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Canon EOS R6 V, Sony a7R VI, Panasonic LUMIX L10 | Behind-the-Scenes at Eurovision Song Contest with 24 ARRI ALEXA Live Cameras – Focus Check ep116

May 14^th, 2026

by Felix TappeinerMay 14^th, 2026

Episode 116 of the Focus Check podcast is a camera-heavy one. Nino and Johnnie cover three major new camera announcements — Canon, Sony, and Panasonic each dropped something significant this week — plus the first same-day lab test for a newly released camera, a DJI Osmo Pocket 4P teaser, a landmark Sony-TSMC deal, and an important heads-up about flying with batteries in 2026. Nino is also in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime media cooperation with ARRI at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, and he shares what it’s been like filming behind the scenes.

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Sponsor of this Episode is NANLITE: Check out the section at: 14:07

Canon EOS R6 V unveiled – 7K full-frame video hybrid with IBIS, active cooling, and no EVF

Canon EOS R6 V Unveiled – 7K Full-Frame Video Hybrid with IBIS, Active Cooling, and No EVF

(04:05 in the episode)

Canon’s new EOS R6 V takes the same sensor and processor found in the EOS C50 cinema camera and the EOS R6 III and packages them into a video-focused body aimed squarely at content creators — all for $2,500. Johnnie sees it as Canon’s direct answer to the Nikon Z f, a camera that opened up a new sub-$2,500 category that other manufacturers can no longer ignore.

What the R6 V adds over the C50 is IBIS, which the cinema camera lacks. What it gives up compared to the R6 III is the mechanical shutter and — most notably for Johnnie — the EVF. There is also no in-camera anamorphic de-squeeze, though it does support open gate recording, which is useful for cropping vertical content from a horizontal frame. An active internal cooling fan is built in, directly addressing the overheating issues that plagued the photo-oriented R6 line.

Nino points out that skipping the de-squeeze makes sense for a content-creator camera — very few in that audience shoot anamorphic — and that open gate plus IBIS is actually the right combination for creators who need both horizontal and vertical delivery from a single take. The camera also features a dedicated vertical mounting port so it can be locked to a tripod in portrait orientation without adapters.

Alongside the camera, Canon introduced its first L-series power zoom lens: the RF 22-50mm F4 IS USM PZ. It’s a compact, stabilized zoom with a body-mounted zoom rocker, designed to complement the run-and-gun style the R6 V encourages. The lens retails for around $1,399–1,499, and the body-and-lens kit is priced at approximately $3,699. Johnnie says he would personally reach for the R6 V over the C50 for most work — he gets 90–95% of the functionality at roughly half the price, without the overheating concern.

Sony Alpha 7R VI announced – 66.8MP stacked sensor, 8K 30p, 4K 120p and sensor-level dual gain

Sony Alpha 7R VI Announced – 66.8MP Stacked Sensor, 8K 30p, 4K 120p and Sensor-Level Dual Gain

(15:08 in the episode)

The Sony Alpha 7R VI is primarily a photographer’s camera, but its video credentials are substantial enough to make it a genuine hybrid. The new 66.8-megapixel stacked sensor brings dual gain modes to the Alpha series for the first time — something previously reserved for Sony’s cinema-line FX cameras. One circuit is optimised for low noise, the other for dynamic range, and the camera selects between them automatically based on exposure.

On the video side: 8K at 30p from 8.2K oversampling (with a 1.2x crop), 4K at 60p from 5K oversampling, 4K at 30/24/25p from 5K oversampling, and 4K at 120p from 5K oversampling — also with a 1.1x crop unless the ‘4K angle of view priority’ setting is enabled, which removes the crop entirely. Nino notes the latter should arguably be the default. All modes are 10-bit 4:2:2 All-I; there is no internal raw and no open gate.

