Complete Coverage:NAB Show 2013
Canon will be demoing two new ultra-compact professional
camcorders at NAB, the Canon XA25 and XA20 camcorders that have wireless
connectivity.
The new camcorders are intended to replace the XA10 with "a
tremendous range of improvements," said Chuck Westfall, technical adviser for
the Professional Engineering and Solutions Division of Canon U.S.A. in a
briefing.
These features include a slightly larger sensor, a 20x HD
Zoom Lens, higher frame rates, OLED screen, simultaneous MP4 and AVCHD
recording and wireless connectivity, which would allow digital files to be sent
back to the station or users to operate the camera remotely via tablet or
smartphone.
The cameras weigh only 2.5 pounds and are another example of
how vendors have been pushing down the size and cost of professional gear while
improving their features.
Westfall anticipates the biggest demand will be for
electronic news gathering, but it should also find uses in military,
industrial, education, documentary and indie film sectors.
The Canon XA25 HD ENG camcorder and XA20 HD professional
camcorder are scheduled to be available at the end of June 2013 for estimated
retail prices of $3,199.00 and $2,699.00, respectively.
Separately, Canon announced that it was developing a 35mm
cinema prime lens for large-format single-sensor cameras employing Super 35mm,
full-frame 35mm, and APS-C size imagers. The 35mm cinema prime lens will join
Canon's line of 14mm, 24mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm EF-mount Cinema prime lenses.
A development sample of the lens will be
available at NAB and the company expects to launch it sometime in 2013.
