The Most Awaited 4K Camera – AJA CION Finally Ships, Plus (Really) Last Minute Gifts

The AJA Cion has easily been probably the most awaited 4K camera in 2014. Announced earlier in the year during the premier industry gathering at NAB 2014, the AJA Cion offers a Super 35mm sensor and on board 4K DCI and UHD recording onto AJA’s own SSD media drives in ProRes 4444 or Apple ProRes 422 (all flavours) up to 30 fps, 60fps in ProRes 422, and even a 4K Raw up to 120fps output through 3G-SDI to an external recorder, has remained elusive in the field. Despite speculations as to whether the camera will ever ship this year and delays partly due to further work required to finalise the colour science and inner workings of the camera, the CION is finally shipping according to AJA. The team behind the AJA CION has been working really hard to make sure that first orders ship out the door before Christmas, just as promised by AJA’s John Thorn in late October.

Nick Rashby, President AJA Video Systems confirmed the announcement.

We are so thrilled to ship this extraordinary camera and get it into the hands of our customers, and we are extremely excited to see the amazing images that will be captured worldwide. We know that CION will redefine our user’s experience in production and post for 4K and UltraHD with its fast and easy workflow as well as its groundbreaking design and feature rich functionality that we have worked so hard on perfecting. This final connection is perhaps the most important; our brilliant engineers and your creativity come together in CION.

AJA also released a new technical video, which demonstrates the CION Exposure Index, Gamma and In-Camera Colour Correction Comparison.

The CION Technical Video 1 shows in precise detail the Exposure Index, Gamma and In-Camera Colour Correction options available with the CION 4K/UltraHD and 2K/HD production camera from AJA.

• The video is split into two sections: the first shows these comparisons at 5600K and the second section details the same comparisons at 3200K. No grade or colour correction has been applied to this 4K footage although some scaling and resizing has been made to create the side-by-side comparison images you see within the video.

• The video you see here is a compressed 1080p H.264 version, exported from FCP X and then uploaded to Vimeo.  The original is a 4K 12-bit ProRes 444 master file. AJA would like to thank, in no particular order, Zacuto, Cooke, Schneider Optics, Zeiss, Mole-Richardson and EZ FX Inc for their support.

CION Technical Notes #1 to accompany this video are available for download here.

I think it’s quite an achievement to get this camera out the door before the end of the year, so kudos to AJA. At the end of the day, it is their first camera, and we’ve seen it before with Blackmagic Design, and RED Digital Cinema, making cameras is not an easy feat.

It takes an extraordinary amount of work and lots of very smart people to roll up their sleeves and work their brains to capacity in order to finish a professional capture device in order to be competitive in today’s cut-throat production environment. I am looking forward to seeing the CION used on many productions and reporting on future footage from this lovely designed camera.

Sure, the CION will make a fab Christmas gift for some luck shooters out there, but for those of you, who like me leave present for the last minute (literally), maybe thelist below can sort out the madness in the hours before Christmas. For those who think, its too late – I say it’s never too late to get something, even if it arrives after Christmas, you can always blame it on the post office… (apologies to the fine job the Postal service is doing during these hectic times…)

So no sweat you procrastinators out there (I am guilty of it, too…) just getting a present for someone is more important sometimes to getting it to them on time. Or look at it this way – why not get something for yourself? After all the hard work you did this year, you surely deserve it.

Last Minute Gifts for Under $100

Vidpro Professional Photo & Video LED Kit – $89.95

• 96 LED Video Light
• Adjustable Hot-Shoe / Tripod Mount
• 3200K Tungsten Filter
• 4200K Soft Diffuser
• Li-ion Rechargeable Battery
• European Adapter / Battery Charger
• Vertical Interlock Accessory
• Foam Padded Hard Carry Case
• Adjustable Step-less Dimmer
• Magnetic Mounting System

 

Red Giant PluralEyes 3.5 (Download, Academic Version) – $94

• Academic Version
• Picture/Audio Sync Application
• Now Supports Drift Compensation
• Windows and Mac Compatible
• Electronic Download
• Broad NLE Support
• Doesn’t Change Original Clips
• Manual Fine Tuning and Troubleshooting
• New “Do It For Me” Workflow Option
• License for Two Systems Included

 

Magic Bullet Quick Looks 1.2 – $94

• 100-Look Library
• DeepColor RT
• HDR
• Look Theater
• GPU Acceleration
• Multiple Resolutions
• Multiple Hosts

 

 

 

SanDisk 64GB SDXC Extreme Pro Class 10 UHS-I – $90.95

• 64GB Data Storage Capacity
• Class 10 Speed
• Raw recording Approved for BMPCC
• Excellent for 4K recording on the GH4
• Max. Read Speed: 95 MB/s
• Max. Write Speed: 90 MB/s
• Ultra High Speed Class 1
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

 

Roku 3 Streaming Player – $89

• Stream 750+ Channels
• Connects to Your HDTV via HDMI Port
• Ethernet Jack & 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Plays 720p HD & 1080p Full HD Video
• Remote Control with Headphone Jack
• Remote Supports Motion Control for Games
• USB Port Supports Music, Video & Photos
• Updated On-Screen User Experience

 

Last Minute Gifts for Under $50

XP PhotoGear 42mm MagFilter CP Filter – $39.95

• Polarizing Filter for Compact Cameras
• Magnetic Adapter Ring Attachment
• Easy Installation and Removal
• Minimize Reflections and Glare
• Reduces Haze and Blue Cast in Landscapes
• Enhances Color and Tonal Saturation
• Anodized Black/Red Metal Ring
• 2 Adhesive Metal Adapter Rings
• For Sony RX100/II & HX-Series

 

Lexar 128GB S73 JumpDrive USB 3.0 – $39.95

• 128GB Storage Capacity
• USB 3.0 Technology
• Max Data Read Speed: 100 MB/s
• Max Data Write Speed: 55 MB/s
• Mac and PC Compatible
• Advanced Security Software
• Plug-and-Play Functionality

 

 

Jam Classic Bluetooth Speaker – $24.99

• Palm-Sized Speaker
• Bluetooth Wireless
• Up to 30′ Range
• 3.5mm Line-in
• Built-in Lithium-ion Battery
• • Up to 4 Hours of Runtime
  • Charging Cable Included

 

 

 

Google Chromecast – $34.95

• Wirelessly Stream Content
• 1080p Maximum Resolution
• Built-In 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Integrated HDMI Connector
• Control from Portable Devices
• USB Port or AC Powered
• Compact Design

 

 

For more gift ideas check out our Christmas Gift Guide for Filmmakers on Any Budget.

[via Erik Naso]