“Medium Format” and “Accessible” are two terms rarely found in the same sentence. Digital medium format picked up where analog medium format ended. Most initial entries were digital backs. Various sensor sizes and formats were mounted onto cumbersome electronic backs, then mounted to analog medium format cameras. This method enabled a relatively smooth systematic transition, and also a hybrid operation with digital backs working as indicators while the film was used for the higher-quality end result. But it had some significant issues.

Modular mayhem

Early digital backs required significant electronic prowess, not always within reach of film camera manufacturers. Various electronic companies entered the market, creating digital backs with various levels of compatibility. Such were Leaf, Imacon, and Phase One with the latter still leading the high-end segment of this market today.

This practice brought about some compatibility challenges. In these early eons, compact storage media couldn’t support massive file sizes. Many digital backs didn’t even bother with memory cards and were limited to either tethering or storage magazines. This meant one set of batteries for the camera, another type for the back, and an additional one for the magazine. Furthermore, many medium format cameras didn’t have any electronic connections to sync to the back and sensor, requiring additional cables.

These traits, originally made for seamless integration, made medium format photography extremely cumbersome, unwieldy, and expensive. The change started in 2010.

Pentax unionizes the format

Most if not all medium format manufacturers moved towards more unified, proprietary systems, but it was Pentax who introduced the world to the first unified body, medium format camera. Utilizing their vast experience with both analog medium format cameras as well as digital SLRs, the company created the Pentax 645D.

A long-time innovator in the analog medium format days, the company has implemented various technologies into the format. Coming from 35mm cameras, some of those were considered “Hobbyist” or “Amateur”. These functions included smart light metering, advanced autofocus, etc.

Pentax did just the same with the 645D – the company didn’t refer to it as a “medium format” camera, disregarding the fuss and technical snobbism, thus blurring the line between medium format and 35mm/full frame. Oh, and Pentax also slashed the price with the first $10K medium format digital camera ever.

Blurring boundaries

A distinct line is drawn between the Pentax 645D to the FUJIFILM GFX 100s. Both cameras shamelessly take advantage of every available technology and feature, utterly disregarding its “amateur” reputation. Both come from manufacturers deeply invested in APS-C cameras. Both come from relatively small manufacturers with a strong reputation for innovation in some unexpected ways. There have been many evolutionary changes since 2010. Pentax debuted the use of CMOS sensors in medium-format cameras with the 645Z. This brought extreme ISO settings for the first time with medium format, high dynamic range, and basic video capabilities. The camera was widely adopted (in medium format standards) and even caught the eye of some known cinematographers.

FUJIFILM carried the format into the mirrorless age, later followed by Hasselblad. The GFX 50S and the GFX 50R introduced a new level of “handhold ability”, being just slightly larger than professional DSLRs. The GFX100 was arguably the first medium format camera designed with professional videography in mind.

Though earlier cameras included video capabilities, I’ll argue that it was more of an afterthought than a design choice. The GFX 100s also incorporated the first mirrorless phase-detect autofocus system, including scene recognition and subject tracking. But none of those innovations was as important as the core conceptual shift that started with the Pentax 645D and peaked with the FUJIFILM GFX 100s. The concept of medium format cameras is a natural evolution of high-end full-frame cameras rather than a separate segment.

The final frontier

The FUJIFILM GFX 100s wasn’t the first to offer over a 100-megapixel sensor, nor was it the first 4K 10-bit capable medium format camera. We even had stabilized 44×33 sensors, phase detect autofocus, compact unified camera body, and more in other medium format cameras. But the GFX 100s was the first at one significant front – Price. As of its debut, the camera’s price aligned with high-end full-framers. The Sony A1, announced in the same week as the GFX 100s, was actually $500 more expensive at $6,500. Up until this point, medium-format cameras were somewhat excluded from the mainstream market. Even when priced around $10K, one would have to use the uniqueness trump card to justify the purchase. The same justification applies to other unique gear such as Leica M cameras, analog filmmaking, large format photography, vintage lenses, etc. When prices align, a fundamental segmentation shift occurs, and that’s the story of the landmark FUJIFILM GFX 100s.

The final chapter for the GFX 100s?

Announced in January 2021, it seems that a GFX 100s replacement is due soon enough. This, and the $7,500 GFX 100 II may be the possible motivations behind the current $1600 price drop.

With its new $4,400 price tag, the GFX 100s assumes an extremely competitive position among high-resolution cameras. The likes of the Sony A7R V, Nikon Z 8, Canon EOS R5, or the Leica SL3 may out-perform it in terms of agility, burst speed, and autofocus, but all falls short when it comes to their defining feature – still image quality. The 44x33mm 102-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor is still untouched in terms of resolution, offering significantly higher image quality compared to its full-frame peers. Unlike medium format cameras of old, this comes with just a minimal toll regarding speed and operability. The FUJIFILM GFX 100s is fast enough for various genres. It boasts incredible high ISO performance, can track faces and eyes with adequate accuracy for portrait or event photography, and offers decent 4K 10-bit recording. I personally use it for my high-res landscapes, museum-level reproductions, architecture, family, and occasional wedding photography. And is also my choice for YouTube videos.

