When the 2015 IBC Show kicks off in about a month’s time there is sure to be a bevy of new and exciting technology that will get attendees talking. The latest and greatest cameras will most assuredly be among the popular draws. But before studios and camera operators start putting the upcoming batch of cameras on their Christmas wish lists, let’s refresh on what 2015 has already offered on that front.
Alexa Mini (ARRI)
Unveiled at the 2015 NAB Show, ARRI’s ALEXA Mini is a five-pound version of its ALEXA camera, recording in ProRes 4K to CFast 2.0 cards. The camera also features a new optical eyepiece and will soon support ARRI Raw. The ALEXA Mini began shipping in May.
GY-HM200 (JVC)
JVC’s GY-HM200 delivers 4K ultra HD or 4:2:2 full HD at 50Mbps, and SD imagery with a 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS chip. The camera also features a built-in 12x zoom lens with optical image stabilizer and 24x dynamic zoom in HD mode, an HD streaming engine with Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity, and a 3.5 LCD display. After premiering at CES in January, the GY-HM200 became available to buyers in February.
GY-LS300 (JVC)
Also making its debut at CES for JVC was the GY-LS300. The camera offers a variety of native recording formats, including 4K UHD, full HD with 4:2:2 sampling, and more. It also features JVC’s 4K Super 35mm CMOS sensor and micro four-thirds lens mount. Like the GY-HM200, it also comes with the HD streaming engine and Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity. The GY-LS300 started shipping in March.
HDC-4300 4K/HD (Sony)
Sony used the bright lights of Vegas to showcase two new cameras, the first being the HDC-4300. This 2/3-inch three-sensor camera features up to 8x super slow motion in regular HD and 4K, with switchable flexibility. The camera uses the B4-mount lenses for sports and large event broadcasting. The HDC-4300 was released this summer.
LDX 86 4K (Grass Valley)
The LDX 86 4K camera was one of Grass Valley’s big draws at the 2015 NAB Show, delivering live standard-frame-rate 4K video and 6x slow motion HD video, with an ability to easily switch between the two formats. The camera delivers 3840x2160 pixel images from a trio of 2K sensors.
Micro Studio Camera 4K (Blackmagic Design)
Able to be used for HD or UHD production, Blackmagic Design Micro Studio Camera 4K lives up to its name as a miniature production camera that can operate up to 2160p30 in UHD or 1080p60 in HD. Features include a built-in color corrector, talkback, tally indicator, PTZ control output,B4 lens control output, and a flexible MFT lens mout. The Micro Studio Camera began shipping in July.
PXW-X320 (Sony)
The second camera Sony featured at the 2015 NAB Show, the PXW-X320 XDCAM shoulder-mount camcorder features three 1/2-inch sensors and supports MPEG-2 HD422 and XAVC HD Intra/Long GOP formats, as well as legacy codecs.
SHK-810 (IKEGAMI)
Developed with Japan Broadcasting Corp., Ikegami’s SHK-810 is an 8K UHD camera designed for live studio and field production. The SHK-810 is Ikegami’s fourth generation 8K camera. It is one-tenth the size of Ikegami’s first generation 8K camera and employs a single 33 million pixel Super 35 CMOS sensor for 4,000 TVL horizontal and vertical resolution.
URSA Mini (Blackmagic Design)
Blackmagic Design went small with both of its new cameras, as they also released the URSA Mini this year. Premiering at NAB 2015 and released in July, the URSA Mini is available in either 4K or 4.6K sensor models with EF or PL mounts.
Weapon (Red Digital Cinema)
The latest addition to Red Digital Cinema’s 6K Dragon family of cameras, the Weapon was introduced at NAB 2015. The camera provides new color capabilities with the dynamic range of the 19 megapixel Red Dragon sensor. It also features simultaneous onboard Recode Raw and Apple ProRes recording, as well as 1D and 3D LUTs for color matching. Red’s Weapon began shipping this summer.
