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Blackmagic Design Raises Prices, Cuts Resolve | ArtCraft’s AI-Built Adobe Clones | Camera Form Factor Poll – Focus Check ep139

Today

The Blackmagic Design price raise hits 36 products at once: the ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP Plus alone jumps from about $13,000 to $20,000, with SMPTE 2110 converters, Cloud Store and HyperDeck recorders following – all blamed on memory costs. In the same breath, Blackmagic cuts DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 and its editing panels by 20% until November 20. And Getty Images, the biggest name in stock photography, is filing for bankruptcy protection.

Nino is back from New York, where FUJIFILM invited us to the photography festival Fujikina NYC, and joins Johnnie in the studio to discuss this week’s news. They work through Blackmagic Design’s price increase and the parallel Resolve discount, ArtCraft’s AI-built open-source Adobe clones, the results of our camera form factor poll, DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4P at the Venice Film Festival, a LENSGO teleprompter for the Osmo Pocket, Getty Images’ bankruptcy filing, firmware updates for the Z CAM E2-F6 Pro and the GoPro MISSION 1 series, new SIGMA and Tamron lenses for Nikon Z and APS-C, two new Sony microphones, community-built apps for the Accsoon CineView M7, Red Bull’s Big Wave Surfing immersive film, the SWIT K7 monitor and the craft of puppeteers in film.

This episode is sponsored by Hollyland – check out the Lark A1 on their website. (11:54 in the episode)

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FUJIFILM Fujikina NYC 2026 Program Detailed – 85 Add-On Sessions, Movie Stills Talks, Short Film Screening

(01:03 in the episode)

Nino is just back from Fujikina NYC on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and calls it one of the nicest photography community events he has been to: street photography workshops and photo walks, exhibitions on social issues with World Press Photo, loaner cameras – and almost no gear talk, and no AI talk at all. Tickets were $10, some photo walks around $15 extra, and 6,500 people signed up. One standout was Danish photographer Jonas Rask, a medical doctor in his main job who, as Nino tells it, has shot Fujifilm’s product photos since 2019.

No product hints, Nino confirms. Their shared takeaway: photos – often finished in camera with film simulation recipes – get done and shared, while personal video projects tend to stay on hard drives. Nino’s impressions video follows next week.

Blackmagic Design Raises Prices on 36 Products – ATEM, 2110 IP Converters, and Cloud Store Hit by Memory Costs

(12:58 in the episode)

Blackmagic Design has raised prices on 36 products and names memory costs as the reason: ATEM switchers, SMPTE 2110 and 100G IP products, Cloud Store storage and HyperDeck recorders. The largest jump is the ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP Plus, from about $13,000 to $20,000. The new prices apply immediately, but when Nino wrote the article, B&H still listed many of the old ones – so anyone who needs one of these products should act fast.

Blackmagic Design Cuts DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 by 20% – Panels and Editor Keyboards Also Discounted

(14:42 in the episode)

At the same time, Blackmagic cuts DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 by 20%, together with the Speed Editor, Editor Keyboard, Replay Editor, Micro Color Panel, Mini Panel and Advanced Panel – until November 20. Nino reads it as Blackmagic balancing the headlines with products that carry more margin and no memory, and recalls that it was the only manufacturer to cut camera prices over the past year while everyone else raised them.

Johnnie adds that our sources say Blackmagic’s cameras are not selling well. Nino’s view: hardly anything sells well right now, with exceptions like the Sony FX5, which Johnnie expects to be available around mid-November.

ArtCraft Releases Free Open-Source Adobe Alternatives – FilmCraft for Premiere Pro, EffectCraft for After Effects, Written in Rust With AI

(17:24 in the episode)

ArtCraft has vibe-coded open-source replacements for most of Adobe’s apps – FilmCraft for Premiere Pro, EffectCraft for After Effects and more – and even Microsoft Office. None of them look finished yet. Johnnie doesn’t feel sorry for Adobe after the hundreds of euros we were charged to cancel a subscription, and wonders how the clones will handle licensed codecs.

