![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Panasonic-booth-1-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/a>However Panasonic did announce in October a new broadcast camera, the AK-PLV100 4K CINELIVE Studio Camera with PL Mount<\/a>. Per Panasonic, this camera offers “a cinematic look, V-LOG and Dual Native ISO” from its 5.7K Super 35mm sensor. Sound familiar?<\/p>\r\n Missing, too, at NAB last April was the large annual contingent of Chinese booths, much in evidence during the last decade, at least until the Trump years. These were small, innovative companies that produced cameras, gimbals, drones, lighting, and much more. This year the capacious zone they had occupied in the Las Vegas Convention Center\u2019s Central Hall was a ghost town. How are we not all the poorer for this?<\/p>\r\n Disruptions in supply and manufacturing were felt up and down the various marketplaces for cameras and accessories this year. China\u2019s Covid lockdown was particularly impactful. I know this from personal experience, having waited months for various items from Sony that always seemed out-of-stock or on backorder. This had never occurred in the past.<\/p>\r\n Let\u2019s hope these are momentary speed bumps. China remains the world\u2019s electronics factory (Taiwan’s a runner-up), and it continues to dominate fabrication if not, increasingly, innovation too. DJI practically invented the category of camera drones. Shenzhen-based firms such as Astrhori (formerly Rockstar), Viltrox, Yongnuo, TTArtisan, 7Artisans, SLRmagic, DZOFILM, Venus Optics (Laowa brand), and CHIOPT (Hunan province) have lately produced a bumper crop of affordable cine lenses and novel lens designs. These upstart optics manufacturers already run circles around established lens manufacturers in price, and there\u2019s no reason, given time, they can\u2019t narrow any gaps in quality. (Don\u2019t lose sight of the fact that China is a country with a space station in orbit. Though duck if you see one of their disintegrating rockets falling in your direction!)<\/span><\/p>\r\n It\u2019s always unfortunate when politics slams the brakes on markets and innovation, and worse yet when questionable patents are the culprit. In 2007, at the outset of the digital cinema camera era, RED, through a weak adjudication process that overlooked multiple instances of prior art \u2014 Kinetta camera, anyone? \u2014 filed for a broad patent on recording compressed RAW files inside<\/i> a motion picture camera. RED obtained this patent and then successfully sued Sony in 2013. Rumor has it that Sony pays royalties to RED and must call its compressed RAW format \u201cX-OCN,\u201d which stands for \u201ceXtended tonal range Original Camera Negative,\u201d quite a mouthful. Somehow, Sony cameras including the Venice were never able to record RAW internally, at least until the arrival this year of the Venice 2, which I\u2019ll discuss further below.<\/p>\r\n In 2021, RED sued Chinese manufacturer Kinefinity, objecting to Kinefinity\u2019s incorporation of CinemaDNG and KineRAW files into its cameras. As a result, Kinefinity delivered their new MAVO Edge 8K camera without internal recording of Apple ProRes RAW, a feature touted at the camera’s 2020 product launch. This year RED sued Nikon over its incorporation of N-RAW, Nikon\u2019s 8K iteration of\u00a0intoPix\u2019s advanced TicoRAW, into their Z9 camera \u2014 but this time Nikon wasn\u2019t having any of it. Nikon countersued RED, asking the court to dismiss RED\u2019s lawsuit on the basis that RED\u2019s patent was invalid from the outset, arguing that the original RED ONE had been used publicly and offered for sale well before the patent was applied for, which violates the conditions for obtaining such a patent. Stay tuned.<\/p>\r\n As mentioned, DJI pioneered the market for camera drones. This year DJI made waves in two other realms, one political. In July, the Department of Defense called out DJI\u2019s products as \u201cpotential threats to national security.\u201d In October, the DoD blacklisted DJI as a \u201cChinese Military Company,\u201d<\/a> adding its products and those of twelve other Chinese companies to the DoD\u2019s banned procurement list. DJI promptly put out a statement protesting DoD\u2019s classification: \u201cDJI is not a military company in China, the United States, or anywhere else. DJI has never designed or manufactured military-grade equipment\u2026 we have always developed products to benefit society and save lives\u2026 DJI stands alone as the only drone company to clearly denounce and actively discourage military use of our products, including suspending all business operations in Russia and Ukraine to try to keep our drones out of the conflict there.