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Posts Tagged "New":
Prokit now sell brand new small, portable lighting kits from Lowel and Ikan.
Lowel Slimlight Kits
Today’s state of the art compact cameras let you travel light and work in low-light levels. But you still need to light, to make your subject stand out & shine against the back-ground, or to strike the right visual mood. The SlimLight Interview Series includes 4 new kit combinations, designed to give you versatile, creative lighting options in a sleek, easy to carry package.
Each kit contains a 200W Rifa eX 44 dedicated tungsten-halogen softlight, matched with either compact colour mixing Lowel Blender LED(s), or focusable tungsten-halogen 200W Pro-light(s), plus Uni TO Stands, all in a portable Slim Litebag.
For more info click HERE
Ikan LED Three Head Kits
These two new kits from Ikan include 3 lightweight LED heads with batteries and charger making them a perfect solution for on location work. The IB508 Kit gives you the ability to change colour temperatures between 3200-5600K, so you can easily match your surroundings without worrying about filters. The ID508 Kit is daylight only, but gives a brighter output for when you need a bit more punch.
Visit our showroom to see these exciting new kits up close.
One of the most exciting announcements at NAB last week was two new Cinema Cameras from Blackmagic Design, the Pocket Cinema Camera and the 4K Production Camera. These follow the successful (if hard to get hold of!) Blackmagic Design Cinema camera and are due by the end of July, although judging by previous release dates may be optimistic! They are available for pre-order now. Here’s a little more info:
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, is a beautifully designed, pocket sized digital cinema camera that includes great features such as a Super 16mm sized 1080HD sensor, super wide 13 stops of dynamic range, built in SD card recorder for Apple ProRes, lossless compressed CinemaDNG RAW capture and active Micro Four Thirds lens mount, all in an attractive compact design for only £665 + vat.
One of the most important features of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is its super wide dynamic range of 13 stops, allowing high quality images. A common mistake in the industry is the assumption that more resolution means higher quality. Most cameras, even ones with higher than HD resolution, can produce”video” looking images that suffer from highlight and black clipping that limits details. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera’s wide dynamic range eliminates this problem and provides film quality with dramatically more detail retained in black and whites in the image. Once the shoot is complete, DaVinci Resolve Lite colour correction software can be used to adjust images and take advantage of this extra range in the images.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Key Features
- High resolution 1080HD Super 16mm sized sensor with superior handing of image detail.
- Super wide 13 stops of dynamic range allows capture of increased details for feature film look.
- Compatible with extremely high quality Micro Four Thirds lenses. Compatible with other mounts via common third party adapters such as PL mount and Super 16 cine lenses.
- Built in SD card allows long duration recording with easy to use media.
- Open file formats compatible with popular NLE software such as ProRes 422 (HQ) and lossless compressed CinemaDNG 12 bit RAW. No custom file formats.
- Features all standard connections, including mini jack mic/line audio in, micro HDMI output for monitoring with camera status graphic overlay, headphone mini jack, LANC remote control and standard DC 12 power connection.
- Built in LCD for camera settings via easy to use menus.
- Supports 1080HD resolution capture in 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
- Compatible with DaVinci Resolve Lite colour grading software.
Blackmagic Production Camera 4K
The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K Camera is a new high resolution 4K digital film camera with an innovative large Super 35 size sensor with professional global shutter, combined with precision EF mount optics and high quality Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) file recording for only £2675 + vat.
Blackmagic Production Camera 4K has been designed with portability and durability in mind. With standard connections and an internal battery packed inside a beautiful machined aluminum design, the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K will easily handle the rigors of location work. A high resolution LCD display shows settings such as shutter speed, colour temperature, aperture and timecode in an easy to read status strip. The built in capacitive touchscreen offers direct access to menus with a touch of the finger and allows changing settings such as recording format, shutter angle and more. The touchscreen also allows users to enter important metadata that is compatible with popular video editing software including Final Cut Pro X.
Blackmagic Production Camera 4K Key Features
- Large high resolution 4K Super 35 mm sized sensor with superior handing of image detail.
