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Going for a spin

Iconix Video, maker of the world's smallest professional quality HD video camera, has been highlighting the use of its HD-RH1 camera on the Warner Bros. feature 'Ocean's Thirteen', where the two-ounce remote head captured several shots from inside a roulette wheel in a casino.

Iconix Video, maker of the world’s smallest professional quality HD video camera, has been highlighting the use of its HD-RH1 camera on the Warner Bros. feature ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’, where the two-ounce remote head captured several shots from inside a roulette wheel in a casino.

Co-starring George Clooney as Danny Ocean, along with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle and Bernie Mac, ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ is the latest sequel to ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ and ‘Ocean’s Twelve’, reuniting the ensemble cast with director Steven Soderbergh and producer Jerry Weintraub. Joining the cast for the new adventure are Al Pacino, who plays casino mogul Willie Banks, and Ellen Barkin as his right-hand man [sic].

The Iconix HD-RH1 was used for several shots from inside a roulette wheel during one of the casino scenes, allowing viewers to see out into the blurred casino as the wheel spins.

Featuring a camera head about the size of a golf ball, and weighing a mere two ounces, the remote head system of the Iconix HD-RH1 can keep pace with larger HD video cameras, yet is versatile enough to offer 35 different format and framerate combinations. According to Steven Meizler, first assistant cameraman on the film, there was no way to complete the shot with a conventional camera, and the Iconix offered such high quality data that it was indiscernible from other footage shot on film.

“The image quality for the Iconix was fabulous,” said Meizler. “When I first saw it projected, it was comparable to a Sony HDW F900 image. It was amazing-it blew me away.”

A first for a camera this size, the HD-RH1 system can capture and output video in both NTSC and PAL formats in all HD resolutions, including 720p, 1080i and 1080p while supporting framerates of 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames-per-second (fps). The HD-RH1 incorporates an expansive array of features found only on top-of-the-line HD ENG and EFP camera systems while utilising an innovative signal processing architecture. This POV camera system, which includes a very robust separate camera head and processing controller unit, is the smallest high performance HD camera in the industry. The lightweight HD-RH1 remote camera system is comprised of a 1.32″ x 1.50″ x 1.92″ POV camera head weighing 2.5 oz.; a 3.5 lb. Universal HDTV controller unit measuring 8.4″ x 1.8″ x 12″; power supply, and 3, 6 and 10 metre cables.