The best of the rest from CES 2017: Instant digital camera, 360-degree VR video and more
posted Friday, January 6, 2017 at 2:28 PM EST
Amid the huge trade show that is CES, the larger companies often steal the thunder with big product announcements, leaving smaller niche products lost in the noise. There are a few products which have stuck out which we thought were interesting.
The Polaroid Pop
Polaroid is of course the iconic company synonmous with instant film photography, but with the rise and fall of that industry Polaroid has had to reinvent itself. It's still working hard in the instant photography field, fusing film with digital, and the Polaroid Pop is their latest effort. The Polaroid Pop instant digital camera combines a modern design and digital technology with the classic 3x4” Polaroid instant print format.
The Pop is built around a 20-megapixel CMOS sensor, which can shoot stills as well as 1080p video. Images and video are saved to a micro SD card (up to 128GB) and the user uses a 3.97" touchscreen LCD to navigate the camera's menu and review images. The Pop also features a dual-LED flash and image stabilization. The camera will be available in a variety of colors; pricing has not yet been announced.
"Polaroid is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2017 and we could not think of a better way to kick-off this milestone year than with the debut of the Polaroid Pop instant digital camera at CES 2017,” said Scott W. Hardy, President and CEO of Polaroid. “Perfectly blending nostalgia with modern design and functionality, the Polaroid Pop embodies the brand’s 80-year history; staying true to the Polaroid core values of sharing, instant, fun and easy-of- use, while pushing the envelope with a fresh form factor and the latest technology."
The Vuze 3D 360
Meanwhile, Humaneyes Technologies announced the commercial availability of the $799 Vuze camera. With the Vuze 3D 360, it is possible for anyone to create 3D 360 videos at the push of just one button with a device that is accessible to consumers and prosumers alike. Advanced 3D-360 capture technology incorporates 8 Full HD cameras and an easy-to-use 'set and shoot' form-factor generating 4K per-eye resolution in an open industry MPEG 4 3D-360° VR video format.
"The influx of user generated VR content, made possible by the Vuze camera, will stimulate adoption of VR headsets across the industry," said Jim Malcolm, General Manager of Humaneyes Technologies. "These new owners of VR headsets can now create immersive 3D-360 VR experiences, complete with advanced 3D audio and AR integration, without having to learn complicated computer programming languages."
The Rokinon XEEN 16mm T2.6 Professional Cinema Lens
Finally, Elite Brands Inc., also announced the immediate availability of the a new Rokinon lens, the XEEN 16mm T2.6 Professional Cine Lens. The introduction of the 16mm grows the XEEN by Rokinon Professional Cine Lens System to 7 Full Frame models consisting of: 14mm T3.1, 16mm T2.6, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5, 85mm T1.5, and 135mm T2.2 models. Positioned in between the 14mm T3.1 and the 24mm T1.5, the new Xeen by Rokinon 16mm T2.6 is a faster super wide angle with shallower depth of field capability as compared to the 14mm. The new lens is available in the PL mount, as well as mounts for Canon, Nikon, Sony E and Micro Four Thirds, at a suggested retail price of $2,495.
If you've been wondering about the big deal surrounding T-Stop lenses, you might want to check out this video by wolfcrow; essentially, T-Stops are a more accurate expression of light transference, and are better for cinematographers to ensure consistency of exposure between lenses.
Dell 32-inch 8K Monitor
Are 4K monitors not offering you enough resolution? Fear not, Dell has the solution to your pixel problem. Their new 32-inch 8K monitor has a resolution of 7680 x 4320 (a pixel density of 280 ppi). To put this into megapixel terms, the Dell UP3218K has 33.2-megapixels of resolution. That's not all, the display also has 100 percent coverage of both Adobe RGB and sRGB color gamuts. If you want to get your hands on this monitor, which offers the resolution of four 4K displays, you'll need to pay a pretty penny. The Dell UP3218K goes on sale in late March for around US$5,000.
New Wacom Intuous Pro tablet
Wacom's most recent Cintiq Pro display and hybrid tablets already utilize their latest pen technology, but their standard Intuous Pro tablets had fallen behind. That's no longer the case with the new Intuous Pro 2 tablets. The Pro Pen 2 has over 8,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, allowing for more accuracy when working. The new model also utilizes Bluetooth, meaning that you can say goodbye to pesky wires. The Intuos Pro 2 will be available this month for $350 (medium size) and $500 (large size).
• See everything from CES 2017! •