Nino dislikes Adobe’s pricing too, but sees cloning developers’ work much like generative AI copying ours – and notes that the company behind ArtCraft earns its money with generative AI tokens. Would you trust these tools on a paid job?

Poll: What Is Your Preferred Camera Form Factor?

(22:55 in the episode)

Johnnie’s poll asked for your preferred camera form factor. Roughly 30% voted for cube-shaped cameras like the Kinefinity VISTA, 25% for traditional shoulder cameras like the Sony FX9, about 20% for the Sony FX5 style and 17% for traditional mirrorless bodies – the vertical Osmo Pocket shape, the one that sells the most, landed in single digits.

Johnnie is surprised the shoulder camera came second and wonders whether it is partly a ‘look at me, I’m a professional’ thing. Nino defends it for eye-level shooting all day and for getting a spot in a press scrum. Next week’s poll idea: the aspect ratio of this podcast.

A Pocket Camera at the Venice Film Festival – What DJI Wants With the Osmo Pocket 4P

(31:17 in the episode)

DJI invited us to the Venice Film Festival, where it showed four short films by young filmmakers from Italy and China, all shot on the Osmo Pocket 4P. Nino’s takeaway: DJI is serious about moving the Pocket from vlogging to proper filmmaking, with dynamic range he compares to the ALEXA 35 – and with a clear focus on Europe while its products cannot launch in the US.

Nino’s wish for a Pocket 5P is LOFIC on both sensors, so the grade no longer mixes D-Log 2 and D-Log. Johnnie’s is a larger LOFIC sensor in a Hasselblad camera. The new 240fps D-Log mode, added by firmware, was shot in our studio under the Orbrella.

The LENSGO TCQI Teleprompter in action. Image Credit: LENSGO

LENSGO TCQI 8 Pocket Teleprompter for DJI Osmo Pocket 3/4 Introduced – 8-Inch Screen, Magnetic Setup, Bluetooth Remote

(39:04 in the episode)

LENSGO has built a teleprompter for the Osmo Pocket 3 and 4: a small mirror box that holds a smartphone, run with a Bluetooth remote, so walk-and-talk pieces work with a pocket camera. Johnnie sees it as a natural fit for news reporters on location. Nino found it at B&H for around $88.

Getty Images to File for Bankruptcy Protection – Debt Cut, Private Ownership, No Change for Contributors

(41:18 in the episode)

Getty Images is filing for bankruptcy protection and going private. Nino ties it to generic stock imagery that AI can now generate – something we predicted early on – and recalls that Getty and Shutterstock agreed to combine in January 2025. Doug Jensen, who teaches two courses on MZed, told Nino that the stock income he once documented in detail has since crumbled. If you contribute to stock agencies, tell us how your revenue has changed.

Z CAM E2-F6 Pro Firmware 0.9.10 Released – Internal ProRes RAW, 6K up to 60fps

(44:53 in the episode)

Not exactly a new camera, the Z CAM E2-F6 Pro gets firmware 0.9.10 with internal ProRes RAW in 6K up to 60fps. Nino’s guess: Apple has become more willing to license ProRes RAW.

GoPro MISSION 1 Series Update Released – Zero-Lag Shutter, Continuous 50MP RAW Photos and Anamorphic Lens Support

(45:17 in the episode)

GoPro’s update for the MISSION 1, MISSION 1 PRO and MISSION 1 PRO ILS adds a zero-lag shutter, bursts of more than 100 frames at 12MP or more than 20 frames in 50MP RAW, and histogram, waveform and remote control in the Mission Monitor app. The PRO ILS gains anamorphic de-squeeze at 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.8x and 2x, compatible with HyperSmooth.

Johnnie reports that our lab test of the ILS is done. One workflow issue we found: exposure on an external HDMI monitor jumps once recording starts.

