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Showing posts from April, 2017

Canon 5d MkIV gets C log update for $99

At launch the 5D mk4 recieved a good dose of attention as many condemned the 1.7x crop in 4K , but like all things ,the small amount of buyers who bought the camera for its Dual pixel AF assisted video learnt to live with it and soon enough an update fixed the crop to 1.27x  (or 1.29x on 1080p) and thigs slowly settled . But now Canon has once again set an update for users which is said to appeal to the video crowd as now the camera allows a flatter C Log recording option . The update , which costs $99 is mostly aimed at the pro end crowd who are serious about color grading as the log profiles have muted shadows and colors which overall wider dynamic range of the footage captured . The update which is available on Canon's website is also said to be available on future 5D-4 units which will be sold at a body only  $3599 price . Source - nofilmschool Download update via Canon's website - Canon

Tilta Nucleus M brings wireless lens control for $1200

If you were holding out from buying a wireless focus puller from a three letter company citing pricing , then we have some good news as Tilta is set to anounce its own unit for a mere $1200 . The unit , named the Nucleus M , consists of three motors which controls the focus , the aperture and the zoom of a lens via a space age looking wireless controller which can control them from a distance from even 2km . The rest of the unit includes two grips which is good for a more run and gun shoulder rig . More details will be available soon  Update - the Nucleus M is expected to go on sale during July 2017 with a price of $1999 for the whole rig including the controller , two grips and the motors , quite a deal eh ?  Tilta Nucleus-M - A Complete Wireless Lens Control System for Only $1200? from cinema5D on Vimeo . Source - cinema5D

Atomos Sumo

If you fancied a large screen external recorder , then Atomos has the answer for you . Meet the Sumo - a 19" behemoth designed to work well as a field monitor as well as an external recorder capable of snatching 4k 60fps off cameras while providing a mobile template for all your 3D look up tables (lut) with the power of 1200 nits of brightness and 10 stops of dynamic range a la HDR . The unit records 4k 60fps , as well as every other format from 240p upto 1080p . The unit handles 12bit Raw and supports DnxHR ,prores as well as a few more standards , as usual the display supports anamorphic desqueeze on screen , zoom in 2:1 or direct 1:1 , waveforms,vectorscope, framing assists ,SMPTE safe areas and  of course Zebras to clean your bandings. Recording off to 2.5" SSD drives , the Atomos works just like its other feudal bretheren including the Ninja , Samurai and Shoguns . The unit offers 4SDI ports , a HDMI and xlr ports for input and phantom power as well as a headphone

Cooke Anamorphic 75-750mm T4.5

If you are after oval bokkeh , or basically shoot anamorphic video and have thousands to write off your movie set bill , then say hello to the Cooke anamorphic 75-750mm T4.5 (with x2 anamorphic squeeze). Unlike regular anamorphic glass , this 10:1 ratio  glass provides a signature stretched light bokkeh usually seen in high production movies . The being a manual behemoth still has the ability to feed metadata to the camera , and this combined with the smooth x10 focus does mean that the lens will be very practical , smooth  and a dream to use on set .pricing for the Cooke 45-450 is probably reserved for the multi million dollar movie sets as it costs $79000 (with shipping expected to start in September). Source - fdtimes /newsshooter

Sony UMC S3CA

Sony anounced a demo camera called the UMC S3CA at NAB 2017 . The new camera , based on the recent mountable box camera layouts used in aerial and 360 platforms , the box camera features the excellent 12Mp full frame sensor found on tbe A7SII . This means that you can hit he insanely high ISO values , have good dynamic range and the excellent low light capabilities in an even smaller package . Sony does mention that the camera , which has a DIN port , a HDMI out and SD card slot and a 20w power consumption is reserved for special applications and therefore we dont expect to see it going retail anytime soon  . Via - newsshooter

