Please turn CC on for English subtitles. Canon 8K technology was demonstrated with a prototype camera body during Inter BEE 2018. We talked about it with Toshiyuki Akimoto from Canon who is responsible for the development of 8K monitors and cameras. 8K resolution is slowly making its way in the line-ups of camera manufacturers. During Inter BEE 2018 we saw an interesting 8K camera concept from Astro. RED of course has already had working 8K cinema cameras for a while with their MONSTRO and HELIUM cinema cameras. Panasonic claims to have an 8K capable camera for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Now Canon also presented their 8K cinema camera concept. The Canon 8K camera concept presented at Inter BEE 2018 has quite a compact body very similar to the Canon C300 Mark II. It will have a super 35mm sensor and an 8K processing unit inside and mind you that recording will not be done internally. You will have to find and attach an external 8K recording solution. According to Canon, the purpose of this demonstration is to research the market and to gather the customer’s opinion regarding future 8K demand. Since this 8K camera is still only a prototype and future technology demonstration, there is no detailed explanation of its functions or ergonomics yet. The presented camera, however, looks to being very close to the production stage. Canon has in fact already demonstrated the same system at the “Canon Expo” in 2015. It seems that Canon has had 8K technology for quite a while already. We can only guess the reason for not releasing a Canon 8K capable camera til now was because the 8K market has not grown enough yet. 8K is being promoted mainly in Japan – there were very few 8K demonstrations at international trade shows like NAB or IBC. As Akimoto-san describes in the above video, Canon is observing the market and they are also trying to find other markets than the broadcast and cinema divisions. Even though creating a beautiful image with high resolution shooting is the straight forward usage for a Canon 8K camera, there are other areas that can benefit widely from the ultra-high resolution. For example in the scientific or security field 8K can be very beneficial mostly because of the additional flexibility to zoom-in the picture after it was recorded. Finding a specific person in a crowd would be a typical example of the usage in the security field. In a similar manner as Panasonic, Akimoto-san mentioned the Olympic games in Tokyo in 2020 as a possible time for the release of a Canon 8K camera. We can probably also expect more affordable 8K consumer displays to be available by then. What do you think of the Canon 8K concept camera? When do you think we can expect a real 8K boom in the broadcast and cinema industry? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

At Inter Bee 2018 we met with Astrodesign Inc. to discuss their new take on 8K acquisition. What we found on display was not a ready-to-use product but a very interesting concept which looks a lot like a proper cinema camera. Let’s look at the future in the shape of this new Astro 8K camera concept. 4K video is pretty much here, at least in terms of acquisition. It’s the legit successor of (Full)HD and nobody will deny its superior look and feel over aforementioned HD. So what’s next? For many manufacturers of camera gear the future is in plain sight: 8K! We met with Carly Mary Haden from Astrodesign Inc. to discuss their latest concept: A new Astro 8K camera with all the controls onboard. Astro 8K Camera Concept Astrodesign have done 8K cameras in the past but this concept is the first one to feature dedicated controls built into the actual camera body itself, no need for a bulky external CCU (camera control unit) and remote control. Since 8K is still a bit of a cutting edge technology, the upgrade from a camera head / camera control unit combo towards a compact one-box package is actually a pretty huge leap. HD vs. 4K vs. 8K (image credit: Astrodesign) Since this new Astro 8K camera is still in development it is far from a feature-locked product. As Carley points out, they are actively gathering feedback and suggestions from professionals who will actually work with such a camera in the field. While you can spot a bunch of familiar controls on the prototype, such as a 6-button menu screen complete with a push dial, assignable buttons and switches and even internal ND filter controls, nothing is set to stone here. The Astro 8K concept features a custom color science although the sensor itself is not being developed by Astrodesign but licensed from a third-party company. There will be a flat gamma log recording mode and the camera will support HDR recording. Pricing The pricing of this camera calls for a dedicated sub-heading here. While this Astro 8K camera concept might look appealing for a lot of our readers (including myself), the asking price might kick you back to reality: We’re looking at around $100,000. Again, nothing is set to stone, so this could change, even a lot, but in terms of ballpark pricing this Astro 8K camera seems to be out of reach for the average indie filmmaker. Better think of it as a rental house or big broadcast company item. Links: Astrodesign Inc. What do you think of this 8K concept camera? Any suggestions you’d like to add to the mix? Feel free to reach out to Astrodesign with your feature request and share your thoughts in the comments below!