No longer niche

Like some of its forebears, the GFX 100s is a landmark camera – another step in the long journey medium format has made it into the mainstream market. While still rather unique regarding still image quality, this camera is a true representative of the hybridization and democratization evolution. While the GFX 100 II is not its direct predecessor, this camera also walks the path, and so I assume the next generation will. We’ll have to wait and see if those will be as influential as the GFX 100s, which is now available for an amazingly affordable price.

Price and availability

The FUJIFILM GFX 100s is now available for no more than $4,399 in the USA and various similar offers across Europe. We can’t be too sure as to the duration of this sale. My guess is that it will continue until stocks deplete, but I have nothing but my common sense to base it on.

Will you consider this high-end stills camera for your work or play? Do the basic but good video specs satisfy you? Let us know in the comments.

The DJI Ronin 4D-6K was released in October 2021 – here’s our full video review in case you missed it – and it took the company an extra two years to finally launch the Ronin 4D-8K with the Zenmuse X9-8K camera. While this one-of-its-kind filmmaking device is impressive and can produce unique results thanks to its 4-axis stabilization, the Ronin 4D never really made it to Hollywood and feature films. Indeed, to this day, except for short films, commercials, music videos, and documentaries, the Ronin 4D is struggling to make it on large screens.

During South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024, screenwriter and director Alex Garland presented his new movie, “Civil War,” which stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman. Before diving deeper, let’s watch the movie’s official teaser, which will be released on April 12th, 2024.

Civil War – Shot on the DJI Ronin 4D

You got it; the story behind “Civil War” is easy to summarize: the movie follows a team of journalists who travel across the United States during the rapidly escalating second American Civil War. This anticipation/SF movie received good criticism during the SXSW world premiere.

In an interview with Empire, director Alex Garland revealed that they shot “Civil War” with the DJI Ronin 4D:

It does something incredibly useful. It self-stabilises, to a level that you control — from silky-smooth to vérité shaky-cam. To me, that is revolutionary in the same way that Steadicam was once revolutionary. It’s a beautiful tool.

Alex Garland

Alex Garland mentions that the camera was affordable at around $5000 – well, $6799 if we want to be precise – so we can deduce that they shot with the DJI Ronin 4D-6K. Since the movie will be available in theaters and IMAX, it tells us that Ronin 4D footage can go the extra mile perfectly.

Why choose the DJI Ronin 4D to shoot Civil War?

Every tool has its pros and cons, but Alex Garland found that the DJI Ronin 4D was the best tool for the job of shooting Civil War:

We knew we needed to shoot quickly, and move the camera quickly, and wanted something truthful in the camera behaviour, that would not over-stylise the war imagery. All of which push you towards handheld. But we didn’t want it to feel too handheld, because the movie needed at times a dreamlike or lyrical quality, which pushes you towards tracks and dollies.

The final part of the filmmaking puzzle — because the small size and self-stabilisation means that the camera behaves weirdly like the human head. It sees “like us.” That gave Rob (Rob Hardy B.S.C NDLR) and I the ability to capture action, combat, and drama in a way that, when needed, gave an extra quality of being there.

Alex Garland

The main selling points of the DJI Ronin 4D for Garland have been the flexibility and built-in 4-axis stabilization. Indeed, time is money on set, so the accumulated saved time on installing a dolly over several weeks can be huge at the end of the day. It also means that the team was faster in setting up and following the action, which can benefit the acting.

Will it be the beginning of a new trend and the start of more movies shot with the DJI Ronin 4D? Only the future will tell, but as Garland says, it is “not right for every movie, but uniquely right for some.”

Source: Empire

featured image credit: A24 / DJI (composition by CineD)

Did you already shoot content with the Ronin 4D-6K or 8K? Do you see yourself shooting entire projects with the Ronin 4D? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

The unexpected announcement seems to have split the world in half. On one side, some are afraid that a traditional company like Nikon can somewhat alter the rebellious, disruptive nature of RED. On the other hand, a team of opponents affirm that this merger can only lead to positive outcomes, tech-wise speaking. To be honest with you, I tend to lean towards the latter group.

Having worked with both RED DSMC3 cameras and the Nikon Z 9, I got to know the pros and cons of each system firsthand. Thus, I feel confident saying that the two brands offer different tools for such different jobs that the technologies at their disposal have the potential to come together in a perfect alignment of stars.

