It’s been quite a year for the photo and film industries, with a variety of impressive cameras and lenses making their way to the market… but it’s not over yet. As the year draws to an end, we take a look at the latest news doing the rounds as well as some pretty cool predictions for next year.

Flanders releases its 16″ DM160 Reference Grade OLED Monitor

Flanders introduces a new edition to its famous DM line of monitors. Weighing in at just 2.6kg the DM160 is an extremely lightweight, high-contrast 16″ OLED monitor designed for use in colour critical production, post, and broadcast fields. Sporting ultra-fast mode processing, a durable all metal chassis, FSI’s most advanced feature set, and a compact form-factor, the DM160 is an exceptional reference grade monitoring solution for any environment.

FOR FULL SPECS GO TO FLANDERS SITE

Cine Photo Tools is a South African Dealer for Flanders Scientific. For more information or orders, please contact us

Sony FR7 is the First Netflix Approved PTZ Camera

Netflix has recently added the Sony FR7 to its list of approved cameras for 4K capture, and is the first PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera to receive approval from the streaming service. It joins the other 13 Sony cameras in Netflix’s approval list.

Previously, footage coming from PTZ cameras could only be used for a fraction of the total runtime of a program (about 10%), whereas now the FR7 can be used as the A Cam of the show.

Introduced as the world’s first cinema full-frame PTZ camera to grant the cinematic look & feel in broadcasting, It’s little wonder why the Sony FR7 joins the list of Netflix approved cameras, as it shares most of its specs with the Sony FX6, which is already in the list. These include a full-frame CMOS sensor, 4K capture up to 120fps, Dual ISO, built-in NDs, SLog3, Fast Hybrid AF, dual CFexpress A/SD slots, same internal codecs, and even the ability to output 16-bit RAW over SDI

SmallRig RC 350 and RC 450 Series Released

The new SmallRig RC 350 and RC 450 series consist of a total of 4 fixtures: RC 350D, RC 350B, RC 450D, and RC 450B. The “D” models are daylight-balanced (5,600K), while the colour temperature of the RC 350B and RC 450B is adjustable between 2,700 and 6,500K, all with a CRI 96+ and TLCI 97+ rating.

The RC 450D is the most powerful in the line-up. When using the included 55° hyper reflector, it is claimed to output up to 172,000 lux at a distance of 1 metre. The RC 350B outputs 115,000 lux at 1m (with hyper reflector, 5,600K,) the RC 350D – 149,000 lux at 1m (with hyper reflector,) and the RC 450B – 121,000 lux at 1m (with hyper reflector, 5,600K.)

According to SmallRig, its “AstralTech” optical system was used to achieve such an increase in brightness. This tech makes use of larger, more powerful LED chips as well as beaded front glass elements with high light transmittance.

The lamp head is equipped with a standard Bowens mount, and the design integrates a dual-fan cooling system, that is said to be very quiet.

 Moreover, the RC 350 and RC 450 pack up to 9 built-in lighting effects (Flash, Paparazzi, Party, Faulty Bulb, TV, Flame, Fireworks, Breath).

You can adjust settings via the onboard controls on the back of each unit or the SmallGoGo smartphone app, or the optional wired control panel specifically developed for the RC 350 and RC 450 models.

Zoom’s MicTrak range of next-generation audio recorders

The Zoom MicTrak series offers three new high-quality recording solutions, aimed at different situations. The range consists of the M2 handheld recorder, the M3 shotgun mic recorder, and the larger M4 XY recorder.

The M2 is a digital recorder shaped like a handheld microphone. It is aimed at content creators and musicians, and offers 96 kHz 32-bit recording in mono or stereo via the integrated XY microphone capsule. Whether attached to a stand on your desktop or out in the field with the windshield fitted, the M2 offers the same straightforward operation as other Zoom devices.

If you’re working with video, the M3 gives you 32-bit 48kHz recording via a stereo shotgun mic integrated directly into your camera rig. You can switch between monaural, 90°, and 120° pickup pattern modes and record in stereo, dual mono, and MS RAW format. The M3 also works as a USB mic, making it good for streaming, and the M3 Edit & Play desktop app allows you to decode, edit, and export your recorded MS RAW files.

