NAB 2026

[Jim Feeley]

Thanks for your report, Alex. A couple followup questions:

Sanken cardioid. I too like the CS-M1; I have one, not two. So is the cardioid also about 4-inches/100mm long? Any word/guess on when it will be available?

Lectro- did you listen to their new shotgun and lav mics? Is your read that they fully developed these, or that they tweaked (or just took over) Rode projects/products?

Fairlight Live- interesting idea, but I'm so not going to be the first one in the pool to try that on a job. Also, my live jobs are pretty small...

S35- still works for me most of the time. Though over the last few years, the glass I've bought has been FF.... But did you see that B&H was selling new Canon C300 mkIIl bodies for $2,999 last weekend? Still produces great images. And ya, I'll guess there are some deals to be made on S35 zooms. In my doc/corp world, the Fujinon MK series is still working...and holding up.

Dustin, what S35 (or FF) zooms are you eyeing? Heck, same question to everyone. Especially interested in answers for zooms under, say, $7000 and fairly lightweight; ie- doc friendly. (Anything heavy or expensive is a rental for me....and likely to be operated by someone else).

 

[rob norton]

S35 a fujinon 19-90 can be rented here for $250 USD/day!! That's cheap enough where you don't even have to mention it for a shoot, so no gear conversation navigation like it would have been in years gone by. The fujinon premista 28-100 for large format goes for closer to $700 USD for example.

Otherwise I don't think I'd look beyond the laowa ranger lite for a FF zoom to own, without going down the angenieux EZ series path: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...s_ranl2875plef_laowa_ranger_lite_28_75mm.html

I've been thinking in terms of zooms = S35, FF = primes, and I'm happy to switch between them on the pyxis, even if it's not ultimate IQ.

I try to own equipment where possible but at this point in time it'd also be a shame to not try yesterday's premium options that I couldn't get over the line historically.

I just bought a fujinon x-h2s, which is APS-C. I'll be able to speed boost and adapt it for FF PL. So I guess S35 vs. FF it's easy enough to digitally or physically get there these days, which means we should be considering all lenses!

 

[DustinSchmidt]

S35- still works for me most of the time. Though over the last few years, the glass I've bought has been FF.... But did you see that B&H was selling new Canon C300 mkIIl bodies for $2,999 last weekend? Still produces great images. And ya, I'll guess there are some deals to be made on S35 zooms. In my doc/corp world, the Fujinon MK series is still working...and holding up.

Dustin, what S35 (or FF) zooms are you eyeing? Heck, same question to everyone. Especially interested in answers for zooms under, say, $7000 and fairly lightweight; ie- doc friendly. (Anything heavy or expensive is a rental for me....and likely to be operated by someone else).

Jim, I also saw that C300 III deal that just wrapped up. What a deal honestly! If someone was in need of a super high quality camera that can do it all, it would be hard to go wrong with the C300 III. At $3k for a brand new unit, man oh man.

I actually shot on a C300 III for a few years before moving to the C500 II and sometimes I wonder if I should have just stuck with the C300 III. I got a little sucked into the FF madness I think...

Regarding zooms, I was actually eyeing the Laowa Ranger Lites in S35, as Rob mentions below. I've seen a few things online mentioning potential quality control issues, but no complaints about the image really.

I know Laowa also makes their Ranger series in a full frame option, but part of the appeal of the S35 versions is the incredibly small size and weight. Honestly if I want full frame and I'm lugging around a bunch of lenses then I just work with my Canon EF lenses and they have been getting the job done.

I've also got my eye possibly on something in the telephoto range from Angenieux. A year or so ago I picked up an older Angenieux 15-40 T2.6 from a rental house auction and had it refurbished at Duclos back to "new" working spec. I love the look out of that lens, but it also doesn't look like anything else I own. So having more reach from something in the Angenieux family would be key I think to keeping things consistent.

However, despite being relatively small and lightweight for its time, some of those older cinema zooms don't really compete with the newer options in size and weight.

Choices....

