Distant-eye viewfinder: no film fogging at constant film speed when eyepiece is uncovered.
A-Minima accessories
(56 Seiten)
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