You got to love those old film cinema cameras, and you got to admire those directors and DPs that use them to shoot their movie. That’s the case in the First Man movie which was shot on film cameras. The Aaton Penelope was the film’s secret sauce. Let’s read about it.

Aaton Penelope 35mm

Aaton Penelope is a 35mm motion picture camera introduced by Aaton in October 2008. It is the first camera in the world designed as a switchable Techniscope or 3-perf shooting solution (2 perf-native and 3 perf user-switchable), and it is also the first 35mm camera to offer a progressive scan video-tap.

The camera is very well balanced and the form factor is optimized using on dynamic shots.

Take a look at an overview of the Aaton Penelope by AbelCine:

Aaton Penelope Key feature:

Universal camera­body for 35mm 2­Perf..

2Perf-­native camera, swappable to 3­Perf and back in approx. 30 minutes

with the 3­Perf kit.

22dB noise level (±1dB) in 2­Perf.

23dB noise level (±1dB) in 3­Perf.

Weight: 8 Kg with loaded 400′ mag and 1 battery.

3­-40 fps, Synch & Variable speeds (0.001 increments).

Instant film­-magazines, nine minute autonomy at 24fps in 35mm 2­Perf.

Ready for instant ‘Digital­Mag’ silicon sensor equipped.

Built to withstand extreme climates. (­10°C to +40°C)

Extremely bright optical viewfinder with generous peripheral coverage



9 years old cinema camera

The camera was introduced in 2008 and has a fancy heritage shooting blockbusters like Jason Bourne (2016), Captain Phillips (2013) and more, which are truly extraordinary movies from a cinematography point of view.

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The digital version: Aaton Penelope Delta

The digital version of the camera came out in 2012 and it’s very similar (form factor wise) to its old brother. This camera was problematic in regard to manufacturing and financing issues, and seems that it’s not popular as the old film version.

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You can learn more about the digital version at the video blow:

Final thoughts

It warms my heart to see modern films that are shot on old film cameras. The images, colors, details and organic look of a good and old camera are just amazing, even when screened on IMAX theaters.

Have you got the chance to shoot with the Aaton Penelope 35 mm? Let’s know your thoughts!