I stepped over to the Canon booth today to get a little hands-on time with the Canon C500. The camera has many of the same features found in the C300, but with the addition of 4K output. The camera can output a 4K RAW video stream up to 60p in 4096×2160 mode, and 120fps in 4096×1080 mode. It can also output a quad HD signal for monitoring. Three recorders have been announced that will work with this signal, the Codex recorders, the Gemini RAW and AJA’s Ki Pro Quad. We also got to see some footage from the C500 on Canon’s 4K monitors, and we were very impressed.

Stay tuned for future blogs on Canon’s latest cameras.

Fujinon announced the release of their new convertible Cabrio 19-90mm T2.9 zoom lens last week. It is now on display at our NAB booth as part of a complete Sony PMW-F3 ENG setup featuring our own ProVFM Viewfinder Mount Kit. Watch my video to see it in action and to learn more about the features of this innovative zoom lens.

Nexto’s NVS series of backup devices just got a feature upgrade with the addition of Wi-Fi to the NVS2525 portable storage device. Now anyone can view and access video clips directly from the storage device using an iPhone, tablet or computer. If you already own the NVS2525, Nexto has created an upgrade path. Watch my video to learn more about the Nexto NVS Air.

With HD-SDI and HDMI inputs, peaking, zebras and a 3.5″ 960×640 resolution panel, the Alphatron EVF035W-3G Electric Viewfinder will work well on any compact HD camera. Back in January, we brought you news of Alphatron & TV Logic teaming up to create a new viewfinder solution. Now you can get a closer look at the Alphatron EVF035W-3G Electric Viewfinder in the video above and in our NAB booth #C8932.

Zeiss today announced their new Compact Zoom, a 70-200 T2.9. The Compact Zoom covers not only Super-35, but in fact the full frame 36mmx24mm format, just like the Compact Primes. Also like the CP.2s, the 70-200 has interchangeable lens mounts, switching between PL, Nikon, Canon Micro 4/3 and Sony E mounts. The Compact Zoom weighs just 6.2 pounds and will be available later this year for less than $20,000.

Canon supplied one of the first production CN-E 30-300 Cinema Zooms for AbelCine’s optical technicians to evaluate. We put the lens through our usual battery of tests, and we were very impressed. The 30-300 has excellent contrast and sharpness, with very low flaring and high corner-to-corner resolution and brightness.

In my video for the companion lens, the Canon 14.5-60, we looked at some of the ways AbelCine’s technicians evaluate optics using the tools in our shop. This time we show you some of the ways you can evaluate a lens yourself by mounting it to a camera and observing certain parameters on a monitor. Watch my video above to learn more.

With NAB around the corner, there are several trends that have become apparent in our industry. Instead of focusing on specific products, we can observe the technological direction of manufacturers, which can help us extrapolate a roadmap for the future.

Beyond HD Becomes Real

In recent years, there have been several cameras available that were capable of capturing resolutions greater than HD’s 1920×1080, but very few clients ever used these higher resolutions for their finished product. This year, we’ll certainly see more cameras capable of higher resolution capture. Perhaps more importantly, there will be post systems, displays and delivery pipelines debuting at this year’s show that can begin to make greater-than-1080p deliverables a reality. A large scale movement to 4K won’t happen overnight, but the road ahead is becoming established.

…continue reading What to Look For at NAB 2012