As an expansion of the Khronos rigging system for the iPhone, Tilta showcased an upcoming PL adapter at NAB. The Khronos Cine sits as a small, literal black box between the smartphone and the PL lens, "translating" the image captured by the optics for the small built-in smartphone camera—likely similar to the 35mm adapters one used to screw onto DV cameras back in the day.
Tilta Khronos Cine setup incl. Blackmagic Camera ProDock
The booth staff could not explain exactly what happens inside the Khronos Cine adapter, but it contains optical components intended to ensure that the look and feel of the lens is somewhat preserved (for instance, regarding depth of field), even though it is designed for much larger image sensors with its image circle. In any case, the iPhone is served a suitable image in front of its own lens for recording.
So, anyone using an iPhone for their film shoots is set to gain new creative possibilities with Khronos Cine by being able to use large, genuine cinema lenses—including, for example, vintage glass. Although the prototype at the booth was equipped with an E-mount—a PL-to-E adapter can also be seen in the setup with an Atlas Mercury 36mm anamorphic lens—the finished adapter is explicitly intended to be released initially only for PL lenses.
This sounds cool at first, but it definitely also has a flair of "why do it the easy way when you can do it the complicated way." Because while small clip-on lenses for smartphones don't necessarily ruin the compact form factor—usually the main argument for using one as a camera—the setup shown here by Tilta is no longer different in size from full-fledged cameras. Furthermore, light is lost due to the additional lenses in the optical path; autofocus is, of course, non-existent or must be added via an external follow-focus device (though classic cine lenses are, of course, usually manual).
The Khronos Cine adapter is expected to hit the market in the fall. Tilta is aiming for a price of around 500 dollars.
