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NAB 2015 Roundup: 20 Important Gear and Software Announcements

Caleb Ward
Published: Last Updated:

It was a big week in Vegas with tons of exciting gear and software announcements. Make sure you didn’t miss anything with this handy NAB 2015 roundup.

Unfortunately, NAB 2015 has come to a close. So, while all the major camera companies are taking down their booths, we thought it might be helpful to spotlight the most important announcements with this NAB 2015 roundup. Let’s begin!

NAB 2015 Roundup: Camera Announcements

1. Blackmagic URSA Mini

NAB 2015 Roundup: Blackmagic URSA Mini
As one of the biggest announcements of NAB 2015, the Blackmagic URSA Mini is a welcomed addition to Blackmagic’s ever-growing line of cameras. The URSA packs 15 stops of dynamic range into a super 35mm sensor. The camera comes with a flip out touch screen and can shoot up to 4.6K with optional global or rolling shutter. Definitely a camera to consider buying after we see some test footage.

Price: $3,000-$5,000

Availability: July 2015

2. Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera

NAB 2015 Roundup: Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera

To appeal to the drone lovers of the world, Blackmagic also unveiled the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera. It’s specially designed to be small in size and weight. With 13 stops of dynamic range and a 16mm sensor, the camera looks to bring cinematic quality video to drone videos very soon. The camera can also be controlled remotely.

Price: $1,295

Availability: July 2015

3. Panasonic DVX200

NAB 2015 Roundup: Panasonic DVX200

With a sleek carbon fiber design, the DVX200 is the Cadillac of camcorders. Designed with professionals in mind, this 4K camcorder has built-in ND filters, iris rings, and 2 XLR audio ports. Unfortunately, the camera has a fixed lens, but with a 13X zoom, the DVX200 has almost every desirable focal length covered. No word on the release date, but if you like having all of your equipment in one place, the DVX200 might be the camera for you.

Price: $5,000

Availability: Fall of 2015

4. Canon C300 Mark II

NAB 2015 Roundup: C300 Mark II

The long-anticipated C300 Mark II was announced at NAB 2015 and the specs are incredible. With 15 stops of dynamic range and up to 120fps recording, this 4K camera is going to be amazing. The only problem is the price point. With a base model price tag of $16,000, the C300 is quite the financial commitment.

Price: $16,000

Availability: September 2015

5. JVC’s LS300 Price Drop

NAB 2015 Roundup: JVC Price Drop

JVC’s highly-adaptable 4K camcorder, the LS300, has received a price drop down to $4,000. This camera packs quite a punch with 2 XLR ports, SD card slots, and of course 4K video recording. While it may not have a sleek design like the DVX200, its specs are very comparable.

Price: $4,000

Availability: Immediately

NAB 2015 Roundup: Drone Announcements

6. DJI Phantom 3

NAB 2015 Roundup: DJI Phantom 3

Everybody’s favorite drone company announced their latest drone at NAB 2015, the DJI Phantom 3. The Phantom 3 comes in two flavors: Advanced and Professional. The only difference being that the Professional drone has a built-in 4K camera. Both drones can be controlled from up to 1.2 miles away.

Price: $999-$1,359

Availability: Late April 2015

7. Solo Smart Drone

NAB 2015 Roundup: Solo Smart Drone

With 2 computers built-in, the Solo Smart Drone is claiming to be the first “smart” drone in the world. The drone, built for use with GoPro, has a few extremely advanced features, including the ability to move between a virtual zipline in the sky, orbit around a fixed point, and pull out to place your subject in the center of a large environment.

Price: $999 – $1,400

Availability: May

8. Freefly ALTA Drone

NAB 2015 Roundup: Freefly ALTA Drone

The new Freefly ALTA is a revolutionary drone that allows users to mount the camera to the top or bottom of the drone as desired. The drone also features 6 blades instead of 4 for added stability. The Freefly ALTA can carry cameras that weigh up to 15lbs.

Price: $8,495

Availability: June 2015

NAB 2015 Roundup: Accessory Announcements

9. Freefly MIMIC

FNAB 2015 Roundup: Freefly Mimic

The Freefly MIMIC is one of the most impressive products to come out of NAB 2015. Essentially, the MIMIC gives users the ability to control MOVI movements from a separate MIMIC Device.  So one person can hold the MOVI device while the other controls the movement. If this device turns out to have low-latency, it could radically change the entire stabilization industry.

Price: $495

Availability: Beta Release April 2015

10. DJI Ronin-M

FNAB 2015 Roundup: DJI Ronin-M

At half the weight and a fraction of the price, the DJI Ronin-M serves as a welcome alternative to the already awesome original Ronin. The Ronin-M is designed to work with small to medium size cameras, up to 8lbs. The entire rig can also be condensed to fit into most backpacks.

Price: $2,000

Availability: Pre-Order Only

11. GoPro HEROCast

FNAB 2015 Roundup: GoPro HEROcast

GoPro is trying to target professional broadcasters with their latest HEROCast announcement. HEROCast is essentially a low-latency broadcasting device that an be attached to a GoPro for live-stream. GoPro states that the device is the smallest professional broadcast device in the world. However, for such a small device, the HEROCast boasts a pretty impressive price tag.