- Professional global shutter for smooth pans and image motion.
- Wide 12 stops of dynamic range allows capture of increased details for feature film look.
- Compatible with extremely high quality EF mount lenses.
- Built in SSD recorder allows long duration recording onto solid state disks.
- Open file formats compatible with popular NLE software, such as Apple ProRes and compressed CinemaDNG 12 bit RAW. No custom file formats.
- Features all standard connections, including jack mic/line audio in, 6G-SDI output for monitoring with camera status graphic overlay, headphone mini jack, Thunderbolt, LANC remote control and standard DC 12 power connection.
- Built in touch screen LCD for camera settings and metadata entry compatible with popular video editing software including Final Cut Pro X.
- Supports Ultra HD and 1080HD resolution capture in 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
- Includes UltraScope software for live scopes via the built in Thunderbolt connection.
- Includes DaVinci Resolve colour grading software.
Canon have announced today two new handheld cameras, that fit between the XA10 and XF300/XF305, the Canon XA20 and XA25 Camcorders. They have a versatile 20x zoom wide-angle lens, employing the optical technology found in the Canon XF305 and a newly designed 1/2.84 inch CMOS sensor which will reduce image noise and increase sensitivity in low light environments.
The XA20/25 can record in AVCHD (up to 28Mbps) and MP4 (up to 35Mbps) giving you flexibility and providing higher bitrates suitable for many professional applications. Video is recorded to dual SD [3] card slots in a range of resolutions and frame rates up to 1080/50p, with slow and fast motion options supported in MP4 mode – providing greater freedom to choose an appropriate setting according to creative requirements.
All models also support simultaneous recording of different formats to each card – giving users the ability to capture high-quality Full HD footage in the desired format, and smaller MP4 files at the same time. The smaller files can be shared more quickly and easily for time-critical applications, such as reporting breaking news, whilst the high-quality copies are retained for later use.
Features:
- 26.8mm, f/1.8-2.8 lens, 20x zoom, Dynamic OIS
- 1/2.84” HD CMOS PRO sensor
- 8.77cm (3.5”) OLED touchscreen
- Dual-format recording; DIGIC DV 4
- HD-SDI output (XA25)
- 1.56m dot EVF, 45° tilt
- Fast/slow motion
- Built-in IR lamp
- 2x XLR inputs
- Built-in Wi-Fi
With the small ‘point of view’ camera currently becoming increasingly popular (thanks to the almost dispossable Gopro), professionals might be looking for something more. How about a global shutter, a max resolution of 2K, HD-SDI outputs and a 2/3″ full-HD CMOS sensor?
The Flare 2KSDI camera from IO Industries features dual 3G/HD-SDI outputs, a rugged aluminum body and a handheld remote control.
At the heart of the camera is a 2/3″ full-HD CMOS sensor, featuring high sensitivity, low noise, and global shutter technology for crisp action shots. And for special applications, the 2KMSDI and 2KNSDI versions utilise monochrome and near-IR sensors with increased sensitivity for low-light shooting.
All models support single-link HD-SDI output formats including 720p (23.98-60) or 1080p (23.98-30) video. Single-link 3G-SDI output formats are also supported, including 1080p (50-60). Additional formats including 2K and Dual-Link HD-SDI will be added in future firmware releases. For stereoscopic 3D or other multi-camera applications, a tri-level sync input is provided.
The camera uses a standard C-mount allowing many lens options, including a variety of compact C-mount lenses as well as F-mount, B4-mount or PL-mount lenses (using additional adapters). EF-mount lenses can be attached and controlled by the camera using the 2KSDI EF Lens Mount, allowing remote control of focus and aperture settings.
For more specs and pricing click HERE.
Ever wondered what the rocker was for on the handle of the Sony NEX-FS700E? Well I can assure you it isn’t cosmetic! With a firmware upgrade due at the end of this month you will be able to use Sony’s two new powered zooms; the SEL-P18200 18mm-200mm and SEL-P1650 16mm-50mm.