MARUMI is a Japanese company known as a classic circular filters manufacturer. At Inter BEE 2018 they presented a new interesting product which is a bit different. It is called MARUMI magnetic square filter system and it makes it possible to easily mount (or even stack) square ND or GND filters in front of the lens. We talked to mister Akihiko Sato from MARUMI about the new system. Heart of the MARUMI magnetic square filter system is the M100 magnetic attachment adapter (filter holder) which makes it possible to quickly attach or detach 100mm square filters to the front of basically any photographic lens. The M100 adapter is made out of aluminium and features ultra slim design of just 10mm. That enables mounting the filters as close to the front element of the lens as possible to prevent vignetting on wide angle lenses. MARUMI claims there is no vignetting even with 16mm focal lenght (full frame) lenses. Installation of the system. Source: MARUMI The filters itself have a metal border which even allows stacking more filters on each other in case a combination of more filters is needed. Furthermore there is a thin layer of foam around the opening on the magnetic filter holder to protect attached filter and prevent light leaking. There are multiple size holder rings included in the package – 82mm, 77mm and 72mm. For mounting the filter holder on smaller diameter lenses, additional step-up rings need to be screwed on the lens. The filter holder can rotate independently. MARUMI offers a variety of filters for their magnetic system. All of them are made in Japan and their low-reflection anti-scratch surface is anti-static and water/oil repellent. The line-up includes: ND filters (100mm x 100mm). Available as ND4, ND8, ND16, ND32, ND64, ND500, ND1000,ND4000 and ND32000. Graduated ND filters (100mm x 150mm for up/down movement). GND filters are available with three different gradient versions. Soft gradient (for scenes without clear horizon line), hard gradient (for scenes with clear horizon line) and reverse gradient (for sunrise or sunset scenes). All of them with GND4, GND8 and GND16 strengths. GND filters adopt high definition Schott B270 glass and have double-side coating for low reflection and easy maintenance. Circular PL filters. These circular filters can be attached before mounting the magnetic holder. Transmittance graphs for the filters. Source: MARUMI It seems to me this filter system could suit perfectly the needs of frequent timelapse shooters for example. In terms of pricing, the M100 filter holder will sell for $120,- USD, ND filters for $190,- USD and GND filters for $200,- USD. What do you think of the MARUMI magnetic square filter system? Do you see the need for such a product? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

During Inter BEE 2018 we talked with japanese filmmaker Katsuhido Masuda, who is using a very tiny toy drone with 1080p camera for his video productions. As drones are getting smaller and tiny cameras better, are they going to be the future of filmmaking? Drones are getting smaller and their cameras better very quickly. A good example would be DJI with their Mavic Pro, Mavic Air and Spark line of drones, which can all be considered quite small. Maybe it is still not small enough though. As capable camera units get smaller (smartphones be the evidence), I believe there is still plenty of room in miniaturizing camera drones. During Inter BEE 2018 we met and interviewed japanese filmmaker Katsuhiko Masuda, who is runing a video production company producing for example VR content for Oculus. He built a very tiny toy drone with FPV camera and uses it now for his productions. He flies the drone often in interiors and through considerably tight spaces to give another perspective to his images. Impossible Drone Fly-Through Shots The concept of using a very tiny toy drone for filming is not new. You might still remember the impossible drone shots from Robert McIntosh, who used his great drone piloting skills to promote his own After Effects stabilizing plugin ReelSteady. In case you did not see them or you want to refresh your memory, here are the links to our older articles – Impossible drone shot I and Impossible drone shot II. The resulting videos are very impressive thanks to the multiple very tight fly-throughs. Robert used a very tiny toy drone and attached a stripped of Gopro HERO4 camera to it. The takeoff weight of the whole setup