Offbit M1 E-Paper Lens Chart Priced at €199, First 100 Units November 11

Barcelona startup Offbit will open preorders for its M1 e-paper lens chart on November 11 at €199, with a first batch capped at 100 units and shipping only to EU customers in December. Everyone else — the UK, the United States — waits until Spring 2027. That's the headline. The device itself is a small matte-black e-paper display, 85 x 60 x 10 millimeters and 71 grams, built to replace the paper lens charts camera departments tape to their rigs.

What does the M1 actually replace?

The paper workflow it targets is real. "Camera departments still run on paper: lens charts, crew lists folded in a pocket, notes scribbled between takes. On crews of around 30 people that change every week, even names slip," Offbit says. The M1 pairs with an iOS app over Bluetooth and displays camera setups, lenses and settings, organized by crew, with space for notes. An Android version is in development — no release date given.

The specs are modest but sensible for the job. A 3.1-inch e-paper screen at 320 x 240 resolution sits behind a Gorilla Glass panel. E-paper is famously power-frugal, and Offbit claims the M1 runs "for weeks" on a single charge. Note the vagueness: no battery capacity, no measured runtime. It attaches via Velcro, or via an optional backplate for cameras without a flat mounting surface.

How does the lens database work?

The M1 ships with a database of more than 2,500 lenses, and supports custom entries for anything missing. It works fully offline, with no account required; a connection is needed only for app and firmware updates. Four physical buttons handle navigation — three along the top edge switch between lens, crew and notes views, while a left-edge button manages pairing and settings. A long press on the central button opens a "patch gallery" holding 25 custom images, such as production logos or crew photos.

Founder Bernat Eguiluz, a working cinematographer, frames the value claim in practical terms: "M1 saves prep time, but the real difference is on set: lenses, crew, notes and the shooting plan, all in one place. You stop looking for the paper that went missing."

What are the limits?

Plenty, and worth weighing before you commit €199. Availability is the big one: 100 units, EU only, with a global rollout more than a year out. The screen resolution — 320 x 240 — is basic, though legibility in bright daylight is e-paper's strength and the claim of readability "in all conditions" aligns with how the technology behaves outdoors. The battery claim remains unmeasured. And the Android app gap means iPhone-less crews are shut out at launch, though Offbit says that version is coming.

The underlying pitch is credible precisely because the problem is mundane: paper charts get lost, crew rosters churn weekly, and continuity errors cost takes. Whether a dedicated single-purpose device beats a laminated card and a phone is the question each camera department will answer for itself.

For now, Offbit has a niche product with a genuine use case, a small launch footprint, and a long runway before it reaches most working cinematographers.