Canon, in cooperation with Miyazaki Prefecture, has produced a new, ultra-high-resolution 8K video highlighting some of the prefecture’s most iconic sightseeing locations and cultural elements. The project, entitled “Origins of Japan’s Mythology,” aims to promote tourism to Miyazaki and to preserve its natural beauty and cultural heritage. Using a Canon 8K camera equipped with the Company’s rich lineup of EF Cinema Lenses covering the full range from wide-angle to telephoto, this video features such scenes as Takachiho Shrine and ritual Kagura dancing, Amanoyasugawara cave and sake making at a brewery in the town of Hinokage. Watch the video and experience the majesty of Miyazaki in exquisite detail!
Sharing his thoughts on capturing Miyazaki with 8K equipment, director of “Origins of Japan’s Mythology” and CEO of Full score Co., Ltd. Ichiro Shimada said :
“Of the six days we spent filming, we only had clear skies for one. But we were still able to capture the full range of Miyazaki’s graceful beauty in 8K, from Amanoyasugawara cave against the backdrop of faint rain to droplets forming outside Amanoiwato. Then on the final day, the sun finally emerged and we witnessed a miraculous sea of clouds from our vantage point at Kunimigaoka. The sublime sight of gentle drifting clouds and the soft glow of the sun is enough to take your breath away, and I feel we fully captured this in our 8K content.
“Canon’s 8K technology not delivers not only extremely high resolution, but also high dynamic range and rich color expression. And with the ability to record in 8K RAW, we could represent our subjects with more true-to-life visuals. Finally, thanks to the ease of scaling our existing 4K equipment to accommodate our workflow, we were able to film without any trouble. I hope our work will allow even more people to experience the beautiful scenery of Miyazaki.”
Canon’s 8K Technologies
Canon is leveraging its proprietary optical and image-processing technologies to develop a full lineup of 8K equipment spanning input to output, including cameras, lenses and displays. The 8K camera used to record this content is equipped with a Canon-developed 8K image sensor that realizes ultra-high resolution of 8192 x 4320 pixels—16x that of 2K—high-precision HDR and a wide color gamut. All of this makes possible the capture of footage with quality, presence and immersion that’s like seeing with the naked eye. In addition to hardware, Canon is pursuing development of such fully immersive experiences as the Free Viewpoint Video System, which gives viewers the feeling of watching an event in person. Going forward, Canon will continue striving to develop and deliver new visual solutions and experiences.
