The Thomson Viper FilmStream Camera is a

digital movie camera A digital movie camera for digital cinematography is a motion picture camera that captures footage digitally rather than physical film, known as film stock. Different digital movie cameras output a variety of different acquisition formats. Camera ...

produced by Thomson Multimedia (now

Vantiva Vantiva SA (formerly Technicolor SA, Thomson SARL, Thomson SA, and Thomson Multimedia) is a French multinational corporation that provides technology products and services for the communication, media and entertainment industries. Headquarter ...

). Introduced in the early 2000s as makers of feature films were turning to

digital cinematography Digital cinematography is the process of capturing (recording) a film, motion picture using digital image sensors rather than through film stock. As digital technology has improved in recent years, this practice has become dominant. Since the 200 ...

, the Viper influenced subsequent HD, UHD, and HDR cameras.

History

The Viper FilmStream was announced in 2002 by Thomson after being developed by its Grass Valley subsidiary which it had purchased earlier that year. It followed early

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cameras and preceded the

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by less than a year. The Viper could replay takes immediately after they were shot, something early Genesis versions and other cameras of the era could not. Films shot on the Viper include

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...

's '' Collateral'', ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...

'', and '' Public Enemies'' and

David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. Often described as one of the preeminent directors of his generation, David Fincher filmography, his films, of which most are psychological thrillers, have collectiv ...

's ''

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'' and '' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''. Cinematographer

Dion Beebe Dion Beebe A.C.S. A.S.C. ( ; born 18 May 1968) is an Australian–South African cinematographer. Early life and education Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, his family moved to Cape Town, South Africa, in 1972. Dion studied ...

described the Viper as the "primary camera" on ''Collateral''; on both ''Zodiac'' and ''Collateral'' 35mm film was used only for overcranking. ''Zodiac'' was the first digital feature film made by a major studio without using

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compression Compression may refer to: Physical science *Compression (physics), size reduction due to forces *Compression member, a structural element such as a column *Compressibility, susceptibility to compression * Gas compression *Compression ratio, of a ...

in its capture or editing. Fincher became interested in using the camera on a feature film after shooting

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for

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

and Xelibri with it. In 2017, Grass Valley received a Scientific and Technical Award from the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

for its Viper.

Specifications

* Sensors: : 3 x 2/3" HD-DPM 9.2 million pixel CCDs * Effective pixels: 1920 (vertical) x 4320 (horizontal sub-pixels); aspect ratio 16:9 (1.77:1) in 1080 and 720 line modes, or 2.37:1 in 1080p mode * Bit depth: 12-bit linear A-D conversion, mapped to 10-bit logarithmic signals for downstream processing * Power: 12V DC nominal (11.5 – 17V); ~44W (including 2" viewfinder and FilmStream adapter) * Mount: Standard B4 lens mount for popular digital cinematography prime and zoom lenses * Weight: 4.3 kg including 2" viewfinder and FilmStream adapter * Overall dimensions: 197mm x 117mm x 349mm * Optical filters: f1.4 prism system; first filter wheel clear, 2-stop, 4-stop, 6-stop ND; second filter wheel clear, 4-point star, 6-point star, soft focus * Formats and Frames per second: ** 1080p at 23.98, 24, 25, and 29.97 fps ** 1080i at 50 and 59.94 Hz ** 720p at 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, and 59.94 fps. * Multiple field recording options: ** Solid-state, on-camera RAM recorder for cable-free operation ** High-capacity field recorder with exchangeable disk packs ** Third-party field recording support

References

{{reflist Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners Digital movie cameras Technicolor SA