NAB 2023 Rumors & Wishes

[Peter C.]

At this point image quality between most cameras indistinguishable. The only issue that remains is over heating, cropping higher frame rates, and rolling shutter. S5iix has everything but crop and minor af deficiencies. While Canon no crop but over heating issues. It mostly comes down what lens system you are invested in.

It be nice if all manufacturers would include an internal fan so we put the over heating issue to bed and no 4K 60 crop I would have trouble complaining or picking between brands, but since they do like use these limitations as way to differentiate between models I don’t expect we will ever get to a point where we could simply buy a camera without gotchas.

[DLD]

Leica will soon announce a new full frame camera with a 60 MPX sensor (likely the same that's in A7RV). Assuming it has a top notch Leica color filter array, it just might kill everyone above it in the stills world.

[DLD]

By the way - about a month ago, now sure if this was shown at the NAB, the DaVinci Resolve Studio (i.e., the paid version) released another upgrade (18, I believe). Its major feature, according to the YouTube clips I have seen, is Relight FX, where one can basically alter the existing lighting in post and make it look super duper cool. It has some automatic bits, almost like an AI. Those who remember the 'Birdman' and Lubezki's long single take shots might also recall that they required pretty extensive image grading in post to attain the desired look.

Well, now it appears that anyone with a knowledge of the DaVinci Resolve can do it quickly and on his own dime.

[Bassman2003]

Pretty cool if it works well. Would be very useful for a lot of uncontrolled shooting situations.

[Doug Bee]

Im trying to understand how relight is any different to drawing and tracking a 3D window in resolve (which you've been able to do for years) to then grade within the bounds of the window. Isn't that the same thing as relight? Is this just a new marketing word for an old trick?

[Bassman2003]

Maybe they have added more tools to make that old trick very easy to accomplish? I don't use Resolve, so I am blind here.

[DLD]

Pretty cool if it works well. Would be very useful for a lot of uncontrolled shooting situations.

There is a very expensive digital effects program for pros called Boris FX. I remember bringing it up a few years ago that one could make a quick paced shoot with everything else done in post. Charles Papert, who knows a lot more about a pro set than I do, said it wasn't all that practical and the "old fashioned" approach was still the way to go.

But, now with prices falling down - as expected - and a proliferation and popularity of these programs (photo editing suits like Luminar have similar features for the stills), it appears to be on a cusp of mass adaption. Needless to add that cameras and LED lighting have come a long way too.

And speaking of cameras, FujiFilm has announced a 26 MPX, $1,300 APS-C camera, 6.2K @ 30 fps, 4K @ 60 fps, IBIS, AF, 19 film simulation modes.

Canon has a new inexpensive APS-C too, EOS R100, $26 MPX, 4K /cropped, AF, $479.

And Sony's gone gaga for blogga. ZV-1 II, 1", 20.1 MPX, $899, 18-50MM equivalent lens included.

And, a beta version of the Adobe Photoshop upgrade has text-to-image.

[DLD]

Oh and Leica has Q3 out at $6,000. 60MPX, and it's awesome.

[norway]

It'll be either at the NAB or Cinegear, since technically Canon makes more of a cinema-centric rather than a broadcast type product.

Cine Gear 2023 is underway... but no major camera annoucements yet.

[DLD]

Cine Gear 2023 is underway... but no major camera annoucements yet.

R6 MKII firmware upgrade.

And a R6 MKI price drop.

OK, minor is in.

[norway]

R6 MKII firmware upgrade.

And a R6 MKI price drop.

OK, minor is in.

They keep launching these firmware upgrades, but it's not enough to get me excited.

[NorBro]

On a related note, this is why they milked the technology for like 20 years...all of those incremental updates year after year while very slowly lowering the prices kept people locked in.

As soon as the cameras got very good enough for nickels and dimes then all of that disappeared overnight and I think their frequency for releases has changed and has to be thought out more thoroughly.

[DLD]

On a related note, this is why they milked the technology for like 20 years...all of those incremental updates year after year while very slowly lowering the prices kept people locked in.

As soon as the cameras got very good enough for nickels and dimes then all of that disappeared overnight and I think their frequency for releases has changed and has to be thought out more thoroughly.

For the non-pros, the smartphones are more than good enough. 200 MPX stills, 30x periscope zoom, 8K video. And it's in your pocket.

And the high end is now a 60MPX $6,000 Leica Q3.

And one can have a 40 MPX APS-C Fuji XT5 for $1,700

Mount loyalty is still dominant but there's very little need to upgrade from A7RIV to A7RV. Which is where the micro-incremental upgrade scheme is killing the cartel. But it'd probably be dead soon anyway.

[norway]

For the non-pros, the smartphones are more than good enough. 200 MPX stills, 30x periscope zoom, 8K video. And it's in your pocket.

And the high end is now a 60MPX $6,000 Leica Q3.

And one can have a 40 MPX APS-C Fuji XT5 for $1,700

Mount loyalty is still dominant but there's very little need to upgrade from A7RIV to A7RV. Which is where the micro-incremental upgrade scheme is killing the cartel. But it'd probably be dead soon anyway.

Might explain all the vlogger/content creator cameras that were launched since NAB...

• Sony ZV-1 Mark II
• FUJIFILM X-S20
• Canon PowerShot V10

As a side note, I spent about two weeks in South Korea recently. During that time I only saw 3 people using a DSLR or mirrorless. Everyone else seem to be happy using their 100 megapixel smartphones. The LG/Samsung duopoly probably helps.

[DLD]

Might explain all the vlogger/content creator cameras that were launched since NAB...

Just for the heck of it, I decided to look up a bunch of reviews of Fuji XT-5, a $1,700 40 MPX APS-C camera. For curiosity's sake, instead of the familiar trend-setters, I clicked on videos made by the lesser known working pros. (+ two Dustin Abbott's reviews, one original upon its release, and one recent after six months of use). The general verdict is that camera isn't perfect but most pros find if more than sufficient for weddings and portraits. Sometimes, it's used as an A-camera, sometimes, as a B. It's not as good for video shooters. There one may have to go with HX-2 or HX-2S

Side story - a couple of years ago, there was a conversation here about film vs. digital. SMM then added a pretty interesting tid bit - he switched from film to digital in 2006, when Dalsa released a 22 MPX sensor. (I think the camera was Mamiya ZD Medium Format, announced in 2005, released in 2006, it was $22,000 retail). And $22,000 is 2006 is ~ $50,000 now. And now one can get a higher res, with more features for $1,700.


PS. My theory on smartphones vs mirrorless vs. DSLR is that the US was the last bastion of large size (DSLR style) cameras. When you drive to and from a gig, you can store larger size gear.(and more of it). When you're taking public transportation - which is the case in most of the globe for the daily commute- - smartphones have the most practicality. Of course, in Norway with their recent fascination with EV's,, size is less of a problem but, for park-and-walkers, size again becomes a bit of a concern.