With all the attention paid to raw recording formats in cameras from the industry's big guns — Red, Sony, and Canon — it's worth noting that Stockholm's Ikonoskop has its own version of the raw-format HD camera, the A-Cam dII. With the company offering roughly 10 percent off for the month of December only, it might be time to take a closer look at what the Swedes have been up to.

Here's the deal. First off, the A-Cam dII incorporates a 16mm (10.6mm x 6mm) CCD, not CMOS, sensor. That means the camera, with a global shutter range from 5 to 360 degrees, is not prone to CMOS artifacts like flash-banding and rolling-shutter "jello-cam," which may or may not be important to you. Some users will find the 16mm sensor size is a major disincentive compared to larger, CMOS versions. But if you already have a nice collection of 16mm glass, that apparent shortcoming becomes a serious advantage. The IMS mount makes it easy to use PL-mount, C-mount, and other kinds of lenses.

The camera records full 1920x1080p imagery in the CinemaDNG format, using a 12-bit raw implementation that lays down data at 3.4 MB per frame at frame rates between 1 and 30 fps. Ikonoskop rates the sensor at 200 ASA with 11 stops of dynamic range. Recording takes place to Ikonoskop-designed memory cards that come in 80 GB and 160 GB sizes, and Ikonoskop sells a card reader to get that raw footage into a Mac at faster-than-real-time speeds (up to 40 fps). It also has a 10-bit 4:2:2 1080p output via HD-SDI and runs on a Sony NP-F770 type battery.

The A-Cam is not the cheapest raw solution available — that honor still goes to the $2999 Blackmagic Cinema Camera. But Ikonoskop is, perhaps, taking advantage of continued delays in Blackmagic's delivery schedule by announcing a roughly 10 percent discount in the price of an A-Cam dII body for the month of December. It's now going for €6,900, or $9,000 for U.S. customers, compared to a regular price of  €7,700. A package deal that includes two 80 HB cards, a card reader, two batteries and a charger will set you back $11,200.

Visit the Ikonoskop website for more information.