Codex ACTION CAM Manuale utente
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CODEX USER GUIDE - ACTION CAM 2015.03.03
USER GUIDE
ACTION CAM
VERSION 2015.03.03
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CODEX USER GUIDE - ACTION CAM 2015.03.03
Safety Warnings
Please observe any warnings and follow all instructions.
• Do not use this equipment near water and clean only with a dry cloth.
• Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other equipment (including ampliers)
that produce heat.
• Do not expose to excessive vibration, or drop this product.
• Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarised or grounding-type plug. A polarised plug has two blades with one wider
than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade, or the third prong, is
provided for your safety.
• If the provided plug does not t into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
• Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plug ends, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the equipment.
• Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer.
• Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specied by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment.
• Unplug this equipment during lightning storms or when not in operation for long periods of time.
• Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing is required when the equipment has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the equipment,
has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
• To reduce the risk of re or electric shock, do not expose equipment to rain or moisture.
• To avoid electrical shock, do not attempt to open this equipment. Refer servicing to qualied personnel only.
WARNING: Remote Heads and Capture Drives may become hot during use.
Disclaimer
Codex products are continually developed to remain at the forefront of the industry, and as such the information in this guide
is subject to change without notice. Whilst Codex endeavour to ensure that all documentation provided is correct at the time of
writing, this document is not guaranteed to be error-free.
Codex does not assume responsibility for issues or losses due to misinterpretation of the information in this document, errors in
this document, or incorrect conguration or installation of the equipment described herein.
Support and Servicing
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CODEX USER GUIDE - ACTION CAM 2015.03.03
Warning Notes on bright lights, direct sunlight exposure, and laser beams
The following warnings and information are provided as guidance to yield the best possible results from the Action Cam CCD
(Charge Coupled Device) image sensor.
Working with High Energy Light Sources
High energy light beams may damage the CCDs - even when the Action Cam system is not powered on! If you shoot a scene
that includes a bright light beam, be careful not to let the beam be directed into the lens of the camera. If you take off the lens,
be sure that the protection cap is immediately put back onto the lensmount.
Phenomena Specific to CCD Image Sensors
The following phenomena that may appear in images are specic to CCD image sensors. They do not indicate malfunctions.
Image phenomena Information
White ecks Although the CCD image sensors are produced with high-precision technologies, ne
white ecks may be generated on the screen in rare cases, caused by cosmic rays. This is
related to the principle of CCD image sensors and is not a malfunction.
The white ecks especially tend to be seen:
• when operating at a high environmental temperature
• when you have raised the sensitivity
Smear When an extremely bright object, such as a strong spotlight or ashlight, is being shot,
vertical tails may be produced on the screen, or the image may be distorted.
Oversaturation dot In extreme cases of light saturation, the centre of a bright element can appear black.
Oversaturation area In extreme cases of light saturation on the edges of the sensor, the bright element can
appear black or distorted.
Aliasing When ne patterns, stripes, or lines are shot, they may appear jagged or icker.
