10 (new) Cool Gadgets for Photographers and Filmmakers. Part 2

 
6• Convergent Design Odyssey 7.
Two super interesting monitor/recorders are the Odyssey7 and Odyssey7Q by Convergent Design. For $1295 and up you get a 7.7” 1280 x 800 OLED external monitor that also doubles as an external recorder capable of receiving 4K RAW data as well as other compressed and uncompressed formats onto two 2.5” SSDs.

Here’s the twist; out-of-the-box, these two products are monitors only, with all the usual settings (waveform, histogram, false color, vectorscope, zebras, and focus assist) but without any recording or playback capabilities. Recording options must be purchased or rented (brilliant!) separately from Convergent Design’s website.

Another clever feature is that the screen can be split into four quadrants, so users can monitor the image while also simultaneously having access to waveform, vectorscope, histogram, or focus assist.

7 and 8• Tascam DR-60D and Samson Zoom H6
In the realm of sound we saw two important announcements with Tascam’s DR-60D and Samson’s Zoom H6. According to Tascam, the DR-60D was specifically designed for DSLR filmmakers. It comes with the now expected features: 2 XLR ports, 4-channel recording, 48V phantom power, and SD/SDHC cards compatible—all for $350. The sample we tested was missing the option to record MP3 files. I’d like to see if this will be added via a firmware update at a later time. The most interesting feature is the way the DR-60D can be attached at the bottom of the camera, just like a battery grip, without rigs or “cages.” There are also red LED lights alerting users when the input levels are too high, which is great for a single operator situation. This is nice. Keep in mind that the 60D does NOT have internal mics, so recording a quick interview (at a trade show, for example) or capturing ambient sound requires additional gear. This is mildly annoying.

Tascam DR-60D from B&H Photo Video on Vimeo.

The interesting-looking Zoom H6 comes with four XLR/TRS inputs, and records and mixes up to six channels using all kinds of interchangeable mics. The price is unknown as of this writing. Many people have complained about the Zoom H4n menu. We have been using one for a long time and feel very comfortable using it. That being said, the H6 seems much easier, and the Tascam 60D’s UI is definitively more intuitive.

9• G-Tech Evolution Series
The media storage announcements last week at NAB were pretty boring, with one single exception: G-Tech’s Evolution Series. There are three flavors: G-DOCK ev, G-DRIVE ev, and G-DRIVE ev PLUS. Here’s my review.

10• Adobe
The software giant is on a roll, with Lightroom 5 officially available as a public beta, and a new Premiere Pro to be announced in a few days this week at the Adobe MAX Conference. Here’s a link to the Keynote and here’s a link to the best deal for Creative Cloud I can find.

Are you excited with these new gadgets? Did I miss anything? Please add your comments below.