Digital Film camera pushed by smartphone
From daily ‘Vlog’ to professional ‘8K’ shooting,
expect a ‘resurrection’ with Digital Film camera video performance
Strictly speaking, Digital Film camera have already been defeated by smartphones. Shipments were cut in half due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) this year. Olympus, a 101-year-old optical company, closed the camera business this year.
The latest smartphone packs 100 million pixels and 100x zoom into its small body. Of course, the specs do not guarantee the actual picture quality, but numerically, it is already said that it is better than most Digital Film camera. Already in the general consumer market, a reversal seems impossible.
The Digital Film camera market is expected to leave its glory in the 2000s and shift its focus to the professional market, which was its original stage. But there is still one seed left on the market. It’s a video recording feature, not a photo.
You need a vlogging camera with flip screen ‘properly’
In the early 2000s, video performance received attention enough to show movies shot with a smartphone. It is clearly the smartphone that opened the popularization of video. In particular, for short-form content that is gaining popularity recently, such as ‘TikTok’, a smartphone is ‘a perfect cake’.
Smartphones are convenient to carry and share on social media, but there are limitations to shooting videos in earnest, unlike photos. This is because, in addition to the basic image quality, there are problems such as shooting time, storage capacity, battery, and handshake.
In particular, in the case of creator content such as YouTube, a higher-performance filming device is required as the level of image quality is rising. In order to properly shoot 4K and 8K videos beyond Full HD, a camera is still essential.
Camera makers continue to increase the video performance of Digital Film camera to penetrate this market. In the case of Sony, it is aiming at the ‘vlog’ market, where daily life is recorded and shared as a video.
Sony is drawing attention with the recently released ‘ZV-1’, a reinterpretation of the popular compact camera ‘RX100’ series in a form optimized for vlogs. The ZV-1 has recently been out of stock, which is unusual for a Digital Film camera.
The ZV-1 is armed with Sony’s autofocus (AF) technology, which is well-known among camera enthusiasts, and the clear image quality of the ZEISS lens. It’s a little bigger and heavier than a smartphone, but it’s also attractive that it’s small enough to fit in your pocket.
Canon opens the professional 8K market with mirrorless
This year, Canon significantly strengthened the video function of its new full-frame mirrorless products ‘EOS R5’ and ‘EOS R6’. Best point and shoot film camera In the meantime, it looks like a knife has been cut to wash away the stigma that video performance is sagging compared to competitors’ products.
In particular, in the case of the EOS R5, the top model, it is the first interchangeable lens camera to support 8K 30 frame (p) ultra-high-resolution video recording, so it is called a ‘game-changer.
Although the latest smartphones support 8K video recording, it is still at a ‘tasting’ level. Taking the Galaxy S20 as an example, 8K video recording is limited to a maximum of 5 minutes. And the capacity is limited to 4 gigabytes (GB). Even if the recording time is less than 5 minutes, the recording ends when the capacity reaches 4GB. Also, in 8K, only 24p recording is supported, and video stabilization is not provided.
In the case of the EOS R5, continuous shooting is possible in 8K for more than 20 minutes. And it supports RAW format shooting and 10-bit Canon log, enabling professional 8K shooting. It’s not appropriate to compare. It to a smartphone since it costs more than 5 million in the first place. But considering that the existing video equipment capable of 8K shooting was at least tens of thousands. It is a great performance for a Digital camera.
Camera makers swallowed sad by Olympic postponement
In fact, this was a very important year for camera manufacturers. This is because it was the year of the Tokyo Olympics, the biggest event for camera companies. The Olympics were postponed due to COVID-19. The ambitiously prepared products had to be released somewhat delayed.
In particular, TV makers and camera makers. Who wanted to open the 8K era with the Olympics as an opportunity are more disappointed. Although they did not receive the splendid lighting they expected through. The Olympics, good products are coming out as much as they prepared.
If you dream of becoming a YouTuber in the future or want to leave memories with your family on video. Investing in a camera right now is not a bad choice. However, it is still not easy for general consumers to buy a camera that costs at least 1 million won to 5 million won for video shooting. Although it appears to have softened somewhat, the spark of ‘Nono Japan’ (a boycott of Japanese products) still remains. It is still a difficult situation for camera makers.