Following the acquisition, the president of RED, Jarred Land, informally jumped on a spur-of-the-moment conversation with Scott Balkum and Phil Holland (video above). As he puts it in this insightful talk – that you should truly watch in its entirety – this marriage “gives both companies exactly what both were lacking”. But before investigating how Nikon and their now wholly-owned subsidiary RED could create a thriving common ground of technologies, let’s get…

…the infamous compressed RAW patent dispute…

…out of the way first. As you probably know, RED holds a patent over in-camera RAW video compression, and often initiated legal proceedings against their competitors, including Nikon, for infringing on their intellectual property. As a result, the Californian brand has long been accused of holding back the entire industry with their patent.

However, in his first video appearance after the acquisition, Jarred Land affirms that the recent events have “nothing to do with the patent stuff”. He adds that:

“every company that matters, we’ve already licensed to. You haven’t heard about most of them […]. Companies develop and keep things confidential, but all those people that are mad that their company doesn’t have compressed RAW… they actually do. They just haven’t shown, or developed, or released it yet”.

Jarred Land – President of RED Digital Cinema

Of course, this statement represents a complete shift in perspective and hints towards interesting times industry-wise for camera manufacturers.

Dear Nikon, please put these tools into a RED camera

Now, without any further ado, let’s open up some room for the imagination. So, “Dear Nikon…”, here’s my personal wishlist of features – in no particular order – that I’d like to see in the next generation of RED cameras:

1) Z mount with locking ring and electronic communication
Although there’s no official information about the adoption of Nikon’s proprietary lens mount for future RED products, my feeling is that, sooner or later, we’ll need to be prepared for this transition. In the end, it’s in Nikon’s best interests to sell their ever-growing collection of Z mount glass.

Undoubtedly, this transition may be painful for those who already invested in a series of Canon RF mount lenses. However, most people are already adapting PL mount glass on their RED DSMC3 bodies, and the switch to Z mount won’t happen overnight anyway.

On the other hand, the Z mount system now has an opportunity to finally prove itself to be the most flexible solution on the market. With a flange distance of only 16mm, it allows you to adapt pretty much every lens that was ever produced on this planet. So, for me, it’s hard to look at this probable change to Z mount as a bad thing.

Moreover, the adoption of a Z mount with electronic communication would allow RED to replicate what they did with their RF to PL mount adapter for DSMC3 cameras,  supporting lens data communication for high-end cinema applications.

2) Nikon’s hybrid autofocus technology
As a natural consequence of a possible shift to Z mount, future RED cameras could borrow better hybrid AF technology from Nikon. RED already dipped their toes into the “autofocus sea” with their DSMC3 cameras, including features such as in-app (original KOMODO) or in-camera (V-RAPTOR / KOMODO-X) face detection AF, which can be very useful for solo shooters. However, developing this tool from the ground up is a time-consuming, resource-intensive task.

On the other side, Nikon’s hybrid phase-detection/contrast AF technology is a much riper fruit that has all it takes to compete with the likes of Canon’s Dual Pixel or Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF. Compared to RED’s system, Nikon offers much more granular control over AF settings, better tracking options, and most importantly, already delivers incredible results – as you can tell from the test clip below that I shot with the Z 9 and the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S.

3) H.265 10-bit encoding
While the patented REDCODE RAW is a fantastic format to work with, and all DSMC3 cameras already offer ProRes as an alternative, RED users could benefit from the addition of H.265 encoding for at least 3 different reasons: a) it would provide more manageable file sizes for projects that don’t require RAW, b) it could help streamline proxy workflows, c) it could speed up Camera-to-Cloud uploads.

4) In-body stabilization
Another Z 9 feature that I find extremely useful, especially when working with long lenses, is its 5-axis in-body image stabilization. With the BURANO, Sony proved that it is possible to combine a PL mount, IBIS, and a variable electronic ND filter into the same body.

Coming pretty late to the party, the V-RAPTOR XL is the first RED camera to keep PL-mount and electronic NDs under the same roof. However, IBIS is still a missing piece for RED. And considering how hard of an engineering challenge it is to put all the pieces of the puzzle together (it took Sony 5+ years to develop what you see in the BURANO), only a big corporation like Nikon can give RED the boost it needs here.

5) Smart video-centric features
Via regular firmware updates, Nikon equipped their flagship Z 9 camera with a series of video-oriented features that would be interesting to see in a proper cinema camera.

Among my favorites is the “Hi-Res” digital zoom function – added with firmware V3.0. It allows you to exploit the sensor’s 8K resolution to digitally zoom in while capturing 4K or FullHD footage, effectively turning prime lenses into parfocal zooms. This could be a nice match for ProRes, or possibly H.265, recording on future RED cameras.

Or the “Auto Capture” function – introduced with firmware V4.0 – that enables you to pre-program the camera to automatically trigger when 3 user-determined criteria are met (Motion / Distance / Subject Detection). Pair this with RED’s existing pre-record function, and you have the ultimate tool for sports and wildlife videographers.