This will open up the camera to a more ENG style of shooting, making it a ‘Jack of all trades’ tool. Whereas previously the camera was hindered by the ability to only use manual zooms, this will make it easier to use it for live, conference, documentary, sports, etc. Here’s some info on the lenses:
Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Power Zoom
Features:
- The lens that goes where you go – with a slim, compact design that retracts down to 29.9mm, it’s perfect for travel
- Effortless zooming – the first E-mount lens with an electrically driven zoom, it has a smooth, silent operation – ideal for shooting video
- Noise-free shots even in low light – with a constant maximum aperture of F4, you can use fast shutter speeds without raising ISO sensitivity unnecessarily
- Ready when you are – as soon as camera power is turned on, the lens extends and is ready for shooting
- Flexibility and control – in AF (Auto Focus) mode the dual-function control ring handles zoom; in MF (Manual Focus) mode, the ring offers manual control
- Big-lens performance – Extra-Low Dispersion glass and four aspherical lens elements deliver accurate, distortion-free images
- Blur at its best – thanks to the circular aperture you can capture attractive foreground and background blur effects
- Built-in image stabilisation – Optical SteadyShot not only reduces camera shake during handheld shooting but also improves performance in low-light conditions
Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Power Zoom
Features:
- Get slow zoom effects for film shooting – From movies to documentaries, give your creative works a lift with controlled, steady close-ups from a smooth powered zoom
- Shoot from a distance – Even the smallest details become sharp and clear using an 18-200mm telephoto zoom lens with 11x magnification
- Two ways to get closer – Zoom directly from the built-in controls on your camera or camcorder, or try using the lever on the lens itself
- Track quick movement with smooth autofocus – Lock-in your shot with fluid and silent precision for smooth detail in all your scenes
- No jumps and shakes with Optical SteadyShot – Shooting on the fly becomes a snip, capture smooth Full HD images no matter how bumpy things get
- Total control to create blur effects – Adjust the circular aperture for softer natural defocusing and make foreground objects stand out against a blurred background
- Tough and light enough for any shoot – This stylish aluminium lens won’t be affected by knocks and bumps when you’re out and about
Pricing and availabilty coming soon.
Metabones, the company who brought us the very successful Sony NEX to Canon EF Smart Adapter, have announced a new adapter that claims to increase aperture, sharpness and wide angle. Bold claims, but judging by the pre-production tests and optic technology involved true ones.
The Speed Booster which mounts between a Sony FS100/FS700 and a Canon EF lens, increases maximum aperture by 1 stop (hence its name), increases MTF and has a focal length multiplier of 0.71x. For example, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens becomes a 59mm f/0.9 lens. The faster F-stop allows for shallow depth-of-field and a lower ISO setting for decreased noise.
How can this magical device work? It is essentially utilizing the fact that EF lenses are full-frame and the NEX is a smaller super 35mm sensor. There is a lens inside the adapter which is a focal reducer, the amount of light that would have covered a full-frame sensor is now focused onto the smaller sensor and is therefore more concentrated. This also means there won’t be the same ‘crop factor’ you normally get when using EF lenses – for example, a Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens will become into a 35mm f/1.2 lens. To learn more about this technology you can read Metabones White Paper HERE.
These adapters are due for release in the next few weeks, you can place an order HERE.
“What is that!” I hear you scream, well this is a funky looking new matte box from those crazy Swedes ‘Swedish Chameleon’, the SC3. Not only is it a great price, it also includes great features; like three 4 x 4” filter trays (which allows you to set up two polarizing filters to create a Fader ND) and it has a simple and compact swing-away, height-adjustment mechanism and integrated ‘Nun’s Knickers’ , which makes it easy to use with many cameras and lenses.
Another innovative feature is its rubber hood, which looks like something Batman would own, it has been dubbed the Batte-box here in the showroom. It is low reflectivity, tough and will bend to fit inside your case, no more fiddling around with awkward sun shades.
Great for the Canon C100, Canon C300, Sony FS100, Sony FS700, Panasonic AF101, DSLRs and more. To have a look please pop in to our showroom.
