Some say that 2015 will be the year of 4K for the masses. And from the trends we've seen with cameras released or announced in 2014, this may very well prove true. Panasonic are including 4K internal recording in their GH4 series as well as their uber compact LX-100 camera costing less than £1,000. 4K broadcast delivery may be non-existent at the moment, but for once the writing on the wall is clear – 4K acquisition is going ahead no matter what nay-sayers say. The way we over here at Visual Impact look at things is – strive to acquire images in the highest format (resolution and bit rate) possible, then deliver in 2K, Full HD, 720p or SD depending on your deliverable requirements. Sony released a very aggressively priced camera sub £10K 4K camera – the FS7 recently, and we've been shipping those to customers on a daily basis. We were amazed with the presentation at IBC 2014 and were quick on the draw to place our order with Sony as we say the potential a camera of such class, options and price range has with our customers, most of whom shoot for broadcast, documentaries, and corporate work. The flexibility offered at the price point makes it an ideal choice for many. JVC have a long tradition with broadcast cameras such as the very popular GY-HM650, which has been used frequently by the BBC for example. And recently JVC made an announcement they are making a foray into 4K territory by announcing the GY-LS300 – a 4K Super 35 sized sensor with a flexible Micro Four Thirds mount in a very compact design. Read more below on the features of this new camera, which is expected to arrive sometime in March 2015. Compact, convenient, and ultra high definition! The GY-LS300 is equipped with a 4K Super 35mm CMOS sensor and accommodates a wide range of cinema and photographic lenses and adapters for dazzling cinematic effects. Create hours of pristine recordings on SDHC media in a variety of image formats including 4K Ultra HD, Full HD with 4:2:2 sampling, SD and web friendly proxy formats. Conventional DSLR cameras simply can't match the high reliability, long recording time and ergonomics provided by JVC's GY-LS300. Its dual codec design allows you to make 2 copies of your program simultaneously. You can even stream live HD over the internet to content delivery networks such as USTREAM while recording full HD. No other removable lens video camera offers this much flexibility in such a compact, easy-to-handle form factor. The GY-LS300 features a JVCKENWOOD AltaSens 4K CMOS Super 35mm image sensor uniquely combined with an industry standard Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens mount. Super 35mm Cinema lenses may be used and will retain their native angle of view.* When the camera is used with MFT, Super 16 and other size lenses, JVC's proprietary Variable Scan Mapping feature will maintain the lens's native angle of view. This gives filmmakers the flexibility of using widely available MFT lenses as well as high end cinema lenses. It is also possible to attach the camera to microscopes and other devices using a MFT/C-mount adaptor. The unique combination of the MFT mount, the larger S35 image sensor and Variable Scan Mapping give the camera nearly limitless lens options. The Micro Four Thirds mount offers full coverage of the Super 35mm sensor, as shown in this actual photographic comparison with an MFT sensor. With the GY-LS300, you get all the benefits of the MFT mount plus the benefits of a larger sensor. 4K Ultra HD Recording at 150Mbps and Live Output Working with 4K has never been easier! Insert an SDHC or SDXC (UHS-I Speed class3) memory card and record hours of 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) material. Recordings are made using the Quicktime (.MOV) file format and are compatible with many popular editing systems. Connect a 4K Ultra HD monitor with a single HDMI cable, and view the camera's live 4K signal. You can also play back recorded files directly from the camera. The GY-LS300 also down converts UHD signals to standard HD for output through the built-in SDI or HDMI connectors. 4:2:2 Full HD recording at 50Mbps The GY-LS300 records 4:2:2 HD signals up to 60p at 50Mbps making it an ideal camera for general HD production work. 50Mbps files are stored in the Quicktime (.MOV) format for easy editing. Conventional AVCHD (4:2:0) recording is also possible, providing wide editing compatibility in an array of standard HD and SD formats. Dual SDHC/SDXC Card Slots Dual SDHC/SDXC card slots make the GY-LS300 a truly versatile camcorder, offering such benefits as simultaneous recording and relay recording. In relay recording mode, you can shoot continuously and seamlessly over multiple cards. When one card is full, the camcorder switches seamlessly and automatically to the other card. And because cards are hot swappable, there is in effect no limit to the continuous shooting time in any mode, even with lower capacity cards. Web Friendly (Proxy) file formats Lower resolution H.264 files (480 x 270p and 960 x 540p) may be recorded simultaneously with full HD files. These files are significantly smaller than HD files, and thus are very suitable for immediate posting to the web. A file recorded in the 960 x 540 mode is approximately 1/10th the size of a full HD file recorded at 35 Mbps, and therefore takes a fraction of the time to post. The smaller files may be quickly imported to an iPad for easy editing using iMovie or Pinnacle Studio. Transporting video to the web or back to the studio has never been faster. With the GY-LS300, it is also possible to create SD and HD files simultaneously. Advanced IP Network Communication and Streaming The GY-LS300 features JVC's latest IP communications engine giving you remote control and monitoring of vital camera functions from a tablet, smart phone, or computer anywhere in the world. Live streaming is possible in HD or lower resolutions, depending on available bandwidth. JVC's Advanced Streaming Technology (AST) includes Zixi powered Forward Error Correction with ARQ, delivering high quality streams even under challenging conditions. And now RTMP protocol makes it easier than ever to deliver your live streams to content delivery networks such as USTREAM and YouTube. Just press one button and you're streaming to the world! Main features:
  • * Newly developed 4K Super 35mm CMOS image sensor
  • * Micro Four Thirds System Lens Mount
  • * Variable Scan Mapping maintains native angle of view for a variety of lenses including Super 35, MFT and Super 16. Adapters available for PL and EF mount lenses.
  • * 4K Ultra HD recording (150 Mbps, 24p/30p) to SDXC(UHS-I Speed class3) card
  • * 4:2:2 Full HD recording at 50Mbps (24p-60p)
  • * 3 position ND filter (1/4, 1/16 and 1/64)
  • * HD-SDI (3G) and HDMI outputs (4K output via HDMI only)
  • * 2-channel XLR audio inputs with phantom power
  • * Shotgun microphone included
  • * Dual SDHC/SDXC slots enable Dual, Backup and Continuous recording
  • * Advanced JVC streaming engine compatible with USTREAM, Zixi and Wowza Streaming Engine
  • * IP Network Remote Control, Remote Viewing, Meta data editing, FTP clips
  • * 3.5-inch colour LCD display (920K pixel) with smart focus assist function
  • * 0.24-inch colour viewfinder (1.56M pixel) with smart focus assist function
  • * Wired remote control supported
  • * 10 user button assignable functions
  • * Includes handle unit, SSL-JVC50 7.4V battery, AC Adapter and shotgun microphone
  For all your JVC & 4K camera needs or queries, feel free to contact our Large Sensor & JVC specialists at 0208 977 1222.