Otto Nemenz Gears its Leader Test Instruments

“Sony's F65, with its 8K imager, really pushed the limits of what we expect from a digital cinema camera," comments Ryan Sheridan, Vice President of Digital Cinema at Otto Nemenz. "Leader's S-LOG2 software gives our clients the ability to monitor the image quality of the F65 and F55 with far greater precision by turning the LV5330 and LV5380 into quick at-a-glance feedback tool versus the traditional waveform and vectorscope method of image analysis.

“Focus is also a critical issue when you are shooting in 4K. All of our 4K and 8K camera systems offer some type of critical focus zoom-in function. However, the camera operator, the DP and the director don't want to see that during a shot. This new Leader software includes a zoom-in function which allows very precise monitoring of focus across user-selected areas of the image from the camera.

“Another new feature is the ability to evaluate exposure detail accurately by simply pressing one button. This option quickly applies a high-key filter to evaluate highlight detail and then a low-key filter to inspect shadow detail. This is a great way to check over-exposure and under-exposure without having to look at a waveform, peer through a colour scale or pull out a meter.

“There is also a new option that enables our clients to apply a user-adjustable exposure/luminance-referenced colour scale over the image. This lets them match the White Clip indication on a Sony F65, False Colour on an ARRI Alexa or Video Check on a RED Epic.

“Each of these features is offered in one form or another in our various digital cinema cameras. However, none of these cameras has all these features combined in this way. Using a Leader instrument displaying this information independently of the camera gives our DPs and camera assistants a full-time reference tool that does not obstruct, or excite, anyone looking at the image on-set during a shot.”

“Otto Nemenz is one of America's top cinematography equipment rental companies and a great customer of Leader,” adds Leader Instruments' Director of Western USA Sales, Pete Anderson. “Leader's support for S-LOG2 is proof of our ongoing support for the digital film and video production industry at every level. It is also firmly in line with our strategy of making high-precision test and measurement efficient, intuitive and repeatable.”

Designed for on-camera operation, the Leader LV5330 is compatible with over 20 HD-SDI/SD-SDI formats. Its 6 inch XGA TFT screen can be set to display YCbCr, YRGB, YGBR, GBR or RGB luminance waveform, colour vector, five-bar, surround-sound level, status or video source. Freeze mode allows comparison of different SDI input signals. Thumbnail picture display can be selected with other multi-display operating modes for easy source identification. Input format, colorimetry, black burst or tri-level external reference input are auto-sensed.

The LV5330’s display panel is framed on three sides by clearly labeled pushbutton function selectors, plus three rotary adjustment controls and a forward-facing USB interface, making the LV5330 exceptionally easy to control.

Additional features include signal status and protocol checks, user-settable error monitoring and detection, digital line-selection and menu control storage of 30 front-panel configurations. Screen shots, user-specific presets and software updates can be communicated via detachable USB memory. The LV5330 occupies a 215 x 128 x 63 millimetre housing and weighs 1.3 kilogrammes. It can be powered from battery or a universal mains adapter.

Leader's LV5380 has a similar specification to the LV5330 plus a larger 8.4 inch XGA screen allowing more precise picture and waveform evaluation. Dimensions are 315 x 176 x 85 millimetres and weight is 2 kilogrammes.

About Otto Nemenz International, Inc.
Based in Hollywood, Otto Nemenz International Inc. specialises in the rental and maintenance of motion picture and digital cinema cameras, lenses, and accessories. These include the Sony F65, Arri Alexa Studio, Arri Alexa, Red Epic and Sony F35 digital cameras. It also supplies the Arricam ST and LT, the Arriflex 435 and 235, the Moviecam Compact MK2, and the Arriflex 416 and 416 high-speed camera systems in regular and Super 16 mm formats. Zeiss Master Primes, Zeiss Ultra Prime and Cooke S4 prime lenses, Leica Summilux T1.4 lenses and the Fujinon Zoom 18-85mm T2 zoom lens are also available for hire.

Otto Nemenz, founder and CEO of the company, is an accomplished director of photography. He has a degree in engineering from the Vienna Technical Institute, Austria, and has been associated with the motion picture industry since 1964.

About Leader Instruments Corporation
Established over 40 years ago in the USA by Leader Electronics (Yokohama, Japan), Leader Instruments Corporation provides customer support, sales and marketing services for a select number of high- technology manufacturers with specific focus on the broadcast and professional video market.

Leader Instruments represents the Leader, Cel-Soft, Eyeheight, Phabrix, Trilogy and VidCheck product lines and covers North America, South America and Europe with a fast, efficient and highly experienced direct customer sales and support channel. Leader Instruments has offices with local representation in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and Louisville plus warehouse locations in Los Angeles and Amsterdam.