\u201d<\/p>\r\n DJI\u2019s other wave-making was the introduction of a camera system seemingly borrowed from the future. Imagine a 4-axis camera stabilizer that can counteract roll, pitch, and yaw like a gimbal and also maintain a fixed height from the ground like a Steadicam. Imagine that built into this super-stabilizing contraption is a 6K or 8K full-frame camera with both advanced LIDAR-based autofocus and wireless focus-pulling. Next imagine a bright 5.5\u201d HDR viewing screen (1,000 nits). Let\u2019s fantasize that the resulting package is small and light enough to be handheld, no harness or rig required. Affordable, too. Say, a 6K version with a base price $4,200 below that of a 6K Sony FX9.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Got your attention? Well, this is the DJI Ronin 4D 4-Axis Cinema Camera 6K<\/a> that arrived in 2022. (The 8K version has yet to appear.) Its list of attributes includes a mirrorless-type lens mount that adapts to Leica M, Sony E, and PL; internal ND filters; an 800\/5000 dual native ISO; adjustable handles on both sides<\/i> with controls that include focus; a USB-C port for recording directly to external SSDs; a friendly touchscreen user interface reminiscent of Blackmagic Design\u2019s cameras; and internal recording of Apple ProRes 422 HQ and ProRes RAW. The Ronin 4D system is also modular. Modules including a focus motor, LIDAR range finder, and lag-free video transmitter for a 1500-nit, 7\u201d handheld display that enables remote monitoring and full camera control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Oops. Did DJI actually promise internal recording to ProRes RAW? By mid-February, DJI had to backtrack and announce they\u2019d eliminated ProRes RAW recording, to be replaced later in the year by ProRes 4444 XQ, which is fine, but distinctly not RAW.<\/p>\r\n Hmmmm\u2026 you don\u2019t suppose RED had a hand in this?<\/p>\r\n The Ronin 4D, alas, is no magic bullet. No camera is. It\u2019s remarkably light, compact, and nimble. It does some things exceptionally well, enabling camera moves not easily possible before. But it\u2019s unhappy on a tripod, which doesn\u2019t play to its strengths. It doesn\u2019t like lengthy lenses like telephotos. Nor can it accommodate lenses that weigh more than 1.75 lbs., a serious limitation. A thorough yet scrupulously fair vetting of this strikingly innovative camera system can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n Before we ankle the Middle Kingdom… China assembles, famously, Apple iPhones. Their tiny back-illuminated CMOS sensors are Sony’s state-of-the-art, a key reason 4K video shot on the latest iPhones is so impressive. Most of us who regularly shoot documentaries have sneaked in HD shots made on our iPhones for years now, but the latest iPhone Pros (iPads Pros too) are in a different league and poised to get even better. The iPhone 14 Pro\u2019s 48-megapixel main camera delivers reliably sharp 4K, while its industry-leading 5nm A16 chipset provides smooth, gimbal-like stabilization in Action Mode (resolution drops to 2.8K) and wide-color Dolby Vision HDR in 24 fps Cinematic Mode. There’s a reason\u00a0iPhone 14 Pros are now seen in the hands of video journalists at press scrums.<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n The iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro series can even record in 4K ProRes. Apple requires you to have at least 256GB of storage to do this. A minute of 10-bit 4K ProRes takes up about 6GB, so 256GB translates into 42 minutes of ProRes recording, minus the amount of memory occupied by apps, photos, etc. Just about, not quite, enough for documentary shooting, as long as you keep in mind that there\u2019s no SD card to swap. When filled, you have to download the phone\u2019s contents wirelessly via AirDrop before you can continue shooting.<\/p>\r\n Cinematic Mode further introduces a technique that synthesizes background blur to simulate narrow depth of field, which enables a sort of rack focus capability. Astonishingly enough, depth of field and rack focus decisions can be changed in post using Final Cut Pro. Cinematic Mode uses the ultra-efficient 10-bit HEVC codec (H.265). A minute of recording takes up a mere 135MB.<\/p>\r\n As if this weren\u2019t enough, the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro will feature a new Sony \u201cstacked\u201d sensor architecture, in which photodiodes and transistors are segregated into dual layers, which is said to double sensitivity.