Hi All,
Yesterday some of you were expecting GoPro’s announcement of their latest edition to the ever popular ‘Hero Camera‘ range, but what no one was expecting was what this tiny little camera would be capable of.
Introducing the GoPro Hero 3 ‘Black’ Edition:
The table below gives you all the specs in both PAL & NTSC.
| Video Resolution | NTSC fps | PAL fps | STD Mode | Protune Mode | Field of View (FOV) | Screen Resolution/ Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K | 15 fps | 12.5 fps | NO | ONLY in Protune | Ultra Wide | 3840×2160 16:9 |
| 4K Cin | 12 fps | 12 fps | NO | ONLY in Protune | Ultra Wide | 4096×2160 17:9 |
| 2.7K | 30 fps | 25 fps | YES* | YES | Ultra Wide | 2716×1524 16:9 |
| 2.7K Cin | 24 fps | 24 fps | YES* | YES | Ultra Wide | 2716×1440 17:9 |
| 1080p | 60, 48, 30, 24 fps | 50, 48, 25, 24 fps | YES | YES | Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow | 1920×1080 16:9 |
| 1440p | 48, 30, 24 fps | 48, 25, 24 fps | YES | YES | Ultra Wide | 1920×1440 4:3 |
| 960p | 100, 48 fps | 100, 48 fps | YES | YES | Ultra Wide | 1280×960 4:3 |
| 720p | 120, 60 fps | 100, 50 fps | YES | YES | Ultra Wide, Narrow* | 1280×720 16:9 |
| WVGA | 240 fps | 240 fps | YES | NO | Ultra Wide | 848×480 16:9 |
Note: *May require a firmware update on camera
Yep, you read it correctly, the Hero 3 Black edition is capable of 4K recording. Whilst you can only record in 4K at a measly 12.5fps (PAL), just imagine what your time lapses would look like when using the on-board function! On top of these mind blowing specs the camera has been redesigned: 30% smaller, 25% lighter with a sharper lens, improved audio and Wifi built in you couldn’t really ask for much more in a POV cam.
As with all Gopro releases, there are a number of premium accessories available for your camera, these include:
The Frame:
This replaces the Skeleton Housing and will give you the best possible sound out of the water as well as giving you easy access to the cameras inputs and outputs.
LCD Touch BacPac:
This builds upon the Original LCD Bacpac through new features such as touch sensitive operation, instant slo-mo playback and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Also supplied with a protective case.
Battery BacPac:
Same function as the original release but now comes in black and supplied with a protective case.
There is also a number of variants to be released in the ‘White’ and ‘Silver’ editions. These are the same spec as the Hero 1 and 2 respectively but in the new reduced size housing and will be priced accordingly. These editions will also be Wifi enabled but the Wifi remote will only be available as a separate item.
When can I buy this fantastic new product you ask? The White, Silver and premium accessories will be shipping from October 25th and the souped up ‘Black Edition’ will be available from November 30th. Just in time for Christmas then?
Check out GoPro’s sexy new release video below.
It’s been a busy time at Prokit these last couple of weeks but now it is time to talk about the coolest new products we saw at the IBC Exhibition in Amsterdam. Read on for the latest Canon camcorder and 4K capable external recorder news…
The DSLR Step Up: Canon C100
We have already written our reaction to the news of Canon’s C100 camcorder but IBC was our chance to get our hands on it. As you can see from the photo it looks similar to the C300 but significantly smaller. It’s designed for those stepping up from DSLR and the small size should come in handy for anyone still wanting a similar sized form factor. We can’t wait to get these into stock at the end of this year.
