Sony has just announced the newest member to the XDCAM family, the PXW-FS7, and we were able to stop by Sony's IBC booth to get a closer look. Expected to ship this October, the FS7 is an E-mount Super 35 camera that records to XQD cards. It has been designed with ergonomics in mind, featuring a small profile and form factor that lends itself to vérité-style shooting.

At this year's IBC show, Zeiss will be showing off a prototype servo unit that is compatible with all three Compact Zoom lenses. Designed specifically for the CZ.2 15-30 T2.9, 28-80 T2.9, and 70-200 T2.9, the servo features a pressure-sensitive rocker for smooth zoom control and an integrated aperture motor for auto-iris (if supported by camera).

Sony has released software update v1.1 for the PVM-A & LMD-A series of monitors. These OLED monitors offer excellent picture quality, and the A-series adds enhanced performance with a slimmer design and lower weight than previous models. The v1.1 update makes these great monitors even better, with helpful new features such as:

The IB/E Universal Mount System (UMS) for Canon Cinema Zooms makes it easy for users to quickly switch between various lens mounts in the field. Of the various mount options, the first available mount was for Canon EF, but with the recent crop of new cameras, you now have the ability to use any of the popular Canon Cinema Zooms (14.5-60, 30-300, 15.5-47, and 30-105) on cameras such as the Sony a7S, Panasonic GH4, or Blackmagic Studio Camera.

The ALEXA XT has the same size sensor as previous models, but with its increased processing power, it can now record the full sensor area all at once.

Recently, AbelCine organized a focus group with select cinematographers and specialists from Canon to review the new Dual Pixel Auto Focus (DAF) upgrade for the C300 camera. The consensus was that for $500, this is a feature worth many times its cost, as it expands the universe of the types of shots that can be achieved.

Today Arri announced that they will offer a new software upgrade for the AMIRA, which will allow it to record ProRes Ultra HD files (at a resolution of 3840x2160). The upgrade is expected to be available for purchase at the online Arri License Shop by the end of 2014.

Recently, Gates Underwater made an exciting announcement and revealed their new ALEXA underwater housing. As with their other housings, this unit features simple fingertip controls, an adjustable trim weight system, Gates Precision Ports, and adjustable handle grips.

Arri has recently started the second Open Beta phase for Software Update Packet 10.0, and they've announced some exciting features for this release.