Every January, more than 170,000 people and 4,000 exhibiting companies flock to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas hoping to be a part of the future of tech. This year, Adorama teamed up with RIZKNOWS to cover the event and unearth some of the biggest trends and most noteworthy products. Here’s what you need to know:
Highlights In Camera Tech From CES 2018
Panasonic pretty much stole the headlines with the LUMIX GH5S (), a video-centric mirrorless camera that makes a few big improvements over the GH5 (which itself is an amazing camera). You can expect better low-light performance with the GH5S since it has a 10.2-megapixel sensor (GH5 has a 20.2-megapixel sensor). The GH5S has a native ISO range of 160 – 51,200, while the GH5 only went up to ISO 25,600. Even more, the GH5S can shoot Cinematic 4K (4096 x 2160 resolution) at 30 and 60 frames per second and 1080p up to 240 frames per second (with crop).
While the Panasonic pushed the boundaries of mirrorless cameras, Polaroid is taking us back in time with its OneStep 2 Camera (). Picture this as a revamped version of the original 1977 Polaroid OneStep instant camera. Polaroid kept the retro design, but gave it some updates to improve the camera’s picture quality. Among other things, the OneStep 2 features a 60-day rechargeable battery and a self-timer. Picture development takes notably longer (around 15 minutes), but it’s neat to see instant cameras becoming more popular.
More from Adorama: 9 Best Instant Cameras to Buy in 2018
Drones were all over CES, but the largest company in the space, DJI, caught pretty much everyone’s attention with a $99 consumer-level drone called Tello () that they made in partnership with the robotics startup Ryze. The drone looks very similar to the DJI Spark, but doesn’t have a stabilizing gimbal and shoots 720p.
DJI announced the Osmo Mobile 2 (), a handheld stabilizer gimbal for smartphones. Among other things, the Osmo Mobile 2 will be better able to handle heavier phones and features 15 hours of battery life and the ability for the gimbal to pivot between landscape and portrait modes.
DJI also announced the Ronin-S (), its first professional-grade, one-handed stabilizer for mirrorless and DSLR cameras. It is an engineering masterpiece. The other one-handed stabilizer that we found particularly interesting was the MOZA AirCross (), which features a 12-hour battery life and can provide direct power to select Panasonic and Sony mirrorless cameras. The AirCross even has a DC input, allowing you to connect power banks and extend battery life.
More from Adorama: 12 Drone Photography Tips
Full spherical cameras (or 360° cameras) also took center stage at CES, but the GoPro Fusion () and Insta360 Nano S () really seemed to capture people’s imaginations. While we’ve known about the Fusion for quite some time, GoPro added one feature in particular that really shows the future of 360° video. GoPro calls this OverCapture and it allows you to take spherical footage and direct your audience to the areas that you want them to see. Essentially, you’re taking 360° footage, flattening it, and at the same time directing your audience to where you want them to go. You can do all of this from the GoPro app, which is incredibly impressive.
In a somewhat different direction, Insta360’s Nano S turns your iPhone into a spherical camera. You can shoot in 4K 360° on the go and capture everything you see, then frame what you like best. Real-time stabilization gives you smooth footage and with the MultiView feature, you can arrange your best views in one frame.
To learn more about the biggest announcements at CES 2018, check out our other coverage:
CES 2018: The Smart Home Innovation Announcements You Need to Know
CES 2018: The Biggest New Health & Fitness Products
CES 2018: The Cars & Vehicle Technology That Stole the Show
