CCD Technical Information

28th June 2004

I need to be able to calculate the focal length for CCD cameras in all professional formats (1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1" -- am I missing any) and I thus need the recordable size of the CCD chip at any given aspect ratio.

I was able to find the following, which appears to be for 1.33 aspect ratio.

Does anyone know if :

1) The sizes listed below are accurate
2) Whether they vary at all between different makes/models of cameras
3) Whether the normal focal length calculations for film work for CCDs
4) whether I can just adjust (downwards) the height of the CCD chip for filming in other aspect ratios?

CCD size (HxV) :

1/3" CCD = 4.8mm x 3.6mm
1/2" CCD = 6.4mm x 4.8mm
2/3" CCD = 8.8mm x 6.6mm
1" CCD = 12.8mm x 9.6mm

Any/all information or direction as to where I might find this information would be greatly appreciated. Also, is there anything special I need to know about HD cameras and their CDs?

Thanks in advance,

Ken Schafer

Ken Schafer wrote :

>Any/all information or direction as to where I might find this information >would be greatly appreciated. Also, is there anything special I need to >know about HD cameras and their CDs?

Ken,

Maybe you can compare your data with the database from PCam/Pcine :

http://www.davideubank.com/

It contains film and all video formats incl. HD...

+++ Florian Rettich +++
+++ Europe based DIT / vision control +++

Thanks Florian for the suggestion of David Eubank's wonderful PCam, which unfortunately only solves half my problem.

While I'd gotten a lot of information from PCam already you spurred me to go back to his site and while it has been updated with very useful HD format information--which, as I say, solves half my problem!--I am still looking for the corresponding 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 and 1" CCD data which I can't find on his site nor in the software. If I'm missing it, please tell me where!

So if anyone else out there has information as to the recordable widths of each of the above mentioned CCD at standard aspect ratios, I would greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Ken Schafer
Innoventive Software, LLC

Never mind. I DID find the CCD data in PC Cam. I just had to change the preferences for the camera from FILM to Video.

Thanks again for all your help.

Sincerely,

Ken Schafer

Ken,

Check the bottom of this page for some relevant information.

http://www.fujinonbroadcast.com/vformat.shtml

Randy Miller, DP in LA

>Check the bottom of this page for some relevant information.

I believe the info there applies to the way Sony does it, but not some others (like Thompson, for example).

Bob Kertesz
BlueScreen LLC

Bob Kertesz writes :

>applies to the way Sony does it, but not some others (like Thompson, for >example).

Bob,

Does that mean Thompson takes their image from the CCD differently on all their cameras (how so?) or are you talking only about the Viper?

Randy Miller

>
>Does that mean Thompson takes their image from the CCD differently >on all their cameras (how so?) or are you talking only about the Viper?

If you look back in the archives on the web site, there are several detailed posts from the very knowledgeable George C. Palmer on the subject.

Bob Kertesz
BlueScreen LLC