Price: $4000
Records 4K at 23.98/24/25/29.97/30 fps.
Supposed to ship in September. Delayed.
This one has the lowest price point, but the company has been pretty unreliable in the past. It also can't do 60 fps at 4K. Blackmagic's 2.5K Cinema Camera seems impressive though especially for only $2000.
Prices: $4500 and $6500
Both will record 4K (3840 x 2160p) at 24/25/30/50/60 fps as well as 1920 x 1080p at 24/25/30/50/60 fps.
FDR-AX1 hits in October. PXW-Z100 at the end of 2013.
The more expensive pro version will give you much higher data rates, 3G-HD-SDI, and supposedly variable frame rates (but I haven't found a confirmation or specifics of this last detail anywhere like will it do 1-100fps or what?). No interchangeable lenses unlike Blackmagic, Red, or Canon so you'd need a 35mm adapter like Letus, Redrock, or Brevis if they'll even work with it.
Prices: $5,000 and $18,000
Both record 4K. The GY-HMQ10 can do 24/50/60 fps. The JY-HMQ30 allows for interchangeable lenses with a Nikon F mount, but it's only pre-ordering in Japan.
GY-HMQ10 is out now. JY-HMQ30 is unknown.
I'm doubting the quality on this one. JVC doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in me, but heck, I guess their track record is better than Blackmagic.
Price: $10,000-$15,000 (the brain is $7950)
Records 4K 1-30 fps, 3K 1-48 fps, 1080p 1-60 fps, and 1K 1-120 fps.
Available now.
Obviously, Red is probably the most famous for beating everyone to 4K at a price much cheaper than before, but they've got plenty of competition now. Their high prices really turn me off although the quality seems to back them up.
Prices: $12,000 and $26,000
Both will record 4K. The 1D C will only do 24 fps at that high of resolution but the C500 will do 60 fps or 120 fps at 4K Half Cinema Raw.
Available now.
I was hoping Canon's 4K cameras would be more affordable, but they're a brand you can trust if you've got the cash.
Conclusion
Panasonic is also working on a 4K Varicam; however, it doesn't seem like it'll be out for a long time so no specs or price are locked down yet. Anyway, I'm in no hurry to rush into 4K. There are going to be all kinds of workflow (using proxies and codecs) and storage problems (4K is going to eat up a ton of space in the blink of an eye). My plan is to wait a couple years until the dust settles and shoot good ole HD in the mean time, which seems to be what quite a few others are advocating.
