PRONEWS AWARD 2024 Grand Prize

Looking back at the video industry in 2024

As we look back at the year 2024 for the PRONEWS AWARD, we can say it was a year of happy and sad events for the domestic video industry. There was a series of unfortunate news, such as the closure of Leanphase, which handles AJA products and Tricaster, the partial withdrawal of IMAGICA Lab.’s business, and the partial withdrawal of Omnibus Japan’s business. These can be said to symbolize strategic changes in certain business areas.On the other hand, in terms of the products we handle, new products have been released one after another by overseas manufacturers, and it is true that vitality has returned to the entire imaging industry. One particularly noteworthy event is the appearance of 65mm cinema cameras, which are characterized by their bokeh effect due to their long focal length. ARRI announced the small and compact “ARRI ALEXA 265” and Blackmagic Design announced the “URSA Cine 17K”.

In addition, Fujifilm announced the GFX ETERNA, which attracted a lot of attention. There is no doubt that these developments have greatly stimulated the industry. In 2025, there may be even more talk about the 65mm format.

Additionally, the competition to develop cameras for creating 3D content for Vision Pro headsets is intensifying. Apple announced the “Apple Immersive Video Camera,” which is equipped with two lenses capable of shooting 8K 3D video. Blackmagic Design also announced the “Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive,” which is attracting attention as the highest spec 3D immersive camera. Furthermore, Canon announced the “RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL,” a 3D shooting lens for the “EOS VR SYSTEM,” which became a hot topic as a product that allows users to experience “spatial video” in a realistic and easy way.

As a side note, Blackmagic Design only held one online presentation this year on April 13th. This was a noticeable decrease in frequency, as the company had held three presentations in the past in 2023, 2022, and 2021. CEO Grant Petty’s product introduction was unique, and drew many viewers despite it being late at night. Despite it being 3 or 4 in the morning, it was a great opportunity to see the entire video industry come together and get excited on social media timelines.

However, as a result of announcing 14 products for the year at once, some people said that they did not fully understand each product and felt overwhelmed with information. It can be said that 2024 was a truly chaotic year, but what kind of year was 2024 for you?

So, what will win the PRONEWS AWARD 2024 Grand Prize?

PRONEWS AWARD 2024 Grand Prize

Canon EOS C400

The grand prize went to Canon’s EOS C400. This year, Canon has been working hard on the CINEMA EOS series, without holding back. The EOS C400, which was released as part of this series, has been highly praised as a cinema camera with an excellent price-to-performance ratio.

It is worth noting that this compact camera is equipped with a full-frame sensor capable of 6K and supports 12-bit RAW recording at 6K60P to CFexpress media. In addition, the fact that it achieves a dynamic range of up to 16 stops and has triple native ISO of ISO800, 3200, and 12800 was also a deciding factor in its evaluation. This allows it to capture clear images even in low-light environments, making it flexible for live shooting and emergency shooting.

In addition, the company’s recent RF mount product lineup has also been notable for its attention to video compatibility. In addition to releasing the “VCM Series” and power zoom adapters that support both still and video shooting, the company’s efforts in videography, such as offering two different color variations for some lenses, surpass those of its competitors. It can be said that this product strategy and approach contributed greatly to the company winning this year’s grand prize.