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In this week's news round up, Sony announces a fast new lens, the FX3 gets a new cage, and Apple updates its professional apps.
Sony Unveils FE 50mm F/1.2 GM Lens
Sony has a nice variety of G-Master lenses that are well-constructed and fast. At the start of the year, the company released the Sony FE 35mm F/1.4 lens, and has debuted the FE 50mm F/1.2 GM, a fast and sharp lens.
This new 50mm lens that's pretty much a must-have for any videographer, filmmaker, or photographer. The 'Sony Nifty Fifty' E-Mount lens weighs less than 28 ounces (778 grams), and its overall length is 108 mm, a diameter of 87 mm, and a filter diameter of 72 mm.
Sony features 14 elements in 10 groups, along with fast focusing via 4 XD Linear Motors in the lens (XD stands for Extreme Dynamic). The minimum focusing distance is 1.32 feet (.4 meters). There's special Nano AR Coating II on the elements to help cut down on lens flare and artifacts (sorry, JJ Abrams).
The Sony FE 50mm F/1.2 GM lens will cost $2000 USD, and debuts in May 2021. Learn more at Sony's site.
Kondor Blue Cage for Sony FX3
With the recent announcement of the Sony FX3, it was only a matter of time before 3rd party tools and parts debuted. And the Kondor Blue Cage is a terrific option for filming with the FX3 and adding accessories that would normally weigh the camera down.
There are different options, including just the Cage (in Black or Space Gray) priced at $135 USD, or the Cage with a Trigger Handle (in both colors) for $220 USD. There's also a Sony FX3 Base Rig priced at $350 USD, and includes the Cage, Handle, ARRI/501 Universal Baseplate, and 2 PPSH 15mm Rods.
It features a built-in Arca Swiss plate at the bottom to mount to a DJI Ronin, NATO Rails on the top and bottom, several 1/4-inch and four 3/8-inch threaded holes, a Safety Pin so cold shoe accessories don't fall out, a start/stop record button on the handle, and much more.
Get more details and pre-order at Kondor Blue's site.
CAME-TV 2-8KG Load Pro Camera Video Stabilizer Kit
The new CAME-TV 2-8KG Load Pro Camera Video Stabilizer Kit is an affordable solution for those looking for beautifully stabilized footage without breaking the bank. You can choose from two different spring arms, Stronger (6-12KG for heavier cameras) and Light (2-6KG for smaller and lighter weight cameras), with the latter being the default. They recommend contacting the company if you need the Stronger Spring Arm after ordering.
The CAME-TV 2-8KG Load Pro Camera Video Stabilizer Kit features an arm, vest, and sled. There are two screws at the top to mount a camera, 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch, plus a v-mount plate and two 15mm x 11cm rods to add a matte box, etc.
You can purchase the CAME-TV 2-8KG Load Pro Camera Video Stabilizer Kit for $788 USD on its site.
Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5.5, and Compressor 4.5 Updated
We’d be remiss if we didn’t briefly touch upon the updates to Apple’s line of professional video apps, which were updated at the beginning of the month.
Final Cut Pro was updated to version 10.5.2, with bug fixes and some small features added, including support for the new Universal RED plugin. This allows for RED RAW decoding and playback for M1 and Intel Macs.
Motion 5.5.1 has an interesting new feature, an Auto-Shrink option for the Text layout tab. This will automatically fix text in a paragraph. Additionally, there are some small bug fixes and stability updates. Finally, the Compressor 4.5.2 update adds HEVC Proxy settings for FCP and some bug and stability fixes.
If you have the three apps already, these are free updates. Otherwise, FCP costs $299, while Motion and Compressor each cost $49. About $400 for a professional suite of video tools. Find out more here.
Tags: Production News
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