The dual gain mode is only available in 4K — not 8K — and tops out at 4K 30p. Sony has not disclosed the native base ISOs, though the lab test (conducted at firmware 1.01 before launch) measured dual gain performance. The new processor, Bionz ZR2, drives a host of other improvements: 32-bit float audio across all four channels (a first alongside the Nikon Z f), AI noise reduction on the internal microphone, a front tally lamp, and an updated autofocus system with automatic subject-type switching between humans, animals, birds, vehicles, and insects.

Physical updates include illuminated rear buttons, a 9.44-million-dot OLED EVF that is three times brighter than the predecessor with DCI-P3 coverage, and the same 4-axis multi-angle LCD. IBIS moves from 8 stops to 8.5 steps (centre) or 7 steps (periphery), and a new dynamic active stabilisation mode adds enhanced roll-axis correction. The camera also gains Wi-Fi 6 GHz, dual USB-C ports (one USB 3.2 Gen 2 with screw-lock), and full-size HDMI. A new battery standard is introduced — not backward compatible with previous Alpha packs.

Sony also announced the FE 100–400mm F4.5 GM OSS alongside this camera — a constant-aperture refresh of its most popular super-telephoto zoom, now with internal zoom, four XD linear motors, and autofocus three times faster than the predecessor.

Sony a7R VI lab test – rolling shutter, dynamic range and exposure latitude

Sony a7R VI Lab Test – Rolling Shutter, Dynamic Range and Exposure Latitude

(35:24 in the episode)

In what may be a first for CineD, the full lab test for the Sony a7R VI was completed and published on launch day, with the camera running final firmware 1.01. Gunther and Florian conducted the tests across the three standard CineD categories: dynamic range, exposure latitude, and rolling shutter.

The headline findings: shoot in 4K rather than 8K to get the best video quality this camera offers. With dual gain enabled, dynamic range reaches up to 14 stops — among the best results the team has measured. Rolling shutter is acceptable but roughly doubles when dual gain is active, because the sensor reads out twice. That makes dual gain unsuitable for handheld work but excellent for locked-off interviews and high-contrast scenes.

Exposure latitude, however, lands at around nine stops — modest compared to cameras with internal raw recording. The a7R VI is tested using internal codecs only, which is the team’s standard methodology. Bottom line: for the best results, use 4K oversampled, and choose dual gain based on whether you prioritise dynamic range or rolling shutter performance.

Panasonic LUMIX L10 announced – Leica 10.9-34mm F1.7-2.8 zoom, 5.6K 30p video, V-Log, and more

Panasonic LUMIX L10 Announced – Leica 24-75mm F1.7-2.8 Zoom, 5.6K 30p Video, V-Log, and More

(43:23 in the episode)

The third camera announcement of the week comes from Panasonic: the LUMIX L10, a compact four-thirds camera with a fixed Leica-branded 10.9-34mm (24-75mm equivalent) F1.7-2.8 zoom lens. Johnnie describes it as a smaller-sensor cousin of the Lumix S9 — but with an EVF, which makes a significant practical difference. It delivers up to 5.6K open gate video at 30p, 4:2:0 10-bit recording, V-Log, Power OIS, and autofocus.

Pricing is $1,499 for the standard version, with a titanium gold 25th-anniversary special edition at $1,599. In the titanium version, only the Leica logo is visible on the lens from the front — Lumix branding is absent.

Johnnie sees it as Panasonic’s answer to the Fujifilm X100VI: a stylish, compact, fixed-lens camera that prioritises portability. One limitation for video: dual gain is available for photos only, not video. Availability is expected in June via pre-order, with the titanium edition arriving first.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P teaser shows new two-camera pro version

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P Teaser Shows the New Two-Camera Pro Version

(49:15 in the episode)

DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4P has been an open secret for weeks after the company posted a teaser on Chinese social media. The official announcement came via an event at the Cannes Film Festival — CineD received a last-minute invitation but could not attend given the busy week. From the pre-announcement material, the 4P features a one-inch sensor and a second camera with approximately 3x magnification, which Nino estimates equates to roughly a 75mm equivalent field of view.