6) Sensor shield protection
As small of an improvement as this may seem, having a shield to protect the image sensor from dust or small debris can be a game-changer. On the Z 9, this function only kicks in when the camera is turned off, but it’s still a nice-to-have feature when performing lens changes out in the wild. Currently, no cinema camera offers a similar solution.

7) Improved boot-up times
While this may not be a top priority for RED shooters often working in a studio or a sound stage, I’m sure it is for people like me who often shoot sports in remote outdoor locations, when you need to save battery life and cannot afford to keep your camera on all the time or bring an extra set of batteries.

While following the 12G SDI protocol has never been a huge issue for me, having to wait 40 seconds for my KOMODO to boot up is just tedious, whereas with other cameras like the Sony FX6, for example, you’re pretty much up and running with the flip of a switch.

What about a Nikkor cine lens set?

One of Nikon’s greatest strengths is their 100+ years of expertise in the development of optics. Many vintage lens enthusiasts are constantly after the best copies of their AI-S lenses. But the Japanese company already boasts some impressive glass in their modern Z-mount lineup, like the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct or the 135mm f/1.8 S Plena – that I recently had the opportunity to test.

Although these lenses are designed with a stills-first approach and are not strictly related to my wish list of camera features, a rehoused, cinema-oriented version of Nikon S-Line primes (and zooms) would make for an impressive set of optical tools. Autofocus cine lenses, anyone?

Thoughts on Nikon’s future

To level the playing field a bit, let’s top off our conversation with a few considerations on the impact that this acquisition might have on future Nikon products. Personally, I don’t think we’ll ever see a cinema, box-style camera from Nikon, at least in the near future – as this could potentially damage their recently acquired subsidiary. However, there are a few aspects that are worth considering when thinking about future Z mount hybrid mirrorless cameras. 

• Global Shutter
  While Sony jumped on the highest step of the podium by launching the first full-frame camera to ever feature a global shutter sensor with the a9 III, Nikon now has the opportunity to exploit RED’s hard-earned skills in this field.
  
  The a9 III scored pretty decent results in our Lab Test for a global shutter camera. However, after the KOMODO experience, RED now truly seems to have mastered this technology, as they can confidently say that their newly launched V-RAPTOR [X] with a global shutter has almost the same dynamic range as the original, rolling shutter Raptor (our Lab Test here).

• What’s the future of N-RAW?
  Although Nikon now has a clear path to further develop N-RAW, I have mixed feelings about the future of this format. On one hand, Nikon is rumored to be working on a better log curve for N-RAW and has also improved their N-Log LUT along the way to provide better results.
  
  Still, N-RAW is currently only supported in DaVinci Resolve, and quite surprisingly, Principal Product Manager for Adobe Audio & Video – Fergus Hammond – recently announced that they have paused work on adding N-RAW support to their products. This, of course, makes me wonder if Nikon has new plans on the horizon for in-camera RAW video compression.

• Possible video improvements for future Nikon mirrorless cameras
  With the Nikon Z 9 and Z 8, Nikon proved that they could compete in a league that they previously struggled to get into. However, their cameras are still missing quite a few essential functionalities for video shooters. Shutter angle, anamorphic de-squeeze, and a proper false color exposure tool are just a few examples. Luckily, Nikon’s firmware update game is strong, so we might be able to see some of these features come to the Z 9 and Z 8 in the next few months.

What do you think of Nikon acquiring RED? What features would you like to see in the next generation of RED and Nikon cameras? Don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below!

Most of us did not see this coming: Nikon acquired RED. As of today, the American cinema camera manufacturer RED will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon. But before diving deeper, let’s rewind a bit and talk about the history.

A brief RED history – from innovation to patent mastering

RED was founded in 2005 by James Jannard, who had previously founded the successful eyewear company Oakley. The company launched their first camera, the RED One, in 2007. The rest is, as we say, history, with a galaxy of cinema cameras introduced over the years. What set RED apart from their competitors is that cinema cameras finally became “affordable” – or at least theoretically possible to purchase or rent without having to sell a kidney – for independent filmmakers and small/medium production companies. Listing all the camera models RED launched over the years would be too long, but we can name a couple of the legendary models that changed our industry, including:

• DSMC1: RED Scarlet-X with its Mysterium X image sensor, followed by the RED Epic. Both cameras were later upgraded with the Dragon image sensor.
• DSMC2: the RED Helium and RED Weapon Helium in 2016 with 8K RAW recording capabilities.
• The RED Komodo 6K was officially released in October 2020 and is one of the company’s most popular camera models for independent filmmakers thanks to its sub $6,000 price tag.
• The most recent RED DSMC3 lineup includes the Komodo-X, V-RAPTOR, and the latest V-RAPTOR [X], which features a Vista Vision image sensor and can record in 8K at up to 120p.

