Well, it seems that the 8K mirrorless camera race is heating up quickly. Out of the blue, Sharp just unveiled an appealing prototype of a small micro four thirds mirrorless camera capable of shooting 8K (7680×4320) video up to 30fps using H.265 compression.
According to the company’s representatives at CES 2019, the unit is more than just a concept and it will be officially announced later this year (probably at NAB 2019). Now, let’s take a closer look and find out what else we should expect from this little 8K beast.
First and foremost, the physical size and design of the unit are quite reminiscent of the BMPCC 4K, but unlike its rival, the Sharp prototype provides just a few physical buttons and dials on board. This shouldn’t be that big of a deal considering the fact that the unit will feature a large 5″ flip-out rear display with touchscreen capabilities.
Regarding I/O, the 8K pocket camera sports a Mini XLR port, full-size HDMI, USB-C, headphone, and a microphone jack. Also, it should provide some sort of image stabilization on the sensor (IBIS or electronic) but at this point, this information is still unconfirmed.
Sharp 8K Pocket Camera Highlights
- Micro Four Thirds Sensor
- 8K Resolution (7680 × 4320)
- 8K recording at up to 30fps (Sharp is supposedly working on a 60fps 8K mode)
- H.265 Compression
- UHS-II SD Card Slot
- 5” Flip Out Touchscreen
- Full-Size HDMI
- Built-in Image Stabilization
- USB-C
- Mini XLR Port
- Headphone Jack
- Price: under $5,000
Even though all of the above specs should be taken with a grain of salt at this stage, the fact that there’s already a prototype of a Micro 4/3 mirrorless camera capable of shooting 8K internally that fits in your palm is more than exciting. Big shoutout to Dave Altizer of Kinotika for spreading the word and sharing this exciting news with the community.
[source: Kinotika]
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