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CODEX USER GUIDE - ACTION CAM 2015.03.03
Safety Warnings ........................................................................................2
Disclaimer ...................................................................................................2
Support and Servicing..............................................................................2
Warning Notes on bright lights, direct sunlight exposure, and
laser beams................................................................................................2
1. Introduction.......................................................................................5
2. Product Diagrams............................................................................6
2.1 Remote Head....................................................................................6
2.2 Camera Control Recorder ..............................................................7
2.3 Control Panel ....................................................................................8
3. Hardware Setup ...............................................................................9
3.1 Power..................................................................................................9
3.2 Cable Length.....................................................................................9
3.3 Connecting the Hardware..............................................................9
3.4 Remote Head to Camera Control Unit......................................10
3.5 Timecode Connection...................................................................10
3.6 Shutter Synchronization...............................................................10
3.7 Connection Examples...................................................................11
3.8 Installing Lenses............................................................................13
3.9 Adjusting the Lens Scale Position.............................................13
3.10 Adjusting the Flange Back Distance.........................................14
4. Power On and Off..........................................................................14
5. Menu System..................................................................................15
5.1 Overview ..........................................................................................15
5.2 Setup................................................................................................16
5.3 Monitor.............................................................................................21
6. Loading and Unloading Media....................................................25
7. Preparing for Recording...............................................................26
8. Setting the Frame Rate................................................................26
9. Recording ........................................................................................27
10. Playback..........................................................................................28
11. Remote Head LED Indicators......................................................28
12. Recommended Settings...............................................................29
13. Mounting Options ......................................................................... 30
13.1 Cheeseplate Mount....................................................................... 30
13.2 Vocas Mount.................................................................................. 30
14. Dimensions......................................................................................31
14.1 Remote Head Dimensions...........................................................31
14.2 Camera Control Recorder Dimensions......................................31
15. Technical Specifications...............................................................32
15.1 Remote Head Specification.........................................................32
15.2 Camera Control Recorder Specification....................................32
16. Colour Management......................................................................33
16.1 Video Output Code Distribution Chart.......................................33
16.2 “Cineon” Equivalence....................................................................34
16.3 Special Values................................................................................34
16.4 Use of Exposure Index.................................................................34
16.5 Log To Linear Conversion............................................................ 35
16.6 Linear To Log Conversion............................................................ 35
16.7 Conversion Variables.................................................................... 35
17. Warning and Error Messages .................................................... 36
18. Connector pin-outs........................................................................37
Appendix
A1. Flange Back Distance and Back Focus Adjustment............ 38
A2. Recommended Test Charts ........................................................ 39
Contents
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CODEX USER GUIDE - ACTION CAM 2015.03.03
1. Introduction
Welcome to this guide for Codex Action Cam - a complete shooting and capture solution for
situations that require a compact form factor and low weight.
Codex Action Cam itself is a tiny remote head camera for shooting at up to 60fps. The output is
1920x1080 12-bit RAW for exceptional quality.
It comes packaged with the Codex Camera Control Recorder that delivers full remote control of
the camera, plus the proven workow of the industry-standard Codex recorder.
The Codex Action Cam is ideal for:
• Point Of View and Action Camera; the creative possibilities are endless.
• Witness Camera; trifocal rig with two Codex Action Cams capturing depth information that is
invaluable for VFX compositing and stereoscopic conversion.
• Native S3D; with Action Cam, 3D shooting is easy. Connect two Camera heads to the Codex
Camera Control Recorder, and the signals undergo exactly the same processing.
Action Cam makes back focus adjustment quick, easy and precise, thanks to a special
mechanism consisting of a sturdy locking lever, rmly securing the adjustment, and an
accurate back focus wheel that rotates independently of the lens mount.
The Action Cam is compatible with C-Mount lenses for professional production, giving you
everything you expect from larger lenses in a small form factor. A PL mount adaptor is available
to allow the use of Ultra 16 and 16mm lenses.
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CODEX USER GUIDE - ACTION CAM 2015.03.03
2. Product Diagrams
2.1 Remote Head
A
BC D E F G
Feature Description
Locking lever (A) Locking/unlocking the adjustment ring
Flange back adjustment
ring (B)
Rotates independently of C-mount and lens
Lens mount (C) Standard C-mount thread
Lens mount lock (D) Allows for lens scale position alignment in 30 degree steps
System LED (E) Glows continuously when on, ashes during link detection and in case of malfunction.
CoaXPress interface (F) For connection with Camera Control Recorder via 75 Ohm coaxial cable with BNC
plug
Bottom mount (G) 1/4” thread for attaching tripod, handle, base-plate, etc.
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2.2 Camera Control Recorder
The Camera Control Recorder will be referred to as the CCR for the remainder of this user guide, for brevity.
Connector Description
CXP 1 For connection to Remote Head 1
CXP 2 For connection to Remote Head 2
GPIO For connection of external recorder trigger
LTC For Timecode Input during record and Output during playback
GENLOCK For connection of external Genlock sync source
OUT 1 For connection to HD video monitor for Remote Head 1 image
OUT 2 For connection to HD video monitor for Remote Head 1 or 2 image
DC IN 10-34V Power Input
RS422 For connection to Codex Control Panel (CDX-P065)
NETWORK For connection to computer for remote control and software updates
The Action Cam CCR looks similar to the Codex Onboard S recorder but is functionally different. Action Cam
Remote Heads cannot be used with an Onboard S recorder, and other cameras cannot be used with the Action
Cam CCR.