<\/p>\r\n Such is the ubiquity of shooting with \u201cmobile devices\u201d (not just Apple\u2019s products) that a new term has taken hold: \u201cmobile storytelling.\u201d An impressively cogent and comprehensive discussion of the ins and outs of mobile storytelling<\/a> shot on mobile devices recently took place on the website of the D-Word<\/a>, \u201cthe leading community for documentary professionals worldwide.\u201d D-Word founder Doug Block (The Heck with Hollywood!, Homepage, 51 Birch Street<\/i>) and University of Texas professor Bart Weiss, founder of Dallas VideoFest and former AIVF president, talk through practical issues of gear and technique, touching on audio, editing, backups, specialized video apps, one-person-band considerations, vertical framing, distribution, even the already impactful history of mobile devices on social justice. (George Floyd\u2026) Indeed, Weiss is writing a book on mobile storytelling.<\/p>\r\n In describing DJI\u2019s Ronin 4D, I mentioned its wireless remote control capabilities. This feature, typically Bluetooth, is increasingly found in all cameras these days (as well as in LED lights). Another category of remote-controlled camera is PTZ, which stands for pan, tilt, zoom, the motors for which are integrated into the camera head itself. PTZ cameras are typically found in security cameras, those dark half-globe thingies mounted upside-down in corners of public spaces, designed for spying. But an upright PTZ camera is basically just a remote-control head with an integrated camera\/lens, which is why PTZ cameras are increasingly seen on live sets at broadcast stations, eliminating the need for a camera operator. At NAB in April, Panasonic introduced a compact 4K PTZ camera, the AW-UE160, featuring a 1\u201d CMOS sensor, phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), 20x optical zoom, and Lumix color processing\u2014basically a studio camera in a can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Sony went one step further, announcing at IBC in September an addition to their Cinema Line, the world\u2019s first 4K full-frame, interchangeable lens PTZ system, the ILME-FR7. Essentially a robotic Sony FX6, the E-mount FR7 matches all the FX6\u2019s features, including dual ISO, internal ND filters, eye-tracking autofocus, S-Log3 and S-Cinetone. Unique among PTZ remote cameras, it includes slots for CFexpress and SD cards for internal recording of XAVC, as well as SDI and HDMI outputs for external recording. The FR7 camera head is remote-controlled via Wi-Fi, meaning that all camera settings are controllable using a web browser on an iPad or laptop. It can also be fully controlled using a Sony RM-IP500 PTZ controller box with a joystick. The compact, affordable, remote-controlled FR7 really shines when attached to the end of a long boom or extensible crane, where it can perform camera gymnastics previously associated with Technocranes and the like.<\/p>\r\n We\u2019ve touched on the stabilized, the mobile, and the remote-controlled, but what\u2019s happening in high-end, flagship cine cameras?<\/p>\r\n The broad strokes here are compactness and modularity. Everyone\u2019s got a camera system that complies with this description. Ditto for full-frame. Everyone\u2019s introduced a large-format camera; all major cine lens manufacturers now offer full-frame lens sets. Ditto, too, 8K (with the notable exception of ARRI). Who wants to get left behind in the resolution derby?<\/p>\r\n When the Alexa Mini arrived in 2015, suddenly the full-fledged Alexa looked and felt big, heavy, and ungainly. ARRI had created the stripped-down Mini to fill a niche need for a smaller, lighter camera for hard-to-reach places and to mount on cranes, Steadicams, and such. It was never conceived as a replacement or rival to the original Alexa. To make the Mini viable for standard production, you had to attach a viewfinder and a host of other practical accessories. Regardless, ARRI had a runaway hit on their hands. Everyone wanted to shoot with a Mini.<\/p>\r\n Today all of the flagship cine cameras are small and boxy like the Alexa Mini, ever so slightly longer than they are tall. They\u2019ve reached what seems like a mature shape and size, a set of common design solutions towards which they\u2019ve all co-evolved over time. This is even true of RED\u2019s latest offerings. After the original RED ONE, relatively hefty and elongated in shape, RED cameras shrank to something smaller than the Alexa Mini, with an upright boxy shape resembling a classic Rolleiflex. But the silhouette of the new 8K full-frame V-Raptor XL announced by RED in August could be mistaken for that of its Sony or ARRI counterparts. (No more talk of brains, we can hope.) A \u201cpurpose-built studio camera,\u201d the V-Raptor XL bristles with mount points and power outlets for accessories. Behind its PL mount is a variable electronic neutral density filter, the settings of which you can change using the RED app on your phone. (Sony pioneered internal electronic NDs in 2015\u2019s FS5.) The V-Raptor XL checks all the boxes for wireless genlock, timecode, and all the video ports you could possibly want. All built-in, this time.