I’m currently attending NAB in Las Vegas and will be covering the event starting tomorrow and giving interviews and updates on some of the highlights from the show. While the show doesn’t actually start until tomorrow, Sony just held a press conference to announce a slew of exciting new products and updates, including their new 4K full-frame digital SLR camera, the Sony A7S, which can shoot up to 409,600 ISO, absolutely ridiculous!
The A7S will compete directly with the GH4 (which, of course, can also shoot 4K in a DSLR-style body), but a big advantage of the A7S is that it’s full frame, which is a huge advantage for many shooters. One of the big advantages of full frame is its low light capabilities, and the A7S may be the new low light king when it comes to DSLR video. Not just because it can shoot at resolutions up to 409,600 ISO, but more importantly because it uses a relatively small 12-megapixel sensor (which is great for video – less downscaling and larger pixels, better suited for low-end light, etc.). The camera can also shoot at up to 120 fps, but only in 720 mode. The only downside is that in order to shoot 4K with this camera, you’ll need an external video recorder. Internally, the camera will shoot 1080p using the XAVC-S 50Mbit codec, so if you need 4K shooting inside a DSLR body, the GH4 is still the best option.
Here’s the official info from their press release:
- Wide ISO sensitivity setting From 50 to 409600 and unprecedented dynamic range
- The world’s first full-frame sensor capable of full-pixel readout without the pixel binning process in film and film 4K (QFHD: 3840 x 2160) HDMI video output
- Professional video features including 50Mbps XAVC S Full HD recording, timecode and optional XLR audio input
- High ISO sensitivity range enables faster shutter speeds when shooting in low light
- one Mounting system is compatible with a variety of high-quality lenses, including Motorized zoom lens for movie shooting
- Improved Fast Smart AF performance in light as low as EV-4
- Ultra-compact and lightweight body for comfortable and professional operation
Sony has also announced a number of other releases, including adding ProRes and DNxHD recording capabilities to the F55, which is another huge leap for them as it will certainly make this camera more competitive with the likes of the Arri Alexa/Amira .
What else to look forward to at the 2014 NAB Show
This is just speculation on my part at the moment, but based on what I’m hearing, what the market wants, and the usual planned updates on various products, here’s a list of key points we might announce tomorrow at the show:
- GoPro Hero 4 (full 4K capability at 24p)
- Canon C200/C400 (addition to the 4K cinema camera lineup, but this may be wishful thinking)
- Update to Blackmagic Cinema Camera and/or Pocket Camera
- Panasonic Varicam (Already announced, but I’m sure it will be of interest to a lot of people)
- Possible 4K Arri Alexa camera
- Many Movi alternatives/knockoffs – hopefully at least one will match or exceed the quality level of the original Movi, but at a lower cost
- 4K external recorder (HDMI and/or SDI), possibly released by Atomos or Convergent Design
- Major update to DaVinci Resolve (possibly more online NLE tools/upgrades to its timeline system)
- FCP
I’ll be at the Blackmagic Press Conference tomorrow at 9:30am and will be conducting interviews throughout the day, so be sure to check back soon for more updates on the show!