was only 120 grams including the LiPo flight battery and foam roll cage. The battery had to be tiny so the drone could carry it and therefore the flight time was only couple of minutes. The footage straight out of the GoPro was of course not stabilized, but ReelSteady plugin managed to get a smooth resulting clip. The point is – this is the most interesting thing about filming with such a small drone. It can fit in very tight spaces and it usually is more agile which is vital for filming in interiors. Very low weight is on the other hand not so great for exteriors as even the slightest wind will affect the micro drone. Operating the micro drone with the FPV Goggles. Source: Videosalon.jp According to the japanese website Videosalon, the micro drone which Katsuhiko uses for his shooting is a slightly modified racing drone Nano Vespa 80 HD DVR. The camera unit used on the drone is capable to record 1080p video in up to 60fps and save it to micro SD card. Unfortunately no info about the bitrate or codecs. The overall weight of the setup is 68.4g. Drone operator can fly the drone with FPV goggles. Comparison: left side – Robert’s Drone with the GoPro, right side – Katsuhiko’s drone. Both micro drones (Robert’s and Katsuhiko’s) look actually quite similar and have similar size. The camera unit used on Katsuhiko Masuda’s drone definitely is much smaller than the stripped down GoPro HERO4, but it logically also offers lower video quality. Katsuhiko told us it is a 1080p FPV camera. He also stabilized the footage, so the resulting resolution is probably a bit les than full HD. In my opinion the image quality is sufficient, but there sure is lot of space for improvement and image-quality-wise I am still more convinced by the stripped down GoPro (which on the other hand was bulkier). Disadvantage of these small toy drones is the flight time. It usually does not exceed few minutes, because the battery cannot be too heavy to keep the drone compact and agile. Katsuhiko’s drone can fly for only about 2 minutes. Such a short flight time requires a certain workflow and lots of practice as every mistake means replacing the battery and taking-off again. Important part of design of the micro drones is that the propellers are protected with guards. Without them close flying by the actors would increase the danger of injury. Physical Gimbal or Electronic/Post Stabilization? I am looking forward for the very tiny cameras to get better, add high bitrate and 4K capabilities. I don’t think this should be a big issue – flagship smartphones already have such a technology in their camera modules. Putting them in a smaller package on the back of a tiny toy drone should be possible. In terms of stabilization – I don’t think physical gimbals can be the right future for very tiny drones. I would say it will rather be some kind of good electronic stabilization, like for instance the hypersmooth in the GoPro HERO7 black. For non-stabilized footage there is always the option to do it in the postproduction. ReelSteady seemed to do a good job, but there are other options too. In this case it is vital for the small camera modules to get higher resolutions as post stabilization eats up some part of it. What do you think of the footage filmed with the tiny toy drone? Do you see it being used more in the future? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Litra, the company behind the popular LitraTorch (the ever popular little light that is compact, rugged and waterproof) is now introducing the LitraPro. The larger LitraPro brings the same ruggedness to the table, but is larger, bi-color and also waterproof. Here’s what you need to know! The LitraTorch became so popular in adventure filmmaking circles at one point, that tutorials were popping up on Youtube, about how to light whole scenes with just a number of theses small lights. This was due to their hight output (when judging by their size), easy operation with just one button and their hand size, making possible to use them in basically any way the filmmaker chooses. The LitraPro tries to hold on to the LitraTorch’s strengths. It is roughly four times the size of its smaller predecessor, but features the same rugged build and is waterproof up to 90 feet. The big new feature here is that the LitraPro is actually bi-color, and can be set from 3000K up to 6000K. It is also dimmable. Litra is trying to keep the operation simple here as well. The unit