In 2007, the RED One was a true innovation and revolution for the filmmaking industry. Indeed, it is the first camera that introduced the REDCODE RAW codec to the world. The RECODE RAW is a compressed, non-destructive RAW video recording codec and is considered by many to be one of the most efficient and flexible formats to work with. Indeed, thanks to all the metadata recorded, you can easily adjust multiple camera settings in post, including ISO, white balance, etc. To learn more about REDCODE RAW, you can look at our in-depth article here.

While Mr. Jannard is relatively discrete publicly, the real face of RED for most of us is his president, Jarred Land, who took over the company in 2013 after the founder’s resignation. Land has over 100 patents attached to his name. However, in 2012, RED introduced the controversial patent US8872933B2 for “non-debayered” RAW video recording. This patent is complex, and RED already won many cases in court against various companies that allowed their devices to shoot RAW video, including Apple and, more recently, Nikon themselves.

What does this acquisition bring to Nikon?

First, we can see a bit clearer why the lawsuit against Nikon was dismissed in April 2023. The Nikon Z 9 was able to preserve its RAW internal recording capabilities, and we think that Nikon had to pay a fee/license to RED to keep it.

Next, I have doubts that Nikon will join the cinema camera market. While both brands will exist independently, I wouldn’t be surprised if more Nikon cameras, now or in the future, gain access to RAW internal recording capabilities thanks to the acquisition of the REDCODE RAW patent. However, we can dream that a Nikon mirrorless camera will have built-in REDCODE RAW recording capabilities, but I have high doubts about it.

As I mentioned, Nikon will now own the “non-debayered” RAW video recording, which also means all the licensing rights that come with it. That represents considerable money for the Japanese brand not to neglect.

What about RED?

While we have very little information about Nikon’s acquisition of RED, what can it mean for the cinema camera manufacturer? Nikon mentions that this acquisition is “to meet the customers’ needs and offer exceptional user experiences that exceed expectations, merging the strengths of both companies.”

Many content creators anticipate a probable change in RED cameras’ lens mounts. Indeed, at the moment, the Komodo 6K and DSMC3 lineup all feature a built-in Canon RF lens mount. RED pays Canon’s license to use their RF lens mount. I would not be surprised if future RED cameras come with a Nikon Z mount.

Next, RED will also benefit from Nikon’s decades of experience in glasses. Will this mean that RED Pro Primes V2 will be on the roadmap any time soon? We will yet have to find out. The same goes for image sensors: Will both companies join forces and share or co-develop some image sensors/processors at some point?

Also, we can mention that Nikon has a tremendous reseller/distributor network worldwide, as does RED, and bigger marketing budgets. I would not be surprised if we also see changes in that regard soon.

That acquisition raises many questions for customers and the filmmaking community in general. We’re expecting exciting news, and we’ll update you when we learn more!

What do you think about RED’s acquisition by Nikon? What do you expect from it? Would you like some features or products developed? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!

Please note: this is an evolving story. Make sure to update this article frequently for more details.

Lately, RED Digital Cinema has been at the center of a series of plot twists within our industry. Just a few weeks ago, RED announced a partnership with ARRI to develop a custom V-RAPTOR XL camera to use with ARRI DNA glass on the upcoming Tron: Ares movie. Soon after that, they launched the V-RAPTOR [X] – the first cinema camera to feature an 8K Vista Vision sensor with global shutter technology. And now, straight out of the blue, we find out that yellow is taking over red.

This may be even more surprising considering that two years ago the two companies were fighting in court over in-camera compressed RAW patents. Now, without any further ado, let’s take a look at Nikon’s press release.

RED becomes yellow – Nikon to acquire the American company

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation (Nikon) hereby announces its entry into an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding membership interests of RED.com, LLC (RED) whereby RED will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon, pursuant to a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement with Mr. James Jannard, its founder, and Mr. Jarred Land, its current President, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions thereunder.

Since its establishment in 2005, RED has been at the forefront of digital cinema cameras, introducing industry-defining products such as the original RED ONE 4K to the cutting-edge V-RAPTOR [X] with its proprietary RAW compression technology. RED’s contributions to the film industry have not only earned it an Academy Award but have also made it the camera of choice for numerous Hollywood productions, celebrated by directors and cinematographers worldwide for its commitment to innovation and image quality optimized for the highest levels of filmmaking and video production.

This agreement was reached as a result of the mutual desires of Nikon and RED to meet the customers’ needs and offer exceptional user experiences that exceed expectations, merging the strengths of both companies. Nikon’s expertise in product development, exceptional reliability, and know-how in image processing, as well as optical technology and user interface along with RED’s knowledge in cinema cameras, including unique image compression technology and color science, will enable the development of distinctive products in the professional digital cinema camera market.

Nikon will leverage this acquisition to expand the fast-growing professional digital cinema camera market, building on both companies’ business foundations and networks, promising an exciting future of product development that will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in film and video production.

