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Event round-up: the must-know trends and highlights from IBC 2019

The Canon stand at the International Broadcasting Convention 2019.

New kit and the latest technological advances were on display at IBC 2019, which this year saw lower cost full-frame cameras and higher resolution sensors of 5.9K or more come to the fore.

Broadcast and video professionals and students flocked to the RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 13 to 17 September 2019, for the annual International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2019.

At Europe's largest broadcast show, visitors were able to discover the latest technological advances, try out new products and find out what the future holds for the industry. IBC chief executive Michael Crimp described this year's event as "a celebration of the industry's creativity and drivers of change".

Cinematic quality from input to output was at the top of the agenda with the release of the innovative 5.9K full-frame Canon EOS C500 Mark II camera and 4K HDR Canon DP-V3120 Professional Reference Display, while Canon's latest Sumire Prime cine lenses also proved a major draw. An impressive display of 4K broadcast lenses was also available on the Canon stand, with the brand new wide Canon CJ15EX4.3B launching at IBC and the recently launched Canon CJ18ex28B and Canon CJ15ex8.5B on show. This lineup gives Canon one of the most comprehensive ranges of 4K lenses in the BCTV industry.

Here's a rundown of the trends and highlights from the Canon stand at IBC 2019.

A Canon expert holds a camera and demonstrates it to visitors at IBC 2019.

Attendees at IBC 2019 could get hands-on with the latest Canon cameras and lenses.

On show was Canon's new flagship field zoom broadcast lens, the Canon UHD Digisuper 122.

1. Cinema quality in a small, versatile package

Filmmakers want flexibility, and the new generation of cameras enable producers to do more with less, packing high-end broadcast and cinema quality into smaller, portable packages. This year's event saw the launch of the Canon EOS C500 Mark II, a Cinema EOS System camera that packs a 5.9K Full Frame sensor into a new lightweight body weighing just 1,750g, allowing for total freedom of movement when filming. The camera is also modular, introducing three new expansion unit accessories that enable you to configure the camera to best suit you, plus changeable lens mounts. In recognition of its innovation, the Canon EOS C500 Mark II won the coveted RedShark Supreme Best in Show Award given on the final day.

"We gave this award to Canon because it is a company with an incredible heritage in imaging," says David Shapton, Editor in Chief of RedShark. "Today it is at the forefront of developments in lenses, camera sensors and processors, and has the maturity to realise that optimising the way these elements work together is the key to making great camera systems."

With 15+ stops of latitude, the Canon EOS C500 Mark II is ideally suited to High Dynamic Range productions, while its compact size makes it perfect for attachment to gimbals and handheld rigs for smooth image capture. Meanwhile its newly-developed DIGIC DV 7 image processor enables Cinema RAW Light recording internally at 5.9K, as well as supporting recording in Canon's XF-AVC format in 4K 4:2:2 10-bit.

The Canon EOS C500 Mark II with RedShak Supreme Best in Show 2019 award.

Canon's EOS C500 Mark II was awarded Supreme Best in Show by leading industry publication RedShark.

The Canon EOS C500 Mark II video camera with a 85mm Summer Prime lens

The new Canon EOS C500 Mark II Cinema EOS System camera with Sumire Prime lenses was available to touch and try on the Canon stand.

2. 4K and HDR benefits shine through

While 4K has been the word on everyone's lips at IBC for a number of years, it was universal in 2019. While many broadcast productions are already shot in 4K, other live broadcast production companies are updating their lens portfolio from HD to 4K. At the Explore Shooting in 4K area on the Canon stand, visitors compared and contrasted the results of shooting in 4K and HD. Meanwhile, the Touch and Try area offered the chance to use the latest high-resolution cameras and camcorders, capable of shooting in 5.9K and above.

Canon also launched a new 4K HDR Professional Reference Display at this year's IBC, to help enable accurate and reliable colour grading. The 31-inch Canon DP-V3120 can work with multiple 4K signals, using a four-way split screen, a single 4K image or a single 8K image, and boasts an industry-leading 2,000cd/m² of continuous full-screen and 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Providing High Dynamic Range monitoring assist features and including a state-of-the-art backlight system, it ensures accuracy from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights thanks to the precise LED control algorithm and advanced image processing.

A Canon video camera and lens in front of a screen showing the Free Solo movie.

The Canon kit behind the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo and other nominated productions was on show.

3. Quality fit for the big screen

The Oscar Area on the Canon stand showcased Oscar-winning and nominated films which were all shot using Canon equipment..

The 2019 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo was shot on Canon, as were all five nominees in the Best Documentary category. The gripping film charts free climber Alex Honnold's breathtaking ascent of the 3,000-foot granite rockface of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, USA, which was achieved without any ropes, harnesses or other equipment. This extraordinary feat was filmed on three Canon cameras – a Canon EOS C300 Mark II, a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and a Canon XC10 – using a selection of prime and zoom lenses including Canon Cinema Primes, the CN7x17 KAS S E1/P1 and CN20x50 IAS H E1/P1 Cine Servo lenses, Compact Cinema Zooms, the CN-E14.5-60mm T2.6 L SP Cine Zoom and EF lenses.

Director of photography Jimmy Chin says: "The film looks beautiful because of the Cinema cameras and Cinema lenses we were able to use."

4. Innovations in lens design

Canon's expansive range of Cinema EOS and EF lenses was on show for visitors to try out and ask imaging experts about. This included on show, a full set of seven Sumire Prime full-frame cinema lenses with a specially designed cinematic look and interchangeable PL mount.

There was also a punchy new arrival at this year's show with the launch of the Canon CJ15EX4.3B, a new 4K broadcast zoom lens perfect for wide shots and telephoto reach. With 15x zoom and a wide-angle focal length of 4.3mm, the lightweight and compact lens enables broadcasters to achieve stunning 4K performance, with high resolution to the very edges of the image. It is also the first portable broadcast lens to feature Canon's Air Sphere Coating (ASC), which reduces reflections to minimise ghosting and improve HDR shooting."

נכתב על ידי Tamzin Wilks