has five buttons total, one power switch and two +/- pairs to adjust temperature and output. A display on top of the unit shows the current settings. The right side of the LitraPro has a USB-charging hatch, the left and the bottom feature 1/4″ mounting points. The output at 1200 Lumen is not as high as the LitraTorch’s 2200 in Strobe-Mode, but this is to be expected with a bi-color light. The LitraPro comes with a pouch, a USB charging cable, dome diffuser and mounts for coldshoe and GoPro. Now where the LitraPro really shines, is that the Light can be fully controlled with a smartphone via Bluetooth. Litra’s website is a little thin on specifications here, but from the looks of the app it seems like you can not only power the light on and off or temporarily black it out, but you can also control brightness and color temperature, as well as group multiple lights and trigger the same high-output mode from the LitraTorch, called “Strobe”. Here’s an overview of the specs: 6 oz / 170g 2.75″ x 2″ x 1.2″ / 7cm x 5cm x 3cm 1200 lumen output 95 CRI 70 degree beam angle Adjustable color temperature 3000K – 6000K 45 minute run time at max output, 10+ hours on low output 2 industry standard 1/4 20 mounts Waterproof up to 90 feet MIL-SPEC 810 tested Bluetooth control OLED Display 0-100% fully dimmable Accessories Litra also has some nifty accessories for the LitraPro in store: A set of 2 honeycomb grids (no beam angles specified) Barndoors to limit light spill and shape the light A soft box with reflective interior, that comes in a pouch and increases the source size by roughly 6 to 8 times A set of color filters All these accessories are the snap-on kind. The LitraPro and all its accessories are available now. How do you like the LitraPro? Have you used the LitraTorch before? Do you see the need for this kind of light in your arsenal? Let us know in the comments!

The IDX PowerLink line has been showcased at Inter BEE 2017 in Japan, showing off its 4-stack power feature as well as an 8-stack charge system. First announced in September and still under development, IDX has now demonstrated its new line of linkable hot-swap V-lock batteries. The new IDX PowerLink is an intelligent battery and pass-through power system. Mount one on the back of your camera/accessory and it will operate like a normal battery. Add another (or 2 or 3 more) to the stack and things get interesting; the closest battery to the camera passes through power from the last, meaning the battery that runs out first is the one on the end of the chain. Once the end battery runs out, the next in line will start to discharge. Dropping power on larger setups can be time consuming. Cinema cameras take time to reboot, and there’s always the fear of settings on certain cameras resetting or accessories working off the same power source needing rebooting (monitors/wireless/follow focus systems). The IDX PowerLink is an ingenious system that allows you to hot swap batteries – your camera won’t lose power as it always has a charge battery attached. Having a hot-swap power source like this that is compact in size can be therefore very useful. The IDX PowerLink comes in two sizes (respective of physical size and capacity): a 98 and a 150Wh. You can stack up to four batteries at any one time. This applies when powering your camera, as well as when on the dual charger, meaning you can charge up to eight batteries simultaneously (two stacks of four). It’s great to see IDX has gone with a lower profile, much better suited to the ergonomics of cinema cameras like RED, Sony F55 and ALEXA Mini much better than conventional tall V-lock batteries. The PowerLink system also works with existing IDX V-lock batteries, allowing you to mount a standard IDX on the end of your new PowerLink chain. I do think IDX has missed a trick here, though, as it would be great to see a really slim version of the PowerLink with enough capacity to allow the changeover of a conventional battery system without the risk of power drop out. Other features of the PowerLink are a small LED torch on the mounting side so you can see contact points in the dark. There is also separate LED to signify when a battery is discharging or passing through power, as well as standard 5-stage charge indicator. Pricing and release date of the IDX PowerLink is still to come, as this product is still under development. But IDX if you’re reading, how about that super slim version too?

