Capture via digital cameras instead of film stock — sensor to codec to storage. Now standard for 99% of production.
By 2010 at the latest, it was clear: we were no longer shooting on celluloid. The sensor had replaced film — and with it, not only the technology changed, but the entire workflow on set and in editing. In digital cinematography, an electronic sensor captures light values, converts them into electrical signals, and writes the image directly to storage media. No development labs, no chemical process, no waiting for the first rushes. The shot is in the can, immediately available, immediately controllable.
The practical consequences are significant. On set, long exposure times are eliminated — you see the result live on the monitor, not days later. This means faster decisions, faster setups. Color correction shifts heavily to the DI suite instead of the darkroom. At the same time, the sensor demands different lighting: it reacts differently to colors than 35mm film, is often stronger in highlight rolloff, and different in saturation. An old 35mm DP has to relearn this.
Sensor size becomes the new criterion — Full Frame, Red Monstro, Alexa LF — each sensor has its characteristics, its color fidelity, its noise behavior. The DCI 4K format (4096 × 2160) is now standard in the higher league, alongside which 2K and UHD productions still run in parallel. Compression codecs — ProRes, DNxHD, RAW — determine your workflow speed and storage size. RAW costs a hundred times more space, but gives you maximum gradeability later. H.264 is small and practical, but destructively compressed.
A big advantage: sensor sensitivity (ISO) can be varied electronically without loss of quality like with film stock. This allows for more precise exposure and faster reaction to lighting changes. However, you now need robust storage systems, UPS backup, DIT management on set — new positions, new dependencies. Handling is easier, costs per shoot are often lower, but technical complexity in post-production is significantly higher. The visual look is no longer defined by the choice of film stock, but by LUT, grade, and color pipeline.
For modern cinematographers, sensor literacy is now a craft like film stock knowledge used to be. You need to know which sensor burns out or looks flat in which situation. Digital cinematography allows you to work faster, but also to make mistakes faster — live control often becomes a trap if you don't consciously handle filters and exposure logic.