Price: $7,500

Availability: TBD

12. SmallHD Sidefinder

FNAB 2015 Roundup: SmallHD Sidefinder

SmallHD wowed crowds at NAB 2015 with their 502 + Sidewinder announcement. Essentially the combination is both a viewfinder and an external reference monitor. Users can either view the 502 reference monitor to monitor colors with extreme accuracy or attach the Sidefinder to make the combination an EVF. The combo can be easily attached to professional cameras like ARRI and RED via external accessories.

Price: N/A

Availability: TBD

13. Atomos Shogun Gets an Update and a Little Brother

NAB 2015 Roundup: Atomos News

Everyone’s favorite 4K monitor/recorder, the Atomos Shogun, will receive a new update. The Shogun is getting an anamorphic de-squeezing feature that should allow users to playback their anamorphic footage the way it was meant to be viewed. This is great news for Panasonic users, as the Panasonic GH4 has just recently received an anamorphic update. Users now have the option to record RAW Cinema DNG, ProRes, or DNxHR directly to their Shogun. Other minor updates include expanded RAW compatibility with Sony, Canon, Arri and AJA, Cinema 4K and 2K DCI support, and 3D LUTs on output and in recording.

Atomos has also released a new version of the Shogun appropriately named the Shogun Bare Bones. The device has all of the features found in the Shogun, without any of the accessories found in the original version of the Shogun. This should be a great announcement for anyone looking to get all of the functionality of a Shogun without unwanted accessories to drive up the price.

Price: $1,995

Availability: May 2015

14. Blackmagic Video Assist

NAB 2015 Roundup: Blackmagic Video Assist

Blackmagic has announced their first portable external monitor, the Blackmagic Video Assist. The monitor has has both HDMI and SDI inputs. The monitor has all of the essential features like scopes, histagrams, and focus peaking.

Price: $495

Availability: July 2015

NAB 2015 Roundup: Software Announcements

15. Adobe Updates the Creative Cloud

NAB 2015 Roundup: Adobe Creative Cloud Update

Adobe released a ton of new features for the Creative Cloud just in time for NAB 2015. There are many amazing features to talk about, but the most important is the inclusion of a new Lumetri color panel in Premiere Pro. The panel will allow users to color grade using a Lightroom-like interface.

Price: Free with Creative Cloud Subscription

Availability: TBD

16. Apple Updates FCPX, Motion, and Compressor

NAB 2015 Roundup: Apple Updates

Apple’s update to their professional video applications mainly focused on the ability to create 3D objects directly in FCPX. Users can now make 3D text and basic objects in FCPX and adjust various parameters like lighting and texture. Motion also received a few updates to its 3D interface. You can read more on the announcement on our blog.

Price: Free to FCPX users

Availability: Immediately

17. DaVinci Resolve 12 Updates

NAB 2015 Roundup: DaVinci Resolve 12

DaVinci Resolve is due to get a big update with the unveil of DaVinci Resolve 12. Notable enhancements include an updated user interface, multi-cam editing, and enhanced color grading tools. What other features do you want to see in DaVinci Resolve? Let us hear about them in the comments below.

Price: Free to DaVinci Resolve Users

Availability: July 2015

18. Avid Announced a Free Version of Media Composer

NAB 2015 Roundup: Avid Media Composer

Not to be outdone by Blackmagic, Avid announced a free version of Avid Media Composer. The software is designed to help people new to Avid understand how to use the fairly advanced software. Avid promises that the free version of Media Composer, named Media Composer First, is comparable to Premiere Pro and FCPX, with a few limiting features

Price: Free

Availability: TBD

19. Fusion is Coming to Mac

NAB 2015 Roundup: Fusion Coming to Mac

Fusion, the high-end compositing software, is now coming to Mac. Last year, Blackmagic announced that the previously expensive software could be downloaded for free, which was great news for PC owners – but not-so-great for Mac users. We can expect to see Fusion for Mac available later this year.

Price: Free

Availability: Late Summer-Early Fall 2015

20. Sony Unveiled Catalyst Production Suite

NAB 2015 Roundup: Sony Catalyst Software

In a surprise announcement from Sony, we’re going to be seeing a series of new editing and file management software in the near future. Catalyst Browse, Edit, and Prepare will soon allow users to organize their video files and perform basic editing functions in a sleek new redesign. Sony Vegas users don’t panic, they aren’t killing Vegas – at least not yet. This software is meant to be an alternative. We’ll be interested to see how practical this software is once it hits the market. You can read more about Catalyst on Sony’s website.

Price: Free-$199

Availability: Varies

Want to get more in-depth information about the gear announcements listed here? Check out a few of these overview posts:

  1. SmallHD Unveils a Pocket-Sized Monitor/Viewfinder Hybrid
  2. Canon C300 Mark II: 15 Stops of Dynamic Range and More
  3. Phantom 3: DJI’s Latest Drone Takes Flight
  4. Video Editors Rejoice: Adobe Unveils Creative Cloud Next
  5. DJI Releases the Ronin-M: lightweight and lower-priced
  6. NAB 2015 Announcement: The Blackmagic URSA Mini
  7. The Super16 RAW Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera is Here!
  8. Blackmagic Announces DaVinci Resolve 12
  9. Avid Announces a Free Version of Media Composer
  10. The Freefly ALTA Drone: A New Way to Fly
  11. NAB 2015 Announcements: News You Might Have Missed
  12. Panasonic Unveils the DVX200: A Pro All-In-One Camcorder
  13. The 3DR Solo Smart Drone: So Easy a Monkey Can Use It

What did you think about NAB 2015? Any gear that you’re particularly excited about? Please share in the comments below.

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