TC

I've just sold my 5D3, EF lenses, speedlite, spare battery, the works. So glad I ditched Canon. My next camera will be a Sony.

The iPhone is a phone. The MacBook is a computer. Would you complain that an iPhone doesn't come with the ability to load applications?

Wondering where Canon is in all of this? Fear not! Just three days ago they announced two new Full HD Camcorders: the XF200/XF205. Yes, Full HD, none of that 720p HD nonsense. And they are a bargain, starting at $3,900. Here are the details: http://***URL removed***/news/2014/04/02/canon-launches-xf205-and-xf200-hd-professional-camcorders

Looks awesome. I particularly like what looks to be the built-in 15mm rods along the side of the camera. Fantastic! Edit: actually looks like a separate unit, perhaps a custom cage made specifically for the camera.

It is by Chinon. http://chinon.co.jp/?p=1067 It says "Full HD interchangeable lens digital camera Bellami HD-1 on sale soon". There is a link to this page: http://www.chinon.co.jp/bellami

There are no allegations in my post. Only facts.

I too am somewhat sceptical. Don't forget the electronics giants have spent the best part of the last 5 years desperately trying to REDUCE the output quality of their 1080p cameras. The specification on the side of the box has been meaningless. Here are some of the tricks that have been played: - Record only in non-standard 30.00 fps (Canon) - Record only 24fps or 25fps, depending on region (Sony, Panasonic) - No manual aperture control in movie mode (Canon, Nikon) - No manual ISO control in movie mode (Nikon) - Deliberately introduce timing artefacts into HDMI out (Panasonic) - Overlays on HDMI out (Canon, Nikon, Sony) - High bit-rate mode which results on a higher spec on the box but no improvement in quality due to inferior codec (Canon, Panasonic)

Gert, so does that mean continuous recording is not possible?  2 minutes is the maximum?

Well, being the world's number 1 sensor supplier gives you a lot of leverage.  And they are also a competitor to most of their sensor customers, in stills cameras, video and mobile devices.     But if it is not crippling, what is it?  It takes actual effort writing firmware to add overlays to an HDMI output.  It didn't happen by accident.  Just sending a clean feed is easier and is what any engineer would do if not told otherwise.   Anyway, crippled HDMI outputs are ancient history now and I think we agree on most things.  Nice post by the way.  You are right to highlight the issue with Nikon's product development speed.  Four years just for a re-styled body!  That analyst you quoted the other week is quite right.  Nikon say they have a five year plan to save their business, but in five years time they'll be lucky to still have a business to save. 

  It is crippling, no question. It is because Nikon's main sensor supplier is Sony, a company with a very large pro video department to protect.  No doubt the restriction will have been specified as part of the contract to supply the sensors.  

Wow.  The D800E sensor in a body which can take pretty much any lens ever made via an adaptor?   *I'm in*.  

Nice post, but we've been in this situation for years now.  They aren't listening.  It's time to move on.  Depending on your budget and needs, support GoPro, Blackmagic, Kinefinity, Leica, Red or Arri.  

Thanks for your hard work in putting the book together. You should consider making an iBook which you can sell through Apple iTunes. It is fairly easy to do and I think you will reach a wider audience.

  Sure, that still needs to be done.  It takes a bit of work, but that is (relatively) easy.  10 years ago to enter the market you had do what RED did - have someone invest billions in sensor research and high-speed electronics.  Now you can do what Blackmagic has done - assemble the best off-the-shelf components you can find and concentrate on the software, firmware and colour science.  The hard work has already been done - by huge companies who have already invested in similar technologies to sell cameras and processors for smartphones by the millions.

Great article Andrew.  JVC is indicative of the ailing giants of the electronics industry -  - Creating products that are not just mediocre, but like this one: totally wrong by design, oblivious to the market it is launching into.  - Creating products that ignore new technologies and specifications and instead resort to ridiculous work-arounds like in this case recording to 4 separate SD cards and outputting video over 4 HDMI cables.    - Releasing said products at astronomical prices, regardless of the competition, ignoring the massive advances in low power electronics we have seen in the last five years thanks to the huge market for smart phones and tablets.     JVC are, unsurprisingly, doing rather badly economically.  And they have had an accounting scandal as well: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/05/jvc-idUSL3E8C5EOE20120105 The only thing we are missing is a link to organised crime, then we have the full set.