Ronin 2 - Dji's latest pro gimbal

Dji has anounced the latest successor to its popular Ronin lineup . The new Ronin 2 , designed to work faster , carry more weight and offer precision to a fast changing industry. The new Ronin 2 , weighing in at 5.5kg for the whole set up (4.2 without the handle bar) is also the first Ronin to be splash resistant as the cables have been placed inside the structure . The new ronin also has a GPS module which can keep track of moving targets even when its mounted to a moving structure such as a Russian arm moving at 75mph     . Power supply on the Ronin 2 includes x4 14.4V (8A total) ports , x2 12.6V (4A total) close to the camera cage and motor and one 12.6V port near the battery mount which can provide about 2.5 hours of power to a high end rig such as a Red Dragon and the Ronin 2 gimbal simultaneously . Users who want to operate the Ronin 2 can use the intergrated touchscreen controller to automatically adjust the gimbal in a fly , the motors will do most of the magic here .

Sony A9 - Sony's professional DSLR killer unveiled

Sony anounced their flagship Full frame camera - the Alpha A9 today . The camera , positioned to take 20fps with no viewfinder blackout is probably the first mirrorless camera that can take on the high level players from Nikon(D5) and Canon's (1DX mk2) . The new camera , named the A9 sits on the top of the Sony hierarchy and this makes the A7 series their midrange option hence-forth . The new camera , equipped with a 24mp Stacked CMOS sensor is said to feature the ability to deploy its electronic silent shutter to take photos upto 20 fps - perfect for silent functions and stealth paparazzi . The rest of the specs include a 693 AF grid with 93% coverage and a 5 axis image stabilization system which can compensate for 5 stops . The sensor also gives the ability to shoot from ISO 50 - 51200 or 50-204800 . The shutter speed can go upto 1/32000 and it has a max flash sync speed of 1/250th . The Bionz-X image processor ,combined with DRAM makes the camera hold a buffer of 241 r

Xiaomi MI-6

Xiaomi has anounced their latest Snapdragon 835 powered flagship smartphone for 2017 . The new Mi-6 , designed on the success of the Mi-5 features a dual camera set up , a powerful processor , 6GB of ram and MIUI 8 - Android 7.0 nougat Design and Display First off , the smartphone appears to feature the same metal and glass chassis from the previous generation - the 2.5D curve on both sides , include the almost edge like curve give the phone a sleek modern look while feeling great in the hand . The phone is said to feature a 3D glass effect (kind of like the one on the Honor 8) in the blue model . The front of the device features a 428ppi 5.18" IPS LCD with 1920x1080p resolution and a front facing fingerprint reader and 8mp front facing camera . At the rear , we find the dual camera system and the two tone flash - and thats it . Xiaomi has kept a large branding set on the device , but this is quite standard with any phone these days ,the handset , unlike pervious models ,

Canon CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS

Canon has released a cinema version of their popular 70-200mm f4 lens in a anodized red tube .The new  CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS may sound like a mouthful but it is in  fact Can CNE 70-200 with the optional control grip on's attempt to give a cost effective solution for a 4K ready cinema zoom lens . First striking thing to note is that the new lens does feature manual iris control (along with autofocus control which sits in a servo box at the belly of the lens) - perfect for run and gun documentary or mounted scenes where manual adjustments wont do (the lens also has image stabilization) , and also support for Canon's ZSG C10 control grip from which you can control the servo motor unit and pull focus and do other functions which typically demand a focus puller (this feature is only compatible with Canon's Cinema systems at the moment ) Rest of the specs include a 9 blade iris (one higher than the photographic version) , a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m

Nikon D7500

Nikon has basically enjoyed the success of its APS-C lineup for many years now . The company , which has currently has 4 models with the x1.5 crop consists of the entry level D3xxx series , the sligltly advanced D5xxx series and the enthusiast level D7xxx series and the professional grade D500 which has basically captured the market by storm . The difference between a D3xxx and a D5xxx is very minimal , but the difference between the entry level dslr's and the 7000 series models is actually a lot - this is probably why many first timers (who are into photography) usually get the D7100 or 7200 models instead of the entry level ones as the feature set appeal more to photographers than a casual shooter shooting casual family photos. Therefore the newly anounced Nikon D7500 should be Nikon's finest enthusiast camera yet , or is it ? Keeping Nikon's tradition of a top down spec approach , the new D7500 is basically a Nikon d500 in a more affordable package , the video feat