The 4K-ers: Canon C500 and Canon 1DC
I’m a little bit more in love with the C500 every time I see 4K footage from it. I was lucky enough to go a 4K screening of two movies shot with Canon 4K capable cameras at IBC. “Man and Beast” (Director: Dante Ariola, DoP: Jeff Cronenweth ASC) is the story of a man overcoming a boyhood stutter through talking to animals. I’d seen some of the movie without any sound at the NAB exhibition earlier this year on some 4K monitors and it looked very pretty good even then, so seeing it on a massive screen with a 4K projector was a chance to make an accurate assessment of the C500′s cinema credentials. The quality of the image from the 4K projection was stunning (the Vimeo link is sharp, but not 4K sharp of course) and the short is very well made. The C500 is very exciting and further down the page you can read about the recording options that will hit the market soon that get the best out of the C500.
Our Canon 4K adventure didn’t stop at the C500 screening. Also shown via the 4K projector was a short made on the upcoming Canon 1DC camera. “The Ticket” (Director: P Chan, DoP: Shane Hurlbut) is the first short made on the 1DC, and shot primarily with the 4K Motion JPEG compression. The short itself has much more in the style of other short movies you find on Vimeo (slightly wistful storyline/iris wide open for bokey light….you know the sort) but the quality of the 4K image was brilliant and didn’t look highly compressed at all.
I’ve grown excited by the 1DC. Previously I couldn’t figure out how it fit the Cinema EOS range, or even if anyone would be into the DSLR form factor anymore now that well priced alternatives exist. Having seen the 4K, found out that the HDMI output is uncompressed and that the HD recorded on board can lay down at 140mbps, I’m a convert. It’s my 30th birthday next month: I’d like a Canon 1DC please.
External Recorder Options for the Canon C500
Recording 4K ProRes
AJA are following up the popular Ki Pro Mini ProRes recorder with a 4K capable version that will be ideal for the Canon C500. Although the Ki Pro Quad is not capable of recording 4K RAW from the C500, it can record a 10bit 4K resolution file in Pro Res. Combine that 4K ProRes with the flat Canon C-Log profile on the C500 and you’ll have footage in phenomenal 4K resolution with huge dynamic range.
RAW Recording from the C500
If you want the widest dynamic range and highest bitrate from the C500, then you’ll want to record RAW onto a RAW capable recorder. The Convergent Design Gemini RAW is the most compact solution for this, offering 4K RAW recording from the Canon C500 and 2K RAW from the Arri Alexa. It is due early 2013. Another option is the latest Codex Onboard S Recorder, which will handle the RAW stream from the Canon C500 on a removable SSD capture drive.
New Canon Cine and Prime Zoom Lenses
So you’ve got your Canon Cinema EOS C100/300/500/1DC. Now you need some glass for them! IBC this year displayed not only the already-announced Prime Lens kit (which Prokit have just taken stock of for demonstration) but some new primes (a 14mm and a 135mm prototype) and also two new T2.8 constant aperture zooms. The 15.5-47mm T2.8 is an ideal short zoom and the 30m-105mm T2.8 is the slightly longer, less wide option. Just like the whole Canon Cine Lens range they have been designed for 4K production, hold focus through the zooming range and are beautifully made.
Canon 4K Monitor Display and our December 6th Canon Cinema EOS Open Day….
Have you ever seen a 30”4K resolution monitor? If you haven’t then try to see these from Canon. We saw them briefly at NAB and then again at IBC…they are just beautiful. The photo above does not do it justice!
You’ll be able to see a selection of the above products during a Canon Cinema EOS open day here at Prokit on Thursday 6th December. More information on the full line up closer to the date!
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
Canon today unveils its latest EOS DSLR for serious photography enthusiasts – the EOS 6D. A similar size and weight to the EOS 60D, the EOS 6D is the world’s lightest DSLR to feature a full-frame CMOS sensor, making it ideal for travel, portrait and landscape photographers. The model creates a new entry point into Canon’s full-frame line-up, and is perfect for those who want greater control over depth of field, or to maximise the impact of shooting with the EOS system’s extensive range of wide-angle EF lenses.
The EOS 6D combines a powerful, full-frame imaging system and superior low-light performance with a compact, robust and lightweight design. For the first time in any EOS model, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity are included, empowering photographers to capture stunning images on the move, tag them with location information and wirelessly transfer them to a computer, the cloud, or smartphones.
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