Everything to Know About NAB 2017: Cameras, Lenses, Gear, and More
Another NAB is in the books. We recap the biggest gear and software announcements and check out the new toys.
We pulled all the headlines for you. Here is the all-encompassing best of NAB 2017, where you will find everything on new cameras, lenses, software, lighting, audio, gear, accessories, and more.
New Cameras
Much like NAB 2016, it was another pretty quiet year for new camera announcements. On a really weird note, Panasonic teased a camera that they won’t reveal until the Cine Gear Expo. Leading up to the show, Blackmagic announced the URSA Mini Pro, Sony released the specs for the a9, and Panasonic started shipping the GH5. Those were the hot cameras people wanted to see on the show floor. Other than what we knew heading into the show, all of the great camera rumors remain rumors. Here is a quick glance at the new cameras and camera updates.
URSA Mini Pro
The newest addition to Blackmagic’s camera line is the URSA Mini Pro. This addition takes the 4.6K version and adds interchangeable lens mounts and built-in ND filters. The camera body is available now for $5,995.
Specs:
- Super35 Sensor
- Interchangeable Lens Mounts
- EF Mount ($175)
- PL Mount ($245)
- B4 Mount ($385)
- 15 Stops Dynamic Range
- Recording
- 2 CFast card slots
- 2 SD UHS-II card slots
- Resolution (up to 60 fps)
- 4.6K
- 4K
- UHD
- 3K Anamorphic
- 2K
- 1080p
- Built-in ND Filters
- Clear, 2-stop, 4-stop, 6-stop
- 4″ LCD Touchscreen
- SDI Input, Output, and Monitoring
- 2 XLR Inputs
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- 5.10 lbs
- Codecs
- CinemaDNG RAW
- Apple ProRes
Read more about the URSA Mini Pro here.
Sony a9
The Sony a9 grabbed a lot of attention, but at its price point, not everyone is ready to jump on it. It’s hailed as the best sports photography camera without any great lenses. The full-frame mirrorless beast does still pack quite the punch with its incredible speed. As an added bonus, the a9 comes with a new Z battery that has more than two times the capacity of the previous W batteries. The Sony a9 is available for pre-order starting at $4,499.
Specs:
- 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS Sensor
- Sony E-Mount
- Dual SD Card Slots
- Internal UHD 4K Video up to 30fps
- HD up to 120fps up to 100 Mbps
- Video ISO 100 – 51200 expandable to ISO 100 – 102400
- Ethernet port file transfer
- Z battery (2.2x the capacity of W batteries)
Read more about the Sony a9 here.
Sony UMC-S3CA
The Sony UMC-S3CA is an ultra high-sensitivity 4K camera with a full-frame sensor and interchangeable lenses. It’s essentially an a7S II without a recording limit. The camera was designed for VR with Genlock support so you can operate multiple synchronized cameras. It seems to be Sony’s response to the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, a handy and powerful little camera you can use as a crash cam or on a drone.
Read more about the UMC-S3C on Cinema5D.
GoPro Fusion
The GoPro Fusion 5.6K VR camera was a quiet announcement, and there aren’t too many details available yet. Simply described as a single-body VR camera that will replace the traditional 6 camera Omni rig, the GoPro Fusion will supposedly also allow users to select a shot’s composition in post — meaning you can shoot 360-degrees and choose the best-looking shot afterwards for traditional video editing. GoPro announced a pilot program, but there is no news on pricing or availability yet.
Read more about the GoPro Fusion here.
Camera Updates:
Canon 5D Mark IV (Update)
In an exciting move to keep the DSLR relevant for video shooters, Canon brought C-Log to the 5D Mark IV with a $99 update. This gives shooters more control of the footage when color grading. Read more about the Canon 5D Mark IV update on News Shooter.
Panasonic Varicam LT (Update)
Unlock 240fps RAW output with the latest update to the Panasonic Varicam LT. Read more about the Varicam LT update at No Film School.
Sony F5 and F55 (Update)
The Sony F55 and F5 get 4K shooting at 72, 90, 96, and 120 fps, and the F5 also gets continuous shooting in full HD at 120 fps. Read more about the updates at No Film School.
ARRI ALEXA SXT W (Wireless)
ARRI has replaced the ALEXA SXT Plus and ALEXA SXT Studio with the new ARRI ALEXA SXT W. The camera puts a transmitter in the body and eliminates the need for external devices and cables. Read more about the new wireless setup for the ARRI ALEXA over on Cinema5D.
Lenses
There were plenty of lens announcements to make up for all the quiet camera news. Just about every company announced at least one new lens. Here is a roundup of the most attention-grabbing camera lenses.