Sigma anounces new cinema 14mm t2 and 134 t2 primes

135 t2 - Anya Oskolkova(c) With video creation at an all time high ,many companies are baging on the success of cinema lenses as they command a higher price than traditional photography glass .Sigma who has seen multiple hit lenses take off are now launching two new cine primes including a wide 14mm with a t2 aperture and a 135mm also a t2 . The two lenses are available in PL , EF and E mount and both lenses will join the rest of the cine lineup which currently consists of a 24mm , 35mm , 50mm and a 85mm t1.5 . Pricing details are not available at the time of writing . 14 t2 - Anya Oskolkova(c) Source - dpreview

GoPro Fusion - 360 in 5.2K

GoPro has anounced their latest camera system called the GoPro Fusion - a 360 degree camera with 5.2K recording . The new device , aimed directly at the new 360 craze , positions itself to be a true 360 capable action/sports camera .the 5.2K at 30fps is currently in a development stage   but so far the demo video (you can scroll around the interactive video below) which was recorded off a Fusion does show that the stitching software has worked well . More details about the Fusion will be revealed later on . Via - Petapixel

Ikan Stryder lineup gets expanded

Ikan - an affordable and a reliable lighting solution provider has anounced the Stryder Daylight Fresnel (SW50) and the Stryder Bi-colour (SB200) models today . Stryder Bi-Colour ( SB200) Via - ikancorp The Stryder Bi-Color 200 watt LED light is a part of Ikan’s Stryder line of COB LED lights. The SB200 is a 5” Fresnel light that can change from a wide beam angle to a tight beam with the click of a latch. The extremely quiet active cooling system keeps it working through any shoot. It’s easy to move the Stryder around on set due to its lightweight Nylon-Resin body and easy setup. Its hardy outer shell makes the Stryder resilient from the rigors of any shoot. With DMX512, this versatile field light can be used in or out of a studio. The gold mount or V-Mount battery allows for use in any environment. The large yellow knob control makes it easy to operate menus and adjust colors. With the 4 way barn doors included, the Stryder SB200 Bi-Color LED is all you need on set. Bi-Col

Eye 360 drone captures 6K - VR ready

If you always wanted a tv helicopter , chances are $75000 is pocket change for you . The Eye 360 ,based on the Dji Matrice 600 pro drone chassis is also equipped with 3 mini EYE 3 cameras capable of 6k recording - giving you a 6k 360 degree experience . The drone system , which also includes a low latency 6k broadcasting and ground station system is capable of handling 6k(h.264) 4k 10bit and 6k NDI . The system , known as Breeze can work with the drone system upto 3-6 miles and work for about 10-15 minutes on a charge .The system is bespoke to some level , and therefore clients can specify their needs when configuring their personal system here . Via - newsshooter

Sony beats Nikon for second place , Canon still on top - in the U.S

Sony for years has been treated as a sort of  an underground movement by the general photographic community , but since the anouncement of the A7R2 and the S2 as well as the A6500 , the preception towards Sony systems and Mirrorless cameras in general has been overwhelmingly positive and therefore mirrorless ILC's (Panasonic , Olympus et al) have been enjoying success as they continue to outperform their dslr counterparts in the field of technology and video recording . Now let us adress the elephant in the room - Sony beats Nikon for second place , well just for clarification sake , this is for the U.S market and it only speaks about 35mm sensor cameras .Although at first this seems irrelevant , the fact that the U.S full frame market was saved from a -2 decline due to Sony is in fact an achievement (not to mention that Sony had a +23 increase compared to the same period last year ). Via - PRNewsphoto So why do Mirrorless cameras appeal so much , for starters , one can

