For the uninitiated, the NAB Show (or the National Association of Broadcasters Show) is like the Consumer Electronics Show for the TV + Film industry. Each year, the media industry descends on Vegas to fill the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center with all of the latest in broadcast technology. Often times, this is a chance for all of the vendors in the space to show off their latest developments - and this year did NOT disappoint! We could probably write a small book about all of the products that got announced at the show this year, but we wanted to make it easy for you to check out some of the highlights that stood out to us. Here are the 9 products that caught our eye this year...
1) Tilta Khronos iPhone Ecosystem
Creators have been using iPhone cameras for years now with varying degrees of success, but there's no question that with the right preparation and accessories - the iPhone can be a serious tool for creators. As such, Tilta has built the ecosystem we've all been waiting for - and it will absolutely take iPhone videography to the next level. This product was a hit at this year's NAB Show.
Learn more about the Tilta Khronos Ecosystem for iPhone.
2) DJI Focus Pro
DJI may be best known for their drones and gimbals - but the company has been relentlessly evolving their offering, and creating new, innovative products. The Focus Pro uses LiDAR to track distance to a given subject and maintain focus. It's the logical evolution of the follow focus that allows for a one man band to leverage the latest technology to make sure their subject is tack sharp.
Learn more about the DJI Focus Pro.
3) Zeiss Nano Prime Lenses
Zeiss has been a leader in the world of optics for over a century, and their lenses have been revered by DP's throughout the industry for decades. Per their site, "ZEISS Nano Primes are cinema lenses designed for modern full frame mirrorless cameras — initially available for Sony E-mount. Lenses for everyone looking for highest performance and cinematic look in a small package... ZEISS Nano Primes are the go-to lenses for everyday: True Cinema. For All."
More on the Zeiss Nano Prime Lenses.
4) Kondor Blue 4x5 Matte Box
Kondor Blue is a company we love. Per their website, "Kondor Blue was founded by LA-based Director/Cinematographer Lukas Colombo, Kondor Blue was created to not only design high-quality production accessories with the filmmaker in mind, but also to stand behind those products with a lifetime warranty, exceptional customer service, and fair pricing." This matte box represents the next phase of their evolution, and like all of their products - the level of thought and attention to detail is admirable, and the quality looks phenomenal. This product will undoubtedly become an instant favorite for DP's globally.
More on the Kondor Blue 4x5 Matte Box.
5) Atomos Ninja Phone
Atomos launched on the scene about a decade ago making a big splash with their high-quality monitor/recorders that had removable storage and were capable of recording in Apple ProRes. They've since become a favorite for videographers wanting a great monitor that'll offer a secondary record option on their rig. The release of the Atomos Ninja Phone builds off of their expertise by allowing a sleek way for shooters to leverage the technology already present in their iPhone 15, while adding some valuable new features.
More on the Atomos Ninja Phone.
6) Strada
Strada co-founder Michael Cioni has been a leader in media technology for quite a while. At the risk of reducing his incredible wealth of accomplishments, he was notably one of the first to engineer post-production workflows for RED cameras with his post-house Light Iron Post (which sold to Panavision), and then went on to be a key part of the product team at Frame.io (which sold to Adobe). Needless to say, he has proven to have his finger on the pulse of where this industry is going, and Strada certainly seems to show that. His brother Peter (with whom he founded Light Iron) is his co-founder who left his post at Netflix for their latest venture. Strada is an AI-enabled cloud platform with tools for production and postproduction - and while they're still in their early days, we would bet on the Cioni brothers any day.
More on Strada.
7) Hollyland Wireless Tally System
Hollyland, like DJI, is an innovative and disruptive brand that launched out of China about a decade ago. Initially, they launched with wireless camera systems that would compete with long-time industry players like Teradek. Since then, they've gone on to build a wide variety of other wireless tech products in the space taking on categories like production intercom, wireless microphones, and more. In their latest release, they take on a big pain point in live streaming: Tally. Most tally systems on the market are cumbersome to implement outside of a studio, and yet, tally can be so important in a live environment. Tally is that red light on a camera that signals to operators and on-camera talent which camera is live, and on first glance, it looks like they've created a fairly slick and simple-to-implement system at a very reasonable price point.
More on the Hollyland Wireless Tally System.
8 + 9) Blackmagic Design PYXIS 6K Camera + Blackmagic Design URSA Cine 12K
The Blackmagic Design booth has become an incredibly popular destination at the NAB Show in recent years, and it's quite clear why that's the case. This company has disrupted more product categories in the broadcast industry than just about anyone. From converters and adapters, to switchers, recorders, monitors, and cameras - it seems that there isn't much that is off limits for them. Today, you can practically build an entire broadcast studio using Blackmagic hardware with all of the functionality of a multi-million dollar facility at a fraction of the cost.
The PYXIS 6K builds on the success of the Compact Cinema Camera, and perhaps targets RED Digital Cinema Cameras (who were recently acquired by Nikon), by creating "the world's most riggable full frame digital film camera". A departure from the DSLR form factor of their Compact Cinema Camera, the PYXIS seems to be an entry into the popular box camera form factor popularized by RED and followed by Z-Cam and many others.
The URSA Cine 12K is the latest iteration of the URSA Cine line, and brings a bevy of new features for them to show off - from a larger sensor with more dynamic range, and tremendous versatility across lens mount options, record media, and just about all of the I/O you could ask for.
They also debuted DaVinci Resolve 19 at the show, but we might have to save that for another post.
More on the Blackmagic PYXIS 6K and the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K.
Anyway, that wraps up the products that really stood out to us at this year's NAB Show. Did we miss anything that caught your eye? Drop us a note on Instagram to let us know!
