Well, that’s NAB Show for another year… and what a show it was. In our previous blog posts, NAB 2015 roundup – day 1, part 1 and NAB 2015 roundup – day 1, part 2 we were following the realtime action in Vegas and looked at the hottest new products being announced. Now the show’s over, here’s our quick roundup of the new products that could be the most important for the industry.
Sony HDC-4300
I think the whole industry breathed a sigh of relief when this was announced. A Sony 4K systems camera with a 2/3″ B4 lens mount? It’s what we’ve been waiting for. Up until now, all those 4K tests and trials of large-scale events, such as the World Cup, have been possible with cameras like Sony’s F55 Live System. While the end result was achieved, it was essentially a compromised workflow and presumably a stop-gap for Sony while they worked on the HDC-4300. For the engineers and operators our there, the HDC-4300 should be a seamless migration.
Sony HDC-4300 4K systems camera
Blackmagic Design – URSA Mini, Micro Cinema Camera and Micro Studio Camera 4K
In a previous post – The new kids and the old guard: what to expect at NAB 2015 – we looked at how the industry’s evolved over the last few years and how the ‘new kids’ (manufacturers like Blackmagic) are as relevant to the industry and responsible for changing the industry as much as the ‘old guard’ like Sony. So from Sony’s £36,000 HDC-4300 4K systems camera, we’ve got Blackmagic’s £900 4K systems (ish) camera – the Micro Studio Camera 4K. I say ‘ish’ because it’s not a conventional systems camera. There’s no CCU and there’s no RCP. But it can still operate as a systems camera, using Blackmagic’s ATEM switcher and Resolve Live. It’s not conventional but it works – and for low budget corporate or webcast studio installations, it could be a good solution. The benefit of the Micro Studio Camera 4K over the previously released Studio Camera is that it’s more adaptable. There’s no fixed monitor, it’s compact, there’s lots of standard size mounting points and even B4 lens control.
The Micro Cinema Camera is similar to the micro studio version, but it’s aimed at location filming, specifically ‘action’ filming. No one has been able to knock GoPro off the action camera pedestal for the last ten years. Blackmagic’s Micro Cinema Camera could be the turning point…
The Blackmagic URSA Mini could go either way. There’s been lots of media coverage and excitement about it since it was launched at NAB – and it’s only been a week – but time will tell whether it takes off and becomes one of the mainstream market cameras. A Super 35 image sensor in the body of an ENG camera? There’s only really the Sony PXW-FS7, possibly the JVC GY-LS300, that fits that bill. Panasonic also released their AG-DVX200 at NAB – another similar 4K camera – so that could makes things interesting. But as ever Blackmagic’s price point is far lower. One to watch.
The not-so-good Blackmagic news to come out of NAB this year is that it would seem they’ve shelved their plans for a B4 sensor for the original URSA – which will undoubtedly come as a blow to a lot of people out there. EF-B4 mount lens adaptors it is then…
Blackmagic Design URSA Mini
Blackmagic Design Micro Cinema Camera
Blackmagic Design Micro Studio Camera 4K
Aframe (Adobe Anywhere in the Cloud delivered by Aframe)
It remains to be seen whether Aframe’s new cloud editing platform will take off, but it’s another sign that the industry’s changing. And Aframe knows that. And we should too. Using Aframe’s cloud platform, combined with Adobe Anywhere, and Premiere Pro CC, you can edit your content in the cloud without any hardware. No attached hard drives or shared storage systems. Plus you get all the collaboration, storage and delivery features of Aframe. It’s a game-changer.
Adobe Anywhere in the Cloud – Delivered by Aframe
There were of course, lots more new products launched at NAB – which ones were your favourite?
