NAB: Sony Expands Camera Lineup

Adds new cameras for live production as well as its smallest XDCAM

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/15/2012 10:35:47 PM

Complete Coverage: 2012 NAB Show

Sony unveiled a number of new cameras at its annual NAB press conference, including new additions to its HDC line of live production cameras, a new XDCAM that weighs only seven pounds and two new cameras in its low-cost NXCAM line.

For live production, Sony bowed the HDC-2000 and the HDC-2550. Both offer improved picture quality with the newly developed 2/3-inch-type Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) with a 16-bit A/D converter. The HDC-2000 is the studio version of the portable HDC-2500, which is suitable for studio and sports applications with a variety of signal output formats, including 1080p at 60 frame per second.

As broadcasters increasingly deploy lighter cameras in the field, Sony also introduced the PMW-100 handheld camcorder, which is the smallest and lightest camera in the XDCAM family at only seven pounds.

Sony executives noted that the camera was in direct response to customer feedback for a light and compact camera that will not only perform well on its own, but could be integrated into their existing XDCAM workflows, including Sony's PMW-500.

In addition, Sony launched a new palm-sized HXR-NX30U high-definition camcorder addition to Sony's NXCAM line that comes with Balanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilization technology.

"This high-quality yet easy-to-use camcorder is an extremely versatile field production tool," said Chiyoko Yannette, marketing manager at Sony Electronics' Professional Solutions of America group in a statement accompanying the announcement. "It's perfect for documentary makers, video journalists, educational establishments or corporate users, for shooting in many different situations where other stabilization equipment is not practical such as on-board a vehicle or in a crowd."

Finally Sony announced the new NEX-FS700U Full-HD Super Slow Motion camcorder, which is capable of capturing footage at up to 960 frames per second, and a new remote camera, the BRC-H900, equipped with three ½ type Exmor HD CMOS sensors.

The HDC-2000 and HDC-2550 will begin shipping in May 2012 but there is no word as yet on pricing.

The HXR-NX30U is planned to be available in June for a suggested list price of less than $2,500.

The PMW-100 XDCAM camcorder is slated to ship in May, with a suggested list price of $4,500.

The BRC-H900 will also be available in May 2012, at a suggested list price of $14,500.