Viltrox, Boland, ARRI, Mimir, Nikon, and Apple all make news as NAB 2026 approaches, plus the ultimate product endorsement that no marketing department could have planned.
Yes, yes, we all now know that Nikon cameras have taken some Earth-shattering (sic) pictures and that the iPhone 17 Pro has excelled in space. Even the venerable GoPro HERO4 has taken some superb shots, but this, this is the brand endorsement to end all endorsements.
Viltrox is promising quite the showcase at NAB. Highlights include new and upcoming EVO series APO lenses, flagship LAB and Pro series optics with hands-on demos led by industry professionals, and several unreleased L-mount lenses. This marks a significant international trade show debut for the company following the company's L-Mount Alliance membership.
On the cinema side, Viltrox will present expanded EPIC series cinema lenses, Raze cinema lenses in DL mount for the DJI Ronin 4D, and the NexusFocus adapter for autofocus in professional cinema workflows. It promises its booth will also feature simulated production environments and additional tools including lighting and monitoring products.
The monitors offer 1000 nits peak brightness, a contrast ratio of up to 1,000,000:1, 99% DCI-P3 color coverage, and wide viewing angles. Connectivity covers 4K via 12G-SDI (single or quad-link) and HDMI 2.0, with native compatibility across the usual range of formats and frame rates. There is also an optional ST 2110 with NMOS accessory for fully digital signal chains. Integrated monitoring tools include waveform, vectorscope, false color, and 3D LUT support.
ARRI and SmallHD have teamed up on lens data monitor overlays that are available through a new expansion license for ARRI’s Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX hand units. The SmallHD Monitor Overlay License displays focus and iris scales and other lens data in personalized layouts that help focus pullers keep track of their marks without losing sight of the live image.
With the license, Hi-5 users can see focus scales, iris values, focal length, FocusBug CineRT data, and lens information on a supported SmallHD monitor by connecting to it via USB-C or the Hi-5’s 4-pin SERIAL connector. The overlays offer adjustable opacity, positioning, size, on/off visibility control, persistent settings after power loss, light/dark overlay themes, and up to three individually customizable pages with savable layouts. Touchscreen monitors allow overlay elements to be dragged and dropped to any position on the display.
The SmallHD Monitor Overlay License for Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX is available now for €680.
NAB sees creator uptick
Quick data point: NAB says current registration shows a 200% increase over 2025 in attendees who describe themselves as content creators, influencers or podcasters, with self-described producers of social media content up about 150%.
According to an article in Digital Camera World, a newly published Nikon patent describes a fan-based active cooling system for an interchangeable-lens camera.
This could point to a specific product already in the pipeline. The rumored Nikon Z9 II is one candidate, and is touted to offer cinema-grade specs including 12-bit R3D NE RAW recording at 8.3K / 60p open gate. This would put serious thermal demands on any body trying to stay fanless. That said, overheating tends to hit smaller bodies harder, so the fan could equally be destined for something more compact. A cinema-focused hybrid perhaps?
With Mimir Cutter, teams can quickly reframe for different outputs (9:16, 1:1, 4:3) with pre-sets and keyframing, so that focus stays consistent across versions without rebuilding the same story in multiple timelines. They can also fix audio in the flow, detaching video and audio when independent control is required, and then work faster with improved multi-track handling and clearer visibility (waveforms, level metering, and keyframes). When a project needs full desktop finishing for color, advanced audio mix, or effects, the cut can be easily picked up and finished in DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro.
It's neat stuff for fast turnaround teams and already being used by The New York Times, Bloomberg, News UK, Philadelphia Eagles, and Hilton.
Final Cut Camera receives a refreshed icon aligned with the Creator Studio visual style, alongside performance and stability improvements. Pages, Keynote, Numbers, MainStage, Motion, and Compressor also received minor updates, though it is still strange thinking of those first three productivity tools as part of Creator Studio.