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2.3 Control Panel
Button Description
RECORD When on Monitor screen press to start recording. From other menu screens press as
a shortcut to go to Monitor screen
MAIN MENU Press to access the four Main Menu options under the display (Monitor, Play, Setup,
Storage)
MULTI-FUNCTION For access to contextual options for that menu
HOLD Slide to lock all Control Panel buttons
JOG WHEEL Rotate to navigate through menus, or jog during playback
STOP/SELECT Press to stop recording. In other menus press to select the menu item
For further details please refer to the section ‘Menu System’.
STOP/SELECT (PRESS)
MAIN MENU MULTI-FUNCTION HOLD
JOG WHEEL (TURN)RECORD
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3. Hardware Setup
3.1 Power
The Action Cam CCR requires an input voltage of 10-34V.
If powering from mains electricity use only the CDX-P099 power supply available from Codex.
The Action Cam CCR supplies power via the CoaXPress link to each of the Remote Heads. Therefore DO NOT
connect from the CXP 1 or CXP 2 connections to a device other than an Action Cam Remote Head, as this may
cause damage either to the CCR or to the connected equipment.
3.2 Cable Length
The maximum cable length between the Remote Head and Camera Control Recorder is limited by the signal
attenuation and the conductor DC resistance of the cable.
Maximum cable length as limited by signal attenuation (rule of thumb):
Max. cable length = 25 dB / attenuation at 1.5 GHz
Maximum cable length as limited by conductor DC resistance (rule of thumb):
Max. cable length = 8 Ω / conductor DC resistance
Example calculation for Belden 1505F Flexible cable:
– Nom. attenuation at 1.5 GHz: 13.300 dB / 100 ft
– Nom. conductor DC resistance: 12.2 Ω / 1000 ft
Max. cable length = 25 dB / (13.300 dB / 100 ft) = ~188 ft (57 m)
Max. cable length = 8 Ω / (12.2 Ω / 1000 ft) = ~656 ft (200 m)
The lower of the two values determines the approximate maximum cable length, in this example 188 ft (57 m).
3.3 Connecting the Hardware
Follow these guidelines when connecting the Action Cam hardware:
• Before connecting the hardware ensure that all components are switched off.
• Connect the Remote Head(s) and other accessories to the CCR.
• Switch on all accessories and the CCR.
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3.4 Remote Head to Camera Control Unit
REMOTE HEAD 1
> CXP 1
REMOTE HEAD 2
> CXP 2
Note: Only the Action Cam Remote Head is compatible with the CCR. No other camera signal will be accepted by
the CCR.
3.5 Timecode Connection
An external LTC timecode source can be connected to Action Cam using the included cables.
The system will automatically sync to an LTC input. This can be jam sync’d and the timecode will continue to run,
or the LTC source can be left connected.
For making a custom cable please refer to the section ‘Connector Pin Outs’.
3.6 Shutter Synchronisation
There are two ways to achieve shutter synchronisation of the Action Cam with other camera systems.
The general method of synchronising cameras is through the use of a Genlock signal connected to all systems.
The SYNC input on the CCR accepts standard analog SD/HD video signals (NTSC, PAL, 480p, 576p, 720p, and
1080i/p/psF) with either bi-level (black bursts) or tri-level sync. In the Action Cam menu Setup->Video->Cam Sync
should be set to Genlock for the Remote Heads to synchronize their shutters to the Genlock input signal.
If using an ARRI ALEXA the camera outputs a sync signal via the RS outputs during recording and this can be
connected to the GPIO socket of the CCR. In the Action Cam menu Setup->Video->Cam Sync should be set to RS
for the Remote Heads to synchronize their shutters with the ALEXA.
Note: if synchronising the Action Cam to the ALEXA RS output the exposure level for the Action Cam should be set
during a test when the ALEXA is recording (the ALEXA only outputs the RS sync signal when it is recording).
Indice
