 D16 at SXSW 2013 | |
| Manufacturer | Cinemeridian, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital cinemacamera |
| Release date | March 12, 2012 (Kickstarter) December 16, 2013 (Retail) |
| Introductory price | $3299 (256GB model)USD $3599 (500GB model)USD $3999 (Monochrome)USD |
| Media | AdobeCinemaDNG |
| Storage | 256 or 500 GB internalSolid State Drive orCF card |
| Display | HDMI orSD Video |
| Sound | 24-bit 96kHzAIFF[1] |
| Camera | 2048x1152 (2K) or 1920x1080HD video |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 (for firmware upgrades) USB 3.0 (for connection to PC) phantom powered XLR (two) headphone SD video[2] |
| Power | Internal battery |
| Dimensions | 3.6"H (91mm) x 3.3"W (84mm) x 7.8"D (199mm)[2] |
| Weight | 5 lbs |
| Related | Bolex H16 |
| Website | www |
Digital Bolex was a partnership between Cinemeridian, Inc. and Ienso Canada, an engineering company, to develop the Digital Bolex D16digital cinema camera. Development was funded via a successfulKickstarter in March 2012, raising $262,661.
On June 27, 2016, the company announced on its website that it would no longer be producing cameras as of that month, and would shut down its online store on June 30, 2016.[3] The company website started showing the simple message "Maintenance mode is on" in June 2018,[4] but has not yet been shut down as of January 2025, showing "Digital Bolex: Coming Soon".[5]
Digital Bolex was headquartered inDowntown Los Angeles[6] andToronto, Canada. Cameras were designed and manufactured in Canada.[7]
In 2012, Cinemeridian licensed the named Bolex fromBolex International, the Swiss camera company that created the first consumer 16mm film camera, the H16, in 1927. The name Bolex is derived from that of its inventor,Jacques Bogopolsky. The Digital Bolex D16 is named after the H16.[citation needed]
The Digital Bolex was initially developed as a side project of CEO Joseph Rubinstein's LA-based photo booth company Polite in Public. Rubinstein wanted to develop a video booth that would require a raw-capable video camera under $10,000.[8][9] He decided to start a new company to pursue the endeavor in early 2011, and partnered with Canadian design firm Ienso in summer of 2011 to produce the first prototype camera.[7]
In Fall of 2011, Rubinstein hiredUSC grad and filmmakerElle Schneider to co-develop the camera. Both film school graduates, Schneider and Rubinstein collaborated on a short film entitledOne Small Step to test their prototype.[8][10] The film premiered at theShort Film Corner of the 2012Cannes Film Festival.[11]
Digital Bolex announced its camera at the 2012SXSW Film Festival where it had a trade show booth. Unable to announce the licensing of the Bolex name before the event, they are listed in the festival catalog as Cinemeridian.[12]
Rubinstein and Schneider announced their collaboration with Bolex via theKickstarter crowdfunding platform on March 12, 2012.[13] Billed "the first affordable digital cinema camera", the project came to the attention of notable film bloggersPhilip Bloom[14] andStu Maschwitz,[15] and by the campaign's second day the $100,000 goal had been met. Within the first 48 hours the campaign exceeded $250,000 and the limited run of 100 cameras had been sold.[16] Rubinstein and Schneider have said they purposely limited the number of cameras to 100 in order to avoid the manufacturing delays that had plagued other runawaycrowdfunding successes.[citation needed]
As of December 2012, the Digital Bolex was one of the top 50 Kickstarter campaigns of all time, alongside theOculus Rift,Double Fine Adventure, andPebble watch, all of which were profiled byCNN Money for their late deliveries.[17] The Digital Bolex had an original estimated delivery date of August 2012, and cameras began to ship in December 2013.[18]
The Digital Bolex received a large amount of press in print and on the web during and after its launch, including stories byMashable,[19][20]Engadget,[21]PBS,[22]CNET,[23]Vice andIntel's The Creator's Project,[8] andWired.[24] With 440 backers and $262,661 raised, the Digital Bolex Kickstarter had an unusually high average pledge of $597, nearly twice the average pledge of similar Kickstarter projectOculus Rift ($256 average pledge)[25] and four times the average pledge of theOuya game console ($136).[26] With 77 backers pledging $2,500 each, the Digital Bolex may have the highest median pledge of any Kickstarter project.[citation needed]
On June 27, 2016, the company announced on its website that it would no longer be producing cameras as of that month, and would shut down its online store on June 30, 2016.[3] After the company made the announcement the remaining 50 to 60 cameras sold out in just two days.[27] Digital Bolex founder Joe Rubinstein has said there is a possibility for the product to be relaunched but it would require new investment.[27]
The Digital Bolex camera was the second camera to feature Adobe'sCinemaDNG openRAW file format after the Swedish-madeIkonoskop which debuted in 2008. Both cameras use aKodak-designed CCD sensor.[10] The Digital Bolex D16 shoots raw still frames per second instead of a traditional video stream. In addition to its raw capabilities, the camera is notable for its Super 16mm sized sensor,[22] allowing the usage of vintage 16mm lenses[24] with no crop, and its unique crank wheel encoder.[9] The Digital Bolex is the only digital cinema camera with a nativeC mount, a nod to the original Bolex 16mm film cameras.
The Digital Bolex was the first-announced camera aimed at the consumer market to offer a 2K recording resolution,[23] however competitorBlackmagic Design started shipping itsBlackmagic Cinema Camera (announced a month later at the 2012National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas) in December 2012, one year before the Digital Bolex began to ship.[citation needed]
At the 2014National Association of Broadcasters convention, Digital Bolex announced it would begin selling a monochrome cinema camera, the D16M.
The D16M is one of a few dedicated monochromatic cinema cameras developed in the last few years. Other monochrome cameras have been created byRED,Leica, and Ikonoskop.[28] The first units shipped in July 2014.[29]
Digital Bolex released its first series of lenses online in September 2014.[30]
The Digital Bolex has been used in mainstream film and television, includingNetflix seriesHemlock Grove,[31]Fox seriesGlee,[32][33] aKelly Rowland music video directed bySpike Lee,[34] and anAirbnb commercial directed byBombay Beach filmmakerAlma Har'el.[35] The comedy horror feature filmHanky Panky was shot entirely on the D16.
Rubinstein, Schneider, and the Digital Bolex are subjects in the documentaryBeyond the Bolex, a biographical film about Bolex founder Jacques Bogopolsky (later anglicized to Bolsey), directed by his great-grand daughter Alyssa Bolsey.[36]