SIGMA 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary for Nikon Z Mount Announced – 18.8x Zoom Ratio, 1:2 Magnification, 6-Stop OS

(48:55 in the episode)

SIGMA’s APS-C 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary is now also available for Nikon Z – a 24-450mm full-frame equivalent go-anywhere zoom. Nino also mentions the new SIGMA 50-120mm f/2.8 DC OS Contemporary for E, X and RF mount.

Tamron 16-50mm f/2.8 A Announced – Constant f/2.8 APS-C Zoom, 305g, VXD Autofocus

(50:30 in the episode)

Tamron’s 16-50mm f/2.8 is a constant-aperture APS-C zoom for E, RF, Z and X mount from day one. Johnnie sees it as a direct rival to the SIGMA 18-50mm f/2.8 we use for news coverage – on APS-C, those extra 2mm at the wide end count.

Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD for Nikon Z Announced – 380g Full-Frame Zoom, 17cm Close Focus, VXD Linear Motor

(51:45 in the episode)

Tamron’s full-frame 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD now comes to Nikon Z for $730. Johnnie’s explanation for this wave of lens news: Inter BEE in Japan runs from November 18 to 20 – and we’ll be there.

Sony ECM-W5 Signal path illustration. Image Credit: Sony

Sony ECM-W5 Wireless Microphone System Announced – 32-Bit Float via MI Shoe, 64GB Backup Recording, Timecode

(52:46 in the episode)

Sony’s ECM-W5 brings 32-bit float over the air via the MI Shoe, with two transmitters and 96kHz recording on compatible cameras – a direct challenge to RØDE, Hollyland, DJI and the mostly Chinese and Australian brands that took over this market. Godox and DJI already offer receivers that plug straight into Sony’s shoe.

Which cameras support 32-bit float recording is still open. Nino will dig into it next week in a special episode with Markus Walich from Sony.

Sony ECM-AX10 Spatial Audio Microphone for Smartphones Announced – Four Capsules, Ambisonics and Binaural, Eclipsa Audio Export

(56:13 in the episode)

Sony’s ECM-AX10 brings spatial audio to smartphones: four capsules, ambisonics and binaural, for around $250. A niche product, Nino admits, but an affordable entry point for VR and game audio.

Accsoon CineView M7 Series Gains Community-Built Camera Control Apps for Selected Panasonic and Nikon RED Cameras

(57:08 in the episode)

Accsoon’s Android-based CineView M7 monitors gain two community-built apps: Parallax Monitor, for monitoring and recording with Nikon cameras, and Rig Control for the LUMIX S series, which is still in testing. Johnnie likes that Accsoon embraces creators who extend its software. Nino’s bigger wish: a large-sensor camera from a major brand that runs open Android.

BTS Picture of the Camera Crew filming for the AVP. Image Credit: Red Bull

Red Bull Big Wave Surfing Review – Apple Immersive Film Puts Vision Pro Viewers Under Teahupo’o’s Waves

(59:39 in the episode)

Nino reviewed Red Bull’s Big Wave Surfing, an eight-minute Apple Immersive film from Teahupo’o, free on the Apple TV app for Vision Pro. It was shot before the URSA Cine Immersive was available, so the stereoscopic camera is unknown. Nino calls it some of the best surfing footage he has seen – above all the underwater view of a breaking wave. It is the second film in the series after the Emmy-winning freestyle skiing episode, and we’re working on talking to the production team.

SWIT K7 Monitor Introduced – 7-Inch 2,800-Nit Touchscreen, SDI/HDMI Cross Conversion, Dual NP-F Hot-Swap

(01:02:00 in the episode)

SWIT, mostly known for production monitors, introduces the K7 on-camera monitor: 7 inches, 2,800 nits, SDI/HDMI cross conversion and dual NP-F batteries, plus LUTs, overlays, anamorphic de-squeeze and audio monitoring, for €600.

A Hand Inside the Monster – The Puppeteer Magic in Film

(01:02:58 in the episode)

Our educational article of the week looks at puppeteers in film, from King Kong and the pioneering work of Jim Henson to the Cyclops in The Odyssey – with a lively discussion on classic puppet films in the comments.