In case you missed this year's NAB Show in Las Vegas, here is a summary of our Top new product announcements picks from the show.
This year, NAB wasn't as camera "heavy" as prior years with major manufacturers announcing either top flight broadcast kit or one or two new models here and there in their lower tier cameras. However, NAB is more than just about cameras of course, with lens manufacturers and post-production folks bringing some innovative and really exciting new products.
While many believe or rather hoped that ARRI would announce a new successor the ALEXA SXT in the form of a new camera and a brand new sensor it didn't happen. However ARRI didn't show up empty handed.
The company announced a couple of new Master Anamorphic lenses - a
28mm T1.9 and 180mm T2.8, which compliment the rest of the MA primes.
In addition they announced some really exciting and
major new features for their ALEXA SXT camera including 2K/4K Anamorphic modes, Open Gate 3.4K ProRes and ARRIRAW 3.2K recording.
Can came to NAB 2016 with some exciting new products - mainly their new and compact multi-purpose
ME200S-SH camera, which features a Super 35 Full HD CMOS sensor capable of very high ISO's of up to 204,800. The new camera bears a striking resemblance in terms of design to the Canon ME20F-SH Full-Frame camera, which is designed for extreme no-light situations.
The new
ME200S-SH features 12 stops dynamic range, professional 3G-SDI connectivity, can be controlled via a remote and has the potential to certainly find a place in the wildlife documentary space as well as the surveillance and research industry where images in pitch dark conditions are often required.
Mult-cam live productions, cranes, jibs or even drones can also take advantage of the superbly small form factor and incredible image potential of the new ME200S-SH.
Canon also announced a brand new compact cine zoom lens
CN-E 18-80mm T4.4L IS KAS S at an amazingly affordable price point of just about £4,699 inc. VAT. The new cine servo zoom, has a built it servo functionality, a compact size, comes in EF mount and even has a dedicated zoom rocker as an optional accessory to turn into a proper Super 35 zoom lens perfect for documentary, broadcast and low-budget film work.
Another amazing feature on the 18-80mm is the 3 image stabilisation modes, which will significantly improve handheld work, which is the mainly how we see this lens being used. We see this lens being a favourite among solo operators with Canon C300/C300 II or C100 II cameras as this lens will support Canon's industry leading Dual-Pixel AF system, which works wonders in video and is invaluable in fast-paced documentary style productions.
Canon also announced a full list of upcoming firmware updates such as Canon LOG 3 for the C300 Mark II, in addition to new joystick functionality and focus magnification while recording. Other cameras that will be updated with new firmware soon include the XC10 4K hybrid, the Canon C100 Mark II, ME20F-SH and XF305. To read all the details on the upcoming future firmware updates announced by Canon
head over to our blog post here.
Sony also had quote a few announcements at the show namely a brand new
HDC-4800 4K Super 35 High Frame Rate Systems camera for live sports events and Studio work. The camera can recording blazing fast speeds of 480fps in 4K and 800fps in Full HD.
In addition Sony added the first 2/3-type 4K shoulder camera to the XDCAM range - the
PXW-Z450. The camera is capable of recording UHD 3840 x 2160 content in a variety of formats including the latest XAVC-Intra, XAVC-L and MPEG2 HD 422, with exceptional weight balance and low power consumption alongside networking features.
It was also announced that the
Sony FS5 will be getting a RAW recording functionality in 4K/60p and 2K up to 240fps via an optional paid license in addition to MPEG2 422 50 Mbp/s (also a paid optional license) for better integration in an XDCAM broadcast workflow. The FS5 will also get a free firmware update 2.0 which will add Auto ND feature for aiding with exposure, GPS functionality and expanded Zerbas.
The Sony FS7 will also be getting a new
Firmware version 4.0, which will add Flexible AF Spot and true 24fps frame rate in XAVC-I for better integration into European cinematic productions.
For more details on the upcoming firmware updates for these cameras from Sony
check out our blog post here.
Just like in previous years Blackmagic Design announced quite a few new products, but surprisingly no new cameras. The top announcements form the Australian manufacturer are a brand new
Video Assist 4K recorder/monitor, which now features a 7-inch touch screen display and dual mini XLR inputs for professional audio capture compared to the previous 5-inch HD version of the Video Assist.
Blackmagic also announced a huge range of updates and new functionality for their popular grading/editing software suite
DaVinci Resolve 12.5. The URSA Mini cameras are also getting a completely new user interface, which eliminates digging through menus and allows users to access major camera functions from an easy to use and intuitive screen. To read all about those
updates check out our post here.
Panasonic debut a couple of new Full HD 1-inch camcorders - the AG-UX180 and UX90, which are part of a new range they call the UX Series. These cameras bring familiar handheld camcorder design with 4K recording and variable frame rate recording. The
AG-UX180 has a 20x Leica optical zoom lens and the ability to do dual recording in UHD and Full HD at the same time on affordable SD cards.
SmallHD announced a brad new lineup of HDR Production monitors in 17, 24 and 32 inch sizes with spectacular durability and features. The incredible build quality is a result of a milled aluminium design which makes them nearly indestructible on set. The new
SmallHDR monitors are ready for the latest generation of HDR monitoring which greatly helps users accurately monitor when shooting in LOG and in bright exteriors thanks to the high brightness features.
Atomos announced a new flagship monitor/recorder called the
Shogun Inferno. The Inferno features an HDR capable 7-inch touch screen and the unit can record 4K RAW as well as high frame rates in lower resolutions.
For any NAB 2016 announcements, pre-orders of further details you can reach us at
0208 977 1222.