The key question Johnnie raises: can both cameras record simultaneously? If so, that opens up interesting possibilities for wide-plus-tele capture in a single device. Full specs were expected to be public by the time the episode aired on Thursday.

ARRI at Eurovision – Alexa 35 Live goes broadcast in Vienna

(51:28 in the episode)

Nino is currently embedded with ARRI at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna as part of a media cooperation CineD entered into a few months ago. This is the first year ARRI — via its parent company Riedel Communications — has supplied cameras to the event, with 24 Alexa 35 Live cameras deployed across the venue, alongside two or three flycams, two Steadicams, and three robocams.

ARRI is the new entrant to broadcast, and Eurovision is the pressure test: 150 to 180 million viewers worldwide, 43 seconds between each performance setup to strike and reset the stage, and no margin for error. Nino describes the quality difference between the Alexa 35 and a traditional broadcast camera as immediately visible — particularly in how fire and pyrotechnics render, and in skin tone reproduction. Side-by-side comparisons with previous performances shot on broadcast cameras have already convinced a number of broadcaster and streamer representatives who toured the venue.

The full behind-the-scenes documentary — shot entirely on the Alexa 35 with Alura zooms — is being produced jointly by CineD and ARRI and is going through the EBU and ORF approval process. It will be published once clearances are in place. Two short reels were already available at the time of recording.

Sony hands image sensor manufacturing to TSMC in landmark joint venture

Sony Hands Image Sensor Manufacturing to TSMC in Landmark Joint Venture, Marking the End of Its Fully In-House Era

(1:04:32 in the episode)

Sony has announced a joint venture with TSMC — the Taiwan-based contract manufacturer that makes chips for Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and many others — to handle image sensor production. For the first time in its history, Sony will not be manufacturing all of its sensors entirely in-house.

Nino explains the economics: the lithography machines required for leading-edge sensor fabrication cost upwards of $400 million each. That is simply beyond the capital investment that most companies can justify independently, which is why so much of the world’s chip manufacturing is concentrated at a handful of foundries. Sony is following the model Apple pioneered — specifying the design while outsourcing fabrication to the entity best equipped to execute it.

Johnnie notes that on the CineD Japanese-language site, the story went viral — the Japanese audience reading it as another sign of Sony retreating from vertically integrated manufacturing, alongside earlier moves in consumer electronics and automotive. Whether it signals strategic vulnerability or sensible focus is an open question, but both hosts agree the direction of travel in global manufacturing is clear: the best production capability in the world is now concentrated in Asia, and the infrastructure and institutional knowledge simply do not exist elsewhere to replicate it quickly.

Flying with batteries in 2026 – what the new global power bank rules mean for filmmakers

Flying with Batteries in 2026 – What the New Global Power Bank Rules Mean for Filmmakers

(1:10:52 in the episode)

Lufthansa Group was among the first airlines to ban the use of power banks on flights entirely — not just the carriage of them, but the act of using them in-cabin. This followed a fire incident onboard a flight. Camera batteries with USB ports are in a grey area, but Nino expects those to be caught up in the same restrictions before long.

American Airlines has implemented a two-power-bank limit per passenger since May 1st, each rated under 100 watt-hours. In general, North American airlines currently apply more relaxed rules and offer more carry-on space than their European counterparts. Ross Canerac, CEO of Core SWX, sent a newsletter to customers alerting them to the changing landscape — something both hosts appreciated as a practical heads-up from within the industry.

The practical advice from Nino and Johnnie: check the specific rules of your airline before booking if you are travelling with camera gear. Rules are changing rapidly across carriers, and enforcement is tightening — Lufthansa Group now checks bag weight and contents at the gate. They both recommend opting for budget carriers where possible, since those airlines tend to be more accommodating as long as the carry-on fee is paid.

You can watch and listen to the full video episode of Focus Check ep116 embedded on top, and find all episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.