NAB 2026 just wrapped in Las Vegas, and honestly? The big companies kind of let us down. Sony, Nikon, Canon showed up, but there weren’t a lot of jaw-dropping new cameras from the major players. That’s kind of become the norm at NAB. But here’s the thing: while the big booths were quiet, the smaller and mid-size companies were going absolutely wild. And that’s where all the good stuff was hiding.

I spent multiple days on the floor checking out everything I could, and I’ve got a list of gear that I genuinely think is going to matter for filmmakers, especially wedding and commercial filmmakers. Let’s get into it.

Kinefinity Vista: The Compact Cinema Camera That Could Win NAB

This one stopped me in my tracks at the Kinefinity booth. They’re showing a camera called the Vista, and the pitch is simple: ultra-compact cinema camera, 6K recording, a 4-inch screen, and a form factor roughly comparable to something like a Nikon Zf. That combination should not exist at this price point.

Kinefinity says it’s coming out in June, meaning we’re talking really soon. They’re also targeting a price below $3,000, which is wild for a full-frame 6K cinema camera. I need to get my hands on a review unit for this thing as soon as it ships, because right now it might just be my pick for the coolest camera at the show.

Nisi: Cinema Lenses Are Getting Interesting

Nisi had a couple of things worth talking about. First, a T1 50mm prime lens, roughly equivalent to an F1.2 aperture, designed for full-frame cinema cameras. The fact that we’re getting cinema-spec glass at VOCA-style options and increasing quality levels is genuinely exciting for those of us who want that cinematic rendering without going full Hollywood rental house.

They also had some fun booth energy, including a claw machine full of camera gear. Yes, you could reach in and grab stuff. I’m not saying I did. I’m also not saying I didn’t.

Deity PR-4: The XLR Recorder I’ve Been Waiting For

Okay, this one is huge for audio nerds. Deity announced the PR-4, which is their answer to the Tascam FR-AV2: a proper XLR input audio recorder with 32-bit float recording and access to Deity’s timecode ecosystem. If you’ve been living in the Deity wireless world, this is the missing piece that ties everything together.

32-bit float means you basically cannot clip, which for wedding filmmakers recording unpredictable ceremony audio is a massive deal. You set your levels and then forget about them. I’ve been waiting for Deity to bring this kind of device into their lineup, and it looks like they nailed it. They also announced the PR-2 Mark II, a tougher, waterproof version of the PR-2 with upgraded preamps borrowed from the PR-4 and improved overall build quality. That one ships summer 2026. (I said “summer.” Deity operates on their own timeline. But I’m optimistic.)

They also had a mini digital camera as a freebie they were giving out at the booth: a tiny little thing that actually works and has a screen on the back. Basically a fun little surprise from an audio company.

If you want to level up your overall audio game on wedding days, check out my post on how I record audio for wedding films.

Rode Link 2: Wireless Audio Just Got More Pro

Rode dropped the RodeLink 2 wireless transmitter right on the show floor, and it caught me off guard in the best way. This is a pro-tier wireless audio system with 32-bit float internal recording and interchangeable batteries. The fact that you now have internal backup recording in a wireless transmitter with 32-bit float is a game changer for anyone relying on wireless audio on a wedding day. Expected to ship later this year.

Nanlite Evoke 5C: Tiny Lights, Massive Modifier Options

Nanlite is at NAB with something that I keep thinking about: the Evoke 5C. It’s a light that’s roughly two inches by one inch. Absurdly small. But what makes it interesting is that there are apparently around 800 modifier options for this thing: softeners, Fresnels, gobos, and more.They even sell a kit with a charging case that holds eight of them.

For wedding filmmakers, the brightness might be a limiting factor in some scenarios, but if you’re doing any kind of commercial work where you need a lot of compact, moddable lights that pack down to nothing, this is something worth watching. I’m hoping to test the brightness in real wedding conditions soon.

SmallRig RF20C: A Light Saber for Your Camera Bag

I already own the SmallRig RF-10C, which I really like as a compact spotlight with modifier support. Well, they’ve now released the RF-20C, brighter, with even more modifier options. One of those modifiers turns it into something that honestly looks like a light saber, and they’ll also custom-print any gobo you want for it. Custom gobos for a $67 light. That’s absurd in the best possible way.

Core PowerVault: The Modular Power System Every Wedding Filmmaker Needs

This one came from a collaboration between a gear company and another YouTuber, and I got a full demo on the floor. The Core PowerVault is a modular, all-in-one power system with a magnetic attachment system. You can snap in a Sony battery plate (or Canon, or others), and it will charge your camera battery directly from the vault’s built-in power banks.

But here’s where it gets really useful for wedding filmmakers: even when it’s unplugged from the wall, it can still charge other devices using its internal power-share system, including AA batteries. Forgot to charge your drone? Forgot to charge the sound recorder? As long as you’ve got the PowerVault, you’ve got a backup. There’s even an app that shows you the charging status of every connected device. This thing was built for exactly the kind of chaotic, middle-of-nowhere wedding day situations we all find ourselves in.

Speaking of being prepared on a wedding day, if you’re still building out your shot list, grab my free wedding shot list PDF. It’s the same list I’ve refined over 15+ years of filming weddings.

GoPro Mission 1: GoPro Got Serious About Cinema

I’ll be honest: I didn’t expect to be excited about GoPro at NAB. But here we are. GoPro is showing the Mission 1, a new cinema-focused camera powered by their GP3 processor with a 50MP 1-inch sensor. The big story is the interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lens mount, and yes, they had a Fujifilm anamorphic lens attached to a GoPro body on the show floor and it actually looked good.

I held one briefly (I had to beg a little), and the thing has a really nice feel. It’s still compact like a GoPro but with a much more substantial, cinema-ready presence when you throw a real lens on it. Pre-orders open May 21. I’m genuinely interested in what this thing can do for run-and-gun filmmakers.

Canon’s Mythical Zoom Lens: The 40-1200mm

When I was getting into filmmaking, my friends and I used to joke about the impossible lens: an 8mm fisheye that was also an F1.2 that also zoomed to 2000mm and weighed three pounds. A lens that couldn’t exist. Well, Canon just announced something that feels like it came close.

The Canon 40-1200mm lens. A 30x zoom range. It does cover Super 35 and full frame, and it has a built-in teleconverter. The aperture is variable at F5 to F10.8, so you need good light, but the focal range alone is genuinely mind-blowing. It costs $80,000, so you’ll probably be renting it. But if you’re ever stuck in the back of a ceremony venue and need to reach all the way to the altar. This is the lens for you. What a wild piece of glass.

The Vibe at NAB 2026

What I love about NAB is that it’s not just about the gear. It’s about the people. I got to catch up with my friend Jordan Cowan (@OnIcePerspectives on Instagram) who filmed the Olympics on ice and was presenting at the Imagine booth about AI color grading. Wild to see my wedding videos on their screens being used as examples. The community that shows up to this thing every year is genuinely one of the best parts.

There’s a lot of gear coming down the pipeline in 2026, and I’ll be reviewing as much of it as I can. If you want to make sure you’re editing all that new footage the right way, grab my free guide: Edit Videos Like a Pro. It covers my biggest editing rules that apply no matter what you’re shooting or what software you’re using.