Matt covered the announcement of the Z Cam E2 S6 6K and 8K cameras a few days ago. Now Erik has been able to take a first look at an actual unit on the NAB show floor. The company is working towards an October release date so the model in the gallery below is likely to be pretty close to what we’ll see in the wild.
You can already purchase their E2 4/3″ sensor model for $1,995 USD, and the new versions look to be a step up both in terms of tech and price. Below you can download the full specifications for the E2 S6 model.
The camera features a locking EF mount, similar to the one found on the Canon C700 and some Kinefinity cameras. 
There’s no built-in viewfinder, so you’ll need to mount a monitor. 
The camera is in there somewhere – it’s so compact it’s almost swallowed up by the cage. 
ZCam’s app enables remote camera control over USB-C. 
Plenty of connectivity options on the back of the camera, including a WiFi antenna port and ethernet jack.
Z-Cam S6: same body, different sensors
The 6K versions will be available in S35 or full frame, while the 8K version will only be available in full frame. The sensor has dual ISO – low ISO is rated at 400 and high native ISO at 1250. Z-Cam are claiming dynamic range of 14+ stops – they’re still optimising image however so that’s not a final figure.
As with the existing model, the new versions of the E2 will record internally to a CFast 2.0 card. The camera powers from an L-series battery or via the included AC adapter. An optional cable enables syncing two E2 cameras together, and the system supports syncing up to 100 cameras. The existing camera features a 4/3″ sensor with 10-bit color support and up to 16 stops of dynamic range in WDR mode. The camera supports recording in ProRes 422 in 10-bit, as well as h.265 and h.264 codecs.
A Gigabit ethernet socket provides data transfer and camera control. Using ethernet for image transfer means you can get longer cable runs than using SDI cable without image degradation.
You can also use an iOS app to control the camera and to view a live image preview over USB-C.
Remote control over the web
There’s also an open API and a SDK, so if you’re technically minded you’ll be able to develop your own applications to both control the camera and make use of the live video feed over IP. For manual control there are also some actual buttons along the front edge of the camera.
The 6K and 8K cameras will be available in EF/PL or M4/3 mounts, the better to make the most of the resolving power of larger EF and PL lenses.
ZCAM E2 S6 Key features
- S35 sensor 23.4mm x 15.67mm
- Pixel Size 3.76μm
- Available in EF/PL or M4/3 mounts
- 6244 x 4168 up to 30fps (Open Gate)
- 6124 x 3240 up to 48fps
- 6124 x 2560 up to 48fps (2.4:1 aspect ratio)
- 5760 x 3240 up to 48fps
- 4096 x 2160 up to 60 fps (subsampling with crop)
- 3840 x 2160 up to 60 fps (subsampling with crop)
- H.265 main 10 profile/ H.264 High Profile Max, bit rate of 300Mb/s
- ProRes recording (awaiting certification)
- 12-bit & 14-bit RAW
- CFast 2.0 Media
- Color Bit Depth 4:2:2 10-bit in ProRes (subject to ProRes certification)
- 5 pin Lemo for dual XLR mic(requires optional accessory)
- LUTS
- HDMI 2.0 (max. output C4K up to 60fps 10-bit 4:2:2)
Big resolution, small body
The renders below show a bit more clearly how many mounting points there are on the camera – it’s likely to be used with a cage as in the pictures above, but if you stripped it down it looks like it would be possible to mount in quite a tight space.
Z-Cam E2 S6 price and availability
The Z Cam E2-S6 S35 6K camera will cost $3,995 USD and is scheduled to be available in October this year. This model will be available in either PL/EF or M4/3 mounts. The E2-F6 FF model will be available in PL or EF mount for $4,995 USD.
The E2-F8 full frame will be available in PL or EF mount for $5,995 USD.
