October 2015

ARRI PL-mount Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom 19-36/T4.2 incorporates a telecentric optical design for highly uniform field illumination from the center through the corners of the image, even at the minimum object distance.

By The Editors

ULTRAWIDE ANAMORPHIC LENS Offered as a complement to ARRI’s line of Master Anamorphic prime lenses, the ARRI PL-mount Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom 19-36/T4.2 incorporates a telecentric optical design for highly uniform field illumination from the center through the corners of the image, even at the minimum object distance. Anamorphic elements... Read more

4K Paradise – The Samsung NX500

Hands on review of the new Samsung NX500 – a compact mirrorless camera system that captures 4K and UHD

By Neil Matsumoto

Although a relatively new player to the world of interchangeable lens cameras, Samsung has made waves in the professional photography world, especially with their NX1 – a powerhouse mirrorless camera that contains a Super 35mm sized, 28-megapixel CMOS sensor, a high-speed DRIMe V image processor, and records 4K and UHD video in camera. With a price... Read more

Eye In The Sky

The state of camera drones for film and television production

By Dan Brockett

2015 is destined to go down in history books as the year of the drone. A quick scan of the floor at NAB revealed new, lower-cost, more advanced drone technology everywhere. As a producer, director or cinematographer, you may have merely a passing interest in drones, but your projects in the future undoubtedly will utilize them to capture shots that... Read more

Cinema EOS V2.0

Profiling the new Canon EOS C300 Mark II and testing the EOS C100 Mark II

By Neil Matsumoto

Announced back in 2011, the Canon EOS C300 has been one of Canon’s most successful video cameras since the launch of their Cinema EOS division, and at NAB 2015, they finally upgraded the camera to 4K. The EOS C300 Mark II is targeted at a broad range of shooters (cinema, documentary, event) and contains a new 8.85-megapixel Super 35mm CMOS sensor... Read more

August 2015

Ultra-high-precision alignment technology is used to implement three 4K sensors on a new prism, allowing the support of next-generation ITU-R BT.2020 broadcast standard’s widening color space.

By The Editors

4K GAME CHANGER The new Sony HDC-4300 is the first camera to use three 2⁄3-inch 4K image sensors while mounting B4-mount lenses like Sony’s popular HDC-2000-series cameras. The existing HDLA-1500 series, control and shading systems, viewfinders and master setup units can be swapped between the HD and 4K systems. The HDC-4300 can handle... Read more

Get Ur Freek On

DitoGear launches VibraFreek, a stabilizer arm for smooth moving vehicle shots

By Neil Matsumoto

Getting professional looking shots from a moving car can bring a lot of production value to your low-budget indie film. DitoGear, a provider of cutting-edge motion control equipment, just announced their new VibraFreek, a vibration dampening system for car cinematography that lets you capture smooth shots from a moving vehicle. The VibraFreek functions... Read more

MAGNUM Force

Cartoni introduces MAGNUM, a high-capacity fluid head for studio and OB cameras

By Neil Matsumoto

A leader in camera support, Cartoni, introduces MAGNUM, a pan-and-tilt fluid head that offers a high payload capacity of 25 – 95 kg (55 – 210-lbs). With a good operator, the MAGNUM has a fluid feel (with no transition in tilting) and an unprecented 5-year warranty, making it a great solution for both studio and on location broadcast cameras,... Read more

Canon’s Prime AF Power

Canon to release a new EF 50MM F/1.8 STM lens

By Neil Matsumoto

Canon U.S.A. just announced the STM lens we’ve been waiting for – the 50mm f/1.8 STM standard lens. The prime features a maximum aperture of f/1.8, and is suited for portrait photography with shallow depth of field (it’s an 80mm when attached to a Canon APS-C sensor). The lens is also ideal for low-light photography and night scenes.... Read more

June 2015

Blackmagic Design’s new URSA Mini is small enough for handheld work, but offers professional features a film crew needs.

By The Editors

URSA’S LITTLE BROTHER Blackmagic Design‘s new URSA Mini is small enough for handheld work, but offers professional features a film crew needs. Although it doesn’t have all the features of the URSA, the Mini uses the same sensors, core processing, battery processing and dual CFast 2.0 recording slots. The URSA Mini features the... Read more

The Digital Film Camera

The 4K AJA CION offers a true cinematic experience in a simple package

By Neil Matsumoto

Founded in 1993 by engineer John Abt, AJA Video Systems, up until now, was known as the company with all of the converters, rackmount frames, I/O cards and, more recently, external recorders (Ki Pro series). Now they’re following in the footsteps of Blackmagic Design, who have had recent success in releasing a number of digital motion-picture... Read more

The Sony FS7 – Cinéma Vérité Style

Sony’s 4K PXW-FS7 delivers the goods for both non-fiction and narrative shooters

By Neil Matsumoto

Up until recently, most non-fiction content was primarily captured by shoulder-mount camcorders containing 2/3” type CCDs (Panasonic AJ-PX800, Sony PDWF800, etc.). Many run-and-gun documentarians or low-budget filmmakers gravitated to compact, fixed-lens camcorders like the Sony PXWX200 or the JVC GY-HM650U. Although all of these cameras deliver great... Read more

SmallHD’s New 5-inch Monitor

SmallHD, known for its excellent HD field monitors, announces the 502, the first offering in its new 500 Series of 5-inch Full HD on-camera monitors

By Neil Matsumoto

Often overlooked on the set, proper monitoring is one of the most important aspects of digital filmmaking. Since most cinematographers are creating the look of the film on set, you really need to know what you’re capturing, especially in terms of focus. SmallHD has quickly become one of the most innovative manufacturers of on-camera monitors for... Read more