The flagship recorder in the MicTrak series is the M4, a 4-track 32bit 192kHz recorder with an integrated floating XY mic capsule to reduce vibration. You can record up to 1 TB to microSDXC card or use it as a USB mic and record in your DAW. The M4 is easy to navigate with its colour display and it can generate timecode for video sync. Overall, it’s an incredibly versatile recording device for almost any application.

NANLITE Announces FS-150B and FS-200B Bi-Color LED Spotlights with Bowens Mount

NANLITE FS-150B and FS-200B are new bi-color LED spotlights capable of CCT output between 2700 and 6500K, Bowens mount, umbrella mount, built-in power supply, and control module, 12 effects, and high CRI and TLCI rating.

The FS-150B is rated at 175W and it weighs 2.3kg without the reflector, while the stronger FS-200B is rated at 220W and weighs in at 2.6kg.

When it comes to output strength, the FS-150B maxes out at 26300 lux whereas the FS-200B can achieve up to 29490 lux (measured at 1m distance, with reflector, at 5600K).

Both lights feature a CRI average of 96 and a TLCI average of 97 throughout the whole CCT range (2700-6500K). When it comes to temperature changes in CCT mode, the lamps feature two modes of operation, Maximum Output and Constant Output. Like with all new NANLITE FS B spotlights, they  include a handful of special effects that utilise the bi-colour output. As NANLITE claims, both lamps are cooled down by a low-noise fan. For sound-sensitive sets, the lights also offer a completely silent fan-less mode, but when activated, the maximum output is only 15%.

Rumour Roundup:

New Rumoured Sony Releases for 2023

what cameras can we expect from Sony in 2023 ? Take a look at the list below for the upcoming Sony Cameras of 2023 based on rumours:

• The Sony a7C Mark II is expected to feature a higher megapixel CMOS sensor, could use Sony a7 IV‘s 33MP Exmor R CMOS Sensor, along with new video features like 8K video could coming.
• The Sony ZV-E20 & ZV-E10 II will be the successor of ZV-E10 while ZV-E20 could feature with a new sensor, new video features, and some improvements over ZV-E10.
• The Sony a7S IV is speculated to be released in late 2023 to 2024.
• The Sony FX6 II professional cinema full frame camera could be announced in late 2023 to 2024.
• Sony a1 II flagship full frame mirrorless camera is set to replace current Sony a1.

Sony A7000 Specs Leaked

Not featured on the above list, the Sony A7000 will apparently be officially announced in 2023. According to the very strong stories abound, official announcement is expected to happen by the end of May.

This new high-end APS-C E-mount camera will be the successor of the A6600.

Sony A7000 Rumoured Specs:

• 26.1MP APS-C Backside Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor
• BIONZ XR and AI chip
• Real-time tracking AF system using AI
• 4K60p no crop
• S-Cinetone / S-Log3
• 8 steps of camera shake correction effect
• EVF Quad-VGA OLED Tru-Finder 3.69 million dots

Canon tipped to launch five cameras in 2023

The camera giant has had quite a year, but it seems like there is little time to rest as new rumours are predicting five new launches in 2023.

Canon Rumors’ list of expected Canon cameras for next year contains three APS-C cameras and two full-frame models. There will apparently be a Canon EOS R50 (which could sit below the Canon EOS R10) and another APS-C camera that will (somehow) slot in between the latter and the Canon EOS R7. A video-focused Canon EOS R7 C might also be en route.

Here’s a rundown of the current rumoured EOS R camera bodies coming in the next 12 months.

• The Canon EOS R8/EOS R9 will be slotted between the EOS R7 and EOS R10 and will likely be APS-C (no confirmed specs.)
• The Canon EOS R50 will slot below the Canon EOS R10 and will likely be a similar style camera to the EOS M line-up.
• The Canon EOS R5 S is the long rumoured high-megapixel camera is still being mentioned.
• The Canon EOS R5 II according to the latest rumours will be coming in Q2 of 2023.
• The Canon EOS R7 C A cinema version of the Canon EOS R7 had been planned, but there is some conflicting information that the product has been scrapped.

In terms of lenses, Canon is set to release a trio of RF mount wide angle L prime lenses in the first half of 2023. One of the lenses will be the RF 35mm f/1.2L (or f/1.4) and an RF 24mm f/1.4L USM. The third lens is unknown at this time.