Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/837213
www.postmagazine.com 32 POST JUNE 2017 SPECIAL REPORT: CAMERAS slots that mean the media cards stick out twice as far as on the original F7 — this allows the operator to swap out media cards without fumbling around, even with gloves. A new Lever Lock type E-Mount locking mechanism ensures the lens will stay secure when shooting. This new and improved feature allows shooters to go with heavier cinema and ENG lenses. Also, a new eyepiece was designed to clip on over the very bright LCD monitor, reducing eye fatigue over extended shooting times. In addition to the improved mechanicals, such as a telescoping arm (no tools required), Sony has added all kinds of ND to the FS7ll. This includes four presets, electron- ic variable ND filtering and auto ND. These addi- tional stops will give shooters a much wider choice when it comes to setting their own personal go-to ND preferences. CANON The Canon (www.usa.canon.com) booth was, as usual, quite busy with a number of broadcast, pro- duction and post options. The company's flagship EOS C700 camera drew quite a bit of attention, with an impressive array of new features. Most notable would be the buyer's option of ordering the camera with different sensors. The C700 offers the option of two different sensor designs. It offers a 4.5K CMOS sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range. The standard sensor will be offered in both PL and EF mounts. The EF mount version of the camera features Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. The EOS C700 GS PL features global shutter technology, which is helpful for sports, fast action, concerts and events where it eliminates "jello" and "flash band" artifacts. The image on a global shutter sensor is captured simultaneously by every pixel on the sensor. Standard CMOS sensors capture the image by scanning the scene from top to bottom. Depending on the speed of the scan, the time delay between the scan of the first line and the last sometimes results in a "jello" effect where straight lines appear curved or wobble as the camera or subject moves. By capturing the entire image at once, these artifacts are removed. The EOS C700 GS PL features 14 stops of dynamic range and does not offer Dual Pixel CMOS AF. Additionally, the C700 models have a complete camera set up and assist screen on the side oppo- site the camera operator, allowing for adjustments without the camera operator ever having to move. In the DSLR world, there was also a lot of buzz about the addition of C-Log to the 5D — which can readily be thought of as the "B" camera on interviews or other shoots that require a second camera. Users have been asking for this and Canon listened. This upgrade must be performed by a Canon factory service center and will cost around a hundred dollars. Moving forward, users will be able to purchase new 5D cameras with Canon Log pre-installed. This update is sure to make C series users happy, as they can now integrate 5D footage alongside their C300 Mark II, or C100 Mark II clips. PANAVISION Panavision (www.panavision.com), one of the motion picture industry's most respected de- signers, manufacturers and providers of state-of- the-art cinema lenses and high-precision camera systems and innovative post production tech- nologies, brought its new and much-acclaimed Millennium DXL 8K camera to the 2017 NAB Show. Tech leaders from Panavision and its subsidiary Light Iron also offered their insights and exper- tise during panel discussions and throughout the show. Developed through a collaboration of three companies, the Millennium DXL brings together large-format optics and modular accessories from Panavision, an 8K sensor from Red Digital Cinema and new color science and optimized workflow from Light Iron. The DXL was on the floor at three different partner locations and was a big attrac- tion at the Freefly, Vitec and Lee Filters booths. This made getting some hands-on time with the camera much easier than if it had been at only one booth. The DXL camera has been renting since January and the enthusiasm for this camera continues to trend upwards. RED Although not officially exhibit- ing at NAB this year, Red (www. red.com) con- tinued to have a strong presence at the show, on exhibit at many booths on the floor. The Red buzz was very interesting. Online before NAB, and certainly during, the talk was all about IPP2. Red announced a new image-process- ing pipeline (IPP2) that is available for immediate download. IPP2 offers a completely overhauled workflow experience, from image capture through post production. IPP2 enhancements include: bet- ter management of challenging colors, smoother highlight roll-off, improved shadow detail, more accurate mid-tone hues, an improved demosaicing algorithm to achieve higher detail at the same pixel resolution, a simpler and more intuitive workflow, a workflow designed for HDR from the ground up, industry-standard naming and standardized color space and gamma. Red cameras with the Helium 8K S35 sensor can now monitor and control the new image pipeline in-camera, while all other camera owners will benefit from the new image pipeline in post through the latest beta Redcine-X Pro upgrade. Individuals who prefer Red's original color science workflow have the option to toggle between IPP2 and the legacy workflow both in-camera as well as in Redcine-X Pro. On another front, Red was making history with a collaboration with NASA. The US space agency presented two high-definition firsts, producing the first-ever live 4K video from orbit and returning one of the first ultra-high def cameras to be used on the International Space Station to the company behind it. "What goes up must come down, except when what goes up goes into outer space," said Sam Matheny, executive vice president and chief technology officer of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) during the show. "And that is what makes the first Red camera to go to the space station so special. This [Red Epic Dragon] camera was a vital tool to further our scientific studies and the interests of NASA [for] space exploration," he said. "It recently returned to Earth, so it did success- fully come down." In a brief ceremony preceding the first live 4K stream from the space station (using another Red camera launched to orbit), the first flown-in-space Epic Dragon was presented to Jarred Land, presi- dent at Red Digital Cinema. "NASA and Red collaborated to fly a Red Epic Dragon to the International Space Station," said Dylan Mathis, NASA space station communications manager. "This camera has served us very well and was returned to Earth after 437 days in space." According to NASA, the Red Epic Dragon cam- era is capable of filming at resolutions ranging from conventional HDTV up to 6K, and its frame rate and resolution were able to reveal more information when used to record investigations, giving researchers a valuable new tool on board the space station. NASA used the Epic Dragon to capture views of Earth and its astronauts' activities — including station crew members manipulating floating balls of water — which were posted to YouTube after being saved and sent down from space.