Sony has launched a new, compact member of the XDCAM family to deliver benefits of 1.0-type sensor technology and XAVC in a handheld professional camcorder. 4K recording capability will be available in a future update.
Update (13 August, 2014):
Sony’s PXW-X70 will be available in Asia Pacific from the end of September 2014, with a retail price of S$3,000.
Light and compact entry-level professional camcorder.
The 4K recording capability should be available via a firmware update by the end of the year.
Pricing for the update has not been announced yet, but it’s in the hundreds – less than $1,000 for those who want it.
I had a hands-on with the entry level professional camcorder today.
It’s more compact than others and definitely lighter.
For videographers currently using a DSLR to shoot short videos and thinking of taking their craft a notch higher, this would be a shoe-in as it offers features that are not available in the top-end DSLRs.
The versatile new PXW-X70 camcorder features a sensor more than eight times the size of a conventional 1/3 single chip sensor, providing strong sensitivity and low light performance.
Sony has launched the 4K-ready PXW-X70, the first compact XDCAM professional camcorder ever produced.
“This first compact member of the XDCAM family brings the performance and workflow benefits associated with XAVC to an even wider range of shooting scenarios,” said Chris Grey, General Manager, Broadcast & Content Creation Solutions, Professional Solutions Company (PSAP), Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited.
Expanding the popular file-based XDCAM family to a new smaller form factor and lower price point, Sony has combined great picture quality, speed of shooting and robust performance into a package which is ideal for a wide range of applications from news gathering and documentaries to events work.
The PXW-X70 features a 1.0-type Exmor® R CMOS Sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels.
The sensor, which is even larger than the Super 16mm film frame, delivers high resolution and strong low light performance, as well as offering more depth of field control demanded by today’s diverse shooting requirements.
“In recent years we’ve seen the broadcast industry really embrace large sensors for their corresponding picture quality benefits. The one-inch sensor at the heart of the PXW-X70 sets a new standard for colour, depth and texture in a professional compact camcorder, and together with the ability to upgrade to 4K, it is an ideal multi-purpose, future-proof option for customers looking for a tough camcorder which doesn’t compromise on image,” said Grey.
The new camcorder has the ability to record High Definition in XAVC Long GOP, enabling 4:2:2 10-bit sampling at 50 Mbit/s.
This in-turn supports a broadcast-quality workflow, increasingly adopted by productions in many different professional applications.
This addition to the expanding next generation XDCAM family follows the recently announced PXW-X180 and PXW-X160, and builds upon Sony’s successful heritage of compact professional camcorders.
The PXW-X70 is the first professional compact camcorder from Sony to include Wi-Fi-enabled control via Smart Phone or Tablet using the Content Browser Mobile application.
An upcoming release will also provide customers with the ability to upgrade the PXW-X70 to record in 4K Ultra High Definition, with file transferring and live video streaming capabilities.