Last Updated on January 13, 2019
CION, a 4K/UHD/2K/HD Professional Camera Has Been Announced by AJA
AJA Video Systems have announced CION, a new professional camera that is unlike any other. CION features an ergonomic design and is fully capable of shooting at 4K/UltraHD and 2K/HD resolutions.
With the introduction of the Ki Pro product line in 2009, AJA was the one that pioneered the lens-to-post Apple ProRes workflows. CION builds upon this achievement by AJA by providing in-camera recording directly to the Apple ProRes family of codecs, including the 12-bit 444, for optimal image capture. The ProRes codecs are very well regarded in several post-production environments as they are able to offer wide compatibility when it comes to editing, color correction, and finishing applications.
With CION, AJA is able to cater to the ever increasing demand for high frame support. The new professional camera is able to output 4K raw data at up to 120 fps via 4x 3G-SDI outpiuts. CION is also able to record to an AJA Pak SSD media directly at up to 60 frames per second.
Nick Rashby, president of AJA Video Systems said that “CION represents a new direction for AJA. Brining this sophisticated camera to market underscores our passion to support filmmakers, broadcasters and content creators.” Nick Rashby continued, “We are incredibly proud of CION. We believe that the thoughtfully considered design, along with a powerful feature set, will make it extremely useful and versatile for productions worldwide.”
[vimeo height=”500″ width=”820″]https://vimeo.com/90658762[/vimeo]CION is built with a familiar and tested camera form and also comes with an ergonomic layout. The professional camera features a built-in shoulder mount and standard connectors in logical positions. The camera also has a PL lens mount which allows compatibility with other industry-standard lenses.
An image is oversampled from the full 4K sensor when recording in HD or 2K. This not only retains the focal length, but it also provides a vibrant and detailed image. CION also comes with a built-in filter that combines an optical low pass filter (OLPF) that eliminates unwanted aliasing and moire with an infrafred (IR) cut filter to come up with appropriate colors.
CION also has a back focus adjustment which helps produce the sharpest image possible. The camera also comes with several 3G-SDI and HDMI outputs, which are all active simultaneously and supplies a signal to different 4K/Ultra HD and 2K/HD monitors.
The power output connector of CION is conveniently placed at the front of the unit to make electronic viewfinders very easy to use. For an unmatched amount of connectivity, CION also comes with professional audio inputs.
The user interface of CION is not complicated and very user friendly. It can be managed in a very easy manner from the operator side. The menu parameters of the camera can be configured remotely through a web interface and can also be accessed through a web browser – any, in fact – through a LAN connection.
CION comes with a sleek chassis that is formed from magnesium, which is a very lightweight material yet very strong. Industry-standard accessories such as handgrips and handle extensions can be mounted directly to the camera body thanks to integrated steel rosettes.
CION also includes integrated cheese plates with standard tapped holes. These cheese plates are fitted to both the top and bottom of the chassis which allows for the easy mounting of accessories, either from AJA or third parties
CION is the product of years of development. AJA has made use of a considered process to create a production camera that comes with a feature set and form factor that can provide a user with a wide array of options, both in the field and in the studio. CION is an elegant blend of superb design and functionality. It is an engineered beauty that AJA is very proud to call “Science of the Beautiful.”
