Mighty Atom ready for 3D Epic

Atom 3D RED Epic Rig - Tour by Stephen Pizzo from Tonaci Tran.


Element Technica has developed a new 3D rig especially for Red's latest Epic digital cinema camera. The Atom will cost from $64,000.

Because it has been designed for a specific camera, ET could make it lighter and more streamlined. It will initially be available in aluminium (weighing about 8kg in handheld configuration), but a $84,000 magnesium version will be available soon that weighs less than 6kg – meaning that a complete 5K 3D beamsplitter rig would weigh about 16kg for a handheld system - as little as some 35mm camera systems.

The Atom can have integrated lens control, interocular and convergence control, genlock synch, a 3D multiplexer, and an Epic-specific IO module. It can integrate with the same $12,500 cine-style lens control available for ET's Quasar, Pulsar and Neutron 3D rigs – the Pulsar has just started full production.

The multiplexing, sync and power conditioning electronics come as part of the $20,000 Atom Pro Kit (which is made of magnesium in a shark's fin-style housing), meaning it has three fewer external components. The Pro Kit also includes two 3D IO modules designed for use with Epic to replace up to four cables per camera, and 12 or more cables from the rig.

Although it is relatively compact, Atom can still accommodate full-sized PL and PV primes as well as smaller zooms like the Angenieux Optimo 16-42mm or 30-80mm.

For Steadicam use, it allows almost 120º of pan rotation (thanks to a very low profile bottom camera plate), which is more than other rigs available; if using primes and a shorter dovetail, full 360º rotation is possible (as on the Neutron rig).

Specifications: IO travel (beamsplitter mode) is 0-90mm, or 95-190mm in side-by-side mode; convergence is 1.2m at 90mm; beamsplitter field of view is 65° (with an 85mm lens front). Height (studio mode) is 520mm, or 445mm in handheld mode; length is 480mm (beamsplitter mode); width ranges from 216mm to 430mm.

By David Fox