What do you think of this acquisition? Are you excited or scared for the future of RED Digital Cinema products? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Vazen is – or was – a Chinese lens manufacturer founded in 2019 in Shenyang. The company was established by Weizhen Liu, an optical engineer who saw a blind spot in the filmmaking industry: creating anamorphic lenses, not with a “traditional” 1.33x squeeze ratio, but making the screen wider with a 1.8x squeeze design. The Vazen brand was born, and the first lenses started to hit the market.

Vazen Super35 1.8x anamorphic lenses

Vazen started by releasing Super35 lenses for Micro Four Third and, later down the road, Canon RF cameras. The company had three lenses, all with a 1.8x squeeze ratio: 28mm, 40mm, and 65mm, all with a maximum T2.0 aperture. Back in 2019, these lenses immediately caught our attention, and my colleague Gunther did a review of the 40mm T2.0 that you can watch here. Now that the company had everybody’s attention with a price tag of around $3,250 per lens, it was time to go bigger.

The full-frame quest

With the rise and gain of traction of full-frame and large-format cinematography, Vazen decided to start developing new 1.8x anamorphic lenses, starting with the 85mm T2.8 in August 2020 that we also reviewed here. In May 2021, the company launched the 50mm T2.8, and in April 2022, the 3-lens set was complete with the 135mm T2.8. Each Vazen full-frame lens was way more expensive than its Super35 counterpart, at around $8,000 each. Unfortunately for the company, the 3-lens set will never be expanded.

Vazen ceases operations

Today, March 6th, 2024, Vazen announced that they have officially ceased operation. Here is what the company states on its website:

As we turn the page to the final chapter of Vazen’s story, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to you, our customers and partners. Your unwavering support has been the cornerstone of our journey, fueling our passion for creating lenses that bring visions to life.

Though we have come to the difficult decision to conclude our operations, the memories and images captured through our lenses will continue to inspire us. It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of your creative process and to witness the world through your unique perspectives.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your creative journey. We bid you farewell with the hope that your stories will continue to be told through the beauty of your captures, in all the days to come.

The Vazen Team

As always, when a manufacturer’s door closes, this is sad news for the filmmaking community. We don’t have additional information for the reason behind their announcement. As a filmmaker, I think that releasing their full-frame lenses one after another, spaced by a year, caused the lens set to never really catch up in terms of sales.

If you had planned to purchase Vazen lenses, I guess that the only solution left for you is the aftermarket, and I would not be surprised to see prices starting to rise. If you’re already a Vazen owner, then you had better not need third-party replacement parts or servicing.

What do you think about this closure? Do you own Vazen lenses, or had you planned on purchasing one? Did you already shoot with Vazen lenses? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

After spending a couple of hundred or even thousands of your hard-earned money on a new mirrorless camera, there is one thing that most of us usually never consider: firmware updates and support. Indeed, when it comes to firmware updates, I never expect any camera manufacturer to add features I need at the time of purchase in the future. I get the camera that fits my needs at the time of release, and if I get free additional features in the future via a firmware update, I see it as a bonus.

Mirrorless camera firmware updates

Developing and bringing firmware updates to the user obviously costs money to camera manufacturers. Last year, we debated the content creator’s frustration over Sony Alpha mirrorless camera firmware updates. Sony actually announced a $149 firmware update that should be available this month that adds framing guidelines. We even launched a CineD poll on paid firmware updates if you want to learn more about it and vote.

On the other hand, Nikon continues to release firmware updates for their mirrorless cameras at a consistent rate, free of charge for the users. Over the years, the company has released three major firmware updates for the Nikon Z 9. The Nikon Z 8 recently got its first major firmware update, version 2.0, which improves autofocus capabilities, adds an Auto Capture feature, and a new ISO200 N-log option. So, what is Nikon’s strategy regarding firmware updates for their mirrorless cameras?

Nikon mirrorless cameras’ firmware updates

During CP+ 2024, the French website Phototrend interviewed Mitsuteru Hino-san from the development sector of Nikon’s Imaging Business Unit. Here is what he had to say about mirrorless camera firmware updates in general:

In the DSLRs days, we relied heavily on the mirror and mechanical elements inside the camera. A lot of innovation is going on, especially in mirrorless cameras’ processors and sensors. We can further extend these functionalities thanks to this accumulated information and knowledge. Even after our users have purchased a product, thanks to these firmware updates, they can continue to enjoy and use their Nikon Z camera. We want to exceed our customers’ expectations. We indeed put more emphasis on firmware updates for mirrorless cameras. For example, we received much feedback from our users when introducing subject detection on the Z 7.

Nikon has also changed its organization: firmware developers are now more exposed to customer feedback than before, so we can quickly reflect customer requests in these updates.

Back in the days of film and then DSLRs, we were already accumulating customer feedback. But all we could tell them then was that we’d incorporate these changes into the next model. Nowadays, because firmware developers can identify what can be done, we don’t have to wait for the next model to make improvements.

