Blackmagic Design Ships Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ With Redesigned Light Source

Blackmagic Design
(Image credit: Blackmagic Design)

FREMONT, Calif.—Blackmagic Design has announced the immediate availability of its new Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ with redesigned light source to enable real-time HDR film scanning in Ultra HD.

The new high-intensity LED grid array light source, first demoed in April at the NAB Show, allows users to capture better quality images from scanned film at higher film scanning speeds, it said.

The new scanner retains many features of the Cintel Scanners, such as digital servos, gentle capstan drives, advanced color science, 35mm and 16mm film support and an elegant architectural design that can be mounted on a wall. 

Well-suited for unlocking archived film libraries for conversion into new Ultra HD masters for uploading and streaming, the Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ features a light source that is six times more powerful than previously available. The RGB LED grid array illumination source has a square array of 576 high-power LEDs arranged in a grid pattern. More light is focused onto film with a new light cylinder, it said.

Tens of thousands of kilowatts of power make up each illumination flash for a single frame. HDR scanning speed is now up to three times faster at full real-time speed of 30 frames per second in Ultra HD. The scanner also leverages improved color science and up to an additional 3.5 stops of HDR range, it said.

A new film inspection mode allows users to confirm the condition of the original film, enabling them to find any scratches or dust. A single button push focuses the light source in a single direction, which allows dust and scratches to be seen instantly, it said.

The light source is fully software-controllable to give users better control and the ability to check film before scanning.

“We’ve been demonstrating this new light source technology over this past year, and we are now very excited to be able to include it in our newest Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ model,” said Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty.

“The new Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ has all the great features of our previous model, plus now it includes an all new high-intensity light source so our customers can get incredible image quality scans, and also at higher speeds.”

The Cintel Scanner G3 HDR+ is available worldwide from Blackmagic Design resellers for $32,045.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.