- ZEISS Announces New CP.3 and CP.3 XD Lens Family
- Cooke’s S7/i Line of Primes — No Film School
- Angenieux EZ-1 Zoom Lens — Cinema5D
- Sigma Unveils New 14mm and 135mm Cine Prime Lenses
- Leica’s 5 New Full Frame M-Lenses — No Film School
- Leica Thalia Series — No Film School
- Canon 70-200mm T4.4 Compact-Servo Zoom — Pro Video Coalition
- Atlas 40mm, 65mm, and 100mm Anamorphic Lenses — No Film School
- SLR Magic 8mm and 25mm E-Mount — No Film School
- Veydra 19mm Mini Primes — No Film School
- Tokina Vista Cine Primes & 100mm Macros — No Film School
- Samyang 16mm Cine Lens — No Film School
- Bokkelux’s 5-Lens Cine Prime Set — No Film School
Software
DaVinci Resolve 14
Perhaps the biggest headline from NAB, the DaVinci Resolve 14 update is massive. Not only is the program 10x faster, it has also completely overhauled audio with the incorporation of the Fairlight audio panels and software. New modular audio panels will soon be available from Blackmagic. Resolve basic is still free, but the company announced a price drop for the Studio version to $299.
Read more about the big DaVinci Resolve update on RocketStock.
Adobe CC 2017
Before NAB started, Adobe announced and released the latest Adobe CC update, which introduced new Audio and Graphics workspaces in Premiere Pro and After Effects. There were also plenty of new tools announced for AE users, sound engineers, and animators.
Read more about the new Adobe CC, Premiere Pro Panels, After Effects update, and more here.
Avid Media Composer First
In a move to compete with the free access to DaVince Resolve, AVID reached out to student filmmakers with a free version of their Media Composer NLE. The stripped-down version is still full of features like editing, color grading, and effects. Avid Media Composer First will be available to download for free in June 2017.
Read more about Avid First on Pro Video Coalition.
Mettle Adobe CC VR Plugins for Facebook 360
Designed specifically for Facebook, Mettle’s new plugin will allow Premiere and After Effects users to work with fog, volumetric effect, and depth-based masking.
Read more about the Mettle Plug-ins on RocketStock.
FilmConvert Cinematch
This November, FilmConvert aims to make matching the look of multiple cameras a breeze with Cinematch. The new plugin will first be available for Premiere Pro, and it will allow users to match footage from up to four different cameras in six seconds.
Read more about FilmConvert’s Cinematch at No Film School.
Lighting
- ARRI Skypanel’s Stellar Firmware Update
- Aputure’s New 300D LED Light
- LitePanels Astra 6X — No Film School
- Aladdin Flexible LED Light Strips — News Shooter
- New Aputure Light Storm Accessories — Cinema5D
- Dracast Flexible LED Panel — Cinema5D
- Zylight Nanguang 400W Fresnel — Videomaker
- Fotodiox Compact Fresnel — No Film School
- KinoFlo Freestyle Color Changing LED — No Film School
- Rotolight AEOS Ultra Thin LED — No Film School
Gear, Monitors, Accessories, and More
- DJI Announces the Ronin 2
- Freefly Announces 3 New Products
- SmallHD’s FOCUS Touch Screen Monitor
- Teradek Serv for iOS Monitors
- Atomos 19″ Sumo Monitor — No Film School
- Pandora DSLR Optimizer is a Shoulder Rig on Steroids — Cinema5D
- EZ FX’s Skinny Jib — No Film School
- DJI’s 100 Megapixel Drone — Pro Video Coalition
- Avid Unveils new Artist | DNxIQ Video Interface — RocketStock
- Wooden Camera UFF-1 Universal Follow Focus — Cinema5D
- Threaded 10′ Rails from Dana Dolly — No Film School
- Shape Accessories for Canon, RED, and More — No Film School
- Bright Tangerine Announces New Camera Accessories — Cinema5D
- FeiyuTech iPhone Gimbals
- Matthews My Way Grip — Pro Video Coalition
- ThinkTankPhoto’s New Bags for Fully Assembled Cameras — No Film School
- Lanparte Camera Cage Lens Adapter — News Shooter
- Broken Anchor’s Universal Focus Ring Adapter — No Film School
- Manfrotto Nitrotech Tripod Head — Pro Video Coalition
- SYRP Genie 2 Time Lapse System — No Film School
Audio
- Sound Devices MixPre Series — News Shooter
- Sound Devices’ 3-in-1 Units Make Best-in-Slot Sound Recording Available to Us All — No Film School
- New Zaxcom Mini Recorder — Cinema5D
- Sennheiser’s Waterproof GoPro Mic — No Film School
- Sennheiser Ambeo VR Microphone — News Shooter
VR / 360
Image: Nokia Ozo at NAB 2017 from PremiumBeat / Michael Maher.
- Insta360 8K VR Camera — No Film School
- Lucid’s 4K 3D Live Production Camera
- Yi Halo 3D VR Camera for Google — No Film School
- Panasonic 360 4K Video Camera — Cinema5D
- DJI Announces New Goggles
- HypeVR’s VR Capture and Playback Technology
- New Mettle Adobe CC Plugins for Facebook — RocketStock
That’s it for NAB 2017!