<\/p>\r\n Over in Sony land, the original 6K Venice (used mostly for 4K) has been eclipsed by the 8K Venice 2, the introduction of which Sony announced in late 2021. In order to record RAW, er… X-OCN, the highly regarded original Venice required Sony\u2019s pricey AXS-R7 External Recorder, a carbuncle attached to the back of the camera. Happily, Venice 2 now records X-OCN internally. It no longer needs the carbuncle. In fact, the Venice 2 body is 10% lighter and almost two inches shorter than its predecessor. Looks like RED gave Sony a pass this time. Hmmmm\u2026. further royalties or perhaps a swap?<\/p>\r\n Perhaps the most consequential new camera introduced in 2022 is the 4K ARRI Alexa 35. Spurred by Netflix\u2019s commitment to 4K-only origination, ARRI created a new 4K CMOS sensor, the ALEV 4, \u00a0their first new sensor design since the introduction of the original Alexa twelve years ago. That first Alexa had been designed to capture 3.5K for downsampling to 2K, which was the coin of the realm in theatrical distribution twelve years ago. (Still is.) Needless to say, with a 4K mobile phone in everyone’s pocket, times have changed.<\/p>\r\n Like the original Alexa, the new Alexa 35 remains, as the name suggests, Super 35, not large format. This came as welcome news to those who don\u2019t wish to ride the full-frame bandwagon, a cohort comprising many award-winning DPs currently working, who cut their teeth shooting 35mm film and who understand S35 lens angles like the back of their hand. ARRI says the Alexa 35 has been back-ordered since it was announced.<\/p>\r\n The Alexa 35 is also considerably lighter. From a brief stint spent with the camera, I can say that the camera body is ergonomically superb for handholding. ARRI\u2019s master grips, which attach via rods to both sides of the ARRI 35, have no equal in terms of both hand comfort and full control of camera and lens functions including focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n With the new sensor design, ARRI introduces what they claim is new color science, as well as a novel image-quality intervention called Arri Textures. ARRI says Arri Textures, use of which are optional, represent a digital equivalent of selecting a film stock. Each ARRI Texture controls a degree and type of noise and grain in the image, with subtle adjustments of contrast at various levels of image detail. A menu in the camera permits the user to readily choose among a selection of Arri Textures, handy for running comparison tests.<\/p>\r\n So, what have we got to look forward to in 2023? No doubt more of each trend that I sketched above. Let\u2019s do hope war ends, international free trade resumes, internal recording of compressed RAW comes to all cameras, and, if Sony\u2019s new sensor is any indication, an even more amazing era of camera performance is in store for us all. Can\u2019t wait!<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 2022 was a quiet year for camera technology, thank goodness. The decade plus I\u2019ve been covering camera breakthroughs on this website has been a rocket ride. So much velocity, so little time to stop, catch one\u2019s breath, smell some roses. Ask yourself, who can any longer tell the difference between film and digital origination on the big screen? Be honest. No less than Roger Deakins declared film a dead issue half a dozen years ago. His latest, Sam Mendes\u2019 Empire of Light, shot using Arri Alexa Mini LF (large format) and spherical Arri Signature Primes, is a loving paean to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":118044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_column":0},"categories":[9281,4],"tags":[1147,5483,17447,4122,90,12517,23703,23702,23701,1258,17937],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118040"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118040"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118303,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118040\/revisions\/118303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmmakermagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>