Lentequip

[Thomas English]

Yeah... shame. But... If it is SD and a rock solid picture with working histograms that delivers from a tracking vehicle?

 

I honestly think a DoP should be allowed to judge exposure off a 17 inch monitor. Its true we used to judge the picture for framing but times and expectations have moved on. The important thing is what is the downconverting process doing to the highlights and blacks in the histogram. If my RedByte is anything to go on it ain't going to be pretty.

 

I have struggled endlessly trying to get digibox terrestrial TV (SD) in the warehouse/shed I call my home and I know exactly how bloody finickity that signal is. OK.. easier than HD digi but still..

[JamesSainthill]

Dam. I was really hoping this would be an alternative to the Boxx. As we all know, DPs, Directors & Producers want to see the picture in HD.

[Frederic Chamberland]

Ok,

Emery was kind enough to leave a Canatrans White Space transmitter in Montreal for a few days. He visited us last week and presented the product.

Yes , it's transmitting SD; yes , it's almost 7k. No , it's not transmitting HD in any way.

First thing I notice: It's big. Bigger than the "old" canatrans, smaller than a BOXX. It weights 770g (1.7lbs).

Then , you notice the screen: The only transmitter I know that has this feature and I have to say , it's very useful. If no signal is detected ,it will just give you color bars. It also comes with a nice little sun hood that attaches to the Canatrans with magnets, no strap or screws here.

It will be powered by almost any voltage (7/30v). You have 3 different antennas , they are color coded and the channel you select on the Canatrans will be displayed in the color the antenna should be..(very neat)

It will ingest a lot of different HD signals. (please refer to the canatrans website for the actual specs)

It also has a little V-mount shape holder at the back and you can use the Element Technica rod holder to complement your transmitter.

So does it work ? Of course it does.

If you have ever owned a Canatrans, you know what's in for you. It's a Canatrans that's been going to the gym 3 hours a day: It's big, it's built like a tank and you know it will do the job flawlessly and you won't have to worry about it. I have run over almost a block away and still had a clear image on the 7" Camos monitor. Where the Paralinx stopped after about 220', I could not walk away enough to loose the image from the canatrans.

I won't get into the "i need to show HD" or "why would I spend 7k on a SD transmitter..." :

This thing is clearly aimed at a particular crowd and I am not on that list, but still, I have owned a Canatrans for about 5 years and it never failed me so I was excited to try it out.

 

Big thank you to Emery and Lentequip for the demo, much appreciated !

[Thomas English]

I honestly do see the attraction to this device. A reliable signal is far better than a perfect one. The picture is SD but is it still "digital" .. unlike the modulus etc?

 

Will the waveforms and exposure stay the same?

 

The issue is that I often see takes called up for focus because people saw it buzz on the monitor. So this won't be as possible in SD.

 

I would buy this unit in an instant at half the price. $7000 is a lot.

[Emery Soos]

Thank you all for your comments and opinions. If any of you need further assistance or would like any specific questions to be answered, I'd be happy to do so through my company's channels - we are almost always open and get back to you as quickly as possible. This topic is never as clear cut as it would appear, suffice to say that I am in touch with many of my CanaTrans users, rental houses etc... and they pretty much all tell me the same thing over and over again, and that is that they are still using their CanaTrans' because it will transmit where most other HD systems fail. And it will do it at a price point that will still allow rental houses to put it on jobs and have it make money while fulfilling the vital video assist link. The beauty of VHF/UHF channels is propagation and the new CanaTrans White Space exploits the even better VHF spectrum to go further than its predecessor. The CanaTrans White Space is a very complex device, possibly the most complex piece we have ever created here at Lentequip. Since introducing it officially only a few weeks ago we already have a half a dozen units on various productions here in North America and in Europe. The feedback thus far has been as I had hoped - fantastic. I look forward to helping past and future Lentequip and Canatrans customers with any questions or assistance you may require.

 

Emery

Lentequip Inc.