At the end of 2021, we launched the Nikon Z 9. Since its launch, we’ve had three major firmware updates: v2.00, v3.00, and v4.00. The v2.00 firmware update was already planned. But for v3.00 and v4.00, most elements reflected customer requests or opinions. Of course, we also have to consider sensor capacity and processor speed. So, not all requests can be met, but we do our best to respond to customer requests as much as possible. Before taking up my current position, I was in charge of developing firmware updates, so I’m very passionate about this subject.

Mitsuteru Hino-san – Nikon

Firmware updates and hardware limitations

As you can tell, Nikon listens to user feedback, tries to bring new features, and fixes things they might have missed before launching a new camera. However, with firmware updates, the sky is not the limit, but hardware often is:

First of all, regarding resources, development for firmware is quite limited. Of course, a firmware update cannot exceed the capabilities defined by the hardware. We can’t increase the definition of a sensor or its dynamic range, you understand. For these requests, we have to wait for the next model.

For example, if it’s a request related to the user interface, we can quickly implement it and then incorporate these changes into the body via a firmware update. This is how we judge whether we should wait for the next model or whether we can incorporate the change in a firmware update. Moreover, by listening carefully to customers, we often discover new things we’d never noticed before. We learn a lot from these discoveries and start working on areas we haven’t caught before.

For example, the shutter sound of the Z 9 and Z 8. The Z 9 is not equipped with a mechanical shutter, so we thought it should not emit a shutter sound. That’s why we opted for a single sound that can be emitted from the camera’s loudspeaker. On the Z 9, we’ve also placed the speaker close enough to the electronic viewfinder so that the photographer can hear the sound.

However, we realized that the shutter sound is also used to communicate with the model, for example. So we had to change the speaker’s position, but that’s a hardware issue. We then realized that if you have several shutter sound options, you can use them for communication. We also discovered that we needed to adjust the sound level, not only for the photographer but also so that the model could hear it. Beyond this idea of cat meowing, we’ve added the possibility of modifying the shutter sound level and different types of trigger sound after launching the Z 9.

Mitsuteru Hino-san – Nikon

While new features can be added based on user feedback, not everything is possible. However, it’s always nice to see that companies listen, try to innovate, and put in the work to update their products when possible. Also, in this day and age, fighting against planned obsolescence is an intelligent move from Nikon and other camera manufacturers.

What do you think about mirrorless camera firmware updates? Are you a Nikon Z user who has benefited from these free firmware updates? Would you pay for a firmware update? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!

Source: Phototrend

Last night, the 38th ASC Awards were handed to their winners at a ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles last night. You can watch a recording of the entire 3-hour ceremony here on ASC’s Vimeo account.

Nominees in the category for Theatrical Feature Film included Edward Lachman, ASC for El Conde (Netflix), Matthew Libatique, ASC, LPS for Maestro (Netflix), Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC for Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+), and Robbie Ryan, ISC for Poor Things (Searchlight).

Tara Jenkins of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) spoke with van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC before his win, suggesting that his approach, which involved crafting a ‘probe lens’ with Dan Suzaki and utilizing large format 65mm black and white film, marked a pioneering endeavor in the realm of cinematography.

Every film should have its own unique language, if you will, and it’s always very exciting for me to come up with ideas that aren’t just chosen off a shelf.

Hoyte van Hoytema in an interview with Tara Jenkins of ASC

List of 38th ASC Awards Winners

Full list of winners in the various categories at the 38th ASC Awards (You can see a full list of the nominees on the ASC website here):

• THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM: Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC for Oppenheimer
• SPOTLIGHT AWARD: Warwick Thornton for The New Boy
• EPISODE OF A ONE-HOUR TELEVISION SERIES: M. David Mullen, ASC for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “Four Minutes” (Prime Video)
• LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV: Ben Kutchins, ASC for Boston Strangler (Hulu)
• EPISODE OF A HALF-HOUR SERIES: Carl Herse for Barry, “Tricky Legacies” (Max)
• DOCUMENTARY AWARD: Curren Sheldon for King Coal
• MUSIC VIDEO AWARD: Jon Joffin, ASC for At Home (Performed by Jon Bryant)

As part of the MZed series, the ASC Clubhouse Conversations, van Hoytema gives insights and examines his contributions to the film “Oppenheimer.”, and talks about his horror sci-fi film Note. You can sign up for MZed, if you haven’t already, and watch the whole talk here for free.

We here at CineD would like to extend our congratulations to Hoyte on winning this well-deserved award. We look forward to seeing more of his work in the future!

What do you think about Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC winning the theatrical Feature Film Award in Cinematography for Oppenheimer? Was this one of your favorites this year? Did you think a different film should have gotten the award? Let us know in the comments below!