Dji Phantom 4 Advanced and advanced plus

Dji has anounced their latest successors to the Phantom 4 drone system . The Phantom 4 Advanced is basically similar to the previous base model drone - the Phantom 4 , but now features h.264 (4k 100 mbps bitrate) at 60fps  which is higher than the 2.7k recording at 60fps on the original Phantom 4 . The new drone also has the same camera specs as the outgoing model - a 1" CMOS sensor with a 24mm lens ,and therefore this is basically a upgraded Phantom 4 rather than a Phantom 4 Pro substitute . The phantom 4 Advanced also has a slightly upscale model called the Advanced plus , this features a intergrated controller with a 5.5" 1080p controller display which is not available on the regular Advanced model . Pricing will be ($1349 and $1649) for the Advanced and Advanced + models . Via - Newsshooter

Edelkrone Motion kit & Sliderplus X

Always dreamt of an electronic slider that does it all ? Well Edelkrone has the solution for that problem with its new 4 axis motion control achieved via the Motion kit mounted to the SliderPlusX . The unit , which consists of a gimbal mount on a slider works by giving you pitch and yaw movements as well as sliding speed which can be configured wirelessly via your Android or ios Smartphone . The unit , which can even be used to designate targets or points of interest (to which you can assign a slight movement like rotate or slow down for example ) can be assigned once the unit is fed in the location point from both ends of the slider - this would be helpful when conducting a diy review or interview (or in times when an assistant isnt handy) The motion kit is expected to cost $2699 and the slider at $999. Via  Newsshooter

Gudsen Moza Air 3 axis gimbal

Chinese gimbal manufacturer Gudsen has anounced a new 3 axis motorized gimbal for an affordable cost . The new Moza Air - which can support camera systems upto 2.5kg(5.5lb) can work in full 360 even when attached to a mechanical stability unit . The unit is said to have an average battery life of 4 hours with its 2000 mAh battery and the unit also has a wireless feature which allows users to remotely control the gimbal from a distance of 10m with a smartphone . Pricing for the Moza air is said to be $599 . Via - dpreview

Canon ME20F-SH drone camera ,EF-S 35mm f2.8 Macro and Powershot SX730HS unveiled

Canon ME20F-SH Drone camera system  Canon has hit a perfect run with their investment in drone technologies (prodrone investment) and has now produced an all weather drone with a serious effort of search and rescue and other mission critical work . The newCanon ME20F-SH drone camera which sits on a PD6E2000-AW-CJ1 prodrone chassis(which can carry a load of 10kg at a max speed of 40mph in 22 mph winds for about 15 minutes) probably sounds more scary than Phantom ..or Karma ,but considering that the drone system is not for retail , its probably not going to be flying into a wedding ceremony close to you . Canon EF-S 35mm f2.8 Macro with Ring flash Macro photography options for many is a bit of an expensive and tedious task , but apparently , folks at Canon has adressed this with the introduction of the 35mm f2.8 Macro with a built in ring flash The lens , made up of 10 elements in 6 groups has a minimum focus distance of 1.2" and the built in STM motor compensates for

GoPro el grande and Karma grip anounced

GoPro may have taken quite a beating over the past few years , but the company is still regarded as the top dog when it comes to action cameras in general . With the anouncement of the Karma drone and the Hero 5 series , the company was finally able to hold off the hordes of rivals and after a year , the company has decided to unveil a new software update for its GoPro hero 5 series wih the addition of new languages including Russian , Portugese and Korean to the voice cabale video camera . GoPro El Grande Call it a fancy selfie stick , a fancy boom arm or a manually operated crane , the El grande by GoPro is basically a $59.99 extension arm for your go pro and stabilizer . The pole extends to 97cm and even has an attachment for a swivel ball head which you can use to turn and reposition your GoPro GoPro Karma grip extension If you are worried about Karma following you (or mounting your Karma stabilizer on a helmet/remote weapons station etc , then GoPro has an answer