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Camera Formats And Media Trends, What Do They Mean To You?

Posted by Tony Muzzatti on January 30, 2013

In our monthly newsletter we report the camera trends based on the hundreds of shoots worldwide we book and track globally each month. We try to capture every spec of the shoot we can possibly gather, but the big question is, “what do these numbers and trends mean to you?”

If you are a camera operator you can see which formats and media are trending and this data can help you determine what to choose for your next equipment purchase. If you are a producer you can see which formats are being booked the most, and are most likely readily available and cost effective choices for your next location shoot. If you are a media manager building an in-house facility and deciding on which workflow to choose, or which media and standards are on the rise (and decline) so that you can accurately plan your growth strategy. If you are a manufacturer you can see how you trend with our corporate and independent production world.

Trend Data Breakdown

Camera Format

The December 2012 camera format trends reveal a slight uptick for XDCAM EX which accounts for almost half of the shoots books in December. As it seems our corporate client base has settled on an HD camera format. The rest of the format pie remains very fractured. Click the image to enlarge it.

Media

90% of our clients recorded their projects on one tapeless media or another in December 2012. While most clients prefer that their projects are recorded within the camera body a good amount have been requesting to use a mobile recording device also. This allows them to record directly to a file format that will work with their NLE like Apple Pro Res or Avid DNx files. Click the image to enlarge it.

Manufacturers

Sony is the leading manufacture used on shoots in December 2012 with their combination of XDCAM EX, XDCAM HD, AVC HD and DVCAM cameras. Panasonic remains a strong presence who’s cameras were used in 34% of the total shoots booked in December. We predict an increase of Crews Control shoots with manufactures like Canon and other digital cinema camera companies in the future. Click the image to enlarge it.

Standards

In December 2012 97% of Crews Control’s shoots were high definition. Whether our clients are recording 1920×1080, 1440×1080, 1280×1080 or 1280×720 HD was the predominate standard in December. Click the image to enlarge it.