In the feature race, there's something that's always missing from the spec sheets of 'professional' cameras and camcorders.
Professional journalists and filmmakers urgently need in-camera encryption to protect the materials we record and to be able to work ethically and safely.
I'm not alone, as a freelance filmmaker who frequently documents police conduct (and associated protests), in recognizing the real risk to myself and my subjects if police seize my gear. In 2016, a group of 150 filmmakers and reporters wrote to Canon, Olympus, Sony, Fuji, and Olympus (but not Panasonic or Black Magic!), and outlined the urgent need for encryption: https://freedom.press/news/over-150-filmmakers-and-photojournalists-call-major-camera-manufacturers-build-encryption-their-cameras/
They wrote:
It's a pitiful reflection of the camera industry that we have 8K Raw cameras within reach, but a $100 cell phone with a password lock and built in encryption is actually more capable of documenting events and keeping materials secure. I would argue that encryption would help with commercial camera applications and in feature filmmaking too, and is just good practice anywhere privacy is concerned.
Security camera systems rely on encryption. Every operating system offers a form of hard drive encryption. Why not cameras, if they are truly aimed at photojournalists or other professionals?
I know a lot of camera industry representatives read this forum, and ambassadors / reviewers with the eyes and ears of manufacturers. I urge you to take this seriously, and to look at how to implement these features. It would be profitable and it would help sell cameras. It could be implemented via firmware to existing cameras in order to buff up the current spec sheets and help stand out in a crowded marketplace.
I know a large number of reporters who are ready to switch systems in order to access in-camera encryption. So why isn't this a thing?