By technical editor Matt Allard:
There has yet to be an announcement from Sony regarding the 4K Firmware for their FS700. Many may of hoped it was going to be announced at the IBC show in Amsterdam along with a Sony 4K recorder…..no such luck.
With all the recent announcements from Sony I didn’t personally expect too much from their IBC press conference. There should be quite a few new camera and lens announcements at Photokina on the 12th of September. The announcements are rumoured to include the Sony A99 full frame mirror less DSLR, the NEX VG-30 and a new full frame camcorder.
There was though another Sony camera announcement at IBC. Sony has expanded its XDCAM HD422 product line-up with the PMW-50 SxS Field Gear and the PMW-150 50mbps HD422 handheld camcorder equipped with 3x Full HD 1/3-inch Exmor™ CMOS sensors and a 20x zoom lens.
This new release from Sony is fairly similar to the previously announced PMW-200. The biggest difference I can see is it now has a 20x Zoom (29.5mm to 590mm in 35mm terms), which is a very good range indeed. This is thanks to a reduction in sensor size from 1/2 inch to 1/3 inch. The new 20x zoom lens on the PMW-150 does have 3 independent ring controls for focus, iris and zoom. There is also a wide angle adaptor available for those who want an even wider lens. A lot of people complained that the smaller PMW-100 lens was not nearly wide enough for a camera designed for ENG and documentary work. The PMW-100 despite being able to record 50Mb/s has to my knowledge yet to gain approval by the BBC. Whether the PMW-150 will face the same fate we will see. The camera also features a Wi-Fi remote control (requires an optional adaptor) which will allow users the ability to white balance and control playback via compatible smart phones and tablets. What else it may be able to control is not specified. The camera is scheduled for release in November for a rumored price of between four to five thousand Euros.
The other new XDCAM product release is the PMW-50 SxS field recorder. It is basically a professional XDCAM recorder that enables play back and viewing using a 3.5′ LCD screen. It has duel SxS slots and the ability to record live camera feeds. Now this should mean you can record from most HD-SDI cameras straight to XDCAM 4:2:2 at 50Mb/s. Cameras that might make use of this feature are the Canon C300, Sony F3 and cams like the EX1. SD-SDI is also supported along with DVCam recording for older cameras. This means you can easily create files that drop straight into an XDCAM workflow – shooting say a C300 seamlessly alongside an F3 (although the gammas would still be different). The F3 would also be recording at the higher 50Mb/s bitrate that some broadcasters require, while remaining in the XDCAM format and not having to deal with ProRes or DNxHD. This may be a very popular product for those news organisations using a XDCAM workflow.
You can also copy files to media and even external drives and so offers a wide variety of features and has many potential real world uses. It will also run off Sony BP-U batteries that are used on the PMW 100/150 and 200 cameras. No official pricing yet on the PMW-50 but some retailers are already offering it at 5300 Euro + tax – not inexpensive. It is scheduled to be available in January 2013.
Here is more information from the Sony press release:
The handheld PMW-150 joins a family of popular HD422 SxS camcorders that include the PMW-100, PMW-200 and the shoulder-mount PMW-500, making this the strongest and most versatile HD422 range in the industry.
“With fast file-based operation, codec efficiency and outstanding picture quality, XDCAM HD422 products are ideal for applications such as news gathering, when workflow speed is a key concern. They are equally invaluable when seeking a high-quality HD broadcast image without compromising production costs and efficiencies, for example in the production of TV documentaries and mainstream entertainment programs,” said Bill Drummond, Strategic Marketing Manager, Professional Solutions Europe. “With the development of not just the new PMW-50 field gear, but also the PMW-150 professional camcorder we are offering the most extensive range of broadcast quality HD422 50Mbps acquisition tools on the market today.”
The PMW-150 is equipped with three chip 1/3-inch Exmor™ CMOS sensors and delivers high sensitivity and low noise compared to similar 1/3-inch camcorders available in the market. It comes armed with a 20x zoom lens with a focal length of 29.5-590mm (35mm equiv.) and is capable of shooting wide angle (optional wide converter VCL-HG0872K available) from a distance, making it great for event productions, documentaries and more. The lens is equipped with three independent rings for focus, zoom and iris adjustment with full manual control, plus an image stabilising function.
The PMW-150 is capable of shooting in 1080/50i, 1080/25P, 720/50P, 720/25P or PAL. To meet familiar professional operational and creative shooting needs, this camcorder also features a four-position built-in ND filter switch (Clear, 1: 1/4, 2: 1/16, 3: 1/64) and a powerful Slow & Quick motion function which enables capture at 1 fps to 60 fps in 720p mode, and from 1 fps to 30 fps in 1080p mode. The PMW-150 also comes with an invaluable 15 second cache recording feature: It can use its internal memory to capture content, even before the recording button is pressed (maximum of 15 seconds), allowing users to record important moments that would have otherwise been missed.
Genlock In and Time Code In/Out interfaces make the PMW-150 ideal for multi-camera environments. The camcorder also offers users unrivalled flexibility in recording media choice, operating with Sony’s professional SxS technology as well as other media such as SD, Memory Stick and XQD cards (adaptor required). A Wi-Fi remote control (adaptor required) for the PMW-150 enhances flexibility for studio or on-location use offering white balance and playback controls via compatible mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Light-weight and mobile, the PMW-150 can be used for a wide variety of applications not just in broadcast and production but also in education, corporate, and event videography.
The PMW-50 SxS Field Gear is compact, fast and powerful, and is a perfect portable companion for the shoulder-mount PMW-500 and the handheld PMW-100/150/200 camcorders. The dual SxS slot, versatile connectivity and a 3.5” LCD panel allow for huge operational flexibility. Live-camera-feed recording, playback, file copying to media and external drives, in-field clip viewing, NLE editing and file transfer for DSNG transmission are just some of the functionalities the PMW-50 will offer to its users. The ability to power the deck with BP-U batteries, commonly used with the PMW-100/150/200 handheld camcorders, and the consistency of the recording format (MPEG HD422 50Mbps (MXF), MPEG HD420 35Mbps (MP4) and DVCAM (MXF, AVI)) make the PMW-50 an invaluable asset in a multitude of applications, accommodating all the immediate needs of the operators in the field with minimal kit and investment requirements.
About Matthew Allard, Aljazeera Senior Field Cameraman, Kuala Lumpur:
Matt has been a Camera/Editor in TV news for more 20 years, previously working for both Channel 9 and Channel 10 in Australia. Twice Network Ten Australia’s cameraman of the year as well as being a Walkley Finalist for outstanding camerawork in 2006 (for coverage of the Cronulla Race Riots) and a Logie Finalist for outstanding news coverage 2006 (Bali 9). He is a multiple ACS (Australian Cinematographers Society) award winner. His Sword Maker story that was shot on a 7D won the prestigious Neil Davis International News Golden Tripod at the 2011 ACS Awards. He has covered news events in more than 35 countries, from major sporting events to terrorist bombings. Based out of the Kuala Lumpur broadcast centre in Malaysia he is an avid user and follower of new technology, shooting stories on HD broadcast cameras, the Sony F3 as well as new Canon DSLRs.
