I’ve just had an exhausting day at NAB, but wanted to share some quick thoughts and first impressions while everything is still fresh. I’ll be rolling out more NAB content this week, delving into more detail on all the big news and announcements, but for now here are some first impressions –
Let’s start with Blackmagic’s announcement Compact Camera 4KThere’s no denying it made the biggest splash when it was unveiled earlier today. This isn’t surprising, as filmmakers have been clamoring for an update to the original compact camera for years, and today that wish came true.
Not only can the new compact camera shoot 4K, it also has a larger sensor (four thirds), MFT mount, Mini-XLR input, CFast/SD slot + the ability to record externally to a hard drive via USB-C , incredible low-light performance with dual ISO settings, a 5-inch touchscreen display, and more. It’s also a larger camera, more like a digital SLR than previous compact cameras.
I think the body style of this camera is actually ideal since many compact camera shooters are doing guerrilla productions and the DSLR style form factor paired with still lenses might help filmmakers when shooting in public Stay off the radar. for $1295, It looks like this camera will be cheap.
Another announcement that caught my attention was FS5 second generation From Sony, priced at $4750. The new version mostly brings incremental changes to the camera, and if it wasn’t a specific feature update, I probably wouldn’t highlight it here today… But Sony has revealed that they’ve brought color science to their high-end Venice cinema cameras Integrated into the new FS5 II, which makes me excited.
The only reason I’ve never been a Sony fan is their color science, so to me this is a big deal. While I haven’t had a chance to shoot with the FS5 II yet, I’m optimistic about the path Sony is taking. By making it clear that color is the FS5 II’s top priority, it tells me Sony is listening, and for that reason alone I hope they succeed.
They’ve been hearing customer complaints about poor color for far too long, and it looks like they’re finally taking a big step toward fixing these issues… If they hit the mark this time, I might end up giving Sony another chance.
Then there’s Canon. Unsurprisingly, there aren’t any updates to their DSLRs or their most popular C-series cameras, their flagship for this year is a full-frame version of their most high-end cinema camera – C700FF. I had a chance to try out the camera and talk to a few Canon reps, and there’s really nothing to write home about.
It’s essentially the same camera as the original C700 but with a larger sensor, I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing…I still don’t know who the C700 was designed for (too much trouble for most indie productions , but can’t compete with the Arri or RED), so I’m not sure if the new sensor will popularize this camera.
I’m not trying to beat a horse, but it’s a shame that Canon still hasn’t listened to the requests from countless filmmakers for a more reliable option in consumer/prosumer level gear. With a few minor tweaks and a few new features, cameras like the C200 or 5D MK IV could dominate the world of filmmaking. But that’s not the case. More and more people are moving away from Canon every day (maybe not photographers, but certainly cinematographers) and I’m not sure how many are left.
If Canon wants to win back former customers, I don’t think the way to do that is by going after the high end of the market $33,000 camera. Maybe that’s not their goal at all, but if it’s just a distant consideration, I’d like to see more focus back on their more accessible, affordable products. It may have failed now, but who knows!
Moving on, let’s talk about Fuji X-H1. This camera (I shared some thoughts here) is someone I’ve always longed to see in person, but never had the chance until today. As an X-T2 owner, I always support Fuji and am eager to see what they have up their sleeves.
While the X-H1 is not intended to replace the X-T2, it could be. The camera is only $300 more expensive than the X-T2 ($1899), and includes nearly everything the X-T2 lacks, including: in-body stabilization, internal F-log recording up to 200 Mb/s, full DCI 4K, and my favorite, Eterna film emulation.
One of the reasons I like Fuji is that they color scienceand Eterna Film Simulation takes things to another level. Not only does it reproduce the colors of Eterna film extremely accurately (lower saturation, nice contrast, etc.), it does so without sacrificing any dynamic range. In other words, whether you’re shooting in F-Log or Eterna Analog, you still have access to the sensor’s entire DR spectrum.
Today before I left the show I quickly topped out on the new 6K MAVO movie camera Coming from Kinefinity, this is also interesting… The camera comes in two versions, the standard MAVO and the large format version. There’s no price yet for the latter (full-frame version), but the Super 35 version is $8000which seems very reasonable considering the feature set. In many ways, these cameras are the closest thing to a RED experience you can get without actually buying RED. The form factors are almost identical, and the principles behind the cameras appear to be similar – lots of pixels, modular bodies, etc.
Kinefinity also showed off their new MAVO large-format cine lens, which sells for only $2,500 each. From what I’ve seen, the lenses aren’t optically incredible and are a bit sticky/fissy to use, but nonetheless I appreciate the attempt. If Kinefinity keeps upping the ante every year, they may eventually start competing with bigger players.
I think that’s it for now! As I mentioned at the top of this post, I’ll be sure to have some more detailed updates throughout the week, so be sure to check back soon…
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