NAB Show 2024 - Here’s what you’ve missed

NAB Show 2024: That’s a wrap!

The NAB Show 2024 was an absolute blast! We were lucky to soak it all in person, but we know some folks couldn't make it. Fear not—we captured it all on camera for you. Discover our NAB recap in this blog post, which is jam-packed with all the highlights. 😏 Dive in to find out what you missed, which releases left us gasping, and which brands didn't quite hit the mark.

Here's to hoping you hit the jackpot one day because you're going to want it all. No kidding!

Day 1 of NAB 2024 - With long-awaited releases from Blackmagic Design, Aputure, and DJI

Hit…

On Day 1 of the NAB Show, we were totally awed by 3 extremely exciting releases. Better bring that table closer because your jaw is about to drop 10 inches.

Blackmagic Design - PYXIS 6K

BMD’s box camera is finally here! It has a full-frame 36 x 24mm 6K sensor and is very similar to their former light-pocket 6K cameras in terms of sensor. It has a wide dynamic range and a built-in optical low-pass filter. There are 3 models available in either EF, PL, or L-mount. It records both 12-bit Blackmagic RAW and compact H.264 proxies simultaneously! And, above all, this versatile design lets you build the ideal camera rig! 🤩

It must be said: The PYXIS 6K was by far the hottest item at NAB, with people queueing to try it out. So, of course, we needed to hear people’s thoughts right after testing it. Watch our separate video on the PYXIS 6K here:

Aputure - INFINIMAT

Aputure’s new RGB light mats offer color tunability, pixel mapping, and inflatable diffusion and can be connected together to form larger panels. They are available in several sizes and are easy to set up, and they can be used as mats or inflatables.

DJI - Ronin S4 & RS Pro

DJI came bearing amazingly beautiful gifts this year. Not only did they introduce the Avata 2, the latest iteration of their FPV experience drone, but they also presented the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro to the world.

As we are personally slightly more interested in gimbals, we asked them to give us a deep-dive overview of all the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro’s specs and capabilities. You can watch the full interview below, but here’s already a teaser: Designed with a new horizontal plate, RS 4 Pro enables efficient native vertical shooting. 😱

… and miss

Canon - CJ27e x 7.3B portable 4K broadcast zoom lens

The only gear release we got from Canon this year was the CJ27e x 7.3B portable 4K broadcast zoom lens. Exciting if you’re in broadcasting, but we expected to see more. So, unfortunately, there is no sign of the new EOS R5 Mark II just yet. 🥲

Watch our full DAY 1 video recap here:

Day 2 of NAB 2024 - With powerful releases from SONY and Tilta

Sony - FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G lens

Sony's new FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G lens is about 40% smaller and lighter than their original 35 G Master, AND it’s about half the price! It has unbelievable image quality with an incredible AF. It has a minimal zoom extension, so it’s great for use on gimbals; no need to rebalance. Watch our video below for the full list of specs and details 👇🏽, but in short, this item has everything you want a lens to have.

We ran into Mark Bennett from Camera Crisis at the Sony booth as he was testing out the lens on his own camera. We obviously had to ask for his opinion. 😏 Watch it here!

Tilta - Khronos ecosystem & CT08 tripod

Tilta came with a very exciting release for mobile filmmakers, and then especially iPhone 15 owners: the Khronos ecosystem ultimate kit. Build your own mobile camera cage by adding items that will make filming way easier, such as the Focus PD Handle, the Cooling System, the USB-C Hub, the Daylight Mini LED Light, the ARCA Quick Release Plate, dedicated magnetic filters, and more. Check out the interview right here:

Day 3 of NAB 2024 - With exciting news from Nikon x RED, Atlas Lens Co. and CRDBAG

Nikon x RED - Newlyweds

One of the most unexpected collaborations was the Nikon x RED booth. In early March this year, Nikon announced their intention to acquire 100% of RED. This news was a surprise to many, including us, and we found ourselves wondering what this collaboration would mean for users and fans. NAB provided the perfect opportunity for us to find out. You can check out the interview here.

Atlas Lens Co - Anamorphic for all

And the award for favorite booth goes to… ATLAAAAASSSS!! 🥳 Yes, this one was the most entertaining, interesting, and best-looking one. In our humble opinion, of course.

But, of course, with a spectacular booth come spectacular film equipment! They presented their new Orion Anamorphic Lenses, the 18mm, 135mm, and 200mm focal lengths. And wow, these are beasts!

Strada

Guess who Atlas invited this year? Strada, the new kid on the block! This fresh startup was founded by none other than Michael Cioni (you might know him from Frame.io). It is an AI-enabled cloud platform designed for all content creators, simplifying and automating tedious tasks, improving search, and getting your content out there faster. It also helps you better control your workflow, speeds up delivery, and saves you some dough.

Plus, it's super customizable! It's got multi-cloud syncing, multicam playback, automatic transcription and translation, transcoding, and AI tagging. And the best part? You can manage it all from a simple browser interface.

And if there was 1 buzzword this year, it was definitely AI. And that’s exactly where Strada fits in. We’re making a separate video on this topic, so keep your eyes peeled for that one! 👀

CRDBAG - Let’s get organized

One booth was located at the far end of Central Hall but still managed to catch our eye: CRDBAG. They have these awesome pouches meant for subpacking, especially when you’re packing a lot of smaller items into big cases. Think lavaliers, cables, memory cards, etc. The CRDPOUCH is their main product, to which you can add color coding and patches for name tagging. Prices range between $30-$40.

Sachtler - Ace M Mk II and Ace XL Mk II

Sachtler introduced the revamped Ace M Mk II and Ace XL Mk II tripod heads and systems. Both feature a 75mm bowl, with the Ace M Mk II supporting up to 4kg/8.8 lbs, and the XL Mk II supporting up to 8kg/17.6 lbs. These are the upgraded versions of Sachtler’s entry-level tripods, originally introduced in 2011.

Proton - The world’s smallest broadcast camera

And lastly, PROTON Camera Innovations unveiled what they claim is the world's tiniest broadcast-quality camera at NAB 2024! The dainty PROTON CAM, with a feather-like weight of 24g and a teeny size of 28x28mm, is designed for diverse applications—from industrial settings to somewhat niche broadcast scenarios like drone cams, crash cams, and wearable cams. It was so small we almost walked past it!

Watch the full DAY 3 video recap here:👇🏽

I spy with my little eye… spectacular lenses

Numerous new lenses have been released, ranging from lightweight vlogging lenses to large cine lenses. We've created a dedicated video for these lenses. So, if you're interested in comparing the latest offerings from Canon, Blazar, DZOFilm, Atlas Lens Co., and Sony, check out the video below!

Buying new gear? Manage it properly!

NAB Show 2024 was an absolute fireworks display of innovation and creativity in the broadcasting and filmmaking world.

Major brands like Blackmagic Design, Aputure, DJI, Sony, and Tilta unveiled a dazzling array of new gear highlighting our industry's non-stop tech evolution. Sure, a couple of releases may not have hit the high note we expected, but overall, the expo was an exciting peek into a bright and promising future for the field. We can't wait to see what NAB Show 2025 has in store for us!

Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for more NAB coverage, visits behind the scenes of big Hollywood production houses, and tips on how to manage your gear properly.

Planning on buying some new gear after visiting NAB? That’s great! But how will you track it? Manage it? Reserve it? Flag it when it’s broken? … Well, with Cheqroom, of course! As the number one next-generation asset management platform, we can elevate your gear management to the next level.

Want to know more? Here’s how it works, or request a demo today!