Vendors at 2015 NAB Show brings debut Thunderbolt drives, camera remote accessories, more

With the National Association of Broadcasters' annual trade show under way in Las Vegas, accessory makers have announced a number of new products designed to serve the needs of media professionals wielding Macs and iOS devices.

Well-known Mac storage maker OWC revealed two new high-speed external storage solutions with the Viper Pro Thunderbolt 2 external drive and Envoy Pro mini USB 3.0 thumb drive. Both units feature internal SSDs.

The Viper Pro sports dual Thunderbolt 2 interfaces that OWC says can transfer data at up to 1,350 megabytes per second. With an aluminum enclosure designed for desktop use, the Viper Pro will be available this summer in a 4-terabyte capacity for $2,999 or an 8-terabyte configuration for $4,799.

The Envoy Pro mini is a small, aluminum thumb drive that will sustain transfer speeds up to 433 megabytes per second. OWC calls the Envoy Pro mini's internal SSD "desktop class," and units are available now —  120 gigabytes will run buyers $119, while 240 gigabytes bumps the price to $199. A 480 gigabyte model is coming soon, and will cost $599.

Tripod manufacturer Manfrotto showed off its new Digital Director, a device that lets photographers turn an iPad into a remote control for SLR cameras. The Digital Director features a small, dedicated CPU that attaches to a Canon or Nikon camera via a USB cable as well as a metal mount for an iPad Air or Air 2.

Users can then connect their iPad to the Digital Director wirelessly, and use Manfrotto's Digital Director app to remotely control the camera. Features include live view; access to settings like exposure, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, white balance, focus, image quality, camera modes, and battery status; as well as the ability to share images directly via FTP.

The Digital Director will be available next month for $499, and can be pre-ordered through Manfrotto resellers like B&H Photo.

Camera maker Blackmagic Design introduced its new Micro Cinema Camera, a miniature Super 16mm digital film camera. It features a micro four thirds lens mount, and is designed for use on set and in action shots or tethered to a drone.

Available in both 1080p and 4K variants, the Micro Cinema Camera also sports a new expansion port with PWM and S.Bus connections that cinematographers can use to control the camera from a standard model aircraft remote. Images can be recorded in 12-bit log CinemaDNG RAW or Apple ProRes.

In addition, numerous existing accessories can be connected to the DB-HD15 connector.

The Micro Cinema Camera will be available in July starting at $995, while the 4K variant will begin at $1,295.

Blackmagic also debuted a lighter URSA Mini camera capable of 4.6K recording, expected to launch in July for $4,995 with EF lens mount or $5,495 with PL lens mount. A 4K URSA Mini version is also expected to ship in July for $2,995 with EF mount or $3,495 with PL mount.