Over the years, many users have turned to ad blockers to counter the increasing frequency of ads on YouTube. I don’t have access to any of YouTube’s internal documents, but I’d make a bet and say that ad blocking may have a negative impact on the platform’s income. That, in turn, could be a reason for the increase in ad frequency over time. Hence – a war of attrition.

YouTube vs Ad blockers

YouTube discourages ad blocker usage through pop-up messages saying “Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Term of Service” and suggesting users turn off their ad blockers. Another approach involves slowing down the entire site when an ad blocker is detected, referred to as “suboptimal viewing,” a measure recently extending to more users, as recent reports suggest.

YouTube offers two available resolutions, and both are pretty straightforward: Disabling the ad blocker or opting for a premium subscription. Both are probably considered suboptimal by most users, but one must consider YouTube’s interests here. Though the platform doesn’t provide content per se, it does provide a meaningful service and deserves some sort of compensation for it. Web hosting doesn’t come cheap, and YouTube does offer what is probably the most robust video-sharing platform for all creators.

The show must go on?

The ongoing conflict between the content platform and its users, who are also its content providers, will ensue. Some will always believe the web giant can make a little less profit by optimizing user experience with fewer ads or lowering the subscription price a bit. Others will just go make coffee while the ads play along. Some will take the “shady” route and try to develop stealthier ad blockers in an ongoing arms race.

As mentioned – it’s still on (Later edit)

As this ongoing conflict ensues we’ve just got an update about a new software update issued by Ad Block Plus, that should combat the new slowdown. so until next time…

Do you use Ad blockers? Do you see any resemblance between the issue addressed here and copyright issues? What kind of solution would you like to see implemented? Let us know in the comments below!

I’m sure that if your team works remotely and you have to deal with vast amounts of footage, you have had to send proxies instead of the original files. Transferring huge files is fine if computers are connected to the network, but we typically need to work wirelessly from a laptop. Well, it looks like sooner or later that won’t be a problem because, although our video files are getting bigger, the race for speed and connectivity in the Wi-Fi world seems to grow even faster than our files.

Better efficiency in a world of demanding technology

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 boosts Wi-Fi performance and connectivity over a variety of environments. Based on IEEE 802.11be technology, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 enhances Wi-Fi performance in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Technology improves, and it demands more powerful connectivity every day. Innovations like AR/VR/XR, immersive 3D training or electronic gaming will unlock their potential thanks to this latest Wi-Fi update, resulting from the collaboration within the Wi-Fi alliance. 

Some key benefits of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 are higher throughput, improved support for deterministic latency, better efficiency even in dense networks, less power consumption, and more reliability.

The good news is that Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 will immediately benefit everyday users, with more than 233 million new devices expected in 2024 and 2.1 billion devices by 2028. The most common devices, like smartphones, PCs, tablets, etc., will be the first to implement the improvement, ensuring an immediate practical benefit for all of us. The next environments to benefit from this will be customer premises equipment (CPE), and augmented and virtual reality equipment (AR/VR).

Some of the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 devices will come from companies like Broadcom, CommScope, RUCKUS Networks, Intel, MaxLinear, MediaTek, and Qualcomm. 

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7’s advanced features

• 320 MHz channels: available in countries that make the 6 GHz band available to Wi-Fi, ultra-wide channels double today’s widest channel size to facilitate multi-gigabit device speeds and high throughput.
• Multi-Link Operation (MLO): allows devices to transmit and receive data simultaneously over multiple links for increased throughput, reduced latency, and improved reliability.
• 4K QAM: achieves 20% higher transmission rates than 1024 QAM. 
• 512 Compressed block-ack: improves efficiency and reduces overhead.
• Multiple RUs to a single STA: improves flexibility for spectrum resource scheduling to enhance spectrum efficiency.
• Triggered Uplink Access: optimizes Wi-Fi 6 defined triggered uplink access to accommodate latency-sensitive streams and satisfy QoS requirements.
• Emergency Preparedness Communication Services (EPCS): provides users with a seamless National Security & Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) service experience while maintaining the priority and quality of service in Wi-Fi access networks.

The introduction of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 marks the emergence of the latest generation of Wi-Fi and will be an accelerant to mass adoption of Wi-Fi 7. This certification underscores our relentless commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology that redefines the way users experience Wi-Fi, providing faster speeds, improved efficiency, and increased reliability, which expand the horizons of what is possible through Wi-Fi.  

Kevin Robinson, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance

Some final thoughts

‘Mobility’ and ‘big transfers’ are usually clashing terms for those working with big-size video. The need for stable and fast networks has been constant, especially where these features were achievable if technology allowed it. Who knows? Maybe this Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 will take us closer to these needs, and we will be able not only to edit our projects from an airport or a cafe but also to upload, download, and share our videos easily. Let’s see how Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 performs in the real world. 

For more information, please visit the Wi-Fi Alliance website.

What do you think about the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 announcement? Will your workflow benefit from its features? Let us know in the comments below!