Otherwise I don't think I'd look beyond the laowa ranger lite for a FF zoom to own, without going down the angenieux EZ series path: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...s_ranl2875plef_laowa_ranger_lite_28_75mm.html

I've been thinking in terms of zooms = S35, FF = primes, and I'm happy to switch between them on the pyxis, even if it's not ultimate IQ.

I try to own equipment where possible but at this point in time it'd also be a shame to not try yesterday's premium options that I couldn't get over the line historically.

 

[Jim Feeley]

Regarding zooms, I was actually eyeing the Laowa Ranger Lites in S35, as Rob mentions below. I've seen a few things online mentioning potential quality control issues, but no complaints about the image really.

Ya, I've heard good things about the IQ from people online. I guess my issue would be how good is the dust/weather sealing, and how smooth are they after a few years of use? Not trying to spread FUD...I just don't know the answer to that yet. Do you, Rob (or anyone) have a read on that?

 

[Alex H.]

Sanken cardioid. I too like the CS-M1; I have one, not two. So is the cardioid also about 4-inches/100mm long? Any word/guess on when it will be available?

Soon. Didn’t get an exact date, but… maybe this summer? It’s the same form factor as the CS-M1, but slightly shorter. Same price point.

Lectro- did you listen to their new shotgun and lav mics? Is your read that they fully developed these, or that they tweaked (or just took over) Rode projects/products?

I listened to both. The lav is a completely new product. It doesn’t sound terrible at all, but it isn’t as good as, say, a DPA 4060. It uses MEMS, and when used with the DSSM transmitter, the mic can be set between low- and high-sensitivity from the transmitter. For the $500-700 price range (depending on configuration), I’m not sure I’d buy one against a 4060, but… maybe. I’m certain many of us remember the old Lectro stock lav that came with 200 and 400 series systems, and that those stock lavs were absolute trash. This one is a much better design. It’s also highly water-resistant.

As for the shotgun, it sounds fine. Off-axis rejection is pretty good. A friend of mine asked, point-blank, how much DNA it shares with the NTG-5. They said it was the same capsule, all-new circuit design around it, and a brand-new interference tube design. It didn’t stun me as something I’d drop $1600 to acquire, but I also already have a pretty good selection of mics in my inventory.

Fairlight Live- interesting idea, but I'm so not going to be the first one in the pool to try that on a job. Also, my live jobs are pretty small...

I’ve seen some user posts in the last couple of days noting that the software (it is, after all, a software product) is still coming along as far as features that actually work. What I do find interesting is that the control surfaces are so affordable.

S35- still works for me most of the time. Though over the last few years, the glass I've bought has been FF.... But did you see that B&H was selling new Canon C300 mkIIl bodies for $2,999 last weekend?

Excellent deal! I missed that one.

 

[NorBro]

The C300 Mark III deal should/might come back; they yo-yo with the prices right before a final inventory flush, did the same with the C500 Mark I, C300 Mark II, multiple DSLRs.

 

[Jim Feeley]

I’m certain many of us remember the old Lectro stock lav that came with 200 and 400 series systems, and that those stock lavs were absolute trash.

Ya, it was. the M-152 or something? Larry at Lectro told me they wanted to include a mic with their wireless so it was ready to go, but since all users would want to use their own favorite lavs, it didn't make sense to include something expensive that would not be used but would raise the price of their wireless. So they supplied something that worked, could perhaps be a backup, and that's it. Sort of like those small Roland MA audio monitors Avid used to include with their systems... They thought most people would install their fave NFMs, but Avid wanted to include *something* in the box...And a couple Avid guys told me they were kinda shocked how many people in fairly-highend places were still using those little Rolands.

Anyway, will be interesting to see if Lectro's mics gain traction. Sort of a bummer they didn't blow you away.

What I do find interesting is that the [Blackmagic Fairlight Live] control surfaces are so affordable.

I hesitate because (1) I don't need such a control surface and (2) my personal history with BMD hardware breaking down makes me hesitate. But if their stuff holds up, that could be a cool solution...

Excellent deal! I missed that one.

I'm just glad I resisted. Would like to have one, but don't need to have one. And my next fancy camera purchase may be Sony since I probably need to assimilate.

We are the Sony. Lower your lights and surrender your cameras. We will add your cinematic and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your framing and lighting will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.​