News

Phantom 4 drone gets more Advanced

DJI has introduced the new Phantom 4 Advanced with a 1"-type, 20-megapixel sensor and a mechanical shutter which can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second. The camera now records H.264 4K videos at 60fps or H.265 4K at 30fps, with a 100Mbps bitrate. The Phantom 4 Advanced+ version comes with its own 5.5-inch 1080p screen integrated into the controller. Flight time extended to 30 minutes. The Phantom 4 Advanced and Phantom 4 Advanced+ is £1,469 (1,549 EUR) and £1,699 (1,849 EUR) and will be on sale on April 30. The official info says:

4K video for new Nikon D7500

Nikon has added many of the 4K video capabilities of its prosumer D500 to the new D7500 enthusiast model, which has just been revealed. Like the D500, the cheaper D7500 uses the same 20.9 MP DX-format CMOS sensor with an ISO up to 1,640,000 and can record 4K UHD video but with a 1.5x crop - of its already-cropped DX sensor compared to full frame. At 1080p it gets three-axis image stabilisation and Active D-lighting to control dynamic range, and there is no crop factor.

The aperture can be power-adjusted, there is 4K output via HDMI, a flat picture profile that assimilates log gamma, and both a mic and headphone jack. There is zebra patterns to aid exposure in video, too. The D7500 is priced at £1299 body only. Nikon's information says:

Prices set for Sony HDR TVs

High Dynamic Range may be the buzzword of the moment for video right now, but there have been very few affordable consumer output device like TVs that can cope with it. Sony has now announced its European pricing for its new Bravia 4K HDR TVs, which start at £3500 for a 55-inch OLED model in the UK. The screen is very thin and the OLED technology gives a much more detailed, rich picture. The official information says:

Zeiss reveals E-Mount Batis 135mm lens

Zeiss has added a new 135mm f/2.8 lens to its Batis family of full-frame autofocus optics for Sony E mount. There’s built-in optical image stablisation and an OLED display in a metal housing which is weather resistant. The lens will be available in May for £1749.99/ $1999. Zeiss’ official information says:

Firmware update for Canon cinema cams

Canon has revealed new firmware for many of its cameras including the C700, C 100 Mark I and II, XC10, XC15 and ME series.

Of most interest is the change to the C100 Mark II which allows a shutter angle priority mode. This maintains the shutter angle when frames rate are changed and is ideal for switching between normal speed and slow-motion. Sony cameras have this feature and it’s been very popular.

The C100 Mark II also now works better with the popular EF 24-105 f/4 L Mark II lens, compensating for changes in aperture as you zoom. The Mark I C100 gets the similar peripheral illumination correction for the 24-105mm lens as well as 50mm f/1.8 STM, 35mm f/1.4L and 18-135mm EF-S zoom.

The range-topping C700 gets extra recording modes when using the Codex recorder, including 4K/QFHD ProRes, 4.5K Max at 100fps, 4.5K cinescope at 120fps and 422 HQ 10 bit at 60fps.

The XC10 and XC15 hybrid cameras get increased compatibility with 130-standard CFast cards, and the ME cube cameras have lots of updates including new auto exposure modes, improved white balance and monitor support, and support for more lenses.

All the firmware updates can be downloaded from the Canon download page.

Sony price drop on A7 models

Sony's popular A7S Mark II and A7R Mark II have had their prices cut in Europe. Official dealers are offering up £500 or 600Euros off the Sony mirrorless cameras which are often bought by filmmakers. In the UK, it means the high-resolution A7R Mark II has dropped from £2999 to £2499 and the more film-ready A7S Mark II from £2899 to £2499 at many retailers.

Both cameras has a similar price increase last summer, blamed on currency fluctuations and other global factors at the time.

The move fuels speculation that Sony is getting ready to reveal Mark III versions of the cameras.

Deadline looms for Lacie film contest

You've got just two weeks to get your short film into LaCie's new PushPlay filmmaking competition where there's an amazing money-can't-buy prize! There's an incredible prize of a full two-day mentoring session with Oscar-winning cinematographer Michael Paleodimos plus a £10,000 production suite.

The swag includes a seven-inch Blackmagic Video Assist monitor-recorder, Zoom H6 Portable Audio Recorder, LaCie 6big 24TB and LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt3 SSD 1TB hard drives, DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone, MacBook Pro 15 inch, Blackmagic 4k Production Camera and DaVinci Resolve Studio.

The closing date is April 17 and a shortlist of the best films will be selected by a panel of industry experts. You can enter the Lacie #PushPlay contest here! #Ad #Promo

Lacie’s information says:

We want to shine a light on the best told stories in short film format. Regardless of the genre, every short submitted will be watched in full and critiqued against some basic criteria.

Is it shorter than 20 minutes in length?

Is it emotionally engaging? Does it make us feel something?

Is it thought provoking? Does it make us think from a different perspective?

Is it innovative? Is it something we've not seen before?

Is it a great story involving compelling characters with depth?

Big budgets, famous actors and fancy special effects are cool, but not part of our criteria. submit your story to #PushPlay for a chance at a once in a lifetime experience.

We want to unearth the brightest short film makers and support them on their journey to greatness. We'll set up the winner of #PushPlay with a once-in-a-lifetime mentoring session and a state of the art production suite. We'll also expose their work to the global filmmaking community.

Mentor

It pays to have someone in your corner who's already walked the path. We'll set up a once-in-a-lifetime, 2 day mentoring session with Oscar winning cinematographer, Michael Paleodimos, who will provide the winning filmmaker with expert advice, guidance and hands on demonstrations to equip them with the skills needed to enhance and elevate their work.

Gear

Assembling or refreshing your filmmaking equipment is not a cheap exercise. We'll gear up the winner with a full video production suite including:

Blackmagic Video Assist 7"

Zoom H6 Portable Audio Recorder with Interchangeable Capsules

LaCie 6big 24TB

LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt3 SSD 1TB

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

MacBook Pro 15 inch TouchBar Quad i7 2.6GHz 16GB 256GB Pro 450 Silver

Blackmagic 4k Production Camera

DaVinci Resolve Studio

Exposure

We have a brand that is recognised around the world. We'll use our marketing channels to extend the reach of the #PushPlay winner’s short within the global filmmaking community.