It’s been a few years of development but the Cinefade VariND recently started shipping and we had a chance at Cine Gear to catch up with Oliver Christiansen, the inventor of the Cinefade, for a hands on demonstration and to see how the system has progressed. The device looks promising and can deliver more features beyond its signature Cinefade effect (the ability to control depth of field independently from exposure). Details below:  My colleague, Tim Fok, recently broke down all the key specs in his article available HERE. The Cinefade is designed to work with compatible 2-stage matteboxs and is powered by LBUS cable.  In general, the entire system seems quick to setup and having a variable ND (obviously useful for cameras lacking internal ND) and a rotating polarizer (great for car to car) is very useful in my opinion. Control unit for the Cinefade system. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon While the depth of field effect outlined in the video is admittedly very cool it may not see use all the time on set and thus the addition of the polarizer and ND capabilities make this a device that could certainly live on the front of the camera over weeks of filming. That being said, all these features do come with a cost and pricing ranges from $6655 to $8885 depending on the kit you select. As that price point this is likely to be a rental item for most and it will be interesting to see how DP’s and Directors adopt the Cinefade depth of field effect in their projects going forward. Already several films and television projects have found unique ways to use the system and you can find which projects the device has been used on HERE. The Cinefade LBUS power port. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon The full system is available for purchase directly from Cinefade HERE. What do you think? In what ways would you use the Cinefade effect to enhance your story? Comment below!

The cmotion Cinefade VariND system is now available for purchase, a previous hire-only package that utilizes revolutionary technology to wirelessly control neutral density. It was two years ago at CineGear 2017 where we interviewed founder Oliver Janesch Christiansen on the original cmotion Cinefade VariND system. This year they have announced a purchase-friendly package, no longer requiring a specialist technician to operate. The technology is revolutionary – it is one of the few systems to offer mechanical changing neutral density. It does so through two circular polarizing filters – a motorized polarizer and a static polarizer. When worked in conjunction they offer a variable neutral density filter. The system is built around the cmotion focus ecosystem. When paired with cmotion motors and controller you can wirelessly control the level of neutral density. What’s smart about the system is it can slave to your iris motor, making exposure changes seamless. This is a unique effect in itself – being able to control depth of field independently from exposure; blur the background more or less without changing the exposure. The motorized variable ND alone is great for saving time with filter changes or when filter changes are very tricky due to hard-to-reach camera body (steadicam, techocrane etc.). A handy bi-product of the system is a motorized polarizer (just using the single filter). The full-filter system is designed to work with 2-stages on a 4X5 compatible mattebox. The LBUS cable peripherals work with ARRI and cmotion systems. In more compact solutions, it can just require power via LBUS, and you can control ND levels on the motorized polarizer filter itself. The level of neutral density starts at 1.5 stops (approx. ND.4) and can provide up to 8 stops ND, with an optical safe range (reduced color shift) of 5 stops. See below handy graph. CineGear will once again be a platform for checking out the Cinefade system, now in purchase form. Pricing as follows: cmotion Cinefade VariND (motorized and static polarizer with case) €7980/$8885 +tax. cmotion cPRO Motor Kit (cPRO hand unit, cPRO motor & accessories) €7280/$8100+tax cmotion cPRO Camin Kit (cPRO hand unit, cPRO camin & accessories) €5980/$6655+tax What do you think, will this catch on? Can you see yourself using variable ND filters for your productions on a regular basis, when shooting on high-end cinema cameras?

The Cinefade system allows you to maintain a constant exposure while opening or closing your lens aperture, resulting in a seamless transition between a soft and sharp background. We talked to Cinefade Founder Oliver at Cine Gear Expo 2017 to find out more. The Cinefade system is essentially a variable ND filter made up of two Schneider Optics circular polariser filters in a TLS Raven 3-stage matte box. One of the filters goes on a proprietary geared filter tray, and is rotated by a motor that’s connected to a cmotion cvolution Lens Control System, which translates any changes in the iris ring to an opposite exposure adjustment on the ND filter. The main components of the Cinefade system The result is a smooth change in the amount of background blur of the image, allowing you to go from a very shallow depth of field bokeh-wonderland to a sharp, everything-in-focus, deep depth of field image in one continuous shot without a shift in exposure. Check out the video below for some examples of real productions that have used the effect: As you can see, the effect looks quite unique: technology hasn’t really made it possible to pull it off smoothly in the past as it requires a simultaneous and very coordinated iris and ND pull, so it is not something that you see every day. Of course, the Auto ND feature in the Sony FS5 and Sony FS7 II also allows for the same effect thanks to the Sony electronic variable ND without any external equipment. Whatever system you choose, though, you will need a lens with a de-clicked iris ring – such as a cine lens – to pull off the effect. The Cinefade system is available for hire from Keslow Camera in Los Angeles and ARRI Rental in London, but they can also travel worldwide. For more information and to request a quote, please visit their website. Have you ever had the need to achieve an effect like this? Can you see yourself hiring the system to pull off this in-camera effect? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!