At this years Inter BEE show in Tokyo, our own Johnnie Behiri catches up with Sae Nakatani on some new accessories for the brand new Panasonic EVA1 camera. Namely an exclusive EF-PL mount adapter and support for the Varicam viewfinder. Two things are new here at Panasonic’s Inter Bee 2017 booth. One of the announcements involves a completely new product which might raise some eyebrows since we’re talking about a somehow impossible adapter, the other one is about the existing Varicam EVF which has been made available for the Panasonic EVA1 camera. An EF-PL Mount Adapter First things first. The mentioned adapter is an EF to PL adapter which just sits between a PL lens and the native EF mount of the Panasonic EVA1 camera. No physical tinkering with the lens and/or the camera body is necessary. Wait a minute. Such a simple adapter should be impossible due to the different flange depth of the two lens systems, right? I’ll hand over to cine lens mastermind Matthew Duclos who explains the issue here. Angenieux Optimo 17-80mm T2.2 lens Surprisingly this new EF-PL adapter presented by Sanwa cine rental company for the Panasonic EVA1 seems to do the trick but there’s a catch. It only works with one camera/lens combination: you now can throw an Angenieux 17-80mm T2.2 cine zoom on to the Panasonic EVA1 camera. This fact leaves me a little confused to be honest but as we learn from Panasonic’s Sae Nakatani this camera/lens combination seems to match. We’ll have to wait and see for ourselves once this adapter hits the market I guess. Another downside of this might be the price for the mentioned Optimo zoom lens: That one sells for well above $66,000. Other companies already offer a solution for swapping the existing EF mount of the EVA1 for a native PL mount but since that procedure includes opening the camera housing, Panasonic makes very clear that this option will void the warrenty, of course. Varicam EVF for Panasonic EVA1 The second announcement for today surrounds professional monitoring. The Panasonic EVA1 camera ships with an LCD screen, but without a dedicated viewfinder. This seems to be common sense for many camera manufacturers these days, but such a device is critical if you’re shooting documentary style or if you’re out and about in broad daylight on a regular basis. Panasonic heard the user requests and implemented support for the their Varicam EVF. Just like the Zacuto Gratical Eye you’ll need two cables, one plain BNC video connection and one 2-pin power cable which requires an outboard battery via D-Tap. While this monitoring device seems to be a very capable one, you’ll have to fork over a significant amount of cash in order to put it onto your EVA1 camera. We’re talking about $ 5,400 here. Just for context: The Panasonic EVA1 camera is $ 7,345 right now. I’ll leave it to you to decide if that’s overkill or not. The mentioned Gratical Eye is $ 1,950. Are you planning on buying a Panasonic EVA-1? What do you think about these (pricy) updates? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Japanese audio accessory maker Tascam has announced a newcomer to their growing family of audio recorders, the Tascam DR701D. We’re at Inter Bee 2015 and took a closer look at the new unit. The uniqueness of this recorder is definitely a feature that lets you perfectly sync with the camera it is connected to by triggering the start/stop of recordings via HDMI connection. I’m sure you will agree it is a very smart move from Tascam to include such a feature as we all learned to hate pressing REC buttons twice (Not to mention the times we forgot to press the REC button on the audio recorder…) and sync audio and video files in post. As a sidenote: I was very curious to find out if sales of external audio recorders had declined because of the latest development of DSLR and mirrorless cameras, that achieve better audio recordings internally. I was very surprised to hear from several sources that sales have actually increased! The main features of the new Tascam DR701D audio recorder:  Record 4 Channels + Stereo Mix 4 XLR/TRS Inputs with Phantom Power Dual Built-In Omnidirectional Mics Stereo 3.5mm In for Stereo Mic 3.5mm Camera In/Out BNC In for Sync to LTC HDMI In Can Receive Timecode From Camera HDMI Out Can Send Audio & Incoming Video Records Up to 24-Bit/192kHz Mount to DSLR or Tripod The new Tascam DR701D is already available for pre-order and expected to start shipping in about two months.