As we are getting closer to CES 2019, it’s the time to announce the annual CES Innovation Awards honorees in the Digital Imaging category. We picked the most relevant honorees for filmmakers:  The GoPro HERO7 Black, Canon RF 28-70mm lens and LitraPro from LITRA. Read more below.

CES 2019 in Las Vegas

CES, which is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), is the global stage where next­ generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. The CES has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years.

The CES has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years.

CES showcases more than 4,500 exhibiting companies, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more. This year, CES is held at the World Trade Center Las Vegas on January 8-11, 2019.

The CES Innovation Awards

The annual CES Innovation Awards program celebrates outstanding product design and engineering in brand ­new consumer technology products.

The CES Innovation Award Evaluation is based on those criteria:

• Engineering qualities.
• Aesthetic and design qualities.
• The product’s intended use/function and user value.
• Unique/novel features and features that consumers would find attractive.
• How the design and innovation of this product directly compare to other products in the marketplace.
  

The honorees in the Digital Imaging category

There are several honorees in the Digital Imaging category. However, we picked three products that we think they are the most pertinent for filmmakers.

GoPro HERO7 Black

The HERO7 Black was selected because of its innovative new features, especially the gimbal-like HyperSmooth stabilization. We wrote an in-depth article regarding this technology.

Briefly, GoPro HERO7 Black is armed with the HyperSmooth stabilization technology that is designed to capture super-smooth footage gimbal-likes shots, without a gimbal. The technology  predicts your movements and corrects for camera shake to deliver much smoother footage.

Furthermore, the GoPro HERO7 Black supports up to UHD 4K60/50 video resolutions, and captures 2.7K120/100 slow-motion and super-slow motion video at rates up to 1080p240/200.

However, we believe that the main reason for being included in the Digital Imaging category is because of the impressive HyperSmooth new tech.

Litra Pro

The second product is Litra Pro from LITRA, which is the world’s first full spectrum bi-color compact video and photo light that is dedicated for run and gun filmmaking scenarios.

One of their best product is the LITRA LitraPro Bi-Color On-Camera Light with Dome Diffuser, which is characterized by its robustness. With affordable price point ($220), This product is extremely durable, waterproof and able to hold up to the rigors of the production day.

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L

The third product is the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L lens for its mirrorless lineup, Combining the versatility of a zoom with the speed typically reserved for a prime, the Canon RF 28- 70mm f/2L USM is a wide-angle to portrait- length lens distinguished by its impressively unique f/2 constant maximum aperture, and is designed for use with full- frame Canon RF-mount mirrorless cameras.

The lens has an impressively bright f/2 maximum aperture maintains consistent illumination throughout the zoom range and suits working in low-light conditions as well as affords increased control over depth of field for working with selective focus techniques.

However, this lens is quite expensive ($3000) and it’s not suited for EF mounts which is a significant disadvantage.

There are other products included in the CES Innovation Award – Digital Imaging category as well, which you can explore here.

What do you think about those products? Would you expect to see more CES Innovation Award honorees in the list? If so, let us know in the comment section below!