DJI today introduced the new Zenmuse X7, the world’s first Super 35 sensor camera for aerial cinematography. Designed to work with the DJI Inspire 2 drone, the Zenmuse X7 uses interchangeable lenses and also has a new DJI Cinema Color System for post production. DJI claims the Zenmuse X7 Super 35 video sensor has 14 stops of dynamic range with very good low-light performance.
“The Zenmuse X7 offers everything professional content creators need to make their aerial footage as stunning and vivid as they demand,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager at DJI. “From the large Super 35 sensor to a new mount, lenses, and color system, the Zenmuse X7 gives cinematographers and professional photographers an unmatched set of tools that work seamlessly with the DJI Inspire 2 drone to capture high-quality footage that is easily integrated into projects shot with industry-leading handheld cameras.”
The Zenmuse X7 is capable of shooting at impressive 6K resolution with CinemaDNG RAW or 5.2K Apple ProRes at up to 30 FPS, as well as 3.9K CinemaDNG RAW or 2.7K ProRes at up to 59.94 FPS to integrate seamlessly into industry-standard post-production workflows.
The Zenmuse X7 uses a dedicated aerial mount system, the DJI DL-Mount, featuring an ultra-short flange focal distance to carry prime lenses optimally. Available with focal lengths of 16 mm, 24 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm, each lens has a maximum aperture of F/2.8 and is made of carbon fiber. That’s impressive and very smart to keep the weight down.
An interesting idea and one that is needed is the addition of a built-in ND 4 filter in the 16mm lens that can be controlled with the app, plus the 24 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm lenses feature a mechanical shutter.
Higher Flexibility in Post-Production
DJI has also introduced a new DJI Cinema Color System (DCCS) making the Zenmuse X7 an asset on every film set for movies, TV series, commercials, documentaries, and more. In consultation with Technicolor, DJI engineers developed an optimized gamma curve for the X7 allowing more latitude without sacrificing image quality. DCCS features a new D-Log Curve and D-Gamut RGB color space to give more flexibility and color options during the post-production process. The D-Log further extends the dynamic range, while the D-Gamut RGB color space preserves more color information providing accurate color for quick and easy post-processing.
The new EI Mode mimics the way a film camera works to help cinematographers capture as much information as possible in every scene while balancing the dynamic range and noise with different log curves for more flexibility during the post-production process.
The Zenmuse X7 gimbal system weighs just 631 grams with the 16 mm lens. The DJI Inspire 2 has a flight time of up to 23 minutes with the Zenmuse X7. For more info about the Zenmuse X7, visit www.dji.com/zenmuse-x7.
Price and Availability
The Zenmuse X7 camera is priced at $2,699 USD. The 16 mm, 24 mm and 35 mm lenses will be available for $1,299 each, and the 50 mm for $1,199. Customers can purchase the Zenmuse X7 prime lens combo including all 4 lenses for $4,299. The Zenmuse X7 will start shipping in early November 2017 from store.dji.com ans in DJI Flagship Stores and through DJI Authorized Dealers worldwide.
Wow right? If you are a Inspire 2 owner I’m sure you are digging through your credit card balances about now to get one. Smaller, lighter drones that can shoot higher quality images without an expensive cinema camera strapped to them is a good thing and DJI looks to have a really impressive release with the new Zenmuse X7 for the Inspire 2 drone. Another great possibility would be to have this camera on a handheld gimbal setup. With D-Log Curve and D-Gamut RGB color space and a super 35 sensor it would make an amazingly good camera for ground level shooting as well without having to use awkward, heavy setups. Add in the app to control the focus and you have a powerful system on the ground as well as in the sky. So… do you want one? and will this push you to get a Inspire 2 now? Let’s talk in the comments section.
