Generating some real excitement over the new AVCHD recording format developed in conjunction with Sony, Panasonic came to the show with their AG-HMC70 camcorder, which records to SD cards using AVCHD/H.264 compression based on MPEG-4 for twice the storage efficiency of MPEG-2. In more a robust camcorder design, recording 1080i and 720P at 13 Mbps, Panasonic also showed off its AG-HMC150 handheld camcorder, using 1/3” CCD imaging chips and a special enhanced mode for what it calls “higher level” use. Finally, Panasonic also presented their much-anticipated 64-gigabyte SDHC (SD High Capacity) memory card that can hold up to 64 minutes of DVCPRO HD footage.

Red Digital Cinema once again demonstrated its remarkable ability to draw crowds to see its RED ONE 12 mega pixel camera (4520 X 2540), capable of 4K and 2K images. Reminding us that their delivery dates are subject to change, Red previewed their 5K RED EPIC camera, thereby raising the resolution bar even higher. Red Digital Cinema also premiered their SCARLET camcorder — they count it as a “pocket professional” camera — shooting a modest 3K image on a 2/3” Mysterium X sensor.

Sony ended their NAB press conference with an almost casual mention of their new F35 camera system at the high end of its CineAlta line that boasts a new 35mm CCD imager. The F35 shares lots of the features with their F23, but raises the dynamic range, offers a better signal-to-noise ratio to improve its digital cinema applications, and features 10-bit, 4:4:4 recording and a PL mount. “Sony HD cameras, switchers, displays and decks continue to lead the way, helping TV producers, technical directors, cinematographers, news crews and others bring new and exciting HD content to their audiences and viewers,” announced Alec Shapiro, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ Broadcast and Production Systems Division. Sony’s XDCAM EX line was expanded with their new PMW-EX3 camcorder with genlock and timecode I/O. The PMW-EX3 is accompanied by the PMW-EX30 deck and the PHU-60K professional hard disk recorder. It was also interesting to see Sony’s new professional camera viewfinder, based on OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology.

Thomson Grass Valley came to Vegas with their new Infinity DMC 1000/20, a high performance camcorder for ENG and EFP shoots using the new Thomson REV PRO eXtra Performance (XP) media, which offers more than 50 minutes of HD recording at 75 Mbps using JPEG 2000 compression. The DMC 1000/20 includes the same robust feature set as their DMC 1000/10, including three 2/3-inch progressive 1920 X 1080 native HD Xensium CMOS imagers for acquisition in HD and SD, at 50Hz or 59.94Hz. This year’s NAB also saw the U. S. debut of Thomson’s LDK 8000 SportCam, which can operate as a standard HD camera or shoot 2X slo mo.

For those who need some way to carry all of their beautiful camera equipment, Petrol strolled into NAB touting their brand new Dr. Petrol camera carrier. The bag’s unique design was inspired by the traditional doctor’s bag and does an exceptional job at holding your camera and accessories very secure. The semi-hard bag has a hinged top that unzips and opens widely, allowing easy access to all of your equipment inside. Most notable are the bag’s upper panels of shockproof, cold-molded laminate, which work well to safeguard equipment and provide reliable protection.

But what goes in front of those cameras? Canon had a new addition to its high definition lens line, the Digisuper 27 model XJ27x6.5B IE-D that boasts a focal length from 6.5 mm to 180 mm. It has a maximum servo zoom speed of 0.5 seconds and, to shift between wide and telephoto, this new Digisuper 27 can come with an optional BWA-271 0.9z wide attachment.

Fujinon’s new HA23x7.6BE HDTV lens, the newest member of their HA Series of Premier lenses, is a 2/3” HD lens offering advanced optical technology with 23X magnification and a focal length ranging from 7.6mm at the wide end, zooming out to 175mm for extreme telephoto shots. With its 2X extender engaged, the HA23x7.6’s focal length ranges from 15.2 to 350mm, with a maximum relative aperture of 1:5.3 at 350mm.

Innovision Optics delivered their DV Probe tubular lens system; an innovative system that offers enhanced optics and light transmission. The system was designed for many of the HDV and DV camcorders that are offered by major manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic and Canon. The DV Probe attaches directly to the front of the camera via an easy-to-use support bracket and is composed of high resolution glass elements and relay optics especially designed to produce images with exceptional sharpness, flat field and extreme depth of field.
Thales Angenieux showed off its newest Digital 26x7.8AIF high definition and high resolution series of Tele SuperZoom lenses, Tiffen displayed its Digital Filter Suite Software to complement the control of Tiffen optical filters, and Cooke Optics had its new RED Set of lenses made up of four standard Cooke S4/I lenses for the RED ONE 4K camera.