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NAB 2013: The Grandest Celebration in Video Production Equipment
To have a camera crew start describing the highlights of this year’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual show in Las Vegas is like having a child explain all of their birthday presents in thirty seconds. So here I go. NAB highlights the trends of the video production community and is good barometer of the industry. Some of the major trends and main attractions from this year’s NAB show were 4K and beyond, lower costs for better resolution, gyro stabilization, helicopter shooting, and the Cloud and video.
4K and Beyond
Canon ESO-1D C – The Canon EOS-1D C continues Canon’s tradition of expanding the HD-DSLR tradition. The 1D C has the function and the familiarity that has made Canon the pinnacle of DSLR production. Along with the capability of shooting 18.1 megapixel stills the EOS-1D C uses motion imaging to even capture 4K video using Motion JPEG internally using compact flash cards.
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/cinema_eos_cameras/eos_1d_c
Sony 4K Monitors – Sony was abound with 4K monitors in their booth. From their PVMX300, 30” 4K Trimaster series LCD monitor to the consumer 4K 55” and 65” television everywhere you looked there was ultra high definition as you never seen before. After making a splash last year with the Sony F5 and F55, Sony has complemented it this year with monitors to view your 4K shooting.
Higher Definition for Lower Costs
Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic Design stirred the pot last year with the power plays of camera production with their Cinema Camera, and this year was no different. They introduced their Production Camera 4K. The Production Camera 4K sports similar design and functionality as the Cinema Camera and will come in at a cost less than $4000.
Gyro Stabilization
Freefly MōVI 10 – The MōVI 10 is a three gimbal stabilization unit that allows you to keep the camera stable in the roughest of movements. The MōVI 10 allows you to operate solo, or use a dual mode where the operator can hold the camera steady, while a secondary operator uses joysticks to control pan and tilt. This allows you ultimate control without wearing large, heavy harnesses.
Helicopter Shooting
DJI Phantom with GoPro Mount – Helicopters seemed to be the trendiest item at this year’s NAB. And it seemed that one of everyone’s favorite was the “little white helicopter.” The DJI Phantom “little white helicopter” utilizes four propellers and has a GoPro mount that can be added to it. It has a reasonable cost of around $700. With its stable flight and a battery that can have a flight time of 10 – 15 minutes you can create that cinematic flyover on a limited budget. Although shooting with a helicopter has become more popular, there were rumblings at NAB that the FAA has started putting regulations for flying the helicopters for business purposes without a pilot’s license.
Cloud
Adobe Anywhere – As we step into the cloud frontier, Adobe is on the forefront for video production. Abobe Anywhere for video describes exactly what it does. You can house the footage in the cloud which allows you to access it across a variety of networks, saves of transfer times, and most importantly, collaborate in the post production process without the need of human interaction. For most editors, collaboration without interaction is a powerful perk.
With just under 92,500 attendees, 1600 vendors, and 900,000 square feet of show room to cover, NAB 2013 is a lot of ground to cover. Although it’s hard to see every booth and manufacturer, one can get the sense of the video production industry and buzz. What makes the 2013 NAB show exciting, as it is every year, is following these trends throughout the year and seeing what trends stick around for next year’s NAB show.
What was your favorite booth, manufacturer, or product at the 2013 NAB show?
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