Sharp is Making the First 8K Mirrorless Camera Priced Under $5,000

No one saw this one coming: the Japanese electronics company Sharp is teasing what may become the world’s most affordable 8K Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera. It will reportedly break ground as a prosumer camera that costs less than $5,000.

Camera gear reviewer Dave Altizer of Kinotika came across the camera in Sharp’s booth at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, and he made this 3.5-minute video introducing the prototype camera:

Altizer reports that the camera was created in collaboration with Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer that produces some of the world’s most popular electronics (e.g. the iPhone, PlayStation, and Xbox).

The current prototype shoots 8K video at 30fps in H.265 codec, but Sharp is said to be working on upping the frame rate to 60fps. The camera also features in-body image stabilization.

On the back of the camera is a massive 5-inch swiveling touchscreen, and the side features a single SD card slot, an HDMI port, USB-C, a headphone jack, a mic input, and a mini XLR audio-in port.

The camera will reportedly carry a sub-$5,000 price tag when it’s launched, which may set a new low for 8K cameras. By comparison, the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K shoots (as its name indicates) 4K with a Micro Four Thirds sensor and similar body size for $1,300.

Since what’s being shown off right now is a prototype, the design, features, and specs of the camera are all subject to change between now and when it ships. An official announcement for the upcoming Sharp 8K camera is expected to arrive in the second quarter of the year at NAB 2019 in early April.

(via Kinotika via Photo Rumors)

P.S. You can find more of Altizer camera-related videos by subscribing to his popular YouTube channel, Kinotika.

Image credits: Header still